EDIT: See what the Castle of Magical Dreams looks like!

You’ve all seen the news on Facebook, Twitter, and our Instagram Stories. New concept art showing the transformation of Hong Kong Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle was just released. This is the second concept art we’ve seen since the first one back in 2016.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two-piece of concept art. The one on the left we saw in 2016 and on the right is the latest.

2016 Concept Art (Left) and 2017 Concept Art (Right) © Disney

Here’s what we know about the castle transformation so far:

• Begins after January 1, 2018 (although preparation has already begun)
• Completed sometime in 2019 (no dates are given yet)
• Includes a stage for nighttime and daytime performances
• The design pays tribute to a combination of Disney Princess Stories (13 in total)
• The design also reflects the character of Hong Kong

If you’d like to read more details then check out Disney Magical Kingdom Blog. Which is an excellent source for everything on Hong Kong Disneyland.

Current Castle

One of my favourite aspects of the current castle (which is a clone of the original in Anaheim) is the rolling hills in the background. The small-scale of the castle gave it a whimsical feeling, which may become lost with the new design.

My Thoughts

Now, what do I think about this design? My first knee-jerk reaction is to say “The design is all over the place with a strange attempt at being unique”. It feels as if the 13 Disney Princesses gathered in a room and couldn’t come up with a cohesive design.

You can nitpick the concept art, but I am not one to do that since it’s just that, concept art. Things can change and it may look better or worse, we don’t know yet.

My first feelings towards the design were leaning more towards negative until I saw this description:

Transformed castle pays tribute to Disney princesses and reflects the cosmopolitan character of Hong Kong

The part that says “reflects the cosmopolitan character of Hong Kong” is what makes it all come together for me. The skyline of Hong Kong is iconic and is one of the many reasons why the I love the city. The different shapes and sizes that light up the sky give Hong Kong its personality and makes it memorable.

The new design of Hong Kong Disneyland’s Castle is a reflection of the unique personality of the city it lives in, which is a bold move but I believe it’s the right one. Hong Kong is a gorgeous city, am I am happy to see that Hong Kong Disneyland is owning that and creating something that is uniquely Hong Kong.

It’s a different approach than the castles before it and I’m excited about the end result. I’ll save my final judgment when the transformation completes in 2019.

Explorer Thoughts?

What do you think of this transformation? Let me know in the comments!

Planning your trip to Hong Kong Disneyland? Read our Ultimate Guide to Hong Kong Disneyland to learn everything you need before your trip. Including discount park tickets, where to eat, where to stay, and what wi-fi and SIM Card to get!

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