Once Upon a Time Returns to Cinderella Castle
Projection mapping on Cinderella Castle forever changed Disney nighttime entertainment. In 2011, The Magic, The Memories, and You launched this new storytelling style. Using the castle as a canvas, Disney created a personal, dazzling experience featuring park guests from earlier that day.
In 2012, the show evolved into Celebrate the Magic, layering in more Disney film moments and adding fresh seasonal content. Both shows served as the foundation for the spectacular we know today: Once Upon a Time.
A Bedtime Story Under the Stars
Debuting in 2016, Once Upon a Time draws inspiration from its Tokyo Disneyland counterpart. The show invites guests to enjoy a bedtime story told by Mrs. Potts to her son, Chip. Through vivid projections and classic Disney music, scenes from Disney films come to life—right on Cinderella Castle.
Watch scenes unfold from Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. Each magical moment begins with the phrase “Once Upon a Time…”
A Snapshot from 2019
This episode of SamsDisneyDiary captures the full Once Upon a Time castle show exactly as it looked in 2019—before the COVID-19 park closures temporarily paused the show in March 2021. While the castle lighting ceremony often hinted at a Frozen takeover, this version stayed true to its storytelling roots, with Mrs. Potts and Chip leading the way.
Don’t miss this nostalgic glimpse into one of Walt Disney World’s most enchanting nighttime shows.
Looking for more Epcot Holidays? Canadian Holiday Voyageurs. Festival Merchandise from 2021. Festival Food from 2021. A musical Tour. Norway. the Holiday Fountain of Nations. Flashback to Epcot 1987.
