Create A Castle Shark Tank Update: Net Worth & Disney Deals

Anyone who has ever visited an American beach knows the universal frustration of building a sandcastle. You pack wet sand into a cheap plastic bucket, flip it upside down, tap the bottom, and hold your breath.

Nine times out of ten, the suction creates a vacuum. When you pull the bucket up, the wet sand clings to the plastic sides, and your beautiful tower crumbles into a messy pile of dirt.

For decades, families simply accepted this frustrating reality. That is, until Kevin and Laurie Lane decided to reinvent the wheel, or rather, the bucket.

Their Connecticut-based company, Create A Castle, pitched a brilliant, patented solution on Season 14 of ABC’s Shark Tank. By replacing the traditional bucket with a clever split-mold design, they made it incredibly easy for anyone to build towering, professional-looking sand and snow castles in minutes.

Since their television appearance in late 2022, the company has exploded in popularity. Today, Create A Castle is not just a beach toy. It is a multi-million-dollar brand with indoor tabletop kits, a massive retail presence in Target and Walmart, and highly-rated family excursion packages with the Disney Cruise Line.

If you want to know exactly what happened to Create A Castle after Shark Tank, how much the company is worth today, and where you can buy their latest kits, you are in the right place. Here is the ultimate update on the company that changed beach days forever.

What Is Create A Castle?

Create A Castle is a toy company that produces award-winning, patent-protected building kits for sand and snow.

The secret to their success lies in their patented split-mold technology. Instead of using a solid plastic bucket, the Create A Castle molds are split into two halves connected by heavy-duty hinges and buckles.

Here is how the system completely eliminates the dreaded vacuum effect:

1. Buckle: You snap the two halves of the cylinder together and lock the buckle.
2. Fill: You place the empty mold directly on the ground and fill it with sand or snow from the top.
3. Pack: You use an included packing tool to press the sand down tightly.
4. Release: Instead of pulling a bucket straight up, you simply unbuckle the mold and pull the two halves horizontally away from the sand.

By pulling the mold away from the sides, there is no suction. Your tower stays perfectly intact.

Furthermore, the system is designed to be stackable. You can place a smaller 6-inch tower mold directly on top of a 10-inch base mold, pack them both, and unbuckle them to create a seamless, multi-level fortress.

The outdoor kits also come packed in a practical mesh backpack, which allows wet sand to naturally sift out on your walk back to the car.

The Founders Behind the Innovation

The brilliant minds behind Create A Castle are husband and wife team Kevin and Laurie Lane [user text].

The lightbulb moment happened in 2016 during a family vacation to Laguna Beach, California. Having flown across the country, the Lanes did not bring their usual beach gear.

Kevin, an avid sculptor who holds degrees in Fine Arts, watched a father and son struggle to build a simple sandcastle using traditional tools.

Recognizing that the plastic bucket was structurally flawed, he opened his laptop that very night and began sketching a new design.

Kevin brought a unique skill set to the table. As the owner of Code Hounds, LLC, a web design and development company, he understood iterative design and project management. He worked with a project engineer to 3D print the very first functional prototypes.

Laurie Lane, meanwhile, brought essential retail expertise. Armed with a degree in retail management from the University of Connecticut, she previously worked as a District Manager for Walt Disney Company retail stores across the Northeast.

Her deep understanding of visual merchandising and corporate partnerships helped position the brand for mass-market success. The couple launched the business out of their garage in New Milford, Connecticut, in 2017.

Before even stepping foot in the Shark Tank, the company had already won the Toy Association’s 2020 “International Toy of the Year” award for outdoor toys. But to scale the business to the next level, they needed capital and a high-profile partner.

Create A Castle Shark Tank Pitch

Kevin and Laurie Lane appeared on Season 14, Episode 3 of Shark Tank, which aired on October 7, 2022. They walked onto the carpet seeking a $350,000 investment in exchange for a 10% equity stake in Create A Castle. This request gave the company an initial valuation of $3.5 million.

The founders impressed the Sharks by demonstrating the split-mold technology live on stage. They also revealed their incredible profit margins. Their basic kit cost just $2.00 to manufacture and sold for $10.00. Their Pro Kit cost $9.45 to make and retailed for $50.00.

However, the investors quickly spotted a problem. Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban were worried about the business model.

During the 2021 global supply chain crisis, the cost to ship a freight container from overseas jumped from $4,000 all the way up to $25,000. Because of these massive shipping costs, Create A Castle actually lost $100,000 in 2021 despite making $600,000 in sales.

Mark Cuban dropped out because he felt they were chasing sales rather than focusing on profits. Kevin O’Leary dropped out, suggesting they should only sell directly on their website instead of dealing with big-box retailers. Lori Greiner loved the product but also chose not to invest.

The remaining Sharks, however, saw massive potential. Daymond John and guest Shark Kendra Scott both wanted in.

Shark’s Name	Investment Offered	Equity Requested	Deal Accepted?
Kendra Scott	$350,000	20%	Yes
Daymond John	$350,000	25%	No

Daymond John offered the $350,000 for 25% equity, hoping to secure licensing deals. Kendra Scott undercut him, offering the $350,000 for 20% equity.

The Lanes eagerly accepted Kendra’s offer, shaking hands on a deal that valued the company at $1.75 million [user text].

Did the Kendra Scott Deal Close?

It is one of the most common questions fans ask after an episode airs: did the deal actually go through?

In the world of Shark Tank, handshake deals made on television are subject to a rigorous legal due diligence process after filming wraps.

Frequently, these deals fall apart. As of 2026, there is no corporate evidence or public record indicating that the investment deal with Kendra Scott ever officially closed.

However, the lack of a finalized deal did not slow the company down. The national exposure from the television broadcast served as a massive marketing boost.

Millions of Americans rushed to buy the product, giving Kevin and Laurie Lane all the revenue they needed to fund their own rapid expansion.

Overcoming the Shipping Crisis & Current Net Worth

After their television debut, Create A Castle entered a period of explosive growth. They successfully navigated out of the 2021 supply chain crisis as global shipping rates began to normalize.

By the end of 2022, their revenue had skyrocketed to roughly $3 million, bringing in a healthy net profit of $300,000. The company established major distribution deals with warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco Canada, instantly placing their products in front of millions of budget-conscious shoppers.

Growth continued steadily over the next few years. As of today, Create A Castle boasts an estimated enterprise net worth of $2 million.

Current sales revenue projections have topped $4 million annually, proving that the Lanes successfully transitioned their garage startup into a highly profitable, sustainable business.

Create A Castle Product Lineup: Outdoors, Indoors, and Beyond

One of the biggest concerns the Sharks had during the pitch was seasonality. Beach toys only sell well in the summer. Create A Castle solved this problem by ensuring their molds work perfectly with winter snow, and by inventing a brand-new indoor product line.

The Outdoor Collection

The flagship outdoor kits remain the heart of the business. The entry-level Basic Tower Kit retails for $29.99, while the massive Pro Tower Kit sells for $64.95.

The premium kits include everything you need to become a master sand sculptor. They feature split cylinders, a corbel to give your tower a flared base for stability, battlement brick forms for the top edges, and specialized window cutters to carve fine details.

Recently, the company also released a Dig and Hold Anchoring System to help keep castles stable against heavy ocean winds.

The BuildMaster Indoor Collection

To completely defeat the problem of seasonality, Create A Castle launched the BuildMaster Indoor Activity Kit. This tabletop kit shrinks the split-mold technology down to a smaller scale, allowing kids to build highly detailed mini-castles right at the kitchen table.

The secret to the indoor kit is a proprietary compound called CastleMagic sand. Unlike traditional kinetic sand, which is designed to flow and eventually melt into a puddle, CastleMagic is specially formulated to be gummy, sticky, and structurally rigid. When you pack it tightly into the BuildMaster molds, it holds every tiny architectural detail without crumbling.

The indoor line currently features the BuildMaster MEGA Kit for $19.99 and the SUPER MEGA Kit for $29.99. The industry loved the pivot to indoor play so much that the BuildMaster line was named a Finalist for the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award in the Creative Toy category.

The Disney Cruise Line Partnership & Excursions

Perhaps the most brilliant business move Kevin and Laurie Lane made was stepping out of the retail aisle and into the “experiential economy.”

Tapping into Laurie’s past experience as a Disney retail manager and vacation planner, Create A Castle secured an official partnership with the Disney Cruise Line.

Today, families vacationing on Disney cruises that stop in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, can book the “Create A Sandcastle Family Adventure” excursion.

Hosted on the pristine shores of Magen’s Bay Beach, this premium experience pairs families with dedicated sandcastle trainers who teach them how to use the patented split molds. It is essentially a paid, hours-long product demonstration that results in incredible vacation photos.

The 2026 pricing for the St. Thomas excursion is highly structured to accommodate families of all sizes:

Lesson Package	Price	Duration	Inclusions
Standard Base Lesson	$45 per person	1 Hour	1 Trainer, molds, tools (min. 2 people)
Create A Castle for Two	$90	1 Hour	1 Trainer, snacks, drinks
Family of Four	$180	1 Hour	1 Trainer, snacks, drinks
Family of Four (Extended)	$360	2 Hours	1 Trainer, snacks, drinks
Large Group (Eight)	$360	1 Hour	1 Trainer, snacks, drinks

Reviews for the excursion season have been glowing, with parents noting that the staff is incredibly patient and that even toddlers as young as two years old can successfully build structures using the molds.

The company has also expanded to offer private lessons in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and builds custom sand sculptures for corporate events and weddings.

Expanding the Brand: The Beach Football League

Create A Castle’s cultural footprint continues to grow. The brand was recently named the “Official Sandcastle Maker” for the Beach Football League (BFL).

Founded by former professional football player Tully Banta-Cain, the BFL is bringing professional tackle football to the sand. The league started hosting exhibition games in 2024 and is rolling out a full franchise team model in 2026.

By providing massive, custom sand sculptures and interactive Kids Zones at major BFL events in locations like Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, Create A Castle is keeping its brand front and center in American beach culture.

Where to Buy Create A Castle Today?

If you cannot make it to the US Virgin Islands for a private lesson, getting your hands on a kit is easier than ever. The company has aggressively expanded its omnichannel retail presence.

You can find Create A Castle products in over 900 Target locations nationwide. They are also stocked at Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Academy Sports.

For the premium and indoor kits, the brand has partnered with high-end specialty retailers, including:

• Fat Brain Toys
• FAO Schwarz
• Uncommon Goods
• Mastermind Toys Canada
• Hundreds of independent surf shops along the East and West Coasts.

Of course, the kits are heavily featured on Amazon, where the Pro Tower Kits hold an impressive average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 580 customer reviews.

You can also purchase directly from the company’s official website, which offers exclusive bundles and replacement CastleMagic compound.

Final Thoughts: A True Shark Tank Success Story

It takes a lot to stand out in the crowded, highly competitive toy industry. But Kevin and Laurie Lane proved that true innovation still wins. By identifying a simple physics problem, the vacuum effect of a plastic bucket, they engineered a solution that brings genuine joy to families around the world.

Despite a brutal supply chain crisis and the apparent collapse of their handshake deal with Kendra Scott, the founders persevered. With an estimated net worth of $2 million, booming multi-million dollar annual revenues, a thriving indoor product line, and a lucrative partnership with the Disney Cruise Line, Create A Castle is without a doubt one of the greatest success stories to ever emerge from the Shark Tank.

Whether you are packing up the car for a summer beach trip, waiting for a winter snowfall, or just looking for a fun tabletop activity for the kids, Create A Castle has officially built an empire that is here to stay.