Credit: Jonathan Michael SalazarAs the theme parks of the Walt Disney World Resort sit closed, the only question that comes second to “When will they reopen?” is “What do the parks look like empty?”
Here at Inside the Magic, we’ve endeavored to show you a new side of the Most Magical Place on Earth and give you a glimpse of the parks the way most guests never see it. One adventurous pilot and photographer Jonathan Michael Salazar has given us a flying elephant’s eye view of an empty Walt Disney World and has delivered some jaw-dropping pictures. Thank you Jonathan for sending us the images!
So let’s go in and take a look!
Aerial View of Empty Magic Kingdom
Starting with the first and still flagship Walt Disney World theme park, Salazar takes us over the Magic Kingdom, showing us Cinderella Castle standing before an empty Main Street with construction cranes nestled around her. We see New Fantasyland, Tomorrowland with the TRON Lightcycle Power/Run coaster under construction, and we see the Transportation and Ticket Center empty of guests, monorails, ferry boats, and cars.
Aerial View of Empty EPCOT
Then we flew over EPCOT, and we got a brilliant view of the construction happening there in Future World and the main entrance. Walt Disney World’s largest parking lot sits eerily empty and the monorail track stands unused.
Aerial View of Empty Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Moving on to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we look in on Hollywood Blvd., Sunset Blvd., and Echo Lake, as well as Toy Story Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Aerial View of Empty Disney’s Animal Kingdom
We then head for Disney World’s largest theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We get a bird’s eye view of The Tree of Life, Pandora: The World of Avatar, Expedition Everest, and the Harambe Wildlife Preserve.
Aerial View of Empty Disney Water Parks
Now, let’s go to the water parks. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach are two of the best water parks in the state of Florida, and each offers a totally different experience. If you’ve never been to a Disney World water park, you can tell the dissonance simply by these pictures here.
Aerial View of Empty Disney Springs
Now on to Disney Springs for some shopping and dining.
Aerial View of Empty Disney World Resort Hotels
Last but not least, we check out the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, sitting proudly yet empty.
Bonus: Star Wars: Intergalactic Starcruiser Under Construction
As of May 4, 2020, there is still no reopening date set for Walt Disney World. However, plans are beginning to be set into motion for the reopening of Disney Springs at some level of capacity.
