Empty Magic Kingdom Photos – Do They Feel Eery, Sad, or Breathtakingly Gorgeous?

It’s been almost two months since the theme parks at Walt Disney World closed to guests, and while we know the parks are empty, we aren’t seeing those visuals on a regular basis. When the parks are open, my timelines on every social media account I have are flooded with happy guests enjoying their favorite characters, snacks, attractions, and so on.

I miss seeing those happy faces of online and real-life friends enjoying themselves at our mutual happy place. I’m sure I’m not alone in sharing that I’m having some major withdrawals over here.

If you look at that photo above, you can see that Main Street, U.S.A. is completely free of guests all the way up to the hub in front of Cinderella Castle. What gets me every time I look at this photo is that it’s broad daylight and that’s not typically a sight many of us have seen during daylight hours before.

During my time as a panelist on the Disney Parks Moms Panel, I had my share of super early mornings in the Rose Garden in front of the Castle for photos and filming. We were inside the park before the sun came up and that felt nothing but very exciting to me because we were there before the hoards of guests would arrive for the day. I also had my share of really late nights in places that had no guests, but there was always a sense of normalcy there because it was late at night when everyone was cozy in their beds.

What we’re experiencing now is something so completely different and it’s making me all emotional. While there are Early Morning Magic and Disney After Hours events where guests have the chance to see the theme parks with lighter crowds, the emptiness that we’re seeing is not easy for any of us to look at.

Although tough to see, these aerial photos are absolutely magnificent, aren’t they? It’s almost as though we’re being treated to these phenomenal views due to the Coronavirus pandemic instead of having our happy place taken away temporarily. Some of you might not see it that way and that’s okay. When I first laid eyes on these gorgeous images, I decided right then and there how grateful I am that I’m getting to see these beloved theme parks like this – in all their glory.

Take a peek at the construction area for the future home of the TRON Lightcyle Power Run Rollercoaster attraction in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. Do you know what else I love about this photo? Look at all the Tomorrowland Speedway vehicles parked; they look like a box of candy! Pretty cool, huh? The lack of workers in the photo seems a little bit eery to me, but hopefully, they’ll be back to work with social distancing in place before too long.

Fantasyland is my VERY favorite land – shocker, I know – and it’s the most fascinating to see it empty like this. I really love this particular photo because it shows not only all of Fantasyland – both the Enchanted Garden and Storybook Circus – but also the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the tops of both Pete’s Silly Slideshow and Big Top Souvenirs.

I’d love to know if I’m the only one who has mixed emotions when I see these photos, so please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Image source: Jonathan Salazar