Today marks the first day that all major Central Florida theme parks are closed in a preventive effort to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. (You can learn more about the parks closure here.) Our good friend Bioreconstruct took to the skies to get us our first look at the empty Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando parks.

Check out the amazing shots he has taken while flying over the desolate theme parks below, and be sure to subscribe to Bioreconstruct on Twitter for more amazing aerial photography. These shots offer us a good look at some of the construction projects that were ongoing throughout the parks as well, including the Jurassic Coaster, changes to Cinderella Castle, and more.

Magic Kingdom

First up, let’s take a look at the Magic Kingdom. Today, what is normally the most visited theme park in the world is quiet. Only a small handful of cast members can be spotted in these images. And seeing the parking booths completely void of cars is surreal.

Here’s some views of work continuing on the Tron roller coaster, expected to open next year in Tomorrowland.





While the park itself may be closed, work is continuing today on repainting Cinderella Castle in preparation for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary next year. Cranes are surrounding the castle while turrets are being painted royal blue with gold accents and the castle center is receiving a darker coat of paint.





EPCOT

Epcot currently has the most work going on out of all of the major Orlando theme parks. The entry plaza and central area of Future World are being completely reconfigured, while the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster attraction and Ratatouille rides are also being constructed. Despite all the work to be done, from the air it looks like a ghost town.

Work can be seen mid-progress in the center of Future World in the next few images. Plus, the future home to the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster (triangular building with solar panels on the roof) and the Play pavilion (the orange dome structure) can be seen as well.

In World Showcase, the France pavilion’s expansion, along with the new Ratatouille ride, looks to be nearing completion, but barely any people can be spotted in the area.





Universal Studios Florida

Heading away from Walt Disney World and towards Universal Orlando, we can see an empty entryway to Universal Studios Florida. The Mardi Gras sign is being removed in the first photo. Since the parks will be closed through the remainder of the month, there aren’t any more Mardi Gras dates left at the park.

Islands of Adventure

Next door at Islands of Adventure, interesting work can be seen related to the unannounced roller coaster being built in the Jurassic Park area. Plus, we get an empty look at Marvel Super Hero Island.





Volcano Bay

We got one aerial photo of Universal’s Volcano Bay without a soul in sight.

SeaWorld Orlando

And before we wrap up this aerial update, here’s a quick look at the entry plaza for SeaWorld Orlando, as well as the new Ice Breaker roller coaster. Ice Breaker would’ve opened very soon, but with the park closures in place the timing for this new attraction’s opening is uncertain.

Stay tuned for more information about the Coronavirus’ effects on the theme parks of Central Florida, as well as more details and photos for the Jurassic Coaster coming soon. Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. See our previous coverage for closures related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) at this link.

Special thanks to Bioreconstruct on Twitter for the incredible aerial photography. Subscribe to his Twitter feed here.

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