We are approaching two months since the stateside Disney theme parks closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the longest Disneyland has ever been closed since the park opened back in 1955. But although no one can go in, one Southern California resident found a way to visit the park, in a manner of speaking. He just did it from above. Helicopter pilot Micah Muzio got permission to fly over the Anaheim resort, giving fans a rare aerial look at a totally empty version of the Happiest Place on Earth.
For hardcore Disney fans, it’s surreal seeing the usually bustling park totally empty on a sunny day. From high above, it’s kind of crazy how much smaller the whole park looks as well. Muzio can only do a quick flyover in the video, as the airspace over Disneyland is fairly limited. If the current situation wasn’t what it was, it’s unlikely he would have had permission to fly over the Disneyland Resort at all. Although it is a very quick swoop over the park, the video does do a slo-mo version later, for those of you wanting a better look at Galaxy’s Edge or the Rivers of America.
Micah Muzio
And although Shanghai Disneyland is set to reopen on May 11, there are still no current plans to open the stateside parks. So for now, this is as close as we’re going to get to visiting Disneyland anytime soon. Muzio’s YouTube channel features several other Southern California flyover videos. The videos were all taken during the current stay-at-home orders. So for those out of state viewers watching these, most of these videos are not a good indicator of how heavy traffic normally is on the L.A. freeways. Aside from Disneyland, he’s also made a video where he circles the other local theme parks, like Universal Studios and Six Flags’ Magic Mountain. And you can check out even more cool helicopter videos by heading on over to his YouTube channel.
Featured Image: Micah Muzio