Disney World’s No-Fly Zone Gets a Minor Update
Walt Disney World’s no-fly zone was missing from the FAA website yesterday morning. But it didn’t last long. The FAA issued a new notice covering the same airspace shortly before 1 PM. Most of the restrictions matched their predecessor, with one noticeable wording change: the new notice no longer specifically mentions drones.
That doesn’t mean drones are now welcome over Cinderella Castle. More on that in a moment.
Here’s the updated information:
- NOTAM Number: FDC 6/6924
- Issue Date: November 10, 2026, at 1743 UTC (12:43 PM Eastern)
- Location: Disney World Theme Park, Orlando, Florida
- Beginning Date and Time: Effective immediately
- Ending Date and Time: Permanent
- Reason: Temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons
- Type: Security
The notice replaces NOTAM 4/3634 with updated language. Although classified as a security restriction, the no-fly zone also keeps sightseeing helicopters and planes towing banners away from portions of Walt Disney World.
Both notices cover a 3-nautical-mile radius, centered near Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The restricted airspace includes Magic Kingdom and much of EPCOT, up to 3,000 feet above ground level. Several aircraft are exempt, including police helicopters, air ambulances, military aircraft, and Disney-approved event flights that include FAA waivers.
Thankfully, the restriction has never prevented Bioreconstruct from taking beautiful aerial photos of Orlando’s theme parks, including this article’s featured image.
Disney’s original no-fly zone was enacted after the 9/11 attacks. Congress made it permanent in 2003 when it passed a federal spending bill that included the air restrictions. Recent attempts to remove the no-fly zone have gone nowhere.
Disneyland’s no-fly zone had a similar blip yesterday. Its restriction was also missing from the FAA website before a new notice was issued with updated wording and the same boundaries.
Their disappearance from the FAA website understandably raised questions. The previous notice specifically included “unmanned and remote-controlled aircraft.” The new version prohibits all aircraft flight operations without separately naming them.
The FAA considers drones aircraft, so they remain covered. There’s also nothing in the revised wording establishing an easier approval process for Disney drone flights at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, or Disneyland. For now, this appears to be updated language, with the same restrictions on what can fly overhead.
