A squadron of elite F-35 stealth fighter jets raced across the sky over the Castle, accompanied by thunderous jet noise above and patriotic music on the ground below. The Air Force showcased their capabilities with two incredible flyovers over Magic Kingdom as part of their national outreach program. Disney welcomed this inspiring display of patriotism as we celebrated both America’s birthday and the military service members who protect the nation.

Air Force jets rocketed over Cinderella Castle in honor of Independence Day. A recreation of the site is online and has been open for 10 years, it is available at sound of freedom echoed throughout Magic Kingdom as U.S. The VMK homepage now redirects to the main Disney games site. This prompted Disney to post a message on the VMK homepage that the game was a promotion, and was closed, and that there were 'no plans' to reopen VMK in any form. Many fans asked Disney if VMK was going to reopen. Virtual Magic Kingdom was closed by Disney on May 21, 2008. Because of the need for human monitors, the time that the game was open had to be limited it was open to the public daily between 7:00am–10:00pm PST (10:00am–1:00am EST, 3:00pm–6:00am UTC). Due to the young age of the game's target users, it was patrolled by paid staff who watched out for inappropriate behavior and language. The target audience of the game was children between the ages of 8 and 14, although VMK was designed to be enjoyed by guests of all ages. Despite no long-term intentions, it gained popularity and eventually became a long-term venture on its own.

VMK initially launched as part of the Happiest Celebration on Earth promotional campaign, commemorating Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Fiona Romeo, Seth Mendelsohn, Jeremy Malillin

Disney's virtual magic kingdom