Flight schedules are being scale back at Orlando World Airport (MCO) via 10% beginning subsequent week as vacation trip will increase. Even this weekend, Delays and cancellations are already on the upward thrust as an FAA Emergency Order ramps up. This put up covers what’s going down, what to anticipate as the federal government warns of trip slowing to a “trickle” via Thanksgiving, and how one can mitigate your possibility when you have an upcoming Walt Disney Global commute this vacation season.
This FAA Emergency Order comes after important delays and cancellations about one week in the past at MCO, when staffing shortages briefly halted operations. Because of no qualified air visitors controllers to be had in a single day, MCO was once underneath a floor prolong program from 10 p.m. thru 3 a.m. one night time.
At the moment, the FAA warned of worsening disruptions whilst employees move with out pay on account of the federal government shutdown. The government entered a shutdown at nighttime on October 1st when lawmakers did not move new investment expenses. It’s unclear how lengthy the stalemate will final, however lawmakers don’t seem to be any nearer to coming to an settlement that might reopen the federal government.
The government shutdown approach air visitors controllers, Transportation Safety Management (TSA) brokers, and different federal airport workers are operating with out pay. In flip, this will increase the possibility of workers calling in ill and leaving MCO and different airports understaffed. Closing weekend, there have been 2,740 delays at quite a lot of airports round the USA.
As a part of the flight aid order, U.S. Division of Transportation and Federal Aviation Management defined the proactive movements the FAA would take to care for the very best requirements of protection within the nationwide airspace machine. This comprises reaching a brief 10 p.c aid in flights at 40 excessive visitors airports around the nation.
For the reason that starting of the shutdown, controllers were operating with out pay, and staffing triggers at air visitors amenities around the nation were expanding. This has led to higher experiences of pressure at the machine from each pilots and air visitors controllers.
“My division has many tasks, however our primary activity is protection. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the knowledge and assuaging construction possibility within the machine as controllers proceed to paintings with out pay,” mentioned U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “It’s protected to fly lately, and it’s going to proceed to be protected to fly subsequent week on account of the proactive movements we’re taking.”
“We’re seeing indicators of rigidity within the machine, so we’re proactively lowering the selection of flights to verify the American other people proceed to fly safely,” mentioned Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The FAA will proceed to intently track operations, and we can now not hesitate to take additional motion to verify air trip stays protected.”
The Better Orlando Aviation Authority additionally issued a observation at the Emergency Order:
That is anticipated to lead to fewer arrivals and departures at MCO, which will have to gradual the velocity of job within the Nationwide Airspace Gadget and help airports which can be experiencing staffing demanding situations. In the end, this order maintains the very best degree of protection.
So far, Orlando World Airport has been lucky that federal airport workers have persisted to paintings and there was minimum have an effect on on airport operations. We deeply recognize our federal companions for his or her dedication.
The aid in flights is more likely to have an effect on passengers, sadly, and we ask that they take a look at without delay with their airways relating to delays and cancellations.
The airport is totally staffed to help up to conceivable all through this time.
Because of the FAA Emergency Order, 4% visitors discounts at 40 high-traffic airports are already in impact. Those ramp as much as 6% via Tuesday, November 11, then 8% via November 13, and the whole 10% p.c via November 14, 2025.
Along with flight discounts, the FAA may even:
- Limit some visible flight rule approaches (VFR) at amenities with staffing triggers
- Industrial area launches and reentries will simplest be authorized between 10:00 p.m. and six:00 a.m. native time.
- Limit parachute operations and picture missions close to amenities with a staffing cause.
Those movements had been without delay knowledgeable via the FAA’s evaluation of aviation protection knowledge, together with voluntary, confidential protection experiences that pilots and air visitors controllers record. The knowledge signifies higher rigidity at the machine, which will increase possibility.
Airways might be required to factor complete refunds. They’ll now not be required to hide secondary prices. That is the standard process when a prolong or cancellation isn’t on the fault of the service.
The order does now not require a discount in world flights. Carriers might use their very own discretion to come to a decision which flights are canceled to achieve the order’s objective. Selections to extend or lower those flight discounts might be knowledgeable via protection knowledge.
Which means the ten% cancellation goal may build up to twenty% if there are nonetheless perceived protection dangers within the knowledge, or lower to five% on that very same foundation. Our purely speculative wager is that the discounts will build up, now not lower, till the federal government shutdown is resolved. It’s now not as though air visitors controllers are abruptly going to begin appearing as much as paintings in upper numbers after going with out paychecks for extra time. This simplest will get worse till the underlying drawback is fastened.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy roughly showed this on some of the Sunday displays. He warned that trip might be “lowered to a trickle” within the two weeks forward of Thanksgiving, mentioning {that a} “considerable” selection of American citizens will be unable to spend the vacation with their households if the federal government shutdown drags deeper into November.
Duffy said that 18 of twenty-two controllers in Atlanta didn’t display as much as paintings on Saturday and that there have been 81 staffing triggers national. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta World Airport is the sector’s busiest.
He added that retirements have spiked: “I used to have about 4 controllers retire an afternoon ahead of the shutdown. I’m now as much as 15 to twenty an afternoon.” Because of those retirements and no-shows, an higher selection of prolong triggers are already being hit. This additionally signifies that the get well is probably not like flipping a transfer when the federal government in any case does reopen.
The 40 affected excessive have an effect on airports come with:
ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage World Airport
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta World Airport
BOS – Boston Logan World Airport
BWI – Baltimore/Washington World Airport
CLT – Charlotte Douglas World Airport
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky World Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Box
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport
DEN – Denver World Airport
DFW – Dallas/Castle Value World Airport
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
EWR – Newark Liberty World Airport
FLL – Castle Lauderdale/Hollywood World Airport
HNL – Honolulu World Airport
HOU – William P. Passion Airport
IAD – Washington Dulles World Airport
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport
IND – Indianapolis World Airport
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy World Airport
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran World Airport
LAX – Los Angeles World Airport
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport
MCO – Orlando World Airport
MDW – Chicago Halfway World Airport
MEM – Memphis World Airport
MIA – Miami World Airport
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul World Airport
OAK – Oakland World Airport
ONT – Ontario World Airport
ORD – Chicago O’Hare World Airport
PDX – Portland World Airport
PHL – Philadelphia World Airport
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor World Airport
SAN – San Diego World Airport
SDF – Louisville World Airport
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma World Airport
SFO – San Francisco World Airport
SLC – Salt Lake Town World Airport
TEB – Teterboro Airport
TPA – Tampa World Airport
As you’ll see, there are a number of airports in this record that provider each Walt Disney Global and Disneyland. Our focal point here’s on Walt Disney Global, however you wish to have to be as aware (if now not moreso) should you’re flying into SNA to discuss with Disneyland. The latter is our house airport, so we’ll be protecting that within the statement, too.
On the time of newsletter, monitoring useful resource Flightaware has reported 445 behind schedule flights and 60 cancellations into or out of Orlando within the final day. Probably the most impacted airways for cancellations are Delta and Southwest with 16 and 13, respectively. For delays, SWA has a long way and away essentially the most, at 171 flights. Maximum different primary airways have 30-40 delays thru MCO.
On the possibility of mentioning the most obvious, those numbers are all upper than customary. They’re additionally less than the numbers might be via subsequent week when the cutbacks ramp as much as the whole 10%, will have to the federal government shutdown proceed to tug on. The present numbers are the results of a 4% cutback.
This Emergency Order adopted a caution that Vice President JD Vance had issued in the past of coming near near “crisis” if the federal government shutdown persisted nearer to the center of the vacation trip season.
They argued that the higher quantity and irritating wintry weather climate would build up the calls for on air visitors controllers simply as operating with out pay may turn out to be untenable. They defined that many federal workers can face up to lacking one paycheck, however none of them can get thru two lacking paychecks.
Air visitors controllers had been already overburdened ahead of the shutdown, with widely-reported problems at primary East Coast airports because of staffing shortages and antiquated methods. There are reportedly 3,000 vacant jobs in a 14,000-position team of workers, which had created a staffing crunch and obligatory additional time for plenty of. That supposed that many air visitors amenities didn’t have sufficient staffing to deal with absences, without reference to the purpose.
Right through the federal government shutdown, MCO is encouraging passengers to make use of the FlyMCO web page or Orlando MCO app to stick present about airport operations. We’d 2d this advice, and advise using those assets all through any busier dates, typhoon season, faculty breaks, or any time the elements forecast suggests there could be delays–so in different phrases, just about at all times!
Orlando World Airport is lately in the middle of its first true take a look at of vacation season trip due to Jersey Week, Veterans Day, and the beginning of the vacation season are proper across the nook. This confluence of instances purpose this week to make our record of the 10 Worst Weeks to Consult with Walt Disney Global in 2025.
We flew into MCO not too long ago, after the in a single day meltdown because of a loss of no qualified air visitors controllers however ahead of the visitors cutback. Our revel in was once totally uneventful. Our flight landed early, deplanned briefly, and our suitcases had been at luggage declare in document time.
If I didn’t know any higher, I’d’ve concept it was once nonetheless the low season and issues had been industry as standard. Our go back flight gained’t be till the cutbacks are totally ramped up. I think like we were given a bit of too fortunate on arrival, and the metaphorical invoice for that’s going to return due after we head house.
At the moment, our flight house has now not been cancelled…but. I additionally wouldn’t be expecting that cancellation to happen till relatively last-minute, because the airways are most likely in wait-and-see mode, hoping for a solution to the federal government shutdown ahead of unnecessarily upending their schedules. They don’t wish to lose reserving earnings that may’t be recovered.
What I do see is that we’ve got choices to modify or cancel our flights with out a charges past what’s in most cases to be had at our fare elegance. We haven’t availed ourselves of this but, however will imagine doing so in a pair days if there isn’t extra readability to the placement.
If in any respect conceivable, we’d suggest giving yourselves as a lot flexibility as conceivable. If there’s a significant airport with nonstop flights that’s a little bit further from you, go for that versus a better regional airport with a layover.
That is exactly what we’re doing, with plans to fly into LAX versus SNA. It will look like we’ve got that precisely backwards, since LAX is at the cancellation record however SNA isn’t. Then again, we will be able to’t get a nonstop flight into SNA–and each and every unmarried possibility would undergo an airport that’s topic to the cutbacks. So all that will do is shift the theoretical prolong from being caught at Walt Disney Global to caught in any other town.
There are a couple of nonstop flights into LGB, however the ones are so few and a long way between that any have an effect on there could be colossal. San Diego is another choice, however the loss of close by possible choices makes me weary. I’d moderately do exactly MCO-LAX nonstop, hope for the most productive, however have a ton of doable pivots will have to the worst case play out.
We additionally suggest the use of a significant legacy airline, like Delta or United. Steer clear of extremely cheap carriers, particularly those that fly fewer routes, don’t have reciprocal relationships with different airways, and are much less responsive when problems stand up since they compete on value and now not customer support. There isn’t a possibility on earth that I’d be flying Frontier, Breeze or Spirit at the moment. Possibly you’ll get fortunate, however that’s simply taking part in with hearth.
In fact, there’s additionally the choice of using should you’re inside of an inexpensive distance. “Affordable” is clearly within the eye of the beholder–I’ve noticed a surprising selection of Canadian license plates within the Walt Disney Global parking so much.
We’d additionally suggest arriving at MCO previous than customary to provide your self enough time to get thru safety and another delays chances are you’ll come upon. In case you haven’t already booked flights, I’d additionally err at the facet of previous arrival and departure occasions, to provide your self a buffer within the match of delays or cancellations. It won’t lend a hand, nevertheless it rather well may.
In case you’re eligible, use the unfastened Airport Baggage Switch at Walt Disney Global. That is completely unrelated to the federal government shutdown; simply just right recommendation all through busier occasions of 12 months at MCO. (See the above about baggage drop-off delays.)
We’d additionally warning towards the use of Mears Attach for returning to the airport (from MCO to WDW is okay). Despite the fact that we’ve by no means had problems, we’ve heard horror tales, and with the possibility of higher delays in getting thru safety, your margin for error is a lot more narrow.
(For the primary time in a very long time, we opted to hire a automotive for this commute. That was once a last-minute pivot we made because of the possibility of trip disruptions simply to provide ourselves flexibility. Even reserving it on the absolute final minute, we were given a reasonably just right deal. Nonetheless costlier than simply the use of Mears Attach and unfastened Disney transportation, however value it to us on this situation.)
Even supposing the federal government shutdown ends and issues return to customary ahead of flight cancellations hit or exceed 10%, be recommended that “customary” all through height vacation weeks at MCO is not anything love it was once.
As we’ve many times reported, MCO has damaged passenger quantity data over the process the final couple of years and virtually all of its busiest days, weeks, and months ever have passed off since 2022. The airport is simplest simply beginning to decelerate and now not see year-over-year enlargement.
The present rolling 12-month general is 56,737,251 passengers, which continues to be as regards to document ranges and smartly above the 2019 baseline. That is in large part because of a lower in home vacationers, because the world quantity continues to turn tough enlargement and set new data.
Those numbers are atypical and reflective of the airport roughly hitting a cushy ceiling on its operational capability. Particularly all through November and December, the airport is bursting on the seams and has unhappy call for. That’ll be even worse in 2025 if there’s a longer stretch of 10% or extra flights being cancelled.
Somebody who has traveled thru MCO in the previous couple of years has more than likely observed this, and it doesn’t truly subject what time of 12 months, what time of day, and so forth. The airport is nearly at all times busy.
Seating spaces on the gates are so complete that they’ve added overflow seating to walkways, and the ones are actually complete. The parking so much automatically are complete, there’s visitors congestion simply shedding other people off or making pickups, strains to get thru TSA are regularly 30+ mins–you get the speculation.
We skilled this first-hand and documented it in Our Terrible Airport Reviews at Walt Disney Global from final Christmas. The ones had been primary issues getting from Walt Disney Global to MCO, after which on the Delta counter for self-service baggage drop. That line ended up taking me over an hour. Simply to drop off a bag and test my ID.
In the end, should you’re flying into or out of Orlando World Airport as a part of a holiday-time commute to Walt Disney Global, you wish to have to pack your persistence…and your politeness. Without reference to your emotions at the federal govt shutdown, we will be able to all agree that the frontline workers don’t have any say within the subject and that it’s very tricky to paintings with out pay. We will have to all be thankful that they’re there and doing their jobs, even though it comes with delays and cancellations.
So be grateful and specific a bit of gratitude, versus rudeness. It’s simple to put out of your mind this while you’re flight will get swiftly cancelled or behind schedule, and your plans are disrupted or upended. It’s however vital to bear in mind. For one, it’s the appropriate factor to do. For any other, you catch extra flies with honey than with vinegar. In different phrases, should you’re inquiring for help or lodging, your odds of good fortune are upper should you’re great.
Making plans a Walt Disney Global commute? Know about motels on our Walt Disney Global Accommodations Opinions web page. For the place to consume, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Opinions. To save cash on tickets or resolve which kind to shop for, learn our Pointers for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at artful pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Journey Guides will lend a hand. For complete recommendation, the most productive position to begin is our Walt Disney Global Go back and forth Making plans Information for the whole lot you wish to have to grasp!
Your Ideas
What do you take into consideration the ten% flight cancellations at MCO and 39 different primary US airports? Be expecting this to worsen ahead of it will get higher? Please steer clear of any political or adversarial feedback; clearly, that is brought about via the government shutdown, which is inherently political, however there’s some way to talk about the outcome and affects with out dragging private politics into this. In a different way, listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas beneath within the feedback!
