During the pandemic, travel was sadly difficult for many, especially those planning on traveling from another country. For those looking to visit the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort from abroad, the rules and regulations had made that quite difficult — almost impossible.
The White House lifted travel restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign nationals effective November 8, at land borders and for air travel.
Now, Orlando International Airport is welcoming back the first travelers from Brazil in 19 months.
First instated by the Trump administration back in March 20202, and later expanded to include more countries by President Joe Biden earlier this year, the restrictions prohibited most visitors from the EU, U.K., South Africa, India, Brazil, and China from flying into the U.S.
Beginning November 8, foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States from the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exceptions. Additionally, all travelers are required to get a COVID-19 test prior to boarding an aircraft to the United States.
Those wanting to be the first to visit the United States back in November saw airfares soaring and airports getting busy with travelers trying desperately to see family, friends, or fulfill canceled Disney vacations as soon as they could after over a year and a half away.
Today, Orlando International Airport is welcoming the first travelers from Brazil in 19 months after they were restricted from entering the United States due to the pandemic.
The first inbound flight from Brazil is scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m. with Azul Airlines arriving from Campinas. A LATAM flight from Sao Paulo is scheduled to land at 6:05 p.m.
Interestingly, more international tourists come to Florida from Brazil than from any other country besides Canada, which makes sense considering how many Brazilian groups were often seen enjoying Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom pre-pandemic.
Of course, the recent strain Omicron has now blocked travel into the United States from African countries. As CNNÂ reports:
Major travel destinations including the European Union, Japan, Australia, the United States and Canada have moved to block flights from African countries following the discovery of the Omicron variant, echoing previous emergency responses that triggered a global freeze on travel.