With Hurricane Debby wreaking havoc on theme park guests all over Orlando, thousands have had their vacations upended over the past 24 hours with their arrival or departure being canceled.
If you’re flying to Walt Disney World Resort, your journey will likely start at Orlando International Airport (MCO). Here, you’ll catch your first glimpse of the theme park magic with a Disney Store ready to welcome you, alongside shops stocked with Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld merchandise. From the moment you arrive, MCO sets the tone for your vacation.
Despite the discontinuation of the Magical Express service to Disney resorts, there hasn’t been a noticeable decline in guests flying in for their Disney vacations.
This spring break, Orlando International Airport (MCO) hit a new peak in daily passenger traffic. On March 16th, the airport handled over 102,000 travelers, marking the highest single-day passenger volume ever recorded in Orlando.
This milestone comes after a record-breaking performance in December during the holiday travel rush. Over the past decade, passenger numbers at MCO have steadily climbed, increasing by nearly 23,000.
On March 16th, a total of 102,064 travelers passed through MCO, representing departing passengers. Including arrivals, the total number of travelers doubled to 204,128, surpassing the projected count of 196,920 for that day.
MCO had anticipated an 11% increase in passengers compared to the previous year. The previous daily passenger record was set on December 30, 2023, with 98,521 departing travelers screened at the airport’s security checkpoints. This new record was officially surpassed on March 15th, the day before the latest record-setting achievement.
In March alone, the airport served over 7.6 million guests.
Annually, MCO is expected to accommodate 50 million travelers, making it one of the busiest airports in America, with many of those guests heading to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort.
The dangerous Tropical Storm Debby persists in battering Florida and the Southeast with destructive gusts of wind and widespread flooding following its landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday morning. This severe weather is significantly disrupting travel plans for thousands of individuals aiming to fly to or from locations such as Tampa and Orlando in Florida, as well as Charlotte in North Carolina.
Hurricane Debby is causing heavy rain and strong winds in Central Florida, resulting in delays at some of the state’s busiest airports.
On Monday morning, the FAA indicated a ground stop was likely at Orlando International Airport (MCO) after 7 a.m. By 8 a.m., departure delays had already begun to increase.
By 9 a.m., the warning of a “probable” ground stop was extended until 8 p.m.
Officials reported that average departure delays exceeded 3.5 hours on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier today, Orlando International Airport sent out an operational update, warning flyers that cancelations were likely.
“Operational Update – Hurricane Debby
Our airport remains open and operational. Inclement weather may lead to delays & cancellations. Please check with your airline for any flight updates. For general airport delays, please visit:https://t.co/JKuNBVb9Fl pic.twitter.com/T5pBMwOhNO”
Operational Update – Hurricane Debby
Our airport remains open and operational. Inclement weather may lead to delays & cancellations. Please check with your airline for any flight updates. For general airport delays, please visit:https://t.co/JKuNBVb9Fl pic.twitter.com/T5pBMwOhNO— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) August 5, 2024
According to Flight Aware, we can see that at Orlando International Airport, just since this morning, 255 flights were canceled. With many planes being able to hold around 200 passengers, and 255 flights canceled, that means that around 51,000 people had their vacation plans changed today. Additionally, 232 flights were delayed, which gives us a grand total of a possible 97,400 vacations affected by Hurricane Debby as it pertains to flying.
In Orlando, we have already seen Universal Orlando Resort experience flooding. This is something that we tend to see at the theme park during any hurricane, especially one with a flood warning. The theme park issued a statement days ago stating that they would keep an eye on the weather and act as necessary. So far, no operations have shuttered, and even Volcano Bay remains open.
Disney, on the other hand, shut down their theme park, Typhoon Lagoon, due to the storm. The monorail system was also grounded, due to the weather concerns and guest safety.
There was a tornado warning that was placed over Disney and Universal earlier today, but thankfully, there was nothing more than a warning to report.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has finally reopened as well, after closing early on the 3rd, shuttering its gates on the 4th, and opening midday today.
Having your flight get canceled can not only be a hassle, but can cost you a lot of money. If you are in Orlando looking to leave, you may need to pay for another Uber or ride-share service as well as an extra night at a hotel if you are being bumped to the next day to fly out, and if you are coming into Orlando, this will cut your vacation short by a day.
Have you ever had a canceled or delayed flight while traveling to or from Walt Disney World due to the weather?