‘No Self-Respecting Canadian Would Go,’ Neighbors to the North Canceling Trips to Central Florida in Droves

Just before the NHL’s 4-Nations Face-Off, as the United States waited to play Canada in Montreal, the American National Anthem started to play. The song was met by a rousing chorus of “boos” from the Canadian audience, despite their notoriously friendly reputation.

A picturesque scene of a cultural exhibit with totem poles and wooden structures showcasing native art and architecture unfolds in Forgotten Park. In the background, a castle-like building rises, and the area is surrounded by greenery and clear blue skies. — Credit: Disney

This not-so-friendly welcome has started since President Donald Trump decided to impose tariffs on our neighbors to the north. This week, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on aluminum and steel brought into this country. The United States imports 20 percent of its steel and 50 percent of its aluminum from Canada.

Now, Trump’s tariffs are starting to hit the theme park industry in Central Florida, with thousands of Canadian travelers, who usually make their way south in the winter months, canceling their vacations to the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios Orlando Resort.

A collage featuring a red pushpin on Mexico in a map, Disney World Mickey Mouse in a tuxedo waving, and a map of Canada and part of the United States with labeled cities and water bodies. — Credit: Inside The Magic

Tim Bishop, a 56-year-old real estate agent from Toronto who makes annual trips to Walt Disney World, told the Orlando Sentinel:

Any Canadian who has a lick of national pride should be rethinking their U.S. travel plans as a simple gesture of the middle finger to Trump. It’s unfortunate because I’ll miss visiting my American friends for the next four years.

According to Visit Florida’s most recent numbers, 3.3 million Canadians came to Central Florida in 2024, the most of any nation. While that only accounts for two percent of the visitors to the area, the Canadians spent big, and it adds up.

The United States Travel Association warned that a 10 percent drop in travelers from Canada could lead to a $1.2 billion decline in tourism industry revenue and the loss of 14,000 jobs.

There is another potential issue with this new United States/Canada friction: thousands of Canadians come to Florida to buy property and escape the country’s harsh winters. Real estate agent Mark Singer told the Sentinel that this tension, combined with Florida’s rising housing and insurance costs, could keep many Canadians away from Central Florida.

For Disney World, the loss of Canadian revenue could be massive. The “Most Magical Place on Earth” saw 4.9 million international visitors in 2024, with the majority of them coming from Canada and the United Kingdom, two countries Trump is targeting with tariffs.

A view of a building — All images credited to Disney

The Canadians and British aren’t forgoing Disney entirely; instead, they’re heading to other Disney Parks, either Disneyland in California or, for most, Disneyland Paris.

The overall effect that this will have on Disney World remains to be seen. It also remains to be seen if Canadians will stay away from Central Florida once Epic Universe opens. Only time will tell how our friendly neighbors to the north react to this situation.