Impact from shutdown - traveling to Disney World

EpcotMark

Active Member
Original Poster
Just curious if anyone has recent experiences with the govt shutdown affecting travel to Disney World, etc. Thinking about longer lines at TSA, other flight difficulties, etc.

I am planning on traveling to WDW the week after next and am wondering what kinds of issues or delays ( if any) I may experience.
 

SirWillow

Well-Known Member
While I'm not confident enough in our politicians to end the shut down anytime soon, I really don't think it's going to affect travel very much. Give a bit of extra time to get through security at the airports- maybe treat it like it's a holiday travel time, and you should be fine. Other than being a bit slower through security, it really shouldn't affect travel at all.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
Last Saturday around noon, Terminal C TSA at Newark Airport was a walk up. No line what so ever. That rarely happens.
Supposedly there are more TSA agents than normal calling in sick, but based on Saturday, I saw no impact.
 

IrishSailor

Member
We left WDW out of MCO on Tuesday night. Arrived at security around 6:30 pm and didn't get out of it until 7:45 pm! While it was longer than normal, as long as you give yourself time there shouldn't be an issues.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I've heard things could get a bit dicier with TSA in the coming days. They will be working over 3 weeks without a paycheck and the rumor is there could be more and more "sick" calls by TSA workers as their way of protesting. We fly to MCO next Friday and we'll be watching the situation closely.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I think the TSA shutdown is being offset by less people travelling for the Federal Gov't and less people going on vacation (trying to save money during the shutdown)

I'll bet you're right. FWIW, all leave has been canceled for the 420K federal employees (myself included) who are working without pay -- meaning that all vacations, pre-approved or not, are canceled. We've been told that if we attempt to take any kind of leave at all -- even a single day for bereavement or a medical emergency -- we risk our status being changed to "furloughed" and losing the right to back pay. Even if that wasn't the case and we were allowed to take vacations, nobody I work with can afford to travel right now: not when we're trying to keep every penny in reserve to pay for our medical insurance (most of us carry the medical insurance for our entire families thanks to the fact that the government contributes a portion of the premiums, but now we're on the hook for the whole premium amount unless we want our coverage to lapse), mortgages, gas and vehicle maintenance, etc., for who-knows-how-long.

I still haven't told my 10 and 12-year-olds that our long-planned-and-already-paid-for February break vacation to Universal will also be canceled if the shutdown continues into mid-February, because I won't be able to go, and because the refunded hotel costs might help keep our health insurance going for one more month. I'm just praying that the government will be reopened before then.

EDIT: Update - After three different (and wildly evolving) staff updates, I have learned that I don't have to pay for our medical insurance during the shutdown (only vision and dental; the rest is covered for the year), and that the worst that would happen to me if I went to Florida during the shutdown (despite being an "essential" government employee) is that I would be deemed "furloughed" during the week I'm gone. My status would apparently flip back to "essential" as soon as I came back to work. In short, it looks like maybe I won't have to call off our trip after all! I'm still not getting paid, which means we're making a number of changes in our day-to-day lifestyle to compensate (DirectTV and home internet canceled, no movies, no restaurants, no driving except for work or errands, no expensive meats or cheeses on the grocery list, DH's replacement of his 2005 Honda with a newer used vehicle will have to wait, and we're casting about the house to find things we can sell for some extra cash), but it feels better to know that we have something -- even if it's just a quick 5 days at Universal -- to which we can all look forward.
 
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SirWillow

Well-Known Member
I still haven't told my 10 and 12-year-olds that our long-planned-and-already-paid-for February break vacation to Universal will also be canceled if the shutdown continues into mid-February, because I won't be able to go, and because the refunded hotel costs might help keep our health insurance going for one more month. I'm just praying that the government will be reopened before then.

Hoping for your sake, and all those in similar positions, that the goobers running the show get it together and get a deal done.
 

Fable McCloud

Well-Known Member
I'll bet you're right. FWIW, all leave has been canceled for the 420K federal employees (myself included) who are working without pay -- meaning that all vacations, pre-approved or not, are canceled. We've been told that if we attempt to take any kind of leave at all -- even a single day for bereavement or a medical emergency -- we risk our status being changed to "furloughed" and losing the right to back pay. Even if that wasn't the case and we were allowed to take vacations, nobody I work with can afford to travel right now: not when we're trying to keep every penny in reserve to pay for our medical insurance (most of us carry the medical insurance for our entire families thanks to the fact that the government contributes a portion of the premiums, but now we're on the hook for the whole premium amount unless we want our coverage to lapse), mortgages, gas and vehicle maintenance, etc., for who-knows-how-long.

I still haven't told my 10 and 12-year-olds that our long-planned-and-already-paid-for February break vacation to Universal will also be canceled if the shutdown continues into mid-February, because I won't be able to go, and because the refunded hotel costs might help keep our health insurance going for one more month. I'm just praying that the government will be reopened before then.

It's more than understandable, and I really hope things turn around for you. Fingers crossed that you make it through the shutdown.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
I'll bet you're right. FWIW, all leave has been canceled for the 420K federal employees (myself included) who are working without pay -- meaning that all vacations, pre-approved or not, are canceled. We've been told that if we attempt to take any kind of leave at all -- even a single day for bereavement or a medical emergency -- we risk our status being changed to "furloughed" and losing the right to back pay. Even if that wasn't the case and we were allowed to take vacations, nobody I work with can afford to travel right now: not when we're trying to keep every penny in reserve to pay for our medical insurance (most of us carry the medical insurance for our entire families thanks to the fact that the government contributes a portion of the premiums, but now we're on the hook for the whole premium amount unless we want our coverage to lapse), mortgages, gas and vehicle maintenance, etc., for who-knows-how-long.

I still haven't told my 10 and 12-year-olds that our long-planned-and-already-paid-for February break vacation to Universal will also be canceled if the shutdown continues into mid-February, because I won't be able to go, and because the refunded hotel costs might help keep our health insurance going for one more month. I'm just praying that the government will be reopened before then.

Liked it, but I don't like it at all. In past jobs, I had no issues with stepping up to the plate when a real emergency hits. storms, accidents, 9/11, I worked what needed to be worked to get the job done. But being a pawn in a contract negotiation or some other garbage - I hated that.

I hope everything works out for you, and you can get back to normal quickly.
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
Last Saturday around noon, Terminal C TSA at Newark Airport was a walk up. No line what so ever. That rarely happens.
Supposedly there are more TSA agents than normal calling in sick, but based on Saturday, I saw no impact.
Thus far we seem to be lucky that the TSA hasn't managed to coordinate their blue flu call ins, it looked like they were acting in concert a about a week ago when they managed to create some havoc at a couple of large airports... but that didn't seem to last. Just make sure to there earlier than usual and hope for the best, worrying about something you can't control isn't going to do you any good.
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
Miami Int'l is now shutting down one of their terminals early for three days. They say it's temporary but I still see workers calling in sick. I wonder when it will hit JFK.
Until it starts hitting airports that the politicians use it isn't going to do much beyond upsetting the public. I know sometimes unions think they can get the public on their side, but when they start causing airports to shut down and impact the vacations of people they really don't endear their cause to the public as much as they turn the public against them.
 

PeoplemoverTTA

Well-Known Member
Miami Int'l is now shutting down one of their terminals early for three days. They say it's temporary but I still see workers calling in sick. I wonder when it will hit JFK.

My brother flew to MCO out of JFK this morning and other than arriving 2.5 hours before his flight just in case, had an uneventful time. No problems at all.
 

EOD K9

Well-Known Member
I'll bet you're right. FWIW, all leave has been canceled for the 420K federal employees (myself included) who are working without pay -- meaning that all vacations, pre-approved or not, are canceled. We've been told that if we attempt to take any kind of leave at all -- even a single day for bereavement or a medical emergency -- we risk our status being changed to "furloughed" and losing the right to back pay. Even if that wasn't the case and we were allowed to take vacations, nobody I work with can afford to travel right now: not when we're trying to keep every penny in reserve to pay for our medical insurance (most of us carry the medical insurance for our entire families thanks to the fact that the government contributes a portion of the premiums, but now we're on the hook for the whole premium amount unless we want our coverage to lapse), mortgages, gas and vehicle maintenance, etc., for who-knows-how-long.

I still haven't told my 10 and 12-year-olds that our long-planned-and-already-paid-for February break vacation to Universal will also be canceled if the shutdown continues into mid-February, because I won't be able to go, and because the refunded hotel costs might help keep our health insurance going for one more month. I'm just praying that the government will be reopened before then.
Take this for what it’s worth, our legal counsel said they can’t make you not come in if you call in sick. We take leave then come back.
 

lester323

New Member
Just curious if anyone has recent experiences with the govt shutdown affecting travel to Disney World, etc. Thinking about longer lines at TSA, other flight difficulties, etc.

I am planning on traveling to WDW the week after next and am wondering what kinds of issues or delays ( if any) I may experience.
I travel regularly for work (I have flown 8 times since the shutdown began) and have not noticed any negative impact on the TSA front. You should be fine.
 

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