Government shutdown - flights?

[japanese maple]

I would also make a reservation with a company at MCO.

If you get to the airport and find out your flight is cancelled, do you really want to go all the way back to Disney to get your car?

I can do that. Although our flight is early morning so hopefully we would know before we got to airport, but maybe not.

 

[japanese maple]

I would also make a reservation with a company at MCO.

If you get to the airport and find out your flight is cancelled, do you really want to go all the way back to Disney to get your car?

Okay made a reservation with Enterprise at MCO also but will cancel as soon as we know what's up. And we booked our hotel for the night for driving - has night before cancellation with no charge, so that's good.
And my sister routed out our drive, even including places for us to stop for gas/bathroom/food along the way! She does road trips all the time.

Okay, I feel prepared if we need to drive home. Sounds weird, but I feel better with a plan.

 

[Simba's Mom]

When's your trip?

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if this goes to November, much less deeper. But that and $6 can get you a Dole Whip.

I hope you're right-especially with Thanksgiving looming. In 41 days, we've got a flight to Disney's Hilton Head Island, and in 20 years nothing's stopped us-not a broken pelvis a few days beforehand, the pandemic in 2020, we can't be stopped now, I hope.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Okay, I feel prepared if we need to drive home. Sounds weird, but I feel better with a plan.

Not weird! Quite simply, a plan gives you a feeling of control. Best of luck!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/us/air-traffic-control-staffing

From yesterday's impact
"The Federal Aviation Administration reported 12 of their facilities were short-staffed on Friday, including some which have caused delays for travelers.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport will not have the normal number of staff in its control tower from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET. Delays there started earlier due to staffing shortages in the facility that operates the surrounding airspace.

Two separate parts of the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center, that manages flights over a large portion of the Southwest, is understaffed until 3 p.m. ET. Chicago Center will not have all of its controllers until 1 a.m. ET, Indianapolis Center will be short staffed from midnight to 6 a.m. ET, and New York Center will be understaffed until 11 p.m. ET."

The Central Florida TRACON, where controllers guide planes approaching or departing Orlando International Airport, will be short-staffed from 7 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET. Two parts of the Southern California TRACON reported staffing issues until midnight ET and the Chicago TRACON is short-staffed until 1 a.m. ET."

"Two different FAA operations that deal with traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport reported staffing problems earlier Friday. The control tower and the facility that handles flights approaching or departing the airport did not have their normal amount of workers, which led to delays."

 

[EACarlson]

I flew international on 10/7 with a 10/14 return. No issues with any of my flights, CBP was fine. Did have one colleagues flight that was delayed at ORD for about a half hour. Nothing really out of the ordinary there.

 

[japanese maple]

I flew international on 10/7 with a 10/14 return. No issues with any of my flights, CBP was fine. Did have one colleagues flight that was delayed at ORD for about a half hour. Nothing really out of the ordinary there.

That's great!

I've accepted our fate that this shutdown will most likely last beyond our departing date of 10/28 and even our return date of 11/7.
Best we can hope for is just delays and not outright cancellations. Honestly I'm more concerned with the 11/7 date.

Best of luck to all of traveling the next few weeks!

 

[RickNJane]

Well We are closing in on our next trip. We fly out on 11/4 from Seattle to MCO. Now starting to get a little apprehensive. It is a 4 day drive for us otherwise and that is if we push it.

 

[hardcorestitch]

Well We are closing in on our next trip. We fly out on 11/4 from Seattle to MCO. Now starting to get a little apprehensive. It is a 4 day drive for us otherwise and that is if we push it.

Hope you have fun! Don’t let the government get in the way your magical visit… even if that means driving there.

 

[japanese maple]

Well We are closing in on our next trip. We fly out on 11/4 from Seattle to MCO. Now starting to get a little apprehensive. It is a 4 day drive for us otherwise and that is if we push it.

We leave Tuesday early morning! At this point if we get there on Tuesday, I'm considering it a win!

I'll worry about coming home on 11/7 on 11/6. We made arrangements for someone to pick up our cat from boarding with vet if we are delayed a few hours, and if delayed longer, he will just stay with vet until we get home.

good luck!

 

[RickNJane]

We leave Tuesday early morning! At this point if we get there on Tuesday, I'm considering it a win!

I'll worry about coming home on 11/7 on 11/6. We made arrangements for someone to pick up our cat from boarding with vet if we are delayed a few hours, and if delayed longer, he will just stay with vet until we get home.

good luck!

We dont return until 11/22. So hopefully by then the congress will do its job.

 

[japanese maple]

We dont return until 11/22. So hopefully by then the congress will do its job.

ATC first full missed paycheck will be Tuesday (day we leave..yay...) If it goes another two weeks after that, will be their second full missed paycheck which I can imagine will cause HUGE issues, worse than now. So hopefully they take care of all of this first/second week of November.