Travel at MCO Up 550% Over Holiday Weekend
Over 64,000 passengers pass through Orlando International Airport on Memorial Day Weekend…
The stories told us this stat was coming – Orlando International Airport expected a 550% uptick in travel this holiday weekend.
Heck, we were even getting helpful tweets from @MCO.
A busy #MemorialWeekend is now approaching. 🚄✈️
Please remember:
😷 Face masks are still required in the airport & airplanes
⏰ Arrive at least 2 hours prior to your departure time
📱 Download our app for security wait times & more: https://t.co/IlcYns2pzL
✌️ Safe travels pic.twitter.com/G81JNjD9MI— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) May 28, 2021
However, now we are seeing stories confirming the crowds coming to and from Florida.
News Out Of Orlando
Fox 35 in Orlando was just one of the outlets reporting about the travel rebound.
Imag: MCO
- Orlando International Airport is bustling once again. Nearly every parking lot was filled to capacity on Saturday and officials expect tens of thousands of people to move through the gates on Monday.
- More than 64,000 people are expected to travel through the Orlando International Airport. This is a big change from the numbers last year during the COVID-19 pandemic when only about 12,000 people were coming through the airport.
- Throughout the six-day travel period around Memorial Day, officials say that traffic is up 550 percent. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said that we are approaching 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Then, travelers only needed to check the MCO Twitter feed to find increasing evidence of the traveling crowds:
Parking Update 🚘
A/B Garage ❌
Terminal Top ❌
North Park Place Economy Lot✅
South Park Place Economy Lot ❌
Garage C ❌
West Park Place Economy Lot ❌For updates on parking availability ☎️ 407-825-2104
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) May 29, 2021
Four Years Off The Mark
Meanwhile, Kevin Spear of Orlando Sentinel had the lede of the weekend, writing, “Orlando airport officials calculated a year ago that it could take five years before its passenger count climbed back to pre-COVID counts. Turns out, they were nearly four years off the mark.”
The Sentinel also quoted Phil Brown, CEO of Orlando’s airport authority, speaking to the surge. Of the uptick, Brown told OrlandoSentinel.com he saw several reasons for the positive numbers, including “a combination of factors including the vaccines, availability of seats into the market, and pent-up demand all point to a potentially strong summer.”
To the heroes that gave their tomorrow for our today – remember and honor. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/jBU5Udcr2Z
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) May 31, 2021
Good News, Bad News
Finally, and a note that also speaks to the travel surge, there are no park reservations available today – period.
Image: Disney World
Obviously, this remains a developing story and MickeyBlog.com will be watching the wire all day for more news out of Walt Disney World.
Feature Image: Disney
