What To Do If Your Disney World Vacation Was Impacted By The FAA Ground Stop

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If you were traveling yesterday, you are already aware of the extremely rare ground stop issued by the FAA. During this ground stop, no planes took off anywhere in the country for over four hours. This left over 1.5 million travelers on more than 10,000 flights affected by this incident.

Southwest Airlines

So, what should you do if your Disney World travel plans were disrupted during the ground stop? We are here to go over all of the details.

Despite the ground stop being lifted last night, it is still significantly affecting air travel across the country as both airports and airlines attempt to get everything back on track. For example, there have been 93 delays and 142 cancelations so far today at the Orlando International Airport. This means that even if you were not traveling yesterday during the ground stop, it could still impact your travel in and out of Orlando for the next few days.

Orlando International Airport

So, the first step should be to contact your airline to see what you can do to make a new travel plan if your flight has been delayed or canceled. Also, if it is possible for you to drive to Disney World, that might be an option to consider at this time. Now, let’s start with any folks who are currently in Disney World and unable to fly home when they originally expected.

Southwest Airlines

The first thing you should do if you are staying at a Disney World Hotel is contact the front desk at the hotel to see if there is any way that the resort, or another resort on property, will be able to accommodate you for any additional nights until your new flight departs.

Art of Animation Front Desk

While it is not a guarantee, Disney always tries their best to accommodate guests, especially when these sorts of rare circumstances arise. If you are not staying on Disney property, you should contact your hotel to see if they can provide any other accommodations for your group.

All-Star Movies Front Desk

Now, for any guests traveling to Disney World. If you are now set to arrive at Disney later than expected, contact guest services to go over any updated cancelation policies or delayed arrival policies. Given the extremely rare nature of this incident, it is possible that Disney will put new temporary policies in place to help those affected by this travel issue, so it’s always best to call and check.

Wilderness Lodge Lobby

We would also recommend trying to move around any reservations you can. While it’s difficult to switch park and hotel reservations and you’ll need to speak to a Cast Member about that, we would suggest trying to move any dining or experience reservations to later in your trip. If any of these reservations cannot be moved, that would be another question you could ask Cast Members.

Cinderella Castle

Now, if your travel plans have been significantly disrupted, you can always consider rescheduling your trip altogether. Once again, while there are no guarantees, Disney will work with you to transfer your trip to another time. However, it is important to remember that when rescheduling, it is possible that any hotel or dining reservations you made might not be available on your new dates. Meaning you might need to be flexible about which Disney hotels or restaurants you have reservations for.

Disney’s BoardWalk

Whether you are still planning to come on your trip, just a bit late, or if you are looking to reschedule altogether, Disney World will always do their best to try and help guests who are experiencing any sort of travel issue, especially when an incident of this scale occurs. The best thing you can do is contact Disney and see if the Cast Members can help make the needed accommodations for your trip.

Visiting Guest Relations can be super helpful!

We will continue to bring you all of the Disney World and travel news, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog so you never miss anything.

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Was your travel impacted by the FAA ground stop? Let us know your experience in the comments below.

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