RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS Hit the Orlando International Airport

Okay, so it’s no secret that Spring Break means LOADS of crowds in Disney World.

Spring Break crowds are here

The Spring Break travel period officially started on March 4th. We’ve already seen Genie+ at its highest price for multiple days, plus we’ve seen it sell out completely. Orlando International Airport has also predicted its five busiest travel days during this time, but one of those days has already broken records.

On March 11th, Orlando International Airport recorded its BUSIEST DAY EVER with 95,287 people departing the airport. That’s nearly 5,000 MORE people than the previous record-holding day in 2019, before the pandemic. March 12th was the airport’s second busiest day with nearly 93,000 passengers.

Orlando International Airport crowds in January

According to The Aviation Authority, over 7 million passengers will fly through the airport during the 46 days of the Spring Break travel period. 7 million people!!! So buckle up, Spring Break travelers, things are going to be a little chaotic.

Terminal C at MCO

So what should you do if you’re traveling during this busy time? First, pack your patience, but also be sure to arrive at the airport as early as you can (the general rule of thumb is at least three hours before your flight).

Orlando International Airport

You might also want to consider signing up for programs like TSA PreCheck to skip the long security lines. If you’re flying out of Orlando, you can reserve a time to use the airport’s FREE Reservation Lane to go through security to bypass the longest lines. This service is available at both security checkpoints at the airport and you can sign up at reserve.clearme.com.

Plan ahead & reserve a time slot to go through security at the free Reservation Lane. Just show up at that time, scan your reservation and go through an exclusive and shorter lane. Available on both checkpoints, from 5am-11am.
Reserve your spot at: https://t.co/QEK0VBE1xY pic.twitter.com/jGsxTjouX4

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) January 21, 2022

Granted, with things THIS busy, you’ll still need to give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport (and take traffic into account) as well as navigate your way to your gate. So if you do reserve a lane, it’s probably a good idea to give yourself plenty of time between that and your flight. Even if you end up with some spare time, you can take the opportunity to sit somewhere, grab a snack or drink, and de-stress before your flight.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on Spring Break travel in Orlando, as well as Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Here’s The Ultimate Disney World Packing List for 2023

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