TRILLIONS of Cicadas Are Emerging in the U.S. – Are They Going to Disney World?

So you know how you have a TON of things to plan for when you make your Disney World trip plans, right?

Magic Kingdom

You’re thinking about your flight tickets, the hotel reservations, and which restaurants you’re going to eat at. But have you ever thought about the bugs? We’re not talking about mosquitoes or even love bugs. No, we’re talking about cicadas and the fact that right now there are billions, possibly even trillions of them buzzing around right now this spring. But here’s the real question: Are they going to crash the party and invade Disney World? Let’s talk about it!

As we were saying, there are billions (possibly trillions) of cicadas that are making their “grand entrance” after a 17-year “hibernation,” and there are a lot of people who are rethinking their travel plans (understandably) to avoid these little buggers (pun intended).

©USA Today

But guess what? You can breathe a sigh of relief as the cicadas won’t be making their way to Florida, which means Disney World is going to be safe from the cicada swarm. But let’s talk about where they’re going to be. Have a look at this map which shows data from as far back as 2013 and projected data through 2029:

©U.S. News

Now, the broods you have to worry about are Brood XIX (brown) and Brood XIII (pink). Let’s switch the map to just show Brood XIII first.

©U.S. News

And here’s a map with only Brood XIX highlighted on it:

©U.S. News

These maps show that a lot of the “South” and the “Midwest” states are going to be affected for between 4-6 weeks by this cicada swarm (states like Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Virginia), but Florida is going to be just fine this time.

©ESRI

If you are in an area that will be affected, the good news is that these critters are pretty much harmless. Plus, (get this) apparently, they’re a legit snack option! According to Floyd Shockley, an entomologist, cicadas can be “nutty” and “earthy” when cooked. They even come in different “flavors” depending on their life stage.

©U.S. News

Anyway, here’s the takeaway: Cicada swarms are going to affect a lot of people this year, but they’re giving Florida a wide berth, which might mean it’s the perfect time to “shelter” at Disney World.

EPCOT

In the meantime, stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for even more Disney tips, tricks, and things you’ll need to know before you visit!

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Will you be “escaping” the cicada swarm by “sheltering” at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!