DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Hundreds of travelers lined up in long queues, eager to catch their flights at Orlando International Airport on Saturday. Despite having TSA PreCheck, everyone endured lengthy waits.
“That’s a lot of people,” said Michelle Giercyk. She and the senior girls from Millville High School were shocked when they finally arrived at the airport less than an hour before their flight was set to take off. “We’re scared. We want to go home,” she said. “We’re tired.”
They weren’t alone. Mary Kubacki and her two girlfriends had spent the past week enjoying Disney and drinking around the world at Epcot. She convinced her friends to do a little more drinking before heading to the airport. “We should have listened to the videos and people on TikTok and got here earlier,” she said. “I can’t believe the line starts all the way back here.”
This is shaping up to be the busiest spring break in Central Florida’s history, despite the rain and a partial government shutdown impacting TSA workers.
Orlando International Airport is expecting 7.4 million passengers from March 10th to the 16th. Daytona Beach International Airport is expecting more than 712,000 passengers—that’s the most they’ve had since 1997.
Airport officials and employees advise arriving more than three hours early. Some, like Linda Misener, followed that advice. “Everything is going the way it’s supposed to be,” she said. “And we’re being taken care of. I’m ok if I have to stand in line.”
Theme parks and beaches are also very busy. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood issued a stern warning to tourists and locals alike. “If you show your butt, we are going to show ours,” he said. “We are not giving out civil citations. You are going to be charged with state charges.”
He also had a warning for parents planning to drop their kids off and then head somewhere else for the week. “My suggestion is have a tank of gas,” he said. “If your [child] acts up, you have to come and get them.”
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