ORLANDO, Fla. — This weekend is set to be the busiest travel days at the Orlando International Airport as Spring Break gets underway. As the temperature increases, beaches get more crowded, and the airport gets busier than usual; you know it’s time for Spring Break in Central Florida.
“We’ve flown out of Orlando several times before. It’s always about the same—a little crowded, but manageable,” said Shayne Grant, a traveler at OIA.
The Orlando International Airport is bracing for the flow of tourists from all over the country looking for an early taste of summer in the Sunshine State. “Grownups get spring break too, so we are doing it,” said Rachel Hughes while waiting in line to check her bag with her airline company.
According to AAA, Florida has three of the top five spring break destinations this year - Miami in 4th place, Fort Lauderdale in 2nd, and Orlando, of course, is in first place. “It was amazing. It was our first time in Orlando… We had a blast! We would definitely come back,” who was on her way back to Arizona.
According to AAA, theme parks and beaches are the driving force behind the numbers. 86% of Floridians will be taking at least three days off this spring break season – Rachel Hughes and her family, all Orlando residents, are certainly included in that number.
“We are going to wait it out; we have plenty of time to stand in line with everybody else. What else can you do? Keep your good humor, be positive, it is what it is,” said Hughes.
AAA also discovered that people are spending more this year on spring break. A domestic round trip costs $820, nearly 10% more expensive than last year.
Still, airport officials tell us roughly 400,000 people are expected to travel alone and out of the airport this weekend.
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