TSA, US Government Shutdown and Canadian Airports.

OttawaDisGirl

Mouseketeer

Joined

Sep 22, 2011

• Jan 19, 2019

• #1

Hello!

We're going to Disney soon! Yay!!

My husband and son are flying to the MCO from Ottawa in a couple of weeks. Does anyone have any experience passing the 'border' into the USA with the TSA at Canadian airports? (I hope that makes sense) I've read Air Canada's 'arrive early' advice, so I will do that. Does anyone have any information to share about their experience during the US government shutdown? What (if anything)happened? How was it? Were there ridiculous lines?

Has anyone flown from a small airport in the USA and had to cross the border by car into a small US town. I'm flying out from Ogdensburg a day earlier than my family. (it's a long convoluted story. )

Any advice? What do I need to know?



Thanks,

OttawaDisGirl

 

Last edited: Jan 19, 2019

bankr63

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 3, 2010

• Jan 19, 2019

• #2

TSA won't be a problem at Ottawa, the security is run by Canadian companies. I don't know how Border Services and Immigration have slowed down however. In Ogdensburg, TSA may be a concern and I would allow some extra time to cross over at Prescott. But I hear that lines at the airport there are pretty manageable already, and you can check the border wait times website to see if there are current slowdowns when crossing.

 

ottawamom

The "Air Miles" Lady

Joined

Mar 9, 2005

• Jan 19, 2019

• #3

Ditto what bankr63 said. (I was typing as he was)

My son crossed over at Thousand Island bridge just before new years. I thought for sure he would get pulled over and questioned (his age). Crossing over wasn't an issue at all. You should be fine crossing at Prescott. It is a small border crossing. I would allow a little extra time. There is a website where you can see the wait times at all the border crossings. Check that out for the time you are thinking of crossing (you said you've got a few weeks).

With any luck the situation in the States will get resolved before you go and this will all be a non-issue.

 

I

Ian Macoomb

Earning My Ears

Joined

Jan 10, 2019

• Jan 19, 2019

• #4

I just got back from a quick ski trip in Vermont. I didn't notice anything different in terms of line-ups.

 

Disneylover99

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jul 17, 2012

• Jan 20, 2019

• #5

No difference crossing the border by car that I noticed.

 

Marc D

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 27, 2016

• Jan 20, 2019

• #6

We flew from Montreal to MCO a few days into the shutdown. It was business as usual with the border agents. Problems in airports in the U.S. are with TSA personnel (airport security), not immigration and border agents. Those are the only ones you will encounter either at the Canadian airport or crossing the border by car. It might be a different story coming back home by plane if the shutdown is still in effect.

When we flew back a week later from MCO, things were running normally there but that might change as time goes on.

 

kiford

DIS Veteran

Joined

Nov 9, 2012

• Jan 25, 2019

• #7

We're going in a couple of weeks so I was checking this out as well. I found this site: https://www.ifly.com/orlando-international-airport/wait-times which purports to show the average wait times at various points throughout the day in MCO. So far, it seems relatively normal, if it's accurate. What I've been reading so far about CBP in Toronto Airport is that it's a bit slower but still not too out of the norm. Hopefully, they still have Nexus lines running.

 

cdnSpinalTap

Mouseketeer

Joined

Aug 9, 2007

• Jan 25, 2019

• #8

Phew - it's over...or at least temporarily over. Was starting to get a *little* concerned over our upcoming Tuesday flight.

 

ilovetotravel1977

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 8, 2016

• Jan 26, 2019

• #9

My folks will be happy...they are traveling next Sunday to Orlando.

 

S

Silvermist999

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 6, 2010

• Jan 27, 2019

• #10

cdnSpinalTap said:

Phew - it's over...or at least temporarily over. Was starting to get a *little* concerned over our upcoming Tuesday flight.

Click to expand...

I heard it might start up again Feb15. I sure hope not. There’s going to be a lot of spring break travellers, including us, who would be affected.

 

quandrea

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jun 24, 2010

• Jan 27, 2019

• #11

Silvermist999 said:

I heard it might start up again Feb15. I sure hope not. There’s going to be a lot of spring break travellers, including us, who would be affected.

Click to expand...

Yes I was glad to hear the shutdown was over. Then they got to the part about the Feb 15 deadline. We fly a few days past that deadline. Back to crossing fingers.

 

dis_guy

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 26, 2008

• Jan 27, 2019

• #12

We flew down to MCO on Jan 15 and came back Jan 22, just a few days before the whole air traffic control system hit the crisis point on Friday. We were not affected in any way that I could tell. If you need to travel during another shutdown and are going near the beginning of it, I think you should be ok.

 

quandrea

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jun 24, 2010

• Jan 31, 2019

• #13

dis_guy said:

We flew down to MCO on Jan 15 and came back Jan 22, just a few days before the whole air traffic control system hit the crisis point on Friday. We were not affected in any way that I could tell. If you need to travel during another shutdown and are going near the beginning of it, I think you should be ok.

Click to expand...

Very encouraging. Thanks.

 

Tinkershelly

<font color=royalblue>DisneyWorld trip winner!<br>

Joined

Jul 25, 2006

• Feb 2, 2019

• #14

I have my Nexus interview Feb 14th. The last interview I had scheduled Dec 29, which was the beginning of the shutdown and all interviews were cancelled. I made this appointment right away, not knowing it would be the last day of the temporary government funding.