Disney World Quarantine Rules & Travel Guidance
Quarantine rules to Florida from many states apply to Walt Disney World visitors returning home. This covers travel restrictions, mandates & recommendations, international testing requirements, updates on numbers, and relaxation of rules for fully vaccinated people by the CDC. (Updated April 26, 2021.)
In addition to travel rules, this post has become our monthly status report for progress and setbacks by states and the U.S. as a whole. As always, we’ll begin with the above map, which has stalled in its improvements. In some states, new cases have plateaued and even increased in hot spots. The silver lining there is that hospitalizations and deaths continue to drop throughout the United States, and that trend will likely continue with older and higher risk populations vaccinated.
Speaking of which, more positive news: the vaccination rollout continues to accelerate. The United States has now administered more than 225 million doses, fully vaccinating over 92.9 million people or 29% of the total U.S. population (42% are at least partially vaccinated). The United States is now averaging 3 million vaccines per day in the last week. We’re among the best countries in the world for vaccine rollout, on par with the United Kingdom and well ahead of the rest of Europe and Asia.
The fruits of these improved numbers are starting to impact policy. After months of cautionary messaging that has been slow to evolve, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will release new recommendations this week. This is expected to include a lifting of outdoor face mask guidance.
Per multiple news outlets, President Biden will announce several changes on April 27, as part of remarks on the state of the pandemic. The will likely include more rule relaxations for fully vaccinated people, though the final language of the announcement is unclear, as is to whom the outdoor mask rules will apply.
This comes after prominent publications like Slate and The Atlantic proposed an end to outdoor mask mandates. Israel, which offers a potential preview into what the U.S. numbers will look like in another month if vaccination rates hold, lifted its outdoor mask mandate.
There has also been a growing chorus for ending outdoor mask rules among experts. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC: “People could choose to wear a mask if they want to. I think there shouldn’t be requirements that they have to wear masks outdoors…We know activities outside are lower risk than things done indoors.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci essentially said the same thing on ABC with regard to outdoor mask rules: “The CDC is a science-based organization. They don’t want to make any guidelines unless they look at the data and the data backs it up. But when you look around at the common sense situation, obviously the risk is really very low, particularly if you’re vaccinated.”
As we reported last week, Orange County is weighing a timeline to phase out some restrictions, including face masks and physical distancing. New CDC guidance could preempt that, and be a potential game-changer for Walt Disney World. However, that’s likely only going to be the case if dropping masks outdoors encompasses both the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
If you’re wondering why Walt Disney World probably won’t change its mask rules if that relaxation applies only to the fully vaccinated, it comes down to logistics. Theme parks, airlines, hotels, and various other businesses cannot have two classes of people. That would be a nightmare scenario for enforcement, and overly burdensome to frontline Cast Members and other employees of the aforementioned businesses. As we’ve reported previously, vaccine passports could sidestep this issue, but will not be allowed in Florida.
Prior to this, the CDC released new travel guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. This is a big step that reflects a shift in messaging and better balance, which is necessary if the CDC wants its advice to remain relevant to real world behavior.
For domestic travel, people who are two weeks past their final shot (first dose of Johnson & Johnson; second dose of Moderna or Pfizer) do not need to get a test before or after trips and do not need to self-quarantine after travel. That means, for example, fully-vaccinated grandparents can fly to visit their grandchildren without testing or self-quarantining, provided they follow the other recommended public health measures, such as wearing masks on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation.
For international travel, the CDC guidance indicates that fully vaccinated people do not need to be tested before their trips unless it is required by the destination. When returning to the United States, fully vaccinated people should get tested and have a negative result before boarding an international flight back to the United States.
Of course, this international travel guidance is somewhat meaningless for most countries that have barred travel. However, that could change in the coming months. The U.S. Travel Association has pushed the government to lift travel restrictions on international visitors. As many of these are reciprocal in nature, this is first likely to occur with other countries–like the United Kingdom and Israel–that are also vaccinating at high rates. (Vaccine passports remain likely for international travel, with the European Union and many other countries working on implementing such systems.)
In tandem with this travel guidance, the CDC also stated that “if grandparents have been vaccinated, they can visit their daughter and her family, even if they have not been vaccinated so long as the daughter and her family are not at risk for severe disease.”
Extrapolating from that quote, this could be a precursor to how the CDC will handle bigger picture guidance given that most kids likely will not be vaccinated in 2021. That’s very relevant to Walt Disney World’s rules given its core demographics. With all adults now eligible to be vaccinated and ample availability throughout most of the country, it’s entirely possible that things are closer to normal and public health measures can be further relaxed by Memorial Day.
We’re already seeing some states ditch their rules, and more will undoubtedly follow suit as the early-movers are “vindicated” by numbers that continue to decline. Based solely on seasonality, current trajectory, and vaccination rates, that seems likely. Moreover, public tolerance of face masks, especially once vaccines are widely available, is going to plummet.
Being fully vaccinated is effectively the end of this for most people, and they’ll want to behave accordingly. No matter how people might feel about masks right now, the vast majority won’t want to continue having to wear them long after they’ve been vaccinated, especially on vacation.
We’ve been predicting precisely this for months. (See When Will Walt Disney World Stop Requiring Face Masks? among many other posts.) Even late last year as the holiday surge started, we stressed that there was light at the end of the tunnel and numbers would start to come down as the season of family gatherings ended (contact tracing has shown over 70% of cases are a result of “living room spread“) and vaccines rolled out.
On the last earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently stated that Walt Disney World could have some level of physical distancing and mask-wearing for the remainder of 2021 but called vaccine availability a game-changer. Most other sites emphasized the “remainder of 2021” part of that, saying it meant face masks until 2022.
We disagreed, emphasizing the some level and game-changer parts. In parsing Chapek’s words, it appears to us that Disney is laying the groundwork for changing its approach to health safety protocol so rules can be relaxed on an earlier timeline. (Just reiterating all of that here to double-down on our past predictions, which have been criticized for being too bold and optimistic.)
Even with variants posing some cause for concern and making it premature to declare mission accomplished, our view is that “cautious optimism” is still the appropriate perspective. In Europe there has been a plateauing of numbers or even spikes in some countries, but the United States’ vaccine rollout has been markedly better. Again, we’re on par with the United Kingdom, which is still seeing cases and deaths drop despite their variant.
Obviously, things could still go wrong–as has happened several times throughout this–but hopefully the U.S. can outrun the variants with vaccinations. Anyway, let’s move along to the travel restrictions and quarantine recommendations & rules…
Domestic Travel Restrictions & Quarantine Rules
Now let’s turn to the state-by-state quarantine rules. For its part, Florida does not have any quarantine requirements, travel bans, or restrictions in place for those arriving from other states. Governor Ron DeStantis issued a series of executive orders rescinding all of those in fall of last year, and Florida Fully Reopened in September.
In short, there is no quarantine rule that will impact you going to Walt Disney World. However, returning from Walt Disney World is another story entirely. Many states have quarantine rules in effect for residents returning from Florida or visiting from out of state. Here’s a rundown of quarantine rules for various states and cities. (Note: the aforementioned CDC travel guidance for vaccinated people was just released on April 2, 2021 and many states haven’t yet had a chance to update their rules accordingly–within a few days, all will align with the CDC guidance.)
New York has announced that domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory. It’s still recommended as an added precaution, and completing a health form is still necessary.
New Jersey has already shifted from a mandatory to a voluntary quarantine, as has Connecticut. This is significant, and the Tri-State Area is all lumped together up top, because this trio has had some of the more stringent rules in the contiguous United States.
California‘s travel advisory has been relaxed for the fully vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated, avoid non-essential travel. If you must travel, get tested 1-3 days before travel and 3-5 days after travel. After travel, self-quarantine for 7 days, no matter what your test results were. If you didn’t get tested, self-quarantine for 10 days.
Maryland‘s emergency order to limit all travel to essential purposes only still appears to be in place. All Marylanders who do travel outside of Maryland or any individuals who do travel to Maryland must either obtain a negative test result or self-quarantine for 10 days upon return home.
Kentucky‘s travel advisory now discourages all out-of-state leisure travel until further notice. Those who do travel out-of-state for leisure travel are urged to voluntarily self-quarantine upon return to Kentucky or follow CDC guidance for alternate options to shorten the quarantine period.
Minnesota highly discourages out of state travel for non-essential purposes. Incoming visitors and Minnesotans who travel out-of-state are asked to stay home and quarantine for 14 days. Consistent with CDC guidance, a shortened quarantine period may be possible.
Rhode Island‘s rule is that those arriving will need to quarantine for 10 days or provide proof of a negative test result taken within 72 hours prior to arrival. Quarantines can be shortened with post-arrival testing. Those who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine if asymptomatic.
Both Maine and Massachusetts have nearly identical rules in place, right down to the exception for fully vaccinated individuals.
Pennsylvania has rescinded its quarantine rules. Now, travelers are simply advised to practice appropriate public health measures to slow the spread.
New Mexico also rescinded its mandatory quarantine rule. Visitors from anywhere outside of the state will instead by strongly advised to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days.
Vermont no longer requires quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated (it has been 14 days since your final vaccine dose). Anyone else traveling to Vermont must quarantine for 10 days.
New Hampshire requires a 10-day quarantine upon arrival, except for fully vaccinated people. If you have not had any symptoms, you have the option to get a PCR test and end your quarantine with a negative test result. You must continue to monitor yourself for symptoms for the full 14 days.
Kansas no longer has a quarantine requirement for Florida. However, it does have one for mass gatherings of more than 500 where you did not socially distance and wear a mask. Walt Disney World has such rules, so this arguably does not apply.
Both Alaska and Hawaii have very similar mandatory 10-day traveler quarantine and passenger verification process for anyone traveling to those states. This has nothing to do with Florida, specifically.
Out-of-state travelers have the option to get tested via a trusted travel provider prior to their arrival, and show proof of a negative result, to avoid the quarantine.
Washington DC requires anyone engaging in non-essential travel to or from Florida and other states to self-quarantine for 14 days when they come to the District.
Same deal with Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order, which directs travelers entering or returning to Chicago from Florida and other surging states to self-quarantine for a 10-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.
If your state has a test-out option, there are numerous diagnostic testing sites within a short drive of Walt Disney World. The closest is unquestionably the Disney Maingate Complex, which is near Animal Kingdom (and actually on-property). The Florida Division of Emergency Management operates this walk-up testing site daily from 8 am to 5 pm, and appointments are not required at this location.
The Disney Maingate Complex offers rapid testing, with results available in about 15 minutes. We’ve used this site and have had great experiences–never a wait, quick & easy, and friendly staff. Highly recommended!
Two alternatives with less convenient locations are the no-contact rapid tests at Walgreens or CVS. Walgreens has two locations: one in Kissimmee east of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (2274 Fortune Rd) or near Universal Orlando (5280 S John Young Pkwy).
CVS has two Orlando locations (13454 South Orange Blossom Trail & 7001 Old Winter Garden Road). Both have eligibility and appointment requirements right now, but are in the process of scaling up testing so it should become easier in the next month or two.
(If your state or city has a Florida quarantine order or advisory, we’d greatly appreciate it if you’d leave a comment letting us know. There is no nationwide database with this information, and searching state-by-state is a tough task. Thanks!)
International Travel
The CDC is expanding the requirement for a negative test to all international air passengers entering the United States. A test will be required before departure to the United States, and that will be combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and quarantine for 7 days post-travel.
The new administration issued an executive order reaffirming this rule, which is now in effect. It also requested that these policies be reviewed by the State Department, Homeland Security, Transportation Department, HHS, FAA, TSA, and CDC leadership.
Canada and the United States issued a mutual ban on non-essential travel across the land border last spring, and have extended that order each month since. People driving into Canada must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken in the United States within 72 hours or proof of a positive test result between 14 and 90 days before arrival, which is long enough for the illness to have passed, but not so long that immunity might have waned.
Travelers arriving at Canada’s land border points will also be required to take tests upon arrival. That is also the date that air travelers will be forced into a mandatory three-day hotel quarantine at their own expense and required to take multiple tests.
United Kingdom citizens are currently barred from entering the United States, with some exceptions–including those with close family members in the US, and certain other limited categories of visas holders such as diplomats. The limited categories of people who are allowed entry to the US must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
Previously, were some flickers of hope about a New York to London “air bridge” that would restore flight routes between those two cities without a quarantine, thanks to rapid testing. We would caution against too much hope about this–there had been rumors of a travel bridge between the UK and US, but those have been quiet for months.
The same proclamation that bans travel to the United States from the United Kingdom and Ireland also applies to the European Schengen area. That means no one will be completing any Chateau to Castle challenges anytime soon.
This ban includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
It is presently unclear when and how this travel ban will be lifted–it could occur on a country-by-country basis, or a blanket proclamation. At this point, it is not expected to occur until Summer 2021 at the earliest.
In addition to United States-issued travel bans regarding arrival, Australians are restricted from traveling overseas. Exceptions exist for New Zealand and other countries that have the pandemic under control; the United States is not one such exception.
With vaccine distribution likely to take several months, there are concerns that these non-essential travel bans could last until 2022 if nations don’t come up with ways for people to safely cross borders. One such possibility is a rapid polymerase chain reaction test prior to travel. Airport testing is a viable option with results possible within 10 minutes, but the degree to which such a system could scale is debatable. (Although lack of demand for international travel may render that concern a moot point.)
In summary, a variety of international travel bans remain in place–by both the United States and other countries–that will make visiting Walt Disney World a non-starter for at least the next few months, if not the remainder of the year. Past estimates have pegged international tourists as accounting for 18-22% of all guests to Walt Disney World, so this could be a big blow for park attendance.
With regard to domestic travel restrictions, visitors from all 50 states are now welcomed to Walt Disney World without restriction upon arrival. When returning home, it’s a different story, as over one-dozen states have mandatory quarantine requirements or recommendations. Unfortunately, after some of these were rescinded, we’re now likely to see more quarantine rules reinstated or implemented due to Florida’s upward trends. If you have a 2021 trip to Walt Disney World and are visiting from out of state, plan accordingly, as a quarantine could be required when you return home.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you located in a state that has quarantines on travelers from Florida? How far into 2021 do you expect the travel restrictions to be extended? Do you have plans to visit Walt Disney World this spring or summer? If you’re an international reader, what’s your expectation regarding travel between your country and the United States? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
By sometime in August or September, I wonder whether the covid-19 situation in Florida might be bad enough for measures such as re-closing hotels. There is every indication that the infection rate is increasing at a gradually accelerating rate.
Orlando International Airport’s report on destinations by airline might be interesting. American, Southwest, and Silver seem the least-reduced from a year ago.
https://orlandoairports.net/site/uploads/Destinations-by-Airline.pdf
I have said from the first day of closures that the theme parks would not open until mid June at the earliest under the most optimistic conditions, and probably not until after 4th of July. People in the Disney groups on FB laughed at me and told me I was dumb and didn’t know anything. They would be open in about 2 weeks or a month.
Guess who Nailed it?
Now I am going to say right now that the hotels and the theme parks will close again, that is if the theme parks even open.
The ban for visitors from NYS is crazy. I have canceled two trips now. I live in Upstate NY where we had low covid cases and work in a nursing home where I am tested weekly, but cant travel to Florida where the numbers are skyrocketing? The Governor needs to examine his data and lift the ban! As far as my annual passes to Universal, I cannot get an answer if they will be extended due to the travel ban – ughhhh…
Oh, it’s for people “who have been in Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York within the last 2 weeks?”I thought it was for residents of those states period. We’re from CT but we’d been planning to drive down in August – from Minnesota, where we’ll have been for several weeks. I don’t suppose that would help our case.
At this point though I don’t know if I want to be going to FL with so many increasing cases.
We have reservations at the beginning of September and we are coming from CT. We are hours from NY and only had 2 cases in my town .Florida is worse off then my area ! I will miss the 60 days deposit refund if I wait to July 7 to here what the plan is . I will have to decide if I want to take the chance or not !
You should be ok, if you booked directly with Disney or a Certified Disney travel agent, the cancelation date for full deposit is 30 days prior to your trip.
We cancelled our holiday after the 60 day period and was not charged any fees on the package, we are international travellers so we did have to pay £100 pp for flight deposits, but Disney wavered their charges. I believe but double check that Disney are offering anyone who has a holiday booked up to the 2nd October the opportunity to cancel their plans without incurring any charges
WE ARE PLanning A Disney trip in November. We live in Western Massachusetts will fly out of Hartfor bradley. Will the 14 Day quarantine affect us? Should we make arrangements to fly out of Boston?
In November? I’d like to think that a federal judge would have put an end to the travel ban by then, but this is also an election year and silly season always brings out the worst surprises.
Another issue for us Canadians is currently most travel insurance is not covering COVID-related illness. Hopefully that changes once Canada removes their travel advisory against non-essential travel.
It more than likely won’t change until there is a vaccine. All health Insurance policies exclude current known Issues – like the pandemic.
There’s an advisory against non essential travel… Why fly down for a vacation anyways? Just postpone it. those of us who live here in Florida will thank you for it.
I can’t imagine that any travel insurance companies will include COVID related illnesses for either essential travel or non-essential travel. I would love to know if anyone has found a company that will. we are facing the same situation in December coming from Canada……If that actually happens. If everything else falls into place, this might be the deal trying to not think about having to cancel until we really have to.
My daughter goes to Uni in the States and I contacted Manulife which is through my husband’s work benefits to see if she would be covered for Covid while at school (if we actually send her). The person didn’t know. A week later they replied that she would need a Covid test before she leaves Canada and as long as she didn’t have Covid prior to leaving Canada she would be covered for 90 days as per our usual health benefits.
Virginia, that is hopeful news. I’m guessing for tourists (as opposed to students), that the rules would have to include the travel advisory for non-essential travel be lifted AND a covid test? obviously it would up to our insurer to tell us what and how we would be covered. We would be fine to self-quarantine upon returning home give that we can work from home anyway. And who knows what’s in store for all of this over the next few months….I thought 200 cases a day in Ontario was bad! yikes!
We normally spend a month in Florida every summer, two/three weeks on Disney property and one/two weeks on Jacksonville beach. We’ve decided to cancel our trip this summer. It definitely is a bummer, but given Florida’s rising case count and pretty bad handling of the situation (IMO) we’ve decided it’s not worth it. Hopefully things will be under control by next summer. It’s tempting given the parks will probably be pretty empty… but coming from a state that had a pretty bad go of the virus I just can’t justify the risk. I’m from Michigan, our state has had some very strict restrictions but it worked and our numbers have dropped significantly.
I’d like to add that having worked a Disney college program way back when I do trust that Disney will be taking the utmost precaution. I have no doubt safety procedures will be top notch in the parks, just concerned about traveling.
This is kinda irrelevant to this post but I am feeling disappointed and just needed to voice my opinion. We have reservations for WDW in July. I have a set of twins that just turned 6 and I cannot imagine them keeping mass on all day in 90 degree, hot Florida sun:( It also makes me sad that they will not get to interact with the Disney characters, see the parades, and experience the fireworks. We had Disney character dining reserved as well that got cancelled. Also, my travel agent told me that the parks will close early as well. ALL of that doesn’t sound very “magical” to me and I don’t think it is right that we don’t get to experience ALL of Disney but we have to pay the FULL price. It would be nice if Disney offered some kind of discount that would make it worth still going. As of right now, we are planning on cancelling our trip. I’ve been waiting just incase the guidelines change.
Not irrelevant at all. I have an 8 and 5 year old who have been to Disney 3 times so we are ok not expecting much and spending time at the resort. The trip was for my 40th so we had all sorts of dining reserved too. I’ve been back and forth so many times. I have reservations July 11-17 so part of me feels the pros could be pretty empty but I also fear the screenings and getting turned away , pool limits and not being able to go in the pool. It’s a tough decision so don’t feel bad struggling with a decision. Definitely less magical for sure.
Hi MOM of 4,
First, I think your quarrel is with the US government, not Walt Disney World. This never should have gotten so out of control inside our borders.
That said, is it possible to delay your WDW vacation? When weighing everything together, does it make sense?
Hi Mom of 4,
I get your disappointment and frustration, but as someone who has been to WDW multiple times, you will LOVE the lack of crowds! You will likely be able to get on every ride …and some. I would actually pay more for that alone. Heavy crowds can really dampen the whole experience. It has, for us, a few times. Either way, hope you have a great summer.
Wholeheartedly agree. Full price for only a Partial experience is wrong, especially when the features cut (parades, fireworks, charter meet/greets) are a big part of the Disney magic. Being kicked from the park at 7:00 p.m. when the sun is still shining will seem really weird, especially when it doesn’t involve a separately ticketed event like the Halloween or Christmas parties.
I agree with you!!!! Characters are technically protected….the kids will be sad n notice the difference….no characters ..no parades..no buffets …fireworks…masks???? Ughhhh
Hi Anna F,
I’m not sure how characters are technically protected. The primary transmission pathway for SARS-CoV-2 is through the air during close contact. Think about being outside during a crisp morning, and you can see your breath? That’s made by tiny droplets freezing as they leave your mouth. That aerosol is always happening, when we sneeze, cough, talk or even breathe. Those droplets can stay in the air for over 3 hours before finally settling somewhere. A character breathing that in through their character head would then have it in the head unit with them.
So, that character greeting would be risky for you, but even more so for the characters, attendants, and photographers.
The self-quarantine honor system simply won’t work. If you follow the news at all it’s already apparent the people are ignoring the social distancing and masking requirements.
I’m also curious how Disney will enforce against scofflaws in the parks? Boot them out?
You nailed it Frank. When they wee talking about opening here in NY/NJ I kept saying no no no. You give the idiots an inch and they take a yard.
People for the most part do not care about guidelines or regulations. They will stop wearing the masks in the park or they will do what we are seeing up here…”The Chinstrap”. They say they are wearing a mask but it’s under their chin. Not doing anyone any good except for them. Same with distancing, when people are able to shop and have fun, they forget all about rules in favor of their own pleasure.
I’m planning a trip in February and bringing in a friend from Ireland. It’ll be her first trip to Disney World and the US. Hope things are a bit more stable by then
Am I really the only one concerned about health and safety here?
No. We are only going if the numbers have changed considerably by November. We would not consider gong down this summer. I did mention our trip was tentative based on numbers when I first posted I think. Some others have also mentioned it’s tentative. But you’re right that many seem focused on just blaming NYers for Florida’s handling of the virus , for example…
Not at all, I am right there with you! I am concerned about the health and safety aspect of large crowds coming together from states all with different responses to the virus. I also commented that we have canceled our normal summer trip because Florida’s numbers are rising pretty steadily. Coming from Michigan where things were pretty bad in March and April, I just don’t want to risk the exposure. Although, I did a Disney college program many years ago and I don’t doubt that Disney World will have very strict health/safety protocols in place and they will enforce them. That is one thing that I was impressed with when I worked there, Disney does extensive training when it comes to its cast members. My concern is the travel aspect and what kind of exposure others have had that I’d be coming in contact with.
Hi Tom.
what about Canadians crossing the boarder then Flying to Florida from Buffalo, NY? Is that considered traveling from New York? I realize the boarder needs to be opened for non-essential vehicle traffic first, but If we get over the Boarder, would we need to isolate for 14 days once arriving in Florida?
In the article above it states that Canadians do not have to isolate upon arrival in the US. Upon your return to Canada you would be required to self isolate, so if you have to work plan on missing when you return home. We were at Disney until March 15 and we had to self isolate when we returned. I live in a border city and they left our area out of moving to phase two in Ontario. If they reopen the border this summer I would be surprised. We are watching the border closely because we have two University Age daughters that need to return to their dorms in the States in August and we have no idea how that will happen.
In the article: “With this, the only domestic travel restrictions that remain in place for arrivals into Florida apply to people who have been in Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York within the last 2 weeks.”
If you fly into NY you are either in the NY terminal OR will travel with people getting on in NY, so yes as it says – if you have been there in the past 2 weeks. It has happened to people already going other places.
Anyone traveling will also want to consider their own state and local regulations. Even cities and counties can, and do, have very specific rules in place. These will likely change, adding and removing places as control goes up and down around the country and world. For example, FL is one of many states on the rise again, so coming back from there could mean two weeks quarantine at home afterwards. The poor US response also has us on a travel ban to/from many other countries. I see no problem with people doing what they want as long as they are well-informed and take all of the appropriate precautions. Supporting social/emotional well-being and the economy are important but so is showing care for your community by not putting yourself and others at unnecessary risk.
Thanks for the great details as always! My predicament is complicated. I sincerely hope your assumption that the UK will not resume travel until next year will not play out. My sister and I were planning to go first week of November after rescheduling from Easter week. She lives in the UK and I haven’t seen her in 20 years, nor met my niece. Disney already cancelled our Hoop Dee due and Be Our Guest reservations for that week. Looking kind of sad! Hope to hack the All Stars are open as well!
Coming from CT 7/26-31st as well. We’re AP and I truly hope they don’t extend this as it’s completely unfair. We’re way lower than FL is. I understand when it first happened, but for it to still even be in effect now isn’t right. In the case they do, they need refund my DVC rental stay directly and our passes since it would be on them we couldn’t go
I agree with you. We live in NJ, but in SOUTH Jersey. Our cases are WAY lower than up in North Jersey. I consider North Jersey to be part of the “tri-state area”, but not us down south. I’m DVC and AP. My September trip has been cancelled bc of FLA’s quarantine rule (among other things). REALLY hoping I don’t lose my DVC point because I’m not allowed into the state!
Hi Kayla,
Please keep in mind that the quarantines are not about meeting a prescribed period of time. Rather, it’s about how the pandemic is being contained here.In Florida, while deaths are currently around 50/day, new cases have gone from 966 on June 8 to 2,581 on June 13. This is a higher trend line than the state has seen since they started tracking cases in mid-March. This isn’t about fairness, it’s about your safety and the safety of your family.
Aaron, how does that have anything to do with why ct, ny and nj are banned but the rest of the US is not? yes FL cases are rising, but why does that mean we can’t come in? Makes no sense
Hi Kayla,
I misread what you had posted. I’m very sorry about that. In your case / the issue with the state travel ban, it seems to violate the Commerce Clause, which would make it unconstitutional. According to the Commerce Clause, states aren’t allowed to impede interstate commerce. Desegregation gained some of its early successes through that Clause.
What about protecting the public during a pandemic? That’s very possible by our government. The gov’t has the power to apprehend, detain, and even forcibly examine people. But, that power is limited to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, and under specific criteria.
I wouldn’t be surprised if lawsuits are already forming against Gov. DeSantis over this. Until that day, I hope the ban gets lifted soon.
Tom, regarding the following quote, I think you meant May 8, since Mar 8 there wasn’t a lockdown yet, plus that’s 4 months, not 2?
“ Executive Order 20-52 was originally set to expire on March 8, but has since been extended another 60 days. In summary, the Tri-State Area Quarantine Order for visitors coming from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York would expire on July 7, 2020. At least, as of EO 20-82.”
Thanks for the great info, though. It’s really appreciated. I’KK be watching the quarantine requirements later in the year for coming from the UK.
You’re correct, it should read May–typo on my part.
As a DVC member and an AP holder from New York I appreciate the desire to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible but with that being said I feel the self-quarantine order is unfair and slightly prejudicial. New York has had some of the strictest mandates and although it is true that we did have a higher infection rate we have been slow to reopen and have not allowed the safety precautions to be disregarded. Many states that are allowed to freely travel to Florida never followed the restrictions we did nor did they implement the health protocols NY has. Florida is still get our tax dollars but yet won’t allow us to get what we are paying for, this needs to end.
Tom,
Canadians are allowed to fly into the US at this point (but can’t drive across the border). We are hoping to visit in late July and have flights booked. One thing I can’t find is whether or. It we would need to self isolate for 14 days. Do you know the regulations for Canadians arriving in Orlando/WDW by plane?
Already updated the article to reflect that about ~5 minutes before your comment (so you probably saw the old version of the article). 🙂
I see nothing in the Florida EO’s or travel advisories indicating any form of quarantines for Canadians upon arrival. Just when you return home!
Hi Tom, Have a great time at WDW – but please ensure you have robust TRAVEL INSURANCE. It does not exist if you get covid. The cost of an extended hopital stay in the US will make the cost of WDW look tiny.
I just received notice from my travel insurance provider that they will NOT cover covid or possibly related illness expenses.
I just saw news of a gentleman who survived covid in NY and also walked out with a USD $ 1 million bill for hospital services. Ouch! As Canadians I think we just are not familiar of that kind of situation.
Just as a note: the insurance industry is following the CDN Federal Travel Guidelines which indicate that ANY non-essential travel to the US is not recommended. That is how they are able to get through the loophole – by legally stating travellers are acting recklessly against the govt’s recommendation (by land or by air).
Craig, as I understand it, the elderly gentleman didn’t have to pay that amount. The “bill” was really a statement, an Explanation of Benefits, for services he received. Most likely he had Medicare, which only pays a small percentage of what is billed.
Tom, I am holding out hope that you are right as always and the NY travel quarantine ends July 7th. There has been so much debate and misinformation about this on social media that it is incredibly confusing and frustrating. We have a trip planned at the end of July. I just had a COVID test last Tuesday prior to an outpatient surgery and it was about a second of uncomfortableness and the results were back in less than 24 hours. I wish there was some way of making the test more readily available and of using those results in lieu of wearing a mask or quarantining, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
I have had reservations for July 11-17 atJere BW Villas since December. I live in Upstate NY many hours from NYC. Our numbers here were never that high and are at this point way lower than Florida (in fact NY State is overall low while other states are spiking). I still don’t know if I can go or not. They use the term “Tri State Area” a term usually describing NYC and the surrounding suburbs. I’m many hours from NYC and flying out of n Upstate NY airport. At this point the Executive order seems very political and not based on current numbers or science. I just wish I knew for sure so I could just decide.
I have heard through TA correspondence that if you’re from upstate and you’re questioned at the airport, they will give you paperwork to fill out but give you the green light. It is more for NYC and its surrounding areas.
I’m in the same boat. We are in Buffalo, about 6-7 hours away from NYC. The tri-state area is only a small portion of the entirety of NY state, CT, and MA. We’re driving down in August and are not planning to do any quarantining prior to our arrival at WDW.
I also live in Upstate NY, 1 hour south of the Canadian Border. Friends just returned from Universal and stated the same, they flew out of Albany into Orlando and were told that CDC would come on the plane to give them paper work. When this did not happen, the airline told them that they would give CDC their phone numbers and to expect a phone call, this also did not happen. I agree, NY Tri-state area, in my opinion and according to some websites only includes the NYC area and its neighboring suburbs. It is very unclear. We are planning on flying to Florida in the beginning of July, and though we are property owners, we are still on the fence.
We rebooked our DVC reservation from early July to early August. We are flying in from CT. We have park tickets. No problem missing parades, fireworks and meet and greets. We are however subject to park reservation days and ultimately the Florida quarantine if extended.