Getting to the parks is step one of every Disney trip, and right now step one at Orlando International Airport is more complicated than it has been in a while.
Security wait times are up. A new identification requirement is catching people off guard. A useful airport tool exists that most guests have never heard of. And there is a new TSA service with a $45 fee that sounds helpful but comes with a catch you need to know about before you count on it. We covered all of it so you can spend less time worrying about the airport and more time thinking about what to eat first when you get to the parks.
You Need to Arrive Earlier Than You Think
The two-hour rule for domestic flights is not cutting it right now at major airports including MCO, and here is why.
A partial government shutdown that began in mid-February 2026 has affected the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA. According to NBC News, “airports are facing shortages of TSA officers due to a partial shutdown of the government that began in mid-February and is affecting funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA. As a result, roughly 50,000 TSA officers have not received a paycheck for more than a month, causing some to depart for other jobs to make ends meet or call out sick to work jobs for immediate money.”
The result at MCO: peak security wait times hitting 90 to 120 minutes. Some airports are now recommending 2.5 hours before departure. Aviation experts are pushing that to 3 or 3.5 hours in the most affected cases.
For Disney guests, this is the kind of thing that does not feel urgent until it is. If your flight lands at 11 a.m. and you have a noon park reservation, you need to know that the security line at your departure airport might take two hours before you ever board the plane. Build the buffer in before you need it.
MCO Reserve Is a Thing and You Should Use It
Here is a tool that most Orlando-bound Disney guests have never heard of. Orlando International Airport operates a service called MCO Reserve that lets travelers book a dedicated time slot for security screening in advance. The airport describes it as a way to “reduce stress by planning ahead and reserving a dedicated time slot for their party to go through TSA security screening.”
Here is how it works: you book your time slot online, scan your MCO Reserve QR code at the dedicated line on departure day, and move directly to TSA for standard screening without waiting in the general security queue. It does not skip security. It skips the line for security. In the current environment where that line is running 90 minutes or more at peak times, that distinction matters a lot.
MCO Reserve is available at Terminals A, B, and C. Time slots are limited and can be booked up to seven days in advance. Screening windows run from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for flights departing between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Book this when you book the rest of your trip. It is a free service and it exists specifically for this kind of situation.
Parking: Book It and Pay It the Easy Way
MCO lets you reserve parking in advance through the airport website, where you can also check lot availability and current pricing before you leave. Booking in advance locks in a spot during busy travel periods when preferred lots fill up.
If you use SunPass, certain MCO lots let you pay on exit through designated E-PASS/SunPass lanes with no additional fees. If you are a Florida driver with an active SunPass account, this is the easiest way to handle airport parking.
Your ID Situation: Do Not Assume You Are Fine
Since May 7, 2025, domestic air travel in the U.S. requires every adult to show a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or an accepted alternative like a passport to get through TSA. No compliant ID means no getting through security. Minors traveling domestically with a companion do not need to show ID.
The Real ID law established minimum security standards for state-issued identification and has been fully in effect for nearly a year. It is not new, but it still catches people who have not flown recently or have not checked whether their license meets the standard.
In February 2026, the TSA added a service called TSA ConfirmID as a backup option. The TSA’s own language on this is important: “if you are unable to provide the required acceptable ID, such as a passport or REAL ID, you can pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID. TSA will then attempt to verify your identity so you can go through security; however, there is no guarantee TSA can do so.”
Read that last part again. There is no guarantee. TSA ConfirmID costs $45 and may not work. It is not a plan. It is a last resort with an uncertain outcome. Check every adult traveler’s ID before the trip, not at the airport.
The Quick Version Before You Pack
Arrive earlier than feels necessary. Book an MCO Reserve time slot when you book everything else. Reserve your parking. Check that every adult has a Real ID-compliant license or a passport. Do all of this before you leave home, not at the airport.
The first day of a Disney trip is the most logistically loaded day of the whole vacation. Park reservations, dining bookings, Lightning Lane windows, first impressions. A security delay that costs you two hours at the front of that day is not something you shake off easily. A little airport prep goes a long way toward making sure the trip starts the way you planned it.
We update our Disney travel guide whenever something changes that affects getting to and from the parks. The current MCO situation is exactly that kind of change. Check it before your trip and then come find us on the other side of security when you are ready to decide what to eat first.
Have you already dealt with the current MCO wait times on a recent trip? Drop your experience in the comments. We want to know how bad it actually is out there.
