ORLANDO, Fla. — As the Fourth of July holiday has come to an end, busy travel is still expected through airports nationwide. Orlando International Airport (MCO) officials project over 2 million travelers to pass through the airport.
Shaniqua and Timothy Sealey, along with their three children and Shaniqua’s mother, planned to spend their Fourth of July in Montego Bay, Jamaica, traveling from Columbus, Ohio.
“We needed some leisure time to rest and just relax. We worked so hard throughout the year, so we just wanted some time to spend with our family,” said Shaniqua.
Their trip, booked through Southwest Airlines, was canceled on Tuesday due to Hurricane Beryl. Their resort stay was also canceled, leaving the family devastated.
The Sealeys rearranged their plans, opting to explore Central Florida, visiting SeaWorld and Clearwater Beach.
“We’re devastated. We were so sad. The kids were extremely excited to be going, but then, once we had to break the news that we weren’t going to able to make it, they were crushed. Their feelings were so crushed,” said Shaniqua.
With a flight booked to head back home on Sunday morning, the family missed their 7:10 flight. They are now scheduled on the last flight out, departing at 10:25 a.m.
The 13-day travel period starting June 23rd saw MCO predicting a 16% rise in passengers compared to the previous year. Last Sunday, over 156,000 people passed through the airport.
Another family, Carolyn Rios and Alfredo Pienda, traveled from New York to enjoy the fireworks at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
“It was really nice. The fireworks were really great. The way they lit up the castle was just beautiful. It was a great experience,” said Rios.
However, their return Delta flight to New York was delayed from an initial 7:30 a.m. departure to 10:16 a.m.
Despite the delay, Rios described their Disney trip as a success.
The Sealey family plans to reschedule their trip to Jamaica soon.
