British families on holidays of a lifetime issued urgent US shutdown warning | World | News
A government shutdown in the United States could cause disruption for British families heading to Disney World, experts have warned.
The US entered a partial shutdown last night after politicians failed to agree on funding for government departments and agencies ahead of the September 30th deadline. Swathes of federal employees will now be sent home without pay, while “essential” staff must continue working, but may not be paid until the gridlock ends.
According to the Disney-focused ‘Disney Food Blog’, “we are headed towards a government shutdown. … A partial government shutdown is expected to begin on October 1st, 2025.”
It stressed that, while Disney World itself will remain open, the shutdown could have a significant impact on air travel and other services. It noted: “During the shutdown, federal agencies and services that aren’t considered to be ‘essential’ … will need to pause working. That includes workers like national park employees. TSA officers are considered essential and will continue working.”
The U.S. Travel Association has estimated losses of around $1bn (£780m) per week if the shutdown continues. Senior vice president of government relations for the group, Eric Hansen warned: “Airports slow down and our economy slows down with it.”
Air traffic controllers, border staff and security screening staff will need to report to work, but they will not be paid until the shutdown ends. The blog warned that this could lead to shortages of staff, and queues, longer wait times and more, if staff call in sick or do not turn up for work.
“While our personnel have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure the security of our transportation systems, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” a TSA spokesperson told USA Today during a previous shutdown.
In 2019, a month-long shutdown saw controllers and Transportation Security Administration staff stop showing up for work. This led to significant delays. Mr Hansen told the blog: “History also shows that when workers, whether it’s air traffic controllers or Transportation Security officers, have to continually show up for work without pay, it adds additional stress.”
Numerous airlines have also warned of increased strain. A trade group representing several massive airlines, like American Airlines, said that “the system may need to slow down, reducing efficiency” if government funding is suspended.
While Disney parks in Florida and California are privately operated and unaffected directly, knock-on effects could be felt by UK holidaymakers through air travel disruption or closures of nearby federally run sites such as the Everglades National Park.
National parks and monuments were forced to shut or reduce operations in previous shutdowns. This week Politico, a US outlet, reported that many US parks are braced to operate with only limited services during the current closure.
Visa and passport services are largely fee-funded and expected to continue, but Reuters reported that more than 11,000 Federal Aviation Administration staff face furloughs, with training for new air traffic controllers suspended.
The Disney Food Blog advised travellers to monitor flight updates, check airport security times and plan for delays. “The best way to handle these changes is to stay informed about your flight and the airport you’re going to,” it said.
