A boost for Walt Disney World as COVID testing requirement for air travelers arriving in the United States is set to end

Jun 10, 2022 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Posted: Friday June 10, 2022 9:49am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

CNN reports that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will lift its pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers arriving in the U.S. by air.

The policy change is expected to go into effect at midnight Sunday, June 12, 2022.

Guests arriving from international locations including the UK and Europe will no longer need to test before arrival into the U.S.

The requirement for arriving passengers to test negative for COVID-19 has been in place since January 2021.

The move will be a welcome boost to airlines and international travel in the United States, with Walt Disney World set to benefit as it becomes easier for the many international travelers to enter the U.S.

Disney has recently said that although the number of international guests at Walt Disney World has increased, they have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. Some of the hesitation for international travelers has been the testing requirements which add extra expense, complexity, and uncertainty to a trip.

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mktJun 13, 2022

Tell them to get travel insurance. If they get covid and need medical treatment while in the US, the bills will not be cheap.

StellajackJun 13, 2022

My husband and I are vaxed and boosted. We spent a week in Rome starting 5/4. Both of us tested "very mildly" positive on 5/11, when testing at the airport in Rome to return to the US. We were transferred to the Sheraton Hotel at very reduced rate until we were retested on 5/18 with negative results.

nickysJun 13, 2022

So I just read a CNN report which said this initially applies for 3 months and will then be reviewed. Since I’m visiting in December I’m going to have to wait a while to see what happens. 🤞🤞🤞

SoFloMagicJun 12, 2022

Oh, I guess that part didn't go away. Still I'm surprised unvaxxed us citizens are exempt from testing before returning. Seems like a good way to encourage vaccination.

LieutLawwJun 11, 2022

Well Virgin and TUI in the UK reported a massive spike in bookings for Disney over the School Summer Holidays here when the news dropped about the Covid tests going away, so a ton of UK people will be heading out/

nickysJun 10, 2022

If you’re unvaccinated you still aren’t allowed in, afaik. I don’t think that’s changed.

nickysJun 10, 2022

Not to mention a whole lot of stress has just been lifted from anyone who had trips planned in either direction.

mktJun 10, 2022

It won't necessarily mean a boost of guest numbers, given that this, combined with no mask requirements on flights have scared away quite a few guests.

mktJun 10, 2022

Pre-arrival registration, mandatory quarantine if unvaccinated and without proof of negative PCR test from previous 72 hours - 14 day quarantine, or until you get a local negative result. Now it's a free-for-all, and case numbers are increasing on the island.

King Panda 77Jun 10, 2022

Just at the optimum time 😉 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61758570

MrMichaelJamesJun 10, 2022

Disney doesn't NEED a boost of any kind! They are already horribly busy, this will just make things worse for them and those that want to visit the parks seeing as how they seem to have staff shortages this will make it even more of a nightmare for everyone when the floodgates open fully. Makes me seriously want to reconsider even starting to plan a trip for next year.

tpoly88Jun 10, 2022

if you were not vaxxed you couldnt go. you had to upload your vax card, passport and negative test before you went to a lot of the islands and then test the day before you left at the hotel. only PR and USVI plus Mexico had different criteria. everywhere else no vax No Go! This is a big help to the carribean as they are really hurting from lack of tourism.

SoFloMagicJun 10, 2022

It was mostly a one-way requirement anyway. Most of the world doesn't require testing at the moment for the vaccinated. But I'd have thought they'd move to a France model first - test only the unvaxxed.

tpoly88Jun 10, 2022

had 2 trips to Caribbean this past winter and just in may. added $150 to come home for 2 tests and the anxiety of wondering if your getting stuck and paying another $7000 for quarantine. This will open it up for sure and its amazing since april the level of stress has gone down significantly due to no masks. This will also help with people in the US going to europe and other places besides FL.