Though several conventions in Orlando
have been canceled because of concerns,
individual leisure travel hasn’t been affected,
local officials said.
Jennifer Morales, a 47-year-old mother from
San Antonio, said the outbreak hasn’t changed
her plans for an eight-day Walt Disney World
vacation with her daughter. She’s been to
Disney World 20-plus times, and her daughter
is in a marching band scheduled to be in a park
parade. They leave last Sunday.
“I don’t think it warrants canceling a
vacation right now,” she said, adding that
she’s more worried about sitting on a plane
with people with colds and the flu. “I’m
kind of a germaphobe. We all have our own
personal hand sanitizers, We’re diligent about
handwashing at the parks, especially after
rides. Now we’ll spending a little extra time
washing hands. I already travel with a small
can of Lysol and hose everything down in our
hotel rooms.”
The state draws hordes of college-age students
and families with grade-school children during
the spring break season, which begins in earnest
in mid-March and runs into April. Cancellations
could be devastating during one of the busiest
times of the year in the Sunshine State.
Last week, five big conventions said they
were cancelling their conferences in Orlando
because of coronavirus concerns. President
Donald Trump had been scheduled to speak
at one of the conventions, and Democratic
presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie
Sanders had been set to headline a forum at
another convention.