Walt Disney World’s home airport is my least favorite in the world. We’ve flown through many crowded airports–Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, etc. None of them, not even ORD or LAX, are as challenging as MCO on a bad day. (Note: we do not fly through NYC or Newark.)
Earlier this month, we flew through CDG and LAX, and both were easier than MCO. Actually, I fly through LAX often–about once per month. It’s not my favorite airport and I’d never recommend it to first-timers (there’s a reason it makes our list of things to NOT do at Disneyland), but it’s efficient. (If only SNA/LGB had more nonstop flights to MCO!)
That is not the case at Orlando International Airport. Of all airports we’ve flown, MCO is consistently the most chaotic for departures. This is due to a confluence of circumstances: long lines for check-in counters and security, storms delaying flights, significantly higher traveler volume without infrastructure keeping pace, overcrowded seating areas, and the fact that this is only the second flight many families have ever flown (the first being the one to Walt Disney World).
There’s a lot I like about MCO and the personality of the airport, but the actual guest experience has a lot of potential friction points. We’ve been “warning” readers about Orlando International Airport for the better part of the last decade. Those are air quotes around warning because there’s no reasonable alternative.
Sure, there’s Sanford or Tampa, but that adds extra time to the commute…although maybe that could be offset by shorter waits at the airport? Suffice to say, I’m very much looking forward to Orlando International Airport’s Big $6 Billion Expansion & Enhancement Plan coming to fruition. It’s badly needed, and long overdue.
Our warnings with regard to MCO have more been about adjusting expectations and helping readers prepare accordingly. Most importantly, arriving sufficiently early. There are plenty of seasoned travelers who might arrive an hour before their flights elsewhere, but that’s a recipe for disaster at MCO in certain circumstances. Those who subscribe to “Airport Theory” are playing with fire. (If you’ve never heard of it, consider yourself lucky–it’s a dumb TikTok thing.)
One of the problems at MCO is the lines for security. This is often the biggest sticking point, and posted wait times can sometimes exceed 45 minutes during peak travel times. There are several reasons for the longer lines, including the above points about visitor volume and it being only the second flight many travelers have ever flown.
Given the traveler demographics, there are also a lot more strollers and small children. As someone with a toddler, I think it’s probably okay for me to state the obvious here, which is that young families with kids generally take more time to get through security. That’s just reality, not a value judgment. It doesn’t help that travelers are incentivized to fly with carry-ons as opposed to checking bags.
It’s also completely chaotic, thanks to about a half-dozen different lines for ID check, including but not limited to MCO Reserve, TSA PreCheck, Clear, Clear with TSA PreCheck, etc. It also doesn’t help that TSA is perpetually understaffed, so it’s often the case that all of the screening lines aren’t open once you get passed the ID verification checkpoint.
In the last few months, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID has debuted at Orlando International Airport, adding another line to the mix. I’ve used this a few times elsewhere, and when it works seamlessly, it’s like magic. I wanted to wait until having a flawless experience with it at MCO before covering and recommending it, but alas. (More on that in a minute.)
For those who are unfamiliar with it, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID enhances the security screening process with facial comparison technology for faster, more efficient identity verification. Enrolled travelers with participating airlines can move through dedicated lanes with ease, enjoying a smoother and more convenient airport experience—an effortless way to start your travels.
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID requires:
- Active airline profile with a participating airline
- Current TSA PreCheck traveler
- Valid passport information uploaded to your airline profile
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is now available at 65 airports. Here’s a video from TSA explaining how it works:
Interested passengers must opt in with participating airlines. Check with your airline for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID locations.
Add the following information to your profile with a valid participating airline:
- Enter Known Traveler Number (KTN)
- Enter valid passport number and country
- Select “OPT IN” on your profile or at airline check-in
Opting in is pretty simply and took me all of ~2 minutes in my Delta and Southwest profiles. I assume that TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is optional because of passenger privacy, photo and data concerns. On its website, TSA offers an assurance about its commitment to passenger privacy, deletion of data and photos, so take that for whatever it’s worth to you.
My perspective is that airports are already using facial recognition technology and doing who knows what else. If something nefarious or dystopian is going to happen with privacy and data, it’s going to happen either way. I might as well benefit while they’re at it.
In order to use the service, the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator must appear on your mobile boarding pass to enter the dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane. It’ll look something like this:
As noted above, TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is now available at 65 participating airports serving dozens of major metro areas. Here’s a list of the airports that now support TSA PreCheck Touchless ID as of Spring 2026:
- Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) – Albuquerque, NM
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) – Baltimore, MD
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) – Boston, MA
- Bradley International Airport (BDL) – Hartford, CT
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) – Buffalo, NY
- Charleston International Airport (CHS) – Charleston, SC
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – Charlotte, NC
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) – Chicago, IL
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) – Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) – Cleveland, OH
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
- Dallas Love Field (DAL) – Dallas, TX
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) – Honolulu, HI
- Denver International Airport (DEN) – Denver, CO
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) – Detroit, MI
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – Fort Lauderdale, FL
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) – Houston, TX
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – Las Vegas, NV
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – Atlanta, GA
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND) – Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) – Jacksonville, FL
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – New York, NY
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) – Columbus, OH
- John Wayne Airport (SNA) – Orange County, CA
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI) – Kansas City, MO
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – New York, NY
- Long Beach Airport (LGB) – Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Los Angeles, CA
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) – San Juan, PR
- Miami International Airport (MIA) – Miami, FL
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) – Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) – Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville International Airport (BNA) – Nashville, TN
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) – New Orleans, LA
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – Newark, NJ
- Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) – Oakland, CA
- Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Orlando, FL
- Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) – West Palm Beach, FL
- Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) – Palm Springs, CA
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) – Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) – Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland International Airport (PDX) – Portland, OR
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) – Raleigh, NC
- Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) – Providence, RI
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF) – Sacramento, CA
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) – Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT) – San Antonio, TX
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) – San Diego, CA
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – San Francisco, CA
- San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) – San Jose, CA
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – Seattle, WA
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) – St. Louis, MO
- Tampa International Airport (TPA) – Tampa, FL
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) – Anchorage, AK
- Tulsa International Airport (TUL) – Tulsa, OK
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – Arlington, VA
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – Dulles, VA
- Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) – Austin, TX
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) – Birmingham, AL
- Boise Airport (BOI) – Boise, ID
- Westchester County Airport (HPN) – White Plains, NY
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) – Houston, TX
On that list are all of the home airports that service Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Since TSA PreCheck Touchless ID started rolling out, I’ve seen the signs for it, but never a dedicated lane at SNA or LGB.
Maybe it’s just the time of day I fly out of both (almost exclusively early mornings or red-eyes when the already slow airports are even slower), but it seems like there’s very little space at either airport to add another screening line.
Orlando International Airport, on the other hand, has almost the exact opposite problem. An entire section of its screening is dedicated to TSA PreCheck (and Clear), and there’s definitely a dedicated lane for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID.
It’s been there since at least Winter 2026; maybe even last Christmas, but I don’t recall seeing it then. The problem is that it’s absolute chaos leading to those lines, and the signage is small and confusing.
I’ve yet to see any TSA or airport staff at the end of the lines verifying eligibility for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID before allowing travelers to enter. The end result is that it’s a free for all, with TSA PreCheck passengers (understandably) just getting in whichever line.
None of them are materially shorter, and to the extent that any move faster, it’s really just about avoiding the ones where Clear cuts in front of. (Note that I pretty much only use the Gates 70-129 checkpoint; it could be different at the others, especially Terminal C.)
There’s also the reality, at least in my experience, that the speed of the ID verification portion of the process at MCO is often dictated by backups in baggage screening. It’s very common for TSA officers to hold the lines at ID check because the lanes behind them are so long that there’s nowhere for anyone to go. The end result is that, at least in my experience with it thus far, TSA Touchless is pointless at MCO.
This isn’t anyone’s fault. TSA has been understaffed for years, and that’s only gotten worse in the last ~6 months for reasons that are probably obvious if you’ve followed the news. Even if fully staffed, the infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with MCO’s growth, so that’s also an issue.
If anything, the MCO experience is still usually better than it has any right to be despite all of the above. The airport manages to overcome a lot of “baked-in” issues and be pretty good. Travelers all do a surprisingly good job of holding things together in spite of it all, shrugging off the slowdowns and chaos. TSA officers are friendly despite being battle hardened. MCO is an impressive organism, even if it can be frustrating and time-consuming for all involved.
If you fly out on one of those exceedingly rare occasions when it’s not busy, the process is shockingly smooth–underscoring just how many of the problems are due to infrastructure not keeping pace with traveler volume. There have been times when I’ve gone from the curb to the Delta terminal in ~10 minutes. (Really! I swear!) So even adherents to Airport Theory would be fine some of the time.
As for TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, I’m skeptical that it’ll be a big win to streamline the security screening process at MCO until infrastructure upgrades are made, but it can be fantastic at other airports where the circumstances are different. Or perhaps even at MCO when the lines are being managed and are shorter. I’ve yet to fly out during any slower times since it’s been available, so perhaps other travelers have had completely different experiences.
I will say that I’m optimistic about the potential of TSA PreCheck Touchless ID as a whole (beyond just MCO or at smaller airports). This and other facial recognition technology that’s been introduced in the last few years at airports is really, really impressive. When everything is working smoothly, it’s an absolute breeze! We recently had a similar experience with Global Entry Touchless Portals when reentering the United States, and that was pure magic. We barely even had to stop for a photo.
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s that we recommend opting in to TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, but tempering your expectations about where it might be useful. I’m sure others have had better luck with it at MCO during slower or less chaotic times, and I’m also sure it’ll get better over time, especially once things normalize with TSA pay.
At the same time, the layout of the lines coupled with the backups behind ID verification at the actual screening points are the typical cause of delay and will probably prevent TSA PreCheck Touchless ID from reaching its full potential in eliminating friction at MCO security.
TSA PreCheck Touchless may not be pointless in the long term at MCO, but it won’t be seamless until the airport overhaul is completed. At other airports with the right mix of infrastructure and crowds (LAX being a prime example), TSA PreCheck Touchless ID has the potential to speed up the security process.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you used TSA PreCheck Touchless ID? What was your experience with the process? Did it speed up security for you, or not have much of an impact? Think this technology has the potential to streamline security and increase efficiency at MCO or other airports? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!