ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 television coverage on Sept. 11, 2001 documented how the terrorist attacks affected Central Florida — from the quiet terminals at Orlando International Airport to the closure of area theme parks and heightened security at Kennedy Space Center.
“Normally when we show you this airport at Christmas or Thanksgiving, this area is packed,” WKMG reporter Mike DeForest told viewers from the airport that morning. “As you can see right now, other than a few airport employees, it’s completely desolated all the way down to the end.”
The Federal Aviation Administration immediately grounded all air traffic. Orlando International remained technically open, but passengers were told to find hotel rooms and contact airlines. Flights in and out of Central Florida resumed two days later.
[WATCH: Coverage of 9/11 terrorist attacks in Central Florida]
For many travelers, the first news of the attacks came from televisions inside the airport. Then came the scramble: payphones ringing, cellphones pressed to ears, hotel rooms sought, cabs arranged, families contacted.
The airport’s normal rhythm dissolved within hours. By the time DeForest reported live, only a few dozen passengers remained. Security was tight.
One passenger, struggling to process the first reports, could only say, “All these poor people.” Another said he was hesitant to board a plane again. “I just don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “Yeah, it’s scary.”
The uncertainty reached beyond the airport’s runways and into Central Florida’s most recognizable destination.
Walt Disney World closed its gates — only the second time in the resort’s history that had happened. About 200,000 guests were ushered out. Within an hour and a half, the parking lots were empty.
The resort’s decision was described as a precaution, with safety and security of guests and cast members as the highest priority. But for the visitors being sent away, the closure felt like something more than a security measure. It was evidence that the familiar rules of the day no longer applied.
“I’m petrified,” one woman said. “I think it’s awful. I can’t believe that a plane went into the World Trade Center.”
Tourists from around the world stood stunned. Some worried about how to return home. Others tried to reach family members in New York. One visitor said an uncle worked in the World Trade Center and that she did not know what to do.
On the Space Coast, the response was equally urgent. Kennedy Space Center moved to threat condition Delta, the highest level of security, for the first time in its history.
Video captured by News 6 outside KSC showed vehicles and personnel being stopped and searched. Identification was required. The visitor center was closed. Armed personnel stood at the front gate, allowing people to leave but not return.
Nearly 12,000 workers were sent home, many of them waiting in long lines without knowing when they would be permitted back. The space shuttle fleet was at the center, but the concern was broader: protect the people, the facility and the nation’s space program at a moment when no one knew what threat might come next.
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