Orlando Florida/Disneyworld (Part 2) *CLOSED*

jackieblack

disney_cjd wrote: »

Also, remember all from Jan 09 you will all need to follow the ESTA system and give prior notice of your intended trip to the USA. That is because all terrorists and criminals plan more than three days in advance you see.

Nothing like the American's making it even easier to go there eh

This new system will replace the i94w visa waiver system

I haven't heard about this! :eek:
We're going to the US in April, booked through Virgin Holidays (tesco vouchers). Do you know whether this is something Virgin will deal with for us, or is it something we need to sort out ourselves? If so, how do we go about it?
Any advice gratefully received.

disney_cjd

jackieblack wrote: »

I haven't heard about this! :eek:
We're going to the US in April, booked through Virgin Holidays (tesco vouchers). Do you know whether this is something Virgin will deal with for us, or is it something we need to sort out ourselves? If so, how do we go about it?
Any advice gratefully received.

Sure

Detail has emerged from the US DHS regarding plans to extend the existing I-94W visa waiver program (VWP) with an electronic variant called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation). The Interim Final Rule was published in the Federal Register 9th June. The Final Rule is expected in Nov '08 for implementation from 12th Jan 2009.

The main points of the rule are detailed below.
Key Points
• On Aug. 1, 2008, DHS will begin to accept voluntary ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site.
Initially, the website will be operational in English only, but additional languages will be available no later than Oct. 15, 2008.
• Travellers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States under the VWP before they apply for an ESTA authorisation. DHS recommends that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a VWP traveller begins to plan a trip to the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure. ESTA has, however, been designed to allow for the accommodation of last minute and emergency travellers. According to US Embassy officials in London, this should mean that passengers could apply for an ESTA as late as at the airport.
• Once ESTA becomes mandatory, all travellers from Visa Waiver countries, regardless of their point of embarkation, will be required to obtain an electronic travel authorisation prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. VWP travellers who fail to obtain an ESTA travel authorisation after ESTA becomes mandatory may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at an U.S. port of entry.
• ESTA will be implemented as a mandatory program 60 days after publication of a notice in the Federal Register. DHS anticipates that the Secretary of Homeland Security will issue that notice in November 2008, for implementation of the mandatory ESTA requirements on Jan. 12, 2009.
• Carriers will ultimately be responsible for denying carriage to passengers that do not have a valid ESTA approval. It is intended that the ESTA approvals will be linked in with the US APIS Pre-departure & AQQ program and authority to produce a boarding card will be denied in the absence of a valid ESTA.
• ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travellers are encouraged to apply for authorisation as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States. If applicants’ destination addresses or itineraries should change after their authorisation has been approved, they may easily update that information through the ESTA website.
• Until ESTA is mandatory for all VWP travellers, however, ESTA applicants will also still need to complete an I-94W form en-route, for presentation at an U.S. port of entry.
An approved ESTA travel authorization is:
• valid for up to two years or until the traveller's passport expires, whichever comes first;
• valid for multiple entries into the U.S.; and
• not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveller to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. In all cases, CBP officers make admissibility determinations at our ports of entry.
•
• Links to DHS website
• US CBP ESTA Website - http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/
• ESTA Fact Sheet - http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212498415724.shtm
• ESTA FAQs - http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212501117599.shtm

Now what I think will happen is Virgin will contact you to help you through this. Remember this is NOT like the Advance Passenger information they collect now, you will have to do this THREE DAYS BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.

Take a look at the websites and come back if you have any other questions, its all new at the moment but we will get there.

Cheers

disney_cjd

More info

If you already have a B2 visa - then you won't need to apply.

This new "ESTA" system is only for Visa Waiver Travelers - which is perhaps the largest group of travellers from UK (and 26 other countries) to USA - but will kick in six months from today - January 12th 2009.

From August 1st you can apply online for forward travel dates from January 12th. Once authorisation is received it will be good for multiple trips over a two year period. Same rules as VWP will apply (90 days max. per stay - no overstays, no extensions, no appeals allowed).

Nobody will be allowed to book a flight for travel from January 12th if they cannot quote their ESTA number !!

But, as Simon the travel editor of the Telegraph said on the BBC news programme, once the US have all your details from this new scheme, they will be hanging onto them for 15 years !

From 12th January VWP travellers will no longer be required to fill in the in-flight landing card I/94W (Green). However, B2 visa holders will continue to fill in the in-flight I/94 landing card (White) !

This scheme will include anyone transitting through US airports to elsewhere (Australia, Far East etc.) or arriving by air to take a cruise from a US port. All US bound cruise liner passengers will also be caught up in this farce ! It's just another nail in the coffin for UK/US travel !

AJC62

Planning our visit next week. Have just sorted out Disney! I have a 5 year old daughter and 12 year old son. I plan buy Universal 3 day Pass for my son and husband and my daughter and I just join them for Wet'n'Wild as most attractions are probably not suitable for her. Would that be true?

Your thoughts appreciated.

disney_cjd

AJC62 wrote: »

Planning our visit next week. Have just sorted out Disney! I have a 5 year old daughter and 12 year old son. I plan buy Universal 3 day Pass for my son and husband and my daughter and I just join them for Wet'n'Wild as most attractions are probably not suitable for her. Would that be true?

Your thoughts appreciated.

You know your daughter better than us but I have a 6 and just 4 year old and we have been going as a family three times a year for the past foiur years and love all the parks and rides. When she was 5 my 6 year old wold go on space mountain, thunder mountain even tower of terror etc. It just depends.

How tall is she? Check the height restrictions at allears.net etc and this will help you decide.

HTH

(we are off tomorrow - yippee!!!)

urbancookie1

Wow, how fab just 1 more sleep, :T have a great time now get of here and do some packing:D

disney_cjd

urbancookie1 wrote: »

Wow, how fab just 1 more sleep, :T have a great time now get of here and do some packing:D

thank you! funny enough our little twin alarm clocks had us up at 5 today!!

jackieblack

disney_cjd wrote: »

Sure

Detail has emerged from the US DHS regarding plans to extend the existing I-94W visa waiver program (VWP) with an electronic variant called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation). The Interim Final Rule was published in the Federal Register 9th June. The Final Rule is expected in Nov '08 for implementation from 12th Jan 2009.

The main points of the rule are detailed below.
Key Points
• On Aug. 1, 2008, DHS will begin to accept voluntary ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site.
Initially, the website will be operational in English only, but additional languages will be available no later than Oct. 15, 2008.
• Travellers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States under the VWP before they apply for an ESTA authorisation. DHS recommends that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a VWP traveller begins to plan a trip to the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure. ESTA has, however, been designed to allow for the accommodation of last minute and emergency travellers. According to US Embassy officials in London, this should mean that passengers could apply for an ESTA as late as at the airport.
• Once ESTA becomes mandatory, all travellers from Visa Waiver countries, regardless of their point of embarkation, will be required to obtain an electronic travel authorisation prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP. VWP travellers who fail to obtain an ESTA travel authorisation after ESTA becomes mandatory may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at an U.S. port of entry.
• ESTA will be implemented as a mandatory program 60 days after publication of a notice in the Federal Register. DHS anticipates that the Secretary of Homeland Security will issue that notice in November 2008, for implementation of the mandatory ESTA requirements on Jan. 12, 2009.
• Carriers will ultimately be responsible for denying carriage to passengers that do not have a valid ESTA approval. It is intended that the ESTA approvals will be linked in with the US APIS Pre-departure & AQQ program and authority to produce a boarding card will be denied in the absence of a valid ESTA.
• ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travellers are encouraged to apply for authorisation as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States. If applicants’ destination addresses or itineraries should change after their authorisation has been approved, they may easily update that information through the ESTA website.
• Until ESTA is mandatory for all VWP travellers, however, ESTA applicants will also still need to complete an I-94W form en-route, for presentation at an U.S. port of entry.
An approved ESTA travel authorization is:
• valid for up to two years or until the traveller's passport expires, whichever comes first;
• valid for multiple entries into the U.S.; and
• not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveller to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. In all cases, CBP officers make admissibility determinations at our ports of entry.
•
• Links to DHS website
• US CBP ESTA Website - http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/
• ESTA Fact Sheet - http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212498415724.shtm
• ESTA FAQs - http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212501117599.shtm

Now what I think will happen is Virgin will contact you to help you through this. Remember this is NOT like the Advance Passenger information they collect now, you will have to do this THREE DAYS BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.

Take a look at the websites and come back if you have any other questions, its all new at the moment but we will get there.

Cheers

:T Thanks disney_cjd for all that information:A I'll check out all those links.

Wow, I had no idea about any of this!
The last couple of times we've been it was under the VWP and I'd just assumed it would be the same next year! We're not going until April so we've plenty of time to get sorted out, I'm glad we're not going mid-January though, then I really would be panicking!

Just read your later posts and realised you probably now won't read this until you get back! Hope you had a fab trip!

spaceman5

disney_cjd wrote: »

(we are off tomorrow - yippee!!!)

just leaving to go to london, as we fly out tomorrow, first time on a plane at 34 :eek:

vicbenjake

I have just been trying to convince my husband to got to eurodisney for xmas or new year but he has just thrown me by suggesting we go to Orlando instead!!!

Has anyone been at this time of year, am a mug to pay so much extra for the holiday period? and after hanging out on the eurodisney baord for so long where do I begin to get a bargain USA disney break.

All advice welcome...

We are 2 adults one 6 yr old and one 3 yr old, we live in bristol but are happy to fly from anywhere that is cheapest. Probably going away for 1 week max but I dont mind when as long as we get either Xmas or New year there.

Well excited!!!!:j