Orlando

Introduction

Orlando is the seat of Orange County and the heart of Central Florida, and it is the most populous inland city in the state. The wider metropolitan area ranks among the largest in Florida and the United States, so you can expect the amenities and diversity of a major urban centre rather than a small Florida town.

Before you go

Orlando sits nearly in the center of Florida, about an hour's drive from both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, ringed by suburbs on all sides. Only one of the major theme park resorts, Universal Orlando, lies within the city limits; Walt Disney World and SeaWorld sit in the surrounding area, to the southwest around Lake Buena Vista and Williamsburg respectively. The main airport is directly south of the city, while Orlando-Sanford International Airport serves as a secondary airport to the north in Sanford. English is the primary language, though Spanish is also spoken, and because so many international travelers pass through, theme parks, resorts, hotels and restaurants commonly provide maps, menus and other information in several languages, and many attractions employ bilingual or multilingual staff.

Central Florida is often described as having two seasons: hot and hotter. Winters are temperate but affected by the occasional cold front, springs and autumns are warm and balmy, and summers are hot with daily thunderstorms. Spring is the driest time of year, dry and clear with warm temperatures and no cold fronts in March and April, turning hotter and more humid by late May and early June. Summer brings thunderstorms nearly every day from June onward, sometimes violent, though they often leave cooler air behind. Autumn varies more from year to year, with thunderstorms tapering off in September and the first cold front usually arriving by late October. Most tourists come for summer vacations or spring breaks, so the quieter times tend to line up with the best weather, meaning emptier parks and more comfortable conditions. Wherever you stay, take ordinary travel precautions: never leave valuables in an unattended car, get purchases back to your room promptly, use the room safe, lock and dead-bolt hotel doors behind you, and never leave small children unattended, especially at pools, since most hotel pools have no lifeguard. Some downtown and suburban areas warrant caution, including the Parramore District, the stretch of Orange Blossom Trail north of Sand Lake Road, and Pine Hills around Silver Star Road and Pine Hills Road, where the Greyhound bus station is located. During the rainy season, stay indoors when thunderstorms roll in.

Getting there

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the city's primary airport, southeast of downtown and close to the area's attractions. It's a hub or focus city for Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines, with flights also arriving from destinations across North America, South America and Europe. The airport has a central landside terminal (divided into sides A and B) holding airline counters, baggage claim, rental car agencies and a hotel, connected by elevated trams to four airside terminals where the boarding gates are. A newer C terminal is reachable via the same tram system. Security and check-in lines can become extremely long during the summer tourist season and around holidays, so arrive two to three hours before departure. Orlando is known as the "rental car capital of the world," with many agencies at the airport plus off-site agencies offering free shuttles. Lynx buses depart from Ground Transportation on Level 1 of the A side, with routes to downtown, International Drive, Walt Disney World and Apopka. Most mid- to high-priced hotels offer airport transfers, and shuttle services run to Kissimmee, the theme parks, the University of Central Florida and the cruise port at Cape Canaveral; Disney and Universal also run free shuttles to their on-site resorts. Taxis and vans seating up to nine passengers with luggage wait at Ground Transportation on Level 1 of both the A and B sides, and charge by taximeter regardless of passenger count.

Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB) is a secondary airport northeast of Orlando in Sanford, served by Allegiant, Flair and airlines chartered by tour operators. On-site rental agencies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National, and taxi service is available from Yellow Cab Company of Orlando, with shuttles from American Coach Shuttle. Other regional airports within about an hour and a half's drive include Daytona Beach International and Melbourne International; Tampa International, west/southwest, is less crowded and easier to reach by car, while Miami International to the south offers more international flights and is reachable by Greyhound, Red Coach, Megabus or Amtrak. Orlando Executive and Kissimmee airports serve general aviation and some air taxi, and Orlando-Sanford also handles general aviation. By train, the downtown Amtrak station connects to Miami and as far north as New York City on the Silver Star and Silver Meteor, and to Chicago on the Floridian; trains are comfortable with seating and sleeper options, but delays are common. Sanford is the southern terminus of the Auto Train, which carries passengers and automobiles to Lorton, Virginia. Brightline offers fast, frequent connections to Miami via West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, arriving and departing from a station at Orlando International Airport. SunRail, mainly a commuter rail system, can be used from Kissimmee through the greater Orlando area to Deltona. The 1926 Spanish Mission-style Orlando railway station sits a mile south of downtown and is also known as Orlando Health/Amtrak Station; same-station transfers between SunRail and Amtrak are only possible in Winter Park, Orlando Health and Kissimmee. By bus, Orlando acts as a de-facto hub for multiple intercity companies running to all corners of the state, though each has its own separate stations and stops around town, far from the airports, train stations and each other.

Getting around

Orlando is a sprawling, car-oriented city, and most attractions lie far south of downtown and spread into neighbouring Kissimmee, so a car is the most convenient way to get around. The highways are wide and well-signed, but traffic jams are common downtown during morning and afternoon rush hours and around the tourist areas when the theme parks close each night, and construction projects on area highways are ongoing. Interstate 4 is the main highway through the city and the only Interstate serving it, running diagonally from northeast to southwest; downtown, International Drive, the Amway Center, the Mall at Millenia and the major theme parks and resorts all sit along or near it. Every other highway in the area besides I-4 is a toll road, and tolls that seem modest for short trips can add up on longer drives. Speed limits are higher than in some parts of the U.S., and drivers in the left lane tend to travel faster than the posted limit. Keep in mind that headlights are required when it is raining, seatbelt use is mandatory, and Florida's "move over" law compels you to change out of the lane closest to stopped emergency vehicles, or slow well below the speed limit if that is not safe.

If you would rather not drive, Lynx operates public buses across Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties. The 311 bus is the most useful route for visitors, linking the airport, the Orange County Convention Center, the Florida Mall, SeaWorld and Disney World, while other routes serve International Drive, the Mall at Millenia, Universal Orlando and the airport. In downtown, the free Lymmo bus runs a frequent circuit from City Hall to the Centroplex, with a dedicated lane and level boarding. SunRail runs a limited north–south commuter line through the centre of the area, from DeBary in the north to Poinciana in the south, with bus connections at some stations. International Drive is a strip of tourist-focused shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions running parallel to I-4 for about ten miles; driving and parking there are extremely difficult on weekends, especially in summer and from Thanksgiving to New Year's, so buses, taxis or rideshare apps are better choices at those times. Taxis are metered and available at the airport, downtown and the major attractions, and ride-hailing services operate throughout the area. Walking is practical mainly in downtown, which has the most pedestrian-friendly infrastructure along with cultural sites, restaurants and nightlife; elsewhere you should plan on using transport between zones rather than walking between attractions.

Where to stay

You will find lodging on virtually every corner in Orlando, with options ranging from hostels to five-star resorts. Many visiting families prefer to rent a private villa, which usually offers more personal space and private facilities, and there is also plenty of lodging in the surrounding cities and towns.

International Drive and the areas around Universal Orlando and SeaWorld anchor much of the city's accommodation. Budget options cluster along International Drive and Canada Avenue, while mid-range choices include properties near Universal Studios with free ground transportation to the theme parks, suite hotels with kitchens and multiple pools, and a medieval-themed palace hotel on International Drive. For a splurge, you can choose among all-suite resorts with full kitchens and washers and dryers, a rock 'n roll themed hotel, a downtown property on South Orange Avenue, and Grande Lakes resorts sharing a golf course, spa and lazy river pool. Several properties sit at the entrance to Walt Disney World Resort, and one hotel is located within the airport terminal itself.

Food & drink

What to see and do

Orlando's identity is built on its theme parks, and they are the reason most visitors come. Walt Disney World, southwest of downtown, is the gold standard: four theme parks, two water parks, dozens of hotels, a large shopping and dining complex, and four golf courses. Universal Orlando, close to International Drive, counters with two theme parks, a water park, a nightclub and restaurant complex, and several resort hotels. SeaWorld Orlando, south on International Drive, is a landscaped marine park with thrill rides and an ever-shrinking number of animal shows, and it also includes the all-inclusive Discovery Cove experience park and the Aquatica water park. Smaller options include Fun Spot America, home to the area's only wooden coaster, and Gatorland, the "Alligator Capital of the World," one of the region's first attractions and still a compact reptile-themed park. With limited time, you have to choose between quality and quantity: see fewer parks thoroughly, or sample a little of most of them. The Go Orlando City Pass lets you pay one price for many of these attractions.

Away from the parks, the city rewards a slower pace. In the gardens and parks, the UCF Arboretum at the University of Central Florida spreads across cultivated gardens, a conservatory, a bromeliad sanctuary, a cycad garden, a fern garden, a palm collection, a rose garden, and swamp and wetland displays. Harry P. Leu Gardens pairs landscaped grounds and lakes with flora gathered from around the globe, including the largest rose garden in Florida and the largest camellia collection in the U.S. outside California, plus the 1880s Leu House and its museum of turn-of-the-20th-century Florida living. Museums include the Orlando Museum of Art, with American portraits, landscapes, impressionist works, and art of the ancient Americas; the Orlando Science Center, a hands-on learning center with a giant-screen cineDome, a health and fitness zone, an observatory, and the largest refracting telescope in Florida; and the Orange County Regional History Center, tracing the region from the Seminole Indians through the founding of the city, the Civil Rights era, and the Disney period to today. On International Drive you can tour the oddities at Ripley's Believe It or Not! or the Hollywood-used cars of the Orlando Auto Museum. Sports fans can catch the Orlando Magic, Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, the Solar Bears, the Predators, or UCF Knights teams. The Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe, an extravagant Catholic church, draws visitors from around the world. Downtown has plenty to offer on its own, and the Downtown Orlando Information Center provides kiosks and message boards covering local restaurants, shops, accommodations, and special events.

When to go

Orlando's climate shapes the rhythm of a visit more than any calendar date. Spring is the driest stretch of the year, with warm temperatures and clear skies; March and April stand out as especially pleasant, with dry days and no cold fronts, though small wildfires can appear in rural areas. Late May turns hot and humid, and the spring break period brings crowds in March and April.

• Summer: Daily thunderstorms and hot, humid conditions, with heat indices often near the triple digits and occasionally much higher. This is the busiest tourist season, with large crowds at the parks; afternoon storms often drop temperatures briefly into the low 80s.
• Autumn: Daily thunderstorms taper off in September, leaving warm highs until mid-October, when the first cold front usually arrives and cools things down. The cooling continues into November, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Crowds thin out compared to summer, making it a quieter time to visit.
• Winter: Mild, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, but cold fronts every week or two can drop highs into the 50s and lows into the 30s, and sub-freezing mornings occur a few times a year. This is a quieter season with fewer tourists and more comfortable weather than summer.

Three days in Orlando

Day one: Start in Orlando proper and get your bearings in the Parramore District, then follow Orange Blossom Trail and Silver Star Road through Pine Hills to see a side of the city beyond the theme parks. If you have arrived at Orlando International Airport, this is an easy first loop before you settle in. In the evening, head toward Sand Lake Road for dinner, where the range of restaurants reflects how many people from Central Florida and beyond have made the city home.

Day two: Give the day to the parks. Choose between Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World and SeaWorld, or split your time if you have the energy, and base yourself around Lake Buena Vista or Williamsburg for the shortest transfers. Winters here are mild and pleasant, while spring and autumn can be warm and humid, so plan for long stretches outdoors and build in breaks. Summer afternoons are hot and often wet, so start early and keep the middle of the day flexible.

Day three: Slow down and take in the wider region. Drive east to Sanford, reached via Sanford International Airport, for a quieter day away from the resort corridors, or head toward the Atlantic coast if you want sand and sea before your flight. If you are leaving from Orlando International Airport, allow time for the return trip, and note that Greyhound and other services connect the city to the rest of Florida and the United States. English is the main language you will hear, though Spanish is widely spoken, and wherever you go, the mix of visitors and long-term residents shapes the pace of the day.