Orlando International Airport

Orlando International is one of the busiest leisure airports in the US, funneling enormous numbers of visitors toward Walt Disney World, Universal, and the rest of the region’s attractions. That leisure crowd shapes the experience: lots of first-time and infrequent flyers, families with strollers and car seats, and security lines that build fast at the peaks.

The layout

The original main terminal is split into sides A and B, and the actual gates sit out in separate airside concourses reached by short automated people-mover trains — you check in and clear security in the main building, then ride out to your airside. In addition, Terminal C opened recently as a separate, modern terminal on the south side, adding capacity and a very different, airy feel; some airlines and many international flights use it, so check which terminal your flight departs from, because they are not a short walk apart.

Getting to the parks and the city

Most arrivals are headed to the theme-park area southwest of the airport rather than into downtown Orlando (about 10 km to the northeast). There is no local rail to the parks, so the options are hotel and park shuttles, rideshare, taxis, or a rental car — and the rental-car operation here is large for exactly that reason.

One newer option worth knowing: Brightline higher-speed rail has a station at Terminal C, connecting Orlando to South Florida, including West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. If your trip includes the coast, that train is a genuine alternative to driving or a connecting flight.

Worth knowing

Arrive early. The combination of holiday crowds, families, and concentrated departure banks makes MCO’s security and bag-drop slower than a business-heavy airport of the same size. Give yourself time, especially for morning departures.