Directly flying into Orlando international airport, renting a car, and staying close to the attraction you plan to visit is the best way to get the most out of your trip to Orlando!

Best Time To Visit Orlando: Orlando, with warm weather throughout the year, is a year-round destination! While you don’t need to worry about weather while planning a trip to Orlando, you definitely need to consider the school and college holidays, including spring break, summer vacation, Christmas / winter break, and long weekends, which happens to be the busiest time in Orlando. The best way to avoid long queues and wait times at theme parks is by visiting during the shoulder seasons, March – April and October – November. 

Time Required At Orlando: With seven incredible theme parks and a ton of other things to see and do in Orlando, I recommend spending a minimum of two weeks to see the city’s major theme parks and attractions. Most people make multiple trips to Orlando, visiting one or two theme parks every visit. However, if you’re an international traveler or making numerous trips to Orlando is not an option, you must plan to spend two weeks in Orlando or cut down on the number of theme parks and attractions you plan to visit on your trip to Orlando.

Getting To Orlando: The best and most comfortable way to get to Orlando is by flying into Orlando International Airport, located very close to all major theme parks and attractions. Alternatively, you could also take an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus to Orlando.

• Flight: Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, Florida, located approximately 20 miles from all major theme parks in Orlando, is the closest major international airport in Orlando and serviced by all major airlines.
• Train: The Orlando Amtrak Station, located right in downtown Orlando in Sligh Blvd, is serviced by several Amtrak train services connecting Orlando to other parts of the Nation.
• Bus: Greyhound offers bus services to Orlando, with the closest Greyhound bus stop located at 555 N John Young Pkwy, close to downtown Orlando.

Parking & Transportation In Orlando: Most hotels and attractions in Orlando offer paid onsite parking, and there are quite a few public and private parking lots scattered all over the city. Though Orlando offers quite a few public transportation options, including LYNX Bus Service, LYMMO Downtown Circulator, and SunRail, I recommend renting a car when visiting Orlando.

Tours & Multi-Attraction Passes In Orlando: If you’re visiting Orlando or any other city in the US for the first time, I highly recommend using a hop-on-hop-off tour service and buying a discounted multi-attraction pass from CityPASS. There’re a couple of local tour companies that offer excellent guided bus tours in Orlando, which are great for sightseeing, including The Orlando Sightseeing Pass and City Sightseeing Orlando.

Lodging & Dining In Orlando: I recommend staying close to the attraction / theme park you plan to visit in Orlando so that you can spend more time in the park and avoid traffic and long drives. There’re several lodging options in Orlando, including a few great resorts offered by Disney and Universal, several luxury resorts, and boutique hotels by big brand chain hotels. When it comes to dining, most of the time, you would eat at one of the theme parks, where you will find several dining choices! I have reviewed the lodging and dining options in Orlando in detail in the later section of this post.