Orlando flights and travel guide

The family favourite with an extraordinary array of theme parks, it's no surprise that millions of tourists take cheap flights to Orlando each year. The list of theme parks is long (Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld Aquatica, Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Silver Spring) and grows longer and improves each year, all the better to attract repeat visitors.

The Magic Kingdom is not the only reason to visit. The city is diverse with large hispanic, Puerto Rican, Cuban, African-American and Vietnamese populations (Little Vietnam is an Orlando landmark) ensuring a rich culture and lively downtown area.

The list of museums in Orlando is almost as long as the list of theme parks - the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, Morse Museum of American Art and Cornell Fine Arts Museum. Aside from Florida's stunning wilderness and beaches, Orlando is home to the Kennedy Space Center, the only place on Earth where you can view a launch to, maybe, other kingdoms.

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Orlando climate

Orlando’s theme parks are popular year round, regardless of the weather. The mild season is October through April with warm temperatures and low humidity. May to September is a time of high humidity and afternoon storms. The hurricane season is June through November. Late fall tends to have the best weather.

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When to fly to Orlando

Peak Season:
Orlando's peak travel season is determined by U.S. holidays and school vacations. Christmas, Spring Break and summer vacation are when Orlando sees its highest traffic.

Off Season:
The best time to find cheap flights to Orlando is late May or early June (excluding Memorial Day weekend), as soon as the school year ends; late August, if you must go in summer; or Thanksgiving, which is not as busy as other holidays. There are fewer tourists at the parks from early September until just before Thanksgiving, as well as in early February and early May.

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Getting downtown Orlando

Once travellers have disembarked their cheap flights to Orlando, several hotels offer complimentary transportation to and from the airport. There are several rental car companies with desks in Terminal A and Terminal B including Alamo, Avis and Budget. Local buses, operated by Lynx, can be boarded on the A-side of the Main Terminal, on the Ground Transportation Level (Level 1), at Commercial Lane spaces A38-A41. There are several taxi companies including Ace Metro/Luxury Cab and Diamond Cab Company.

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Getting around Orlando

There are plenty of ways to get around Orlando’s tourist scene. Lynx buses and I-ride trolleys travel between the theme parks, but you’ll have to know the schedule ahead of time. Shuttle buses that run by the Mears Transportation Group are more expensive, but they run all over the city to hotels, Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios and the airport. If you’re staying at Disney World, you won’t have to worry about getting around. All the Disney hotels have a free transportation system connecting the parks with buses, monorails, ferries and water taxis.

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Orlando insider information

• Biking: the 48km-long West Orange Trail snakes through the small towns and rolling hills west of Orlando, a bike rental shop is at the trail head in Oakland.
• The Canaveral National Seashore, about an hour east of the city, is quiet and unspoiled and popular for surf fishing as well as kayaking. Animals that can be spotted there include manatees, bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles.
• Gatorland in Central Florida is known around the world as the Alligator Capital of the World. Sitting on the back of a real alligator is one of the thrills in store. At Discovery Cove you can swim with dolphins, a friendlier encounter perhaps.
• The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art has the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort. The collection of jewellery, pottery, paintings, lamps and leaded-glass windows was built over 50 years by Jeannette Genius McKean, granddaughter of Hosmer Morse.
• To make the most of your time at Walt Disney World start planning as soon as you book cheap flights to Orlando. Read the guidebooks and online newsletters and listen to podcasts. Enjoy the resorts; they are beautiful. Remember you can't do everything in one trip. Above all, wear the ears with pride.

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Orlando airports

Orlando International Airport (MCO) (website: www.orlandoairports.net) The airport is situated 11km southeast of Orlando.

Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) (website: www.orlandosanfordairport.com) is located 29km northeast of Orlando.

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