Orlando Flights Information
Flights to Orlando land at the Orlando International Airport (MCO), one of the busiest airports in the United States of America. Orlando is one of the most popular cities in the state of Florida and serves as the county seat of Orange County.
Orlando lies in Central Florida, at the center of the Orlando Metropolitan area and has a population of around 300,000. As of July 2017, according to the statistics of the Census Bureau of the United States of America, Orlando is the 23rd-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Known for its beauty and theme parks, the city is dubbed the “City Beautiful” by the local people of Florida, while the world calls it the “Theme Park Capital of the World”. The symbol of the city is the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain situated in Lake Eola Park. The symbol is referred to by locals as the Lake Eola Fountain and is a must-visit destination for tourists.
Airline tickets to Orlando are usually cheaper compared to other cities, mainly because tickets to the state of Florida are cheaper compared, say, tickets to Chicago or New York.
Orlando Airports
The Orlando International Airport is marked as MCO by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which makes MCO the location identifier for all Orlando flights. The airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. In fact, it is the thirteenth busiest airport in the United States of America, and the 29thbusiest airport in the world.
The rates of plane tickets to Orlando, Florida usually depend on the time and duration of your flights. However, local city to city and inter-state travel, as well as lodging, aren’t as expensive as some of the major cities of the United States of America. So, you can get cheap flights to Orlando if you search for them on reliable, trustworthy booking sites such as ours.
The Orlando International Airport is the ideal airport because it is only 6 miles (10 km) away from Downtown Orlando in Florida. What is that, you ask? It is located 6 miles southeast of the MCO airport and one of the first places likely to be in your itinerary if you’re visiting not just Orlando, but the state of Florida for the first time. Known for its beauty and history, it is the center of business in Florida.
The airport is a major hub for Silver Airways and operates as a base for many other major flight carriers. It boasts a whopping 850+ daily flights from 44 airlines. Spread across a large area of 12,600 acres, this airport is one of the largest airports not only in Florida but the entire country in terms of land. It is also a major international getaway with two terminals (Terminal A and B and 4 airside strips – 2 for each terminal).
However, Orlando International Airport isn’t the only airport in Orlando. Flights to Orlando, Florida also land at the Orlando Sanford International Airport. The Orlando Sanford International Airport is in Sanford, Florida. While geographically Sanford is in another county, the Orlando Sanford International Airport is known and treated as the second commercial airport of Orlando.
Marked by the location identifier SFB by both the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), this airport was actually built as the Naval Air Station of Sanford and used for carrier-based attacks and reconnaissance as well as a Master Jet base until 1969.
The reason Sanford is not the preferred airport for landing for a majority of tourists is due to the fact that it is quite far from Downtown Orlando and all the major theme parks that Orlando is so well known for. However, for domestic traveling and short distance trips, this airport is considered by travelers to be a very cost-effective option because the airfare to Orlando is much cheaper for flights taking off from and landing onto the Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The cost-effectiveness is mainly due to the fact that the Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, which is the 9th largest commercial airline in the United States, has many flights taking off and landing on this airport – all of them focused on domestic traveling. However, the Orlando Sanford International Airport makes the list of top 30 busiest airports in the whole world, because business is judged on the basis of the number of landings and takeoffs. Since Sanford airport is one of the oldest in the country, it is a popular center for flight training activities.
Orlando Attractions
Orlando is a major tourist attraction for a variety of reasons, with the city attracting over 75 million tourists in 2019 alone. The major tourist attractions of Orlando are the theme parks, its natural beauty, and its festivals. It is advised to purchase cheap flights to Orlando so you can spend your money here on attractions like the Walt Disney World Resort, which opened way back in 1971, and the Universal Orlando Resort, which opened in 1990.
The city is known as the Theme Park Capital of the World and hence the major attractions are theme parks. If you haven’t heard of the Disney World located here, you’re probably living under a rock. The Disney World is an apt name since it is truly a world of its own, a paradise where you can create endless memories.
Some of the more popular and must-visit attractions of Disney World are the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot Theme Park, and MGM Studios. Although it is a dream destination for many and caters to kids and adults alike, kids and teens will make the best memories here.
The Walt Disney World resort is located in Bay Lake, which is approximately 21 miles (34 km) southwest of Downtown Orlando. So it is preferable that you book airline tickets to Orlando such that you land on the Orlando International Airport which is much closer to Downtown Orlando.
The expansion of Universal Studios, Universal Studios Florida, as well as most of the major attractions in Orlando, are located along the International Drive. This is an 11.1-mile tourist strip that you can travel through for all major attractions with the exception of the Disney World Resort.
ICON Park is also another very popular tourist destination. The Wheel at ICON park attracts tourists and locals alike. One of the other major attractions in the city is the famous Orlando SeaWorld, one of the biggest marine parks in the United States. It is primarily famous for its whale shows, touch pools, and dolphin shows that are hosted all year.
If you’re a fan of the sea, you can unleash your inner water sports junkie at the Discovery Cove which is an island resort. You can also enjoy enthralling and exhilarating water rides in one of Disney’s most popular water parks – the Typhoon Lagoon.
You can also visit Universal’s Islands of Adventure which is a theme park that houses great fantasy and thrill rides that will leave you gasping for air by the time it ends. It is truly a thrill seeker’s paradise.
Other attractions include Wet ‘N Wild which is one of the oldest water parks in the state and an ideal one-day picnic spot for kids as well as locals. The Orlando Science Center that displays amazing themes that can enthrall you, and, for the art lovers, the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. The Basilica is a massive church that has an in-house museum displaying some breathtaking artwork such as religious paintings, scriptures, and the famous relic of Saint Desiderius.
If you’re a fan of the wild and the zoos, you can also spend an evening at Gatorland. Unlike the name, the wildlife hub has much more wildlife than mere gators and is a fascinating destination for tourists with young kids.
Best Time to Visit Orlando
Airfare to Orlando depends on the time that you travel. Therefore the cost is one of the reasons you need to know the best time to visit Orlando. However, and more importantly, the city has a lot of festivals to offer, and for a city with three seasons, you definitely want to avoid the hot and humid summer. So it is best that you plan the visit accordingly.
Summer months – May to August. This duration is not recommended unless you don’t have a choice. For instance, if you’re visiting Orlando during these months for conventions, seminars, or business-related reasons and feel like taking a tour, avoid Gatorland and consider water parks or similar rides that are refreshing.
Winter months – September to December are comparatively cooler months, and if possible, this is also the ideal time to visit Orlando. Flights to Orlando, Florida are comparatively cheap during these months because these are not the months that experience peak tourism.
Winter months with peak tourism – January to April is the peak season, and if you cannot make it between September to December, this is when you should plan your visit. The price of hotels will be at the peak, and you’ll usually be charged more when you shop for stuff during these seasons. The room for bargaining is much less.
Some of the festivals of Orlando are great tourist attractions, and, if possible, it is highly recommended that you plan your trip keeping these in mind. Here are some of the more famous ones, and their months:
- Florida Citrus Bowl – January
- Mardi Gras at Universal Studios – February
- Winter Park Bach Festival – February and March
- Orlando Bike Week – March
- AIDS Walk Orlando – late March to early April
- Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – September to early November
- Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights – September and November
- Florida Film Festival – April
Some Flight Pre-Booking Tips for Orlando
- Keep in mind the duration of the flight as well as the layovers and the duration of these layovers. If you have kids or infants traveling with you, you’re advised to choose a direct flight.
- Keep in mind the arrival time. If you arrive very early in the morning, confirm with your hotel whether you can check-in or not. If not, ask them if they have a decent waiting room facility. If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll be stranded and might end up wasting your time in Orlando.
- At the same time, avoid landing late at night or during evening hours so that your day is not wasted. The ideal time your flight to Orlando should land is between noon and late-afternoon.
- Book your plane tickets to Orlando, Florida at least two to three weeks before your departure, because the closer your date of travel, the higher will be the prices of flights.
Local Travel and Getting Around in Orlando
Lynx buses are a common mode of transportation to travel from one city to another. They are a private transportation system and can be used for city-hopping. For inter-city travel, we suggest you use shuttle services that your hotels offer. You can use these to travel to theme parks, resorts, sightseeing tours, etc. Most hotels offer these, so you can discuss this with your hotel during check-in itself and pre-book and pre-plan your travel.
For the thrill-seeking kid in you, trolleys are also a great way to travel. Also, since the network of theme parks in Orlando is so huge, you can get the best out of services such as monorails, ferries, and coaches to travel from one park to another.
Eating, Shopping, and Nightlife of Orlando
Mickey’s Mart – Great prices, great souvenirs from clothes to accessories.
The same can also be purchased from various outlet stores along International Drive.
Candy Cauldron, Main Street Confectionery – Pamper your sweet tooth and hear screams of excitement from your kids here.
Other shopping and eating attractions include the Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, The Capital Grille, The Memories of India, Saffron, Luma on Park, Chef’s Table at the Edgewater, Woodlands, Jiko-The Cooking Place and Deep Blu Seafood Grille. These are some award-winning restaurants in the city, but keep in mind they can be expensive, too.
The nightlife offers dinner shows, firework shows, live music, and much more.
You can also visit a comedy bar or a disco for the sheer novelty of such an experience.