Orlando is one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, with International Drive (also known as I-Drive) being the city’s main tourist strip. The area is well known for its amazing theme parks such as the Universal Resort and Walt Disney World Resort as well as its themed hotels, waterparks, varied nightlife, exciting shows and airboat swamp tours to name a few. Orlando’s an action packed destination and there’s something there for everyone.

Orlando is a city situated in the central area of the sunny state of Florida. Walt Disney announced plans to build Walt Disney World there in 1965 and it first opened in 1971, creating an economic boom and making Orlando one of the most visited cities in the country. Disney continued to expand adding more parks to its resort and in 1990 Universal Studios opened, further enhancing Orlando’s list of exciting attractions. The competition between the two companies is fierce, which is only good news for visitors as more and more fantastic attractions are being added the the parks every year.

Orlando’s climate, like much of Central Florida, is subtropical with more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Orlando maintains an average annual temperature of around 24°C (75°F) and a mostly dry climate from October to May.

The summer, rainy season runs from May to October when it is hot and humid with frequent, but often short, afternoon thunderstorms that have very heavy rainfall. There is also a chance of hurricanes affecting the area during this period. The hottest months are July and August with daytime temperatures averaging 33°C (91.5°F).

The best time to visit is between March and May when the weather is most comfortable and prices for hotels and lodgings are generally cheaper (outside of holiday weekends and school breaks).

Orlando is conveniently accessible from its two main airports, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Sanford Orlando International Airport (SFB).

Buses

Once you’re in Orlando there is a range of public transport such as the Lynx bus system with single fixed route rides from $2 and 7 day fixed route passes costing $16, for downtown Orlando the Lymmo bus system is free to use, convenient and the best way to explore the heart of the city.

Taxis

Taxi companies are varied and widely available around Orlando, here are a few of the popular ones — Diamond Cab Company, Luxury Cab, Ace Metro and Yellow City Cab. Uber also operates in Orlando.

Car hire

Car hire will offer you the most flexibility when visiting and is fairly cheap as there is a lot of competition. Some of the main car hire companies are — Alamo, Thrifty, Dollar, Sixt and Hertz. Although car hire does work out as quite a cheap way to get around, it is worth noting that the car park fee at Universal and the Disney parks is $20 dollars a day, which can soon add up.

Hotel Shuttles

If you’re staying in or around the main resorts areas, International Drive and the surrounding areas, then many hotels offer free shuttles to various destinations along the I-Drive.

I-Ride Trolley Service

There is also the I-Ride Trolley Service which operates daily from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm, this is a convenient way of getting around without the hassle of driving and parking. Single fares start at $2 per ride but you can also purchase unlimited ride passes.

• One Day Pass: $5.00 per person
• Three Day Pass: $7.00 per person
• Five Day Pass: $9.00 per person
• Seven Day Pass: $12.00 per person
• Fourteen Day Pass: $18.00 per person

You can purchase passes online here or there are many locations around International Drive where they can be bought.

The currency is US Dollars (USD), note denominations are $1, $2 , $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

ATM’s are very easy to find in Orlando, although many of them will charge between $1.50–$3.50 per transaction.

Average Costs (in US Dollars)

• Average hotel 3–4 star hotel costs between $80–$200 per night increasing in price the closer you are to the main parks and attractions.
• Basic lunch $10–$16
• Basic dinner $30–$50 for two people
• A local beer $4–$6
• Bottle of water $1.50
• A coffee $4
• Taxi $2.70 at start of trip then $1.50 for every 2km
• Fast food meal in theme parks $10–$16
• Rental car, dependant on type $40–$60 per day

Walt Disney World Resort

This incredible resort is made up of four amazing parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood studios as well as its two water parks Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Walt Disney World is simply huge! It has its own motorways, transport systems and numerous themed hotels as well as a huge shopping, entertainment and dining complex called Disney Springs. For entry to the parks there are a huge number of different types of Disney tickets and passes you can buy that vary depending on how many parks you want to visit and how long you want the pass to last for. For example a one day ticket to Magic Kingdom ranges from $109 (off-peak dates) to $129 (peak dates), whereas a 14 day pass for all 6 parks can be purchased for around $500 when purchased on special offer (14 days for price of 7). Generally the longer your ticket lasts the cheaper the cost per day.

Universal Orlando Resort 

This fantastic resort is made up of two amazing movie themed parks, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, as well as the City Walk situated in between the two parks, with its themed bars, restaurants and retail outlets. There is also the newly opened Universal Volcano Bay which is a themed water park. There is a variety of different tickets options for Universal depending on how many days you want to go for and which parks you want to go to. For example a one day ticket to either one of the theme parks starts at $115 (off-peak) and a one day ticket that allows you to enter both theme parks on the same day starts at $170 (off-peak). A 5 day promotional ticket with access to all 3 parks, including Volcano Bay starts at $340. Combination tickets can also be purchased to include other parks, including Sea World and Bush Gardens.

SeaWorld

This park is a great day out for the whole family, it has its huge aquariums, dolphin and whale shows, touch pools and a number of brilliant rides and attractions, including a couple of roller coasters. Tickets start from $80 per person (when pre-booked online) and the parks opening hours vary throughout the year. There is also SeaWorld’s Aquatica water park located just across the street from the main park and Discovery Cove where you can swim with dolphins and stingrays or relax in an island resort setting. If you book a Day Resort ticket to Discovery Cove, which starts at $170 per person ($230 with Dolphin Swim), it includes 14 consecutive days of admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica around the date of your reservation. There are also a number of combination tickets available with the other parks.

Kennedy Space Centre

This famous space centre is situated in Cape Canaveral, about an hours drive from International Drive. Take a trip here to explore the science and history behind America’s space programme — there are many exhibits, as well as viewing platforms and interactive stations along with the rocket garden where you get to view some of NASA’s first rockets. The centre is open daily from 9:00 am till 5:00 pm, tickets start at $50 for an adult or $40 for a child aged 3-11.

Choosing where to stay in Orlando largely depends on your itinerary and your mode of transport for getting around. The parks and attractions are spread out so if you want to visit a variety of attractions you can’t stay close to everything. The below list will define the main areas to chose from.

International Drive

There are hundreds of hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions along the 11 mile ‘strip’ of International Drive, also known as I-Drive. Seaworld is located in a central location just off International Drive so if you are planning to visit a number of different attractions in Orlando, including both Universal Studios and Disney World then hotels around this area are convenient and are pretty central between the two. There are lots of other hotels in different locations all along the I-Drive with many offering shuttles to the main theme parks and the I-Ride bus service has plenty of stops along this long stretch of road so if you don’t want to rent a car this is the place to stay. If you do rent a car this is still a great place to stay, but just make sure your hotel doesn’t charge for parking. Due to the huge number of hotels, this area tends to have the most competitive rates.

Universal Resort Area

If you are planning to spend most of your time at the Universal Parks — Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Universal’s Volcano Bay and City Walk then you could choose to stay in one of Universal’s hotels. These hotels do come with a higher price tag, but they make accessing the parks very convenient and you also get access to the parks earlier than the general public. If you stay in one of the 5 star resorts you also receive complimentary express passes to save on the queue times. There are a handful of non-Universal hotels in this area, but your choice is fairly limited and as these do not come with the perks of the Universal hotels, these are only recommended if you will spend a lot of your time at Universal.

Lake Buena Vista/Disney World Resort

If you are planning on spending most of your time at the Disney World Resort at the 4 parks, 2 water parks and Disney Springs then this is the ideal place to stay. You could choose to stay in one of the Disney hotels or one of the non-Disney hotels or villas in the area. There are more than 25 Disney hotels to choose from to suit different budgets, from value, moderate, deluxe and deluxe villas. The perks of staying at a Disney hotel is the close proximity and free transportation to all the parks (which run about every 20 minutes), after hours access to the parks called ‘Extra Magic Hours’ and free parking.

Kissimmee 

This popular area is a little further out from the hustle and bustle, but still well within easy driving distance to all the attractions. It has several neighbourhoods with holiday homes and villas, many with a private pool. This is a popular choice for large or extended families as you will have more space and it will likely offer better value for money. If you want to stay somewhere that is more home away from home, plan to visit a variety of attractions and will be renting a car this is a great place to stay.

• Gatorland was the first theme park in Orlando, which opened in 1949. Its main attraction was a 15-foot gator.
• After Disneyland opened in California in 1955, Walt Disney started to purchase thousands of acres of swampland in Florida. Walt Disney died of lung cancer in 1966, but his brother Roy continued with the plan to open a park in Florida and Walt Disney World opened in 1971.
• Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, although the numerous orange groves for which the county was named no longer exist.
• 66 million people visited Orlando in 2015, more than any other destination in the world.
• To fund the demolition of its old city hall, Orlando enlisted Hollywood for help and producer Joel Silver blew up the building for the opening scene of Lethal Weapon.
• The official nickname of the city of Orlando is “The City Beautiful.” It is also known as O-Town.