Planning Your Trip to Orlando
Orlando hosts some 57 million people a year, and the people who run the airports, hotels, and theme parks are specialists in moving them from one location to another—the whole system is set up to make it foolproof—so you probably won’t get lost in a mire of confusion. You will, however, need to take care of some nitty-gritty details, from flights to transportation.
Getting There
By Plane Orlando is served by 44 airlines, so thankfully, competition keeps airfares among the lowest on the East Coast. Nearly 35 million people fly in or out of Orlando International Airport (MCO) each year, or nearly 96,000 a day. Strategies for finding a good airfare include:
Primary websites that collect quotes from a variety of sources (whether they be airlines or other websites) include CheapOAir.com, Expedia.com, Kayak.com, Lessno.com, Mobissimo.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, and Travelocity.com (which runs Expedia searches). Always canvas multiple sites, because each has odd gaps in its coverage because of the way they obtain their quotes. Then compare your best price with what the airline is offering, because that price might be lowest of all. Some sites have small booking fees of $5 to $10, and many force you to accept nonrefundable tickets for the cheapest prices. Sounds odd, but you can often save money by booking between roughly 6 weeks in advance if you’re flying domestically and 2 to 3 months ahead if you’re coming from abroad.
The main airport, Orlando International Airport (www.orlandoairports.net), is a pleasure. If, on the way home, you realize you neglected to buy any park-related souvenirs, fear not, because Disney, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center, and Universal all maintain lavish stores (located before the security checkpoint, so budget enough time). The airport, 25 miles east of Walt Disney World, was built during World War II as McCoy Air Force Base, which closed in the early 1970s but bequeathed the airport with its deceptive code, MCO. I don’t know how they do it, but the late-departure rate of 17 percent is among the lowest in the country, even though the airport is America’s 13th busiest. Midmornings and midafternoons can be crowded for outgoing passengers, weekends can be clogged with cruise passengers, and mid-afternoon summer thunderstorms sometimes create delays.
The main terminal is divided into two sides, A and B, so if you can’t find the desk for your airline or transportation service open on one side, it may be on the other side. Several rental car companies are right outside, no shuttles required.
Alamo: 
800/327-9633; www.alamo.com
Avis: 800/831-2847; www.avis.com
Budget: 800/527-0700; www.budget.com
Dollar: 800/800-4000; www.dollar.com
Enterprise: 800/325-8007; www.enterprise.com
E-Z Rent-A-Car: 800/266-5171; www.e-zrentacar.com
Hertz: 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com
L & M Car Rental: 407/888-0515; www.lmcarrental.net
National: 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com
Thrifty: 800/367-2277; www.thrifty.com
Also keep in mind Hertz-owned Firefly ( 888/296-9135; www.fireflycarrental.com), which can offer lower prices than most of its competitors because its vehicles are older and well-used.
Very few airlines (Allegiant, Icelandair) use Orlando Sanford International Airport (www.orlandosanfordairport.com), or SFB, 42 miles northeast of Disney. It’s connected to the Disney area by the Central Florida GreeneWay, or S.R. 417—the trip takes about 40 minutes and there are tolls, so new arrivals should have U.S. dollars. European visitors might fly into Tampa International Airport (www.tampaairport.com), or TPA, 90 minutes southwest.
By Train Amtrak’s ( 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) Silver Service/Palmetto route serves Orlando and Kissimmee. Trains go direct between New York City, Washington, D.C., Charleston, and Savannah.
Transportation to & from MCO
By rental car Get a car. Otherwise, theme park resorts conspire to hold you prisoner. If you intend to experience the “real” Orlando or its rich natural wonders, get a car. If you want to save huge amounts of money on meals, if you ever want to take a breather from the theme parks’ relentless plastic personalities—get a car.
Economy rental cars start around $15 to $25 a day. Test the waters at a site such as Kayak, Orbit, or Travelocity, which compare multiple renters with one click. Priceline and Hotwire have been known to rent for as little as $15 a day.
If you rent a car from the airport be alert as you exit the airport—you must decide whether to use the south exit (marked for Walt Disney World) or the north exit (for SeaWorld, Universal, the Convention Center, and downtown Orlando). Whichever route you take, you will pay a few dollars in tolls, so have loose change. Also, at toll booths, stay to the right, where the cash windows are; the others are for e-passes.
If you’re staying on Disney turf, a budget-saving solution is to rent a car for only the days you’d like to venture off property. To that end, Alamo ( 800/462-5266; www.alamo.com) and National ( 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com) operate satellite agencies within the Walt Disney World Resort: one at the Car Care Center near the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom. Alamo is also at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel east of Downtown Disney. Renting away from the airport incurs taxes of around half of those charged by renting (or even merely returning) a car at the airport, where they’re over 20 percent. Always fill up before driving back to the airport. Gas stations near the airport’s entrance have been nabbed for gouging. Stations inside Walt Disney World charge a competitive price, but one not as low as outside the tourist zone.
Agencies may not rent to those under 25. Action Car Rental (3719 McCoy Rd., Orlando; 877/535-7117 or 407/240-2700; www.actionrac.com) will, but it charges them $10–15 more a day. Most companies won’t rent to anyone older than 85.
By Shuttle Mears Transportation ( 407/423-5566 or 855/463-2776; www.mearstransportation.com) is the 800-pound gorilla of shuttles and taxis; it sends air-conditioned vans bouncing to hotels every 15 to 20 minutes. Round-trip fares for adults are $32 ($24 for kids 4–11, kids 3 and under free) to the International Drive area, or $36 per adult ($27 for kids) to Walt Disney World/U.S. 192/Lake Buena Vista. You’ll probably make several stops because the vans are shared by other passengers.
If you have more than four or five people, it’s more economical to reserve a car service (do it at least 24 hr. ahead) and split the lump fee; an SUV for up to 7 would be $110 to $150. Try Mears, Tiffany Towncar ( 888/838-2161 or 407/370-2196; www.tiffanytowncar.com), or Quicksilver Tours ( 888/468-6939 or 407/299-1434; www.quicksilver-tours.com), which often volunteers to toss in a free 30-minute stop at a grocery store so you can stock up on supplies.
If you have a reservation at a Disney-owned hotel, you have the right to take the company’s airport motorcoaches (also known as Disney’s Magical Express, run by Mears). By offering the perk, the Mouse makes it seem simple by sending you tags for your luggage, which you affix before leaving home, and telling you everything will be taken care of from there. By the time you board the bus to the resort, you’ll already have waited in two long lines—the first of many, many lines you’ll endure, so get used to it—and then you’ll stop at up to five other hotels first. Your bags may not meet up with you again for 6 to 8 hours, so hitting a park right away may be difficult. When you depart for home, you must be ready 3 to 4 hours before your flight. Magical Express is free, but it costs you. It lulls you into not renting a car, which means you’ll probably never leave Disney property again and you’ll have to rely on the park’s slow buses for your entire vacation.
By taxi Taxis are not the best bargain. The going rate is $2.40 for the first 1⁄4 of a mile or the first 80 seconds of waiting time, followed by 60¢ for each 1⁄4 of a mile. Taxis carry five passengers. It’ll be about $70 to the Disney hotels, $60 to Universal, not including a tip, which is cheaper than a town car but not a rental.
Getting Around
By Car Probably 90 percent of what a tourist wants to do lies within a 10-minute drive of Interstate 4, or I-4, as it’s called. That free highway runs diagonally from southwest to northeast, connecting Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, the Convention Center, Universal Orlando, and downtown Orlando. I-4 is technically an east-west road linking Florida’s coasts, so directions are listed as either west (toward Tampa and the Gulf of Mexico) or east (toward Daytona Beach and the Atlantic Ocean). Once you’ve got that down, you’ll be set. Exits are numbered according to the mile marker at which they’re found. Therefore, the Disney World exits (62, 64, 65, and 67) are roughly 10 miles from Universal Orlando’s (74 and 75), which are about 9 miles from downtown (83). If you know the exit number, you can figure out distance.
If you stray much onto minor roads, it’s a good idea to carry a map. Roads can go by several names and be confusing. Disney World is a particular disaster, since its signage is intentionally incomplete. Don’t rely on free maps; laughably, some maps provided by Universal don’t acknowledge that Disney exists at all. The Visit Orlando (www.visitorlando.com/mapexplorer) has free maps.
Shuttles Universal is easy: You walk, bus, or take a free boat everywhere. At Disney, though, hoofing it is impossible. It’s so big as to require a fleet of nearly 300 buses, the Disney Transportation System (DTS), which anyone may use for free. Curiously, DTS qualifies as the third-largest bus system in the state, after Miami and Jacksonville’s public services. Taking DTS to a theme park eliminates the parking tram rigmarole. However, once you add waiting time, which can be 20 to 45 minutes, plus the commute itself, which can be just as long and require a transfer, you’ll find that having a car of your own is often worth the expense.
DTS is particularly overwhelmed during the opening and closing of the theme parks, but dispatchers run extra buses around those times and keep routes rolling for about 2 extra hours before opening and after closing. If you’re staying at a Disney resort that offers another kind of transportation—say, the monorail to the Magic Kingdom—then a bus won’t be available for the same route. Also, since the system has a hub-and-spoke design centered on the theme parks and Downtown Disney, you must often transfer if you’re going between two second-tier points, such as two hotels or a hotel and a water park.
On balance, DTS can save you from having to rent a car if you meet both of these criteria: (1) You only plan to go to Disney attractions and nothing else (which would be a shame for you—thumb through the rest of this book); and (2) you’re a patient soul who doesn’t mind ending a 12-hour day in the parks with a potential hour-plus commute, possibly standing the whole way.
The second shuttle variety is the hotel theme park shuttles, which go from independent hotels and are often free (or paid for by resort fees). The upswing is that, yes, you can save money by using them, but there are strong downsides, including wildly inadequate scheduling (you might miss fireworks) and rambling routes. These only go to the park gates, not to restaurants or natural and historic attractions.
A third option is the I-Ride Trolley ( 407/354-5656; www.iridetrolley.com; adults over 12 $2 per ride, seniors 25¢, kids 3–9 $1; day pass $5, 3-day pass $7, 5-day pass $9; daily 8am–10:30pm), an excellent shuttle bus with plenty of clearly marked and well-maintained stops, benches to wait on, and genuinely useful routes—except it doesn’t go to Disney. Its Red Line (every 20 min.) plies International Drive from the shops and restaurants just north of I-4’s exit 75 all the way to Orlando Premium Outlets, near Disney; along the way it touches down at SeaWorld and Wet ’n Wild. The second route, the Green Line (every 30 min.), takes in Wet ’n Wild and SeaWorld, too, but heads down Universal Boulevard, making it more of an express route, and turns around at Orlando Premium Outlets. It comes within a long block of the entrance to Universal Orlando. Visitors without cars may find it feasible to stay on I-Drive, use this dirt-cheap shuttle to see nearly everything, and then tack on the hated hotel shuttle or a city bus for Disney days.
By PUBLIC TRANSIT There’s not a lot to love about public transit in Florida. Buses are infrequent (usually one or two an hour), and shelters inadequate (often nonexistent), and when the sun’s strong, the combination is dangerous. Distances are also fairly great, so journeys can take a while. The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority runs the LYNX system (www.golynx.com), on which one-way fares are $2, day passes cost $4.50, week passes are $16, and transfers between lines are free. Up to three kids 6 and under ride with adults free, and you have to pay with exact change. In downtown Orlando, there’s the free LYMMO (www.golynx.com; Mon–Thurs 6am–10pm, Fri 6am–midnight, Sat 10am–midnight, Sun 10am–10pm) bus service, which makes a loop between City Hall and the Controlled (including Church Street Station and the Orange County Regional History Center) every 5 to 15 minutes.
For tourists, here are the most convenient routes, many of which stop at Downtown Disney where you can transfer to Disney’s free bus system:
Route 56 heads down U.S. 192 from the Osceola Square Mall in Kissimmee and straight to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom, where you can catch DTS to the other parks. This makes U.S. 192 east of Disney the only major hotel zone that provides transfer-free bus access to Walt Disney World. Buses run every 30 minutes, but the last one leaves at 10:53pm.
Route 8 does most of International Drive, including the Convention Center and SeaWorld. It duplicates the service offered by the I-Ride Trolley (p. 230).
Route 50 goes from the central LYNX station in downtown Orlando, down Interstate 4, to Downtown Disney, and to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. It stops at SeaWorld where passengers can connect to I-Drive by on Route 8.
The lesser Disney areas are served by the 300-series lines. Number 300 goes to Hotel Plaza Boulevard from downtown; 301 to Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom from Pine Hills; 302 to the Magic Kingdom from Rosemont; and 303 to Hollywood Studios from the Washington Shores area. Bus 304 is the only one that connects with another tourist zone; it trawls Sand Lake Road, which bisects I-Drive. Once they’re off I-4, 301 and 302 pass within a few blocks of Universal Orlando, on Kirkman Road, so if you toss in about 15 minutes of walking, they could technically be used for Universal, too, but it wouldn’t be fun.
Route 21 goes up Turkey Lake Road from Sand Lake Road to the Universal Orlando park and links with the downtown depot.
Route 42 starts at the Convention Center on International Drive, and 75 minutes later, reaches the airport.
In 2014, Orange County added SunRail ( 855/724-5411; www.sunrail.com; $2 one-way, $3.75 round-trip), running from DeBary, north of Sanford, to an obscure spot on E. Sand Lake Road near S. Orange Avenue. Tourists only care about the 16-minute jaunt between downtown Orlando and Winter Park, but as most departures are in the morning or evening, targeting commuters, few visitors use it.
By Taxi Given so many alternatives, taxis are not a natural choice. You will, however, almost always find a cluster outside of the major theme parks’ gates, waiting to take fares to their hotels. If you spend more than $30 a day on taxis (a one-way ride from the Magic Kingdom to the hotel stretch on U.S. 192 east of Disney would cost about $25), smack your forehead, because you could have rented a car for that.
Many companies accept major credit cards, but ask when you summon a ride, because your payment may need to be processed by phone. Companies are not carefully monitored, so only choose a recommended carrier. Call your own:
Diamond Cab Company: 407/523-3333
Transtar: 407/857-9999
Yellow: 407/422-2222
Traveling from Orlando to Other Parts of America
Orlando, while not an important air hub, is well connected to the cities that are, particularly New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. For advice on how to find cheap airfare, see “Getting There,” p. 227.
Mouse Clickers: The Best Planning Websites
If you really want to be intense about your planning (for your sanity and relaxation, I don’t recommend it), there are obsessive resources online that go into granular detail. You’ll find that the official park websites mostly furnish doctored photographs, empty homilies, bandwidth-hogging animation, and a near-total lack of cogent information. Thank goodness, then, for rabid followings.
AllEarsNetcom and WDWFans.com offer encyclopedic compendiums of everything Disney, down to the menus, what’s under renovation, and which rooms are best.
OrlandoInformer.com comprehensively reports Universal, including deals.
WDWmagic.com and WDWinfo.com (and its DISBoards.com) host some of the most active message forums for news and Q&As.
The independently run PartyThroughTheParks.com rates drinking and nightlife and DisneyFoodBlog.com keeps track of meals.
MouseSavers.com, TheMouseForLess.com, and OrlandoCheapo.com post current Disney deals.
Jim Hill Media (www.jimhillmedia.com)—no one’s better at insider gossip.
The USA Rail Pass is the American equivalent of the Eurail Pass in Europe—although our national rail system, Amtrak ( 800/872-7245 or 215/856-7953; www.amtrak.com), hardly compares to the European system. The pass allows travel within the U.S. The cheapest pass is a 15-day pass, which grants eight trips ($449); the most expensive offers 45 days of travel over 18 trips ($879). Those on a grand tour of America may benefit from those rates compared to flying.
From late April to early June, many car renters redistribute inventory by offering “drive-out” deals for one-way rentals that originate in Florida and drop off elsewhere in the country. Rates can be as low as $10/day, so look for those.
For bus travel, Orlando is served by Greyhound ( 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) and Megabus ( 877/462-6342; www.megabus.com). Long-distance bus travel in the United States is a purgatorial experience. Don’t.
When to Go
The main consideration when it comes to selecting a date for your visit is balancing good weather with thin crowds. Crowds keep you from seeing everything. In the peak season (such as spring break or the week after Christmas), the Magic Kingdom’s turnstiles spin like propellers. None of the theme parks close on public holidays. In fact, they do better business then. In late December, Disney parks sometimes hit capacity and seal gates. But come September, you can do nearly everything in a day.
So when are the peak seasons? Put simply: when American kids are out of school. That means midspring, summer, and the holidays. Hotel rates rise then, too. If you want to save cash, early January, early May, late August, all of September, and the first half of December are prime. The flipside of low season is that the theme parks trim services when it’s quieter. January is a particularly tough month for missing out on rides due to rehabs. And especially in the winter months, you may find it too chilly to enjoy the rides that get you wet, which is a shame since Orlando has some of the best water rides in the world.
The busiest days at all parks are generally Saturday and Sunday. Seven-day guests are often traveling on these days, and weekends are when locals come to play. Beyond that: Tuesday and Thursday see an uptick in the Magic Kingdom; Tuesday and Friday (and evenings) at Epcot; Wednesday is a tad businer Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday can be a zoo (forgive the pun) at the Animal Kingdom. Crowds tend to thin later in the day.
CLIMATE June to September is the heaviest season for rain. It seems like every afternoon, like clockwork, another heavy storm rolls in and shuts rides temporarily. Those storms usually roll out within an hour, just as reliably, but in the meantime, you’ll see torrents and lightning. Central Florida suffers more lightning strikes than any other American locale. During those tropical seasons, bring along a cheap poncho from home.
Orlando Average Temperature & Rainfall
Orlando’s Calendar of Events
Check the special events pages at the theme park websites to see if any themed weekends or smaller events are in the works. In addition, the events listings at Visit Orlando (www.visitorlando.com), “Orlando Weekly” (www.orlandoweekly.com), and the “Orlando Sentinel” (www.orlandosentinel.com) are comprehensive. You will also find a few listings at “Orlando” magazine (www.orlandomagazine.com).
January
Capital One Bowl. It used to be called the Citrus Bowl—can anyone keep track of the square-dancing corporate naming rights anymore? Held New Year’s Day at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, it pits the second-ranked teams from the Big Ten and SEC conferences against one another. www.floridacitrussports.com.
ZORA! Festival. The folklorist and writer (1891–1960) was from Eatonville (a 30-min. drive north of Orlando), the country’s oldest incorporated African-American town. This weeklong event includes lectures and a 2-day public art fair. 407/647-3307; www.zorafestival.org.
February
Winter Park Bach Festival. This annual event at Rollins College began in 1935 and has evolved into one of the country’s better choral fests. Although it has stretched to include other composers and guest artists (Handel, P.D.Q. Bach), at least one concert is devoted to Johann. It takes place mid-February to early March, with scattered one-off guest performances throughout the year. 407/646-2182; www.bachfestivalflorida.org.
Silver Spurs Rodeo. Lest you doubt Central Florida is far removed from the American Deep South, it hosts the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi (with bareback broncs, racing barrel horses, rodeo clowns, and athletes drawn from the cowboy circuit) over 3 days in mid-February in an indoor arena off U.S. 192. 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee. 407/677-6336; www.silverspursrodeo.com.
Mardi Gras at Universal Studios. On Saturday nights, Universal books major acts (Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates, LL Cool J) and mounts a parade complete with stilt-walkers, jazz bands, Louisiana-made floats, and bead tossing—although here, what it takes to win a set of beads is considerably less risqué than it is in the Big Easy. It’s included with admission. 407/224-2691; www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.
Spring Training. See p. 144 for a rundown of which Major League Baseball teams play where. Mid-February through March.
March
Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival. This spring event, which lasts from March to May, transforms Epcot with some 30 million flowers, 70 topiaries, a screened-in butterfly garden, presentations by noted horticulturalists, and a lineup of “Flower Power” concerts (Chubby Checker, Petula Clark). It’s free with standard entry. 407/934-7639; www.disneyworld.com.
Florida Film Festival. This respected event showcases films by Florida artists and has featured past appearances by the likes of Oliver Stone, William H. Macy, Christopher Walken, and Cary Elwes. 407/644-5625; www.floridafilmfestival.com.
April
Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival. See March for full listing, above.
Florida Music Festival. Some 250 bands over 4 days give exposure to up-and-coming musicians—at a pace of 50 per night, all over town. www.floridamusicfestival.com.
May
Orlando International Fringe Festival. This theatrical smorgasbord, the longest-running fringe fest in America, spends 14 days mounting some 100 newly written, experimental performances in Loch Haven Park. 407/648-0077; www.orlandofringe.org.
Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival. See March for full listing, above.
June
Gay Days. What started as a single day for gay and lesbian visitors has bloomed into a full week of some 40 events managed by a host of promoters. It’s said that attendance goes as high as 135,000, and it’s become one of the biggest annual events in Florida. Held around the first Saturday in June, Gay Days are a blowout party with group visits to Disney’s parks, an ongoing pool bash at Parliament House (p. 155), concerts (En Vogue, LeAnn Rimes), and several dance events including an all-night, after-hours RipTide dance party at Typhoon Lagoon. Those are sold at www.onemightyweekend.com, and the overview is at www.gaydays.com.
Star Wars Weekends. Hollywood Studios’ major annual do, held over 3 weeks in late spring, sees actors from the franchise arrive for signings, parades, and Q&As. It’s not uncommon to catch Mark Hamill, Warwick Davis, or Ray Park. The finer points of the Lucas catechism are discussed, and much merchandise is traded at the Darth’s Mall market, held in a soundstage. A regular ticket gets you in. www.disneyworld.com/starwars.
September
Night of Joy. It’s actually a long-running pair of nights of outdoor Contemporary Christian concerts—eight or nine acts—spread throughout the Magic Kingdom, which stays open late just for the occasion. Rides run all night, and it’s separately ticketed. 877/648-3569; www.nightofjoy.com.
Rock the Universe. Universal’s festival of top-flight Christian rock bands who perform on stages around Universal Studios. Rides and performances continue past midnight, after regular patrons have gone home. It’s separately ticketed. www.rocktheuniverse.com.
October
Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival. The World Showcase makes amends with the countries it ignores by installing temporary booths selling tapas-size servings of foods and wines from many nations. That’s supplemented with chef demonstrations, seminars, “Eat to the Beat” concerts by known acts (Hanson, the Go-Gos), and tastings by at least 100 wineries. A few of the more extravagant events are charged, but most are free. The festival lasts from late September to mid-November and the hotly awaited details are posted by Disney in the summer. 407/939-3378; www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The best of the Magic Kingdom’s separately ticketed evening events, this one mounts a special parade with fiendishly catchy theme song, a few special shows, a fireworks display that surpasses the usual one, and stations where you can pick up free candy. Kids even show up in costume, although it’s not required. The event happens on scattered evenings from mid-September through the end of October. Unfortunately, it’s so oversold that you will barely be able to move. Halloween sells out early. Target audience: people who like lollipops. 407/934-7639; www.disneyworld.com.
Halloween Horror Nights. Unquestionably Universal’s biggest event, HHN is the equivalent of a whole new theme park that’s designed for a year but only lasts a month. After dark, the Studios are overtaken by grotesque “scareactors” who terrorize crowds with chain saws, gross-out shows, and eight big, walk-through haunted houses that are made from scratch each year. The mayhem lasts into the wee hours. Wimps need not apply; children are discouraged by the absence of kids’ ticket prices. A bawdy revue based on the Bill and Ted movie characters skewers the year in pop culture and draws enthusiastic crowds of tipsy young people. On top of all this, most rides remain open. HHN has legions of fans. Target audience: people who like to poop themselves in fright. (Busch Gardens’ Howl-o-Scream event’s scariness is somewhere between Universal’s and Disney’s.) www.halloweenhorrornights.com.
SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular. SeaWorld throws a sweet, toddler-approved weekend Halloween event of its own, with trick-or-treating (kids dress up), a few encounters with sea fairies and bubbles, and show starring Count von Count from “Sesame Street.” Target audience: people who have a naptime. It’s included in admission.
Orlando Film Festival. Like all festivals worth their salt, this one presents mostly mainstream and independent films in advance of their wider release dates. It lasts only a few days in mid-October or early November, screening at various downtown venues. 407/843-0801; www.orlandofilmfest.com.
November
ICE! It debuted in 2003 at the Gaylord Palms hotel and has quickly become a holiday perennial. The hotel brings in nearly 2 million pounds of ice, sculpts it into a walk-through city, keeps it chilled to 9°F, and issues winter coats to visitors. Add synchronized light shows and you’ve got an event that charges $29 for entry—and sells out. 407/586-0000; www.gaylordpalms.com.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. No, not Ozzy and Sharon, but Jennings, Paul, Mitzi, and Breezy (I swear I’m not making this up), whose preposterously overdone Christmas display at their Little Rock house was deemed so vulgar that neighbors went to the Arkansas Supreme Court to shut it down. Enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Every 15 minutes, it twitters and “dances” to Christmas carols, all as foam “snow” gently wafts from above. It lasts until the first week of January.
December
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This crowded night, which occurs on various nights starting even before Thanksgiving, is probably Disney’s most popular special annual event. It requires a separate ticket from regular admission. What you get is a tree-lighting ceremony, a few special holiday-themed shows, a special fireworks display (very green and red), an appearance by Santa Claus, a special parade, and huge crowds. Meanwhile, Disney’s warehouse for holiday decorations (it exists) empties out and its hotels deck the halls: The Grand Floridian erects a life-size house made of gingerbread. 407/934-7639; www.disneyworld.com.
Holidays Around the World at Epcot. This one features a holiday customs of many nations and a host of costumed storytellers, but its real showpiece is the daily, 40-minute candlelight processional, a retelling of the Christmas Nativity story by a celebrity narrator (recent names have included Sigourney Weaver, Whoopi Goldberg, Trace Adkins, and Neil Patrick Harris) accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and a full Mass choir. The processional is a WDW tradition going back to its earliest days—Cary Grant did it! www.disneyworld.com.
Grinchmas & The Macy’s Holiday Parade. Usual holiday traditions include a musical version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and daily parades by Macy’s, which brings some balloons and floats to Universal when Thanksgiving is over. That’s included in the ticket price. www.universalorlando.com.
Russell Athletic Bowl. An ACC team battles a Big Ten team, usually a few days before New Year’s and always at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. www.russellathleticbowl.com.
New Year’s Eve. Yahoo.com reports that Orlando regularly makes its list of top five most-searched New Year’s Eve destinations. There’s no shortage of places to party. At the parks: CityWalk lures top acts such as Cyndi Lauper. Three Disney parks, minus Animal Kingdom, stay open until the wee hours. SeaWorld brings in big-band music or jazz, plus fireworks.
Getting Attraction Discounts
For a full breakdown of Disney’s ticketing system, how it works, and how to ward against overspending, see p. 17.
One of the true discounted programs is the FlexTicket. For admission to five parks (Universal’s pair, SeaWorld, Aquatica, Wet ’n Wild), you want the Orlando FlexTicket ($320 adults, $300 kids 3–9), which grants unlimited admission to all of the parks for a full 2 weeks. It’s sold by those parks. Tack on Busch Gardens for $40 adults or kids. Considering 1-day admission to Busch Gardens alone is twice that, you don’t have to get near a calculator to see the savings, but you do have to go to as many parks as possible. Once you’ve paid for parking at your first theme park ($17 is the going rate), you can keep your ticket and avoid paying it again. Many hotel closed-circuit TV programs promise $10 off, so when you’re buying a FlexTicket in person, claim you learned about it from your in-room programming and ask for the deal. FlexTickets are sold online, too (http://tickets.visitorlando.com, the area’s official tourism bureau, gives small discounts on it).
Universal and SeaWorld discount the gate price if you book online, and all the parks discount per-day entry if you buy multiple days. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens also offer courtesy admission for members of the military and their families. Check www.herosalute.com to see if you are eligible. Orlando Magicard (www.visitorlando.com/magicard) grants discounts to heaps of attractions, meals, home rentals, and hotels. The participants are members of the local tourism bureau. Its discounts aren’t much different from what the free coupon circulars promise, but they’re still good deals. You will also find coupons through OrlandoCoupons.com and the discount circular HotelCoupons.com.
A few outfits such sell faintly discounted tickets. Maple Leaf Tickets ( 800/841-2837; www.mapleleaftickets.com), the Official Ticket Center ( 877/406-4836; www.officialticketcenter.com), Undercover Tourist ( 800/846-1302; www.undercovertourist.com), and Ticket Momma ( 866/996-7508; www.ticketmomma.com) are all accredited by the Better Business Bureau. No Disney deals ever seem deep enough to offset shipping fees or the hassle of picking up your tickets at some third-party office; however, multiple purchases, stays of a week or longer, and third-tier diversions such as dinner shows ($10–$15 off) may work out for you. Tickets are nontransferable. A desk at the Orlando Official Visitor Center (p. 246) furnishes similar discounts on tickets you can trust.
Before Magic Your Way made ticket expiration standard, pretty much every Disney ticket was good forever. That means there are a lot of unused days floating around. It’s illegal to sell them, but that doesn’t stop people. When you see a sign on the side of U.S. 192 promising discounted tickets, guess what may be for sale? Buying a ticket like this is a gamble, particularly if you don’t have the expertise to recognize a fake or a spent ticket. Often, only a Disney laser scan can tell for sure.
Other organizations, such as timeshare developers, do offer legit tickets to theme parks and dinner shows, but to get them, you will have to endure heavy-duty sales presentations that last several hours. The requirements for attendance can be tight: Married couples must attend together (gay couples are often excluded—that’s legal in Florida), you both must swear your combined annual income is above a certain amount ($50,000, for example, for Westgate branded resorts—yes, run by the timeshare baron in “The Queen of Versailles”), that you are in a given age range (23–65 is common), and that you commit to staying for at least 90 minutes, although being pitched for as long as 4 hours is also common. Even if you’re fearless, an entire morning of your hard-earned vacation time is worth a lot more than whatever discount is being provided. After all, how many days of working did it take for you to accrue those 4 or 5 hours? You also may not arrive at the parks until lunchtime, missing (in some cases) a third of the opening hours. Don’t be so cheap and discount-obsessed that you throw away your time.
One to be wary of is the Go Orlando Card ( 866/628-9036; www.goorlandocard.com), which offers admission to many secondary attractions. The catch is you get an obscenely short time to use it. Rare is the person who can visit enough places to make the price (a 2-day card is $120 for adults) pay off.
Orlando
Accessible Travel Hotels and theme parks have their acts together. Nearly everything is accessible. This excellent customer service predates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; as multigenerational attractions, the parks have always worked to be inclusive, and in response, guests with mobility issues have long embraced them in return.
There was a time when guests in wheelchairs and ECVs were given special treatment and ushered to the front of lines, but now, with so many guests on wheels for reasons including obesity, Disney (with the exception of Make-A-Wish Foundation kids and other special groups, by prior arrangement) feeds everyone into the same attraction queues. You might have to transfer to a manual wheelchair. Once you’re near the end, there will usually be a place for you to wait for the special wheelchair-ready ride vehicle to come around. Often, this translates into longer waits, as special ride vehicles can be in high demand. The park maps carefully indicate which rides will require you to leave your personal vehicle. A very few, pre-ADA attractions, such as Tom Sawyer Island and the Swiss Family Treehouse, require you to be ambulatory. Those are marked, too.
For off-property stays, consider renting a house, which provides much more room; most home-rental companies also comply with ADA requirements.
All the parks have a full range of in-park services for guests of every need. Disney maintains a Special Services hotline to answer all accessibility needs, including full arrangements for the blind and captioning for the hearing-impaired: 407/824-4321 and TTY 407/827-5141. Universal Orlando can be reached at 800/447-0672 [TTY] or 407/224-4233 [voice] (www.universalorlando.com); SeaWorld Orlando’s number is 407/363-2400 (www.seaworld.com); Kennedy Space Center is at 321/449-4443 (www.kennedyspacecenter.com). Most parks can arrange sign language interpreters with a few weeks’ notice; all furnish assisted listening devices or scripts for some, but not all, of the biggest attractions.
Medical Travel, Inc. ( 800/308-2503 or 407/438-8010; www.medicaltravel.org) specializes in the rental of mobility equipment, ramp vans, and supplies such as oxygen tanks (be aware that many rides do not allow tanks). Electric scooters and wheelchairs can be delivered to your accommodation through these established companies: Buena Vista Scooters ( 866/484-4797 or 407/938-0349; www.buenavistascooters.com), Scootaround ( 888/441-7575; www.scootaround.com), CARE Medical Equipment ( 800/741-2282 or 407/856-2273; www.caremedicalequipment.com), and Walker Medical & Mobility Products ( 888/726-6837 or 407/518-6000; www.walkermobility.com). All the theme parks, except the water parks, rent ECVs for about $50 a day and wheelchairs for about $12 a day. If your own wheelchair is wider than 25 inches, think about switching to the park model, as it is guaranteed to navigate tight squeezes such as hairpin queue turns.
Organizations that offer assistance to travelers with disabilities include the American Federation for the Blind ( 800/232-5463; www.afb.org) and Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality ( 212/447-7284; www.sath.org).
Area Codes The area code for the Orlando area is 407 (if you’re dialing locally, a preceding 1 is not necessary, but the 407 is), although you may encounter the less common 321 code, which is also used on the Atlantic Coast. The 863 area code governs the land between Orlando and Tampa, and the Tampa area uses 813 and 727. The region west of Orlando uses 352.
ATMs/Banks See “Money,” in this section.
Business Hours Offices are generally open weekdays between 9am and 5pm, while banks tend to close at 4pm. Typically, stores open between 9 and 10am and close between 6 and 7pm Monday through Saturday, except malls, which stay open until 9pm. On Sunday, stores generally open at 11am and close by 7pm.
Cellphones See “Mobile Phones,” later in this section.
Car Rentals This topic is perhaps the most hotly debated issue in all of Disneydom. But the bottom line is there’s only one reason to do without a car: You never intend to leave Disney. If you plan to fan out, such as visiting Harry Potter or the Space Shuttle, get wheels.
Disney guests often justify forgoing a car by saying they can’t afford one. This is a fallacy. Disney hotels charge as much as twice what you’ll pay to stay at a hotel of similar quality off-site. If you stay at a non-Disney property, you can afford a car and still pay less. A large inventory means rentals are cheaper here than in other American cities: $26 a day is common for a compact car.
One caveat is that parking charges can add up. Valet is often free in town, but the theme parks charge $17 a day for a space (Universal is $5 after 6pm). If you stay at a Disney resort, it is free. Also, if you pay for parking once at any Disney park, you won’t have to pay again for another park on the same day. The bigger hotels now slap on $20-plus nightly fees for parking in their enormous lots. In the rest of Orlando, parking is free, plentiful, and off the street.
Make sure your rental car that locks by remote control fob; those are handy for making your vehicle honk and locating it in those expansive theme park parking lots.
Crime Disney may advertise itself as “the Happiest Place on Earth,” but it’s still on Earth. That means bad things happen. Never open your hotel room door to a stranger, and never give your personal details or credit card number to anyone who calls your room, even if they claim to work for the hotel. Pickpockets are virtually unheard of, but they exist. Be vigilant about bags; you’re going to be bumped and jostled many times—one of those bumps could be a nimble-fingered thief.
Customs Rules change. For details regarding current regulations, consult U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( 202/927-1770; www.cbp.gov).
Doctors There are first-aid centers in all of the theme parks. There’s also a 24-hour, toll-free number for the Poison Control Center ( 800/282-3171). To find a dentist, contact the Dental Referral Service ( 800/235-4111; www.dentalreferral.com). Doctors on Call Service ( 407/399-3627) makes house and room calls in most of the Orlando area. Centra Care has several walk-in clinics, including ones at 2301 Sand Lake Rd., near Universal ( 407/851-6478); at 12500 S. Apopka Vineland Rd., in Lake Buena Vista, near Disney ( 407/934-2273); and at 8201 W. U.S. 192 (W. Irlo Bronson Hwy.), in the Formosa Gardens center ( 407/397-7032). The Medical Concierge ( 855/326-5252; www.themedicalconcierge.com) makes “hotel house calls,” arranges dental appointments, and rents equipment.
Drinking Laws The legal drinking age is 21. Proof of age is always requested, even if you look older, so carry photo ID. It’s illegal to carry open containers of alcohol in any car or public area that isn’t zoned for alcohol consumption (as CityWalk is), and the police may ticket you on the spot.
Driving Rules Americans drive on the right. In Florida, you may turn right on red only after making a full stop unless the signal is an illuminated arrow, in which case you must wait for green. Many intersections are equipped with traffic cameras that will take a photo of your license plate, and rental car companies pass on fines along with hefty fees. If your plans take you outside the Orlando area, some toll roads (in Miami and Tampa, for example) are cashless and can only be paid by a SunPass sensor that must be rented, for an extra daily fee, from your rental agency, otherwise you will incur large penalties. Last, Florida is full of visitors who don’t know where they’re going. These lost souls will halt, cross three lanes of traffic, and get in the wrong lane without thinking. Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you.
Electricity The United States uses 110 to 120 volts AC (60 cycles), compared to the 220 to 240 volts AC (50 cycles) that is standard in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. If your small appliances use 220 to 240 volts, buy an adaptor and voltage converter before you leave home, as these can be difficult to come by in Orlando.
Embassies & Consulates The nearest embassies are located in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Some consulates are located in major U.S. cities, and most nations have a mission to the United Nations in New York City. If your country isn’t listed below, call for directory information in Washington, D.C. ( 202/555-1212), or log on to www.embassy.org/embassies.
The embassy of Australia is at 1601 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 ( 202/797-3000; www.usa.embassy.gov.au). There are consulates in New York, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The embassy of Canada is at 501 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001 ( 202/682-1740; www.canadianembassy.org). Other Canadian consulates are in Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
The embassy of Ireland is at 2234 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 ( 202/462-3939; www.embassyofireland.org). Irish consulates are in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other cities.
The embassy of New Zealand is at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 ( 202/328-4800; www.nzembassy.com). New Zealand consulates are in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle.
The embassy of the United Kingdom is at 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 ( 202/588-7800; www.gov.uk/government/world/usa). Other British consulates are in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Emergencies Call 911 for the police, to report a fire, or to get an ambulance. If you have a medical emergency that does not require an ambulance, you should be able to walk into the nearest hospital emergency room (see “Hospitals,” below).
Family Travel All parks have a baby care center for heating formula, nursing, and so on. But think carefully about whether your child is ready for the theme parks. Too many parents consider an Orlando vacation such a rite of passage that they rush into it too early without considering whether their child will find the experience overwhelming, or even if they’ll remember it. I agree with many parenting experts who say that about 3 years old is the minimum age. It’s not just that many younger children get wigged out when they see their first costume character, but also because it’s no fun for a kid to get turned away from a ride they have their heart set on.
Some experts say kids are not truly ready for the rigors of theme parks until they can walk on their own all day. Whether or not very young children are advisable, they are possible: Scarier rides have what’s called a child swap. That provides an area where one adult can wait with a child while their partner rides and then switch off so the other gets a chance. Many rides also have a bypass corridor where chickens can do their chicken-out thing.
Let kids take an active role in planning their vacation. Their excitement will make the going easier. The Walt Disney World website (http://customizedmaps.disney.go.com) provides online maps of its parks, which you can use to highlight a must-see list according to your tastes. With 3 weeks’ notice, the resort will print your maps and mail them ahead for free.
Strollers will not be allowed inside most attractions, and they will not be attended in parking sections, so never leave anything valuable in them. Come prepared with a system for unloading valuables. Also have something that covers the seat; like in parked cars, they get sizzling hot in the Florida sun. Finally, tie some identifying marker (like a white flag, as in “I surrender”) to yours so you can identify it amidst the sea of clones.
Familiarize yourself with the height restrictions for all rides, which are posted at the parks’ websites and listed on the maps. Universal also keeps physical gauges in front of both its parks. Everything is measured in inches, so if your child is usually measured in centimeters, multiply by 0.393.
Bring supplies to kid-proof your hotel room.
Slather your kids in sun lotion. Florida sun is stronger than you think.
Dress kids in bright colors. You’ll spot them faster if you’re separated. Some parents even put their phone number on their kids with child safety temporary tattoos (yes, they exist).
Dress kids to get wet. There are water playgrounds, plus frequent rains.
Hotels offer “kids eat free” programs—you pay, they don’t. Ask.
Theme park strollers are easy, but basic; they don’t recline, and they won’t secure kids younger than toddlers. Folding “umbrella” strollers have distinct advantages. They make getting onto trams, monorails, and into other tight spaces easier (not just for you—also for people waiting for you).
Bring a picture of your child or keep one on your mobile phone.
Use a walkie-talkie app such as Voxer or WhatsApp to communicate with your party; the phone carriers are often overwhelmed by the volume at the parks and text messages sometimes arrive with long delays.
Health Your biggest concern is the sun, which can burn you even through grey skies on cloudy days. You will be spending a lot more time outdoors than you might suspect—rides take 3 minutes, but some of their lines will have you waiting outside for an hour. Hats are your friends.
Holidays Banks close on the following holidays: January 1 (New Year’s), the third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr., Day), the third Monday in February (Presidents’ Day), the last Monday in May (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), the first Monday in September (Labor Day), the second Monday in October (Veterans Day), the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day), and December 25. The theme parks are open every day of the year.
Hospitals Dr. P Phillips Hospital (9400 Turkey Lake Rd., Orlando; 407/351-8500) is a short drive north up Palm Parkway from Lake Buena Vista. To get to Florida Hospital Celebration Health (400 Celebration Place, Celebration; 407/764-4000), from I-4, take the U.S. 192 exit; then at the first traffic light, turn right onto Celebration Avenue, and at the first stop sign, make another right. Clinics: Centra Care Walk-In Care in Lake Buena Vista (12500 Apopka-Vineland Rd., 407/934-2273; Mon–Fri 8am–midnight, Sat–Sun 8am–8pm); near the vacation homes south of Disney (7848 W. U.S. 192, Kissimmee; 407/397-7032; Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat–Sun 8am–5pm); and by Universal (6001 Vineland Rd.; 407/351-6682; Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat–Sun 8am–6pm). In addition, each theme park has its own infirmary capable of handling a range of medical emergencies. If you don’t have a car, EastCoast Medical Network ( 407/648-5252; www.themedicalconcierge.com) makes house calls to area resorts for $150 to $275 for most ailments. It’s available at all hours and brings a portable pharmacy, although prescriptions cost more.
Insurance Among many options, you could try MEDEX ( 800/732-5309; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International ( 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com) for overseas medical insurance cover. Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or call Health Canada ( 866/225-0709; www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home.
So what else may you want to insure? You may want special coverage for apartment stays, especially if you’ve plunked down a deposit, and any valuables, since airlines are only required to pay up to $2,500 for lost luggage domestically, less for foreign travel.
If you do decide on insurance, compare policies at InsureMyTrip.com ( 800/487-4722). Or contact one of the following reputable companies: Allianz ( 866/884-3556; www.allianztravelinsurance.com); CSA Travel Protection ( 877/243-4135; www.csatravelprotection.com); MEDEX ( 800/732-5309; www.medexassist.com); Travel Guard International ( 800/826-4919; www.medexassist.com); Travelex ( 800/228-9792; www.travelex-insurance.com).
Internet & Wi-Fi Getting online isn’t hard. Wi-Fi is now considered an essential amenity, like running water. Most hotels will have free access—sometimes in common areas, sometimes in guest rooms, and sometimes in both places. Walt Disney World’s hotels have free Wi-Fi, and so do its theme parks, as do Universal’s. (SeaWorld does not yet have free Wi-Fi.) Hotel connections aren’t always fast enough to stream movies, but they’re usually fast enough for standard uses. Nearly all home rentals come with Internet-connected computers and Wi-Fi.
Language English is the primary tongue, plus some Spanish.
LGBT Travelers Orlando still has a conservative streak, but like most cities, it has come to realize that America welcomes every kind of person. The parks also employ thousands of gay people. As a consequence of all this mainstream visibility, gay visitors to Orlando simply won’t need special resources or assistance. Most hotels aren’t troubled in the least by gay couples, and gay people can be themselves anyplace. The most intolerant attitudes will come from other guests at the theme parks, who, of course, mostly aren’t from Orlando—public displays of affection there are not likely to be attacked, but don’t expect a warm reception, either. Sexual affection by gay people and straight people alike is not celebrated in the parks. Use your intuition—and your common sense.
Mail At press time, domestic postage rates were 34¢ for a postcard and 49¢ for a letter. For international mail, a first-class letter of up to 1 ounce costs $1.15; a first-class international postcard costs the same as a letter. The post office most convenient to Disney and Universal is at 10450 Turkey Lake Rd. ( 407/351-2492; Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm). A smaller location, closer to Disney, is at 8536 Palm Pkwy., in Lake Buena Vista, just up the road from Hotel Plaza Boulevard ( 407/238-0223). If all you need is to buy stamps and mail letters, you can do that at most hotels. For more information, including locations nearest you, go to www.usps.com and click on “Calculate a Price.” Ask at the theme park Guest Relations desks if mailing your items there will entitle you to a themed postmark.
Medical Requirements No inoculations or vaccinations are required to enter the United States unless you’re arriving from an area that is suffering from an epidemic (cholera or yellow fever, in particular). A valid, signed prescription is required for those travelers in need of syringe-administered medications or medical treatment that involves narcotics. It is extremely important to obtain the correct documentation in these cases, as your medications could be confiscated; and if you are found to be carrying an illegal substance, officials tend to lock you up first and ask questions later.
Mobile Phones Orlando has the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) wireless network, which is used by much of the rest of the world. Your phone will probably work in Orlando; it may not work in rural areas. To buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card, ask for a “no-contract” SIM card. Barring those suggestions, phones can be rented from InTouch USA ( 800/872-7626; www.intouchusa.com); some car rental outlets do it, too. If you have Web access while traveling, consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP), such as Skype (www.skype.com) or Vonage (www.vonage.com), which allows you to make free international calls from your laptop.
The theme parks’ new reliance on programming your schedule via apps drains devices quickly. To have enough juice for a 13-hour day, carry a portable charger, such as the ones by Mophie (www.mophie.com) or Jackery (www.jackeryusa.com).
Money This town exists to rake in money. Consequently it places few obstacles between you and the surrender of it. Most ATMs that you’ll find are run by third parties, not your bank, which means that you’ll be slapped with fees of around $2.50 per withdrawal (around $5 for international visitors). Machines accept pretty much anything you can stick into them. Citibank customers can avoid the usage fee by using the fancy Citibank machines located at most 7-Eleven convenience stores in the area. International visitors should make advance arrangements with their banks to ensure their cards will function in the United States. Also ask your bank if it has reciprocal agreements for free withdrawals anywhere. One institution known to charge international usage fees that are below the industry standard is Everbank ( 888/882-3837; www.everbank.com); another is Charles Schwab ( 866/855-9102; www.schwab.com), which reimburses ATM fees.
Credit cards are nearly universally accepted. In fact, you must have one to rent a car without a hassle. Most places accept the Big Four: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. A few places add Diners Club, and some family-owned businesses subtract American Express because of the pain of dealing with it.
Before you leave home, let your issuer know that you’re about to go on vacation. Many of them get antsy when they see unexpectedly large charges start appearing so far from your home, and sometimes they freeze your account in response.
Not only will Orlando clerks almost always neglect to check the purchaser’s identification, but also, in the high-volume world of the theme parks, they don’t even require signatures for purchases under a certain amount (typically, $25). You just swipe and go. That means you need to be doubly sure to keep your cards safe.
Try not to use credit cards to withdraw cash. You’ll be charged interest from the moment your money leaves the slot. Tip: There is an exception that the resorts don’t sanction, but I certainly do: Instead of using your credit card to draw cash from an ATM, use it to buy Disney Dollars ( 407/566-4985, option 5). They’re private scrip (sold at big shops and most guest services desks), valued precisely like U.S. dollars. But they are charged as a purchase, not as a cash withdrawal, so there are no additional fees. You can spend them like cash within the respective resorts. Pretty sneaky, sis! Universal sells its own version, Wizarding Bank Notes.
Now that ATMs are common, traveler’s checks are nearly dead. Using them, you run the risk of most places declining them. Creditors have come up with traveler’s check cards, also called prepaid cards, which are essentially debit cards loaded with the amount of money you elect to put on them. They’re not coded with your personal information, they work in ATMs, and should you lose one, you can get your cash back in a matter of hours. If you spend all the money on them, you can call a number or visit a website and reload the card using your bank account information. Travelex Cash Passport ( 877/465-0085; www.cashpassport.com; $3 per ATM transaction) works anywhere MasterCard does; also try NetSpend ( 866/387-7363; www.netspend.com; $1 per purchase, $5 per ATM transaction). That one costs $4.
Like traveler’s checks, exchanging cash is on the outs, and good riddance, as exchange rates are usurious. Because ATM withdrawals give better deals, old-fashioned exchange desks are few and far between, although you’ll still find a few at the airport, at large hotels, at the Travelex at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores (p. 165). If you need to change money, better rates come from banks during regular banking hours (Mon–Fri 9:30am–4pm).
Finding a bank isn’t difficult in the “real” world of Orlando around SeaWorld and Universal, but at Walt Disney World, you could use a hand. The nearest bank is the SunTrust (1675 Buena Vista Dr., across from Downtown Disney Marketplace; 407/762-4786; drive-through Mon–Wed, Fri 8am–5pm, until 5:30pm on Thurs).
Newspapers & Magazines Business hotels distribute that shallow McNewspaper, “USA Today,” to use as your morning doormat. The local paper, the “Orlando Sentinel” (www.orlandosentinel.com) is less widely available but much better for discovering local happenings. “Orlando Magazine” (www.orlandomagazine.com) is a glossy that covers trends and upscale restaurants. Also see the box on amateur-run websites covering the theme parks on p. 232; those are better for park goings-on.
Packing For the latest rules on how to pack and what you will be permitted to bring as a carry-on, consult your airline or the Transportation Security Administration (www.tsa.gov). Also be sure to find out from your airline what your checked-baggage weight limits will be; maximums of around 50 pounds per suitcase are standard. Anything heavier will incur a fee. Paying for the luggage at the airport is often more expensive than online.
If you forget something, there’s nothing you can’t buy in Orlando. It’s hardly Timbuktu. But bring the basics for sunshine (lotion of at least 30 SPF, wide-brimmed hat, bathing suit, sunglasses), for rain (a compact umbrella or a plastic poncho, which costs $8 if you wait until you get into the parks), for walking (good shoes, sandals for wet days), and for memories (camera, storage cards, chargers).
Pets None of the Disney resorts allows animals (except service dogs) to stay on the (the only exception being Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, where you can have your pet at the full-hook-up campsites). The major theme parks offer animal boarding, usually for about $40 per day. Disney offers a single facility, Best Friends Pet Care, on the Bonnet Creek Parkway ( 407/209-3126; www.bestfriendspetcare.com). Universal Orlando and SeaWorld will board small pets during the day only.
Universal’s three Loews-run resorts allow pets on the property. So do Drury Hotels (p. 220). To find more pet-friendly hotels, two solid resources are www.petswelcome.com and www.dogfriendly.com.
Stuff You Never Thought to Bring (but Should)
Besides the usual toiletries, recharging cords, and drugs, you might not have thought of these good ideas, too:
Earplugs. Orlando flights are jumping with kids going insane with excitement.
Hand purifier. Turnstiles. Safety bars. Handrails. Furry mice. You’re going to be handling a lot of dirty things.
Dark-colored clothing. On almost all flume rides, the seating doubles as a step, so you’re bound to stain your butt with a slightly muddy footprint. Also, it’s hot and you’ll be in lots of photos—and colored shirts show sweat stains.
Sandals that fasten. Water-based rides soak regular shoes and cause pruning. Flip-flops won’t always do because they’re not hardy and they won’t stay on.
Skin-tight underwear. Hot, moist days can cause chafing even in people who rarely experience it. Under Armour or nonpadded bike shorts preempt that.
Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Okay, so you probably thought of these, but it bears repeating.
A mobile phone battery recharger. Between the My Disney Experience app, Wi-Fi, photos, and social media updating, you’ll drain your battery quickly.
A superabsorbent shammy. For lenses and wet children.
Pocket-size games. People talk about rides, but they neglect to mention the hour in line before those exciting 3 minutes. Orlando is lines. Bring diversions.
Pharmacies The tourist area hosts mostly national chains. Walgreens (7650 W. Sand Lake Rd. at Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando; 407/370-6742), which has a round-the-clock pharmacy, could, at a stretch, be deemed an outfit with local roots; back in the day, Mr. Walgreen spent the cold months in Winter Park. Turner Drugs (12500 Apopka Vineland Rd., Lake Buena Vista; 407/828-8125) is not a 24-hour pharmacy, but it delivers prescriptions to most Disney-area accommodations.
Police Call 911 from any phone in an emergency.
Safety Train kids to approach the nearest park employee in case of separation. Never dress kids in clothing that reveals their name, address, or hometown, and unless it’s a travel day, remove any luggage tags where this information will be visible. If people can read your address off a tag while you’re in line at Jurassic Park, they they’ll know you’re not at home. Don’t leave valuables visible when you park your car. Also, please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Thank you.
Senior Travel Just about every secondary attraction offers a special price for seniors, but the theme parks offer precious little. If you’re over 50, you can join AARP (601 E. Street NW, Washington, DC 24009; 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org) to find out what’s being offered in terms of discounts for hotels, airfare, and car rentals. Before you bite, be sure that the AARP discount you are offered actually undercuts others that are out there. Elderhostel’s well-respected Road Scholar ( 800/454-5768; www.roadscholar.org) runs classes and programs, both inside the theme parks and around the Orlando area, designed to delve into literature, history, the arts, and music. Packages last from a day to a week and include lodging, tours, and meals. Most are multigenerational; bring the grandkids.
Smoking Smoking is prohibited in public indoor spaces, including offices, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and most shops. Some bars permit it. In general, if you need to smoke, you must go outside into the open air, and in the theme parks there are strictly enforced designated areas.
Taxes A 6.5 to 7 percent sales tax is charged on all goods with the exception of most edible grocery items and medicines. Hotels add another 2 to 5 percent in a resort tax, so the total tax on accommodations can run up to 12 percent. The United States has no VAT, but the custom is to not list prices with tax, so the final amount that you pay will be slightly higher than the posted price.
Telephones Generally, hotel surcharges on long-distance and local calls are astronomical, so you’re better off using your cellphone or a public pay telephone. Many convenience groceries and packaging services sell prepaid calling cards in denominations from $10 to $50; for international visitors these can be the least expensive way to call home. Many public phones at airports now accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards. Local calls made from public pay phones in most locales cost either 35¢ or 50¢. Pay phones do not accept pennies, and few will take anything larger than a quarter. Make sure you have roaming turned on for your cellphone account.
If you will have high-speed Internet access in your room, save on calls by using Skype (www.skype.com) or another Web-based calling program.
For calls within the United States and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, first dial 011, then the country code, and then proceed with the number, dropping any leading zeroes.
Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll-free. However, calls to area codes 700 and 900 can be very expensive—usually a charge of 95¢ to $3 or more per minute, and they sometimes have minimum charges that can run as high as $15 or more.
For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0, then the area code and number. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.
For local directory assistance (“information”), dial 411; for long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code and 555-1212.
Time The continental United States is divided into four time zones: Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), and Pacific Standard Time (PST). Orlando is on Eastern Standard Time, so when it’s noon in Orlando, it’s 11am in Chicago (CST), 10am in Denver (MST), and 9am in Los Angeles (PST). Daylight saving moves the clock 1 hour ahead of standard time. Clocks change the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November.
Tipping Tips are customary and should be factored into your budget. Waiters should receive 15 to 20 percent of the cost of the meal (depending on the quality of the service), bellhops get $1 per bag, bartenders get $1 per drink, chambermaids get $1 to $2 per day for straightening your room (although many people don’t do this), and cab drivers should get 15 percent of the fare. The Disney Dining Plan automatically includes gratuity. Elsewhere, don’t be offended if you are reminded about tipping—wait staff are used to dealing with international visitors who don’t participate in the custom back home.
Toilets Each theme park has dozens of clean restrooms. Outside of the parks, every fast-food place—and there are hundreds—should have a restroom you can use. Large hotel lobbies also have some.
Visas Citizens of western and central Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Singaporeneed only a valid machine-readable passport and a round-trip air ticket or cruise ticket to enter the United States for stays of up to 90 days. Canadian citizens may enter without a visa with proof of residence.
Citizens of all other countries will need to obtain a tourist visa from the U.S. consulate. Depending on your country of origin, there may or may not be a charge attached (and you may or may not have to apply in person). You’ll need to complete an application and submit a photo, and your passport must be valid for at least 6 months past the scheduled end of your U.S. visit. If an interview isn’t mandated, it’s usually possible to obtain a visa within 24 hours, except during holiday periods or the summer rush. Be sure to check with your local U.S. embassy or consulate for the very latest in entry requirements, as these continue to shift. Full information can be found at the U.S. State Department’s website, www.travel.state.gov.
Visitor Information Orlando has one of the most responsive and question-friendly visitors’ bureaus in America and it operates a storefront, Orlando Official Visitor Center (8723 International Dr.; 407/363-5872; www.visitorlando.com; daily 8:30am–6:30pm), in a strip mall on the western side of I-Drive not far north of the Pointe Orlando shopping mall, that’s stocked from carpet to rafter with free brochures. Although many, many other places in town (souvenir stands, mostly) claim to offer “official” tourist information, this is the only truly official place. Staff is on hand to answer any questions, and its ticket desk has the inside line on discounts.
Kissimmee, the town closest to Walt Disney World, maintains its own tourist office, the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau (1925 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy./U.S. 192; Kissimmee; 407/944-2400; www.floridakiss.com; Mon–Fri 8am–5pm). Its website also lists current discounts. The Kissimmee CVB works with the Orlando bureau, so you won’t have to make two trips.
Water Tap water has a distinct mineral taste. Your hotel’s pipes are not to blame. Rather, think of Orlando as an island floating over a cushion of water. Most of the city’s lakes started, in fact, as sinkholes. The drinking water is drawn from the aquifer, hence the specific flavor and odor. It’s safe.