While most think of Florida as a year-round paradise, many would be surprised to learn that there ar

Orlando, for most people, conjures up the image of theme parks, mainly Walt Disney World , but there is a lot more. (In fact, Disney World is not in Orlando, but is in nearby Lake Buena Vista ). With the estimated 52 million tourists a year, Orlando and many other areas in the region developed a lot to offer a traveler who wants to see something other than a theme park.
When people think of Orlando, most think of theme parks and a vast urban sprawl. However, the city proper contains none of the major theme parks (Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World), dinner attractions (such as Medieval Times), or even most small theme parks (Gatorland, Holyland Experience, Ripley's Believe-it-or-not, etc). However, since Orlando is the larger city associated with most of these popular attractions, you will find details and descriptions of them below.
Most tourists visit Orlando between June and August, while another peak time for tourism is March and April. Ironically, the less busy times for tourism correspond to the best weather in the Orlando area; the summer months can be exceptionally busy with families who are making value rent a car a trip while kids are on summer vacation. Visiting when the weather isn't so hot means less people in the area and that provides some advantages, but you will be able to enjoy cooler weather. The climate of Orlando is subtropical, and therefore is very humid (the heat index typically exceeds 100 degrees). Afternoon thunderstorms are expected in the warmer months, although they can occur in any month.
Many say central Florida has two seasons: hot and hotter. Orlando has warm, balmy springs and autumns; value rent a car hot summers complete with daily thunderstorms; and temperate winters affected by the occasional cold front. That being said:
Spring in Orlando has highs in the 80s (27°C) in March April transitioning to around 90°F (32°C) in May and low-mid 90s in June. Spring value rent a car is the driest value rent a car time of year here, and in the past decade some spring months have seen less than a half-inch of rain! This is the time of year in which many small wildfires appear around the region, but this should not bother anyone who stays within the urban area. March and April are great times to visit with dry days, clear skies, and warm temperatures (and no cold fronts). However, late May and early June are arguably the worst time to visit filled with hot, humid, dry days.
While most think of Florida as a year-round paradise, many would be surprised to learn that there are at least ten clear winter mornings a year when lows fall to near freezing. Even on the coldest of mornings, highs will soon reach into the 50s and 60s! Nevertheless, every 3-4 years, snow flurries will mix with rain somewhere in the region, the most recent being 3 January, 2008. However, only once since records began in 1948 has any measurable snow fallen at the airport (0.2" in/0.5 cm Jan 1977). So if you visit between value rent a car November and March, bring a jacket...it may be warmer than northern states, but not as warm as you may think it will be!
Summer begins with the start of daily thunderstorms around mid-June. Highs from mid-June to mid-September are in the mid 90s, with 90ºF (32°C) often being reached by 10-11AM, and lows in the 70s (23°C). Due to Orlando's proximity to two coasts, value rent a car thunderstorms form everyday during this period from ocean breezes which heat over land, rise, and cool in the atmosphere to create sometimes violent thunderstorms value rent a car (see the "Stay Safe" section). However, they often will drop temperatures into the low 80s (28°C) value rent a car after passing...a welcome relief from the hot temperatures earlier in the year.
Autumn varies value rent a car much more from year to year than spring. The daily thunderstorms taper off in September leaving highs in the mid-high 80s (29°C) until mid-October. The first cold front of the season will usually pass between mid and late October, plunging highs into the 70s (24°C) and lows into the 50s (12°C) and high 40s (10°C). The cooling trend continues into November and December, with highs falling into the 70s (24°C) by late December and lows into the 50s (12°C), affected only by the occasional value rent a car cold front which can plunge highs into the 60s (18°C)(Nov) and 50s (12°C)(Dec) and lows into the 40s (7°C)(Nov) and as low as freezing (32ºF/0ºC) by mid December.
Winter is much the same as November and December. Highs are in the 70s (24°C), lows in the 50s (12°C), affected every week or two by cold fronts. Following a cold front, highs can drop into the 50s (12°C), lows into the 30s (2°C).
Orlando International Airport ( IATA : MCO , [1] ) is the city's primary airport, value rent a car and the busiest airport in the state in terms of passenger traffic. The airport is located to the southeast of downtown but is centrally located value rent a car with respect to the region and area attractions. Orlando International Airport is a secondary hub for AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue value rent a car Airways, all of which fly numerous routes to/from Orlando. value rent a car Furthermore, Delta Air Lines offers 10-15 flights daily between Orlando and their super-hub in Atlanta and American Airlines has 9 flights a day to their Miami hub. Non-stop service is offered to nearly every major city east of the Mississippi and to several major western cities (LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, value rent a car Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver).
Daily flights to Europe are offered by Virgin Atlantic (London-Gatwick Manchester), British Airways (London-Gatwick), value rent a car Lufthansa (Frankfurt). Multiple flights per week are flown to Dublin (Aer Lingus), Paris (Air France, ends Sep. 2012), Glasgow (Virgin Atlantic, seasonally), Zurich (Swiss Int./Edelweiss Air). To South America, there are daily flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil value rent a car (TAM) Bogotá, Colombia (Jet Blue) and seasonal service to Santiago, Chile (LAN). Over a dozen Canadian destinations are served non-stop, many seasonally (Toronto Montreal are served daily year-round). Other international destinations served from Orlando include: Jamaica (Montego Bay), the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo), the Bahamas (Nassau), Mexico value rent a car (Cancun, value rent a car Mexico City), Panama (Panama City), Costa Rica (San José), El Salvador (San Salvador). The airport was approved in 2012 to begin Cuba flights.
value rent a car Orlando International is structured into two components, landside and airside. There is a central landside terminal (A and B), containing airline counters, baggage claim, rental agencies, numerous shops, and a hotel. value rent a car This central terminal is connected via trams to four other terminals, known as Airside 1-4, with the airplane gates. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in both the central terminal and the airsides.
Security screening is performed in the central landside terminal before taking the tram to the airsides and, as in all U.S. airports, only ticketed passengers are allowed past security. Security lines can become extremely long (1 hr), especially during the summer tourist season and near holidays. Combined value rent a car with long check-in lines, it is advisable to arrive 2-3 hours before your scheduled departure.
Almost every medium to high priced hotel in the city offers transfers. Orlando is the rental car capital of the world and as such there are several car rental agencies offering a wide range of vehicles for rental.
There are several Shuttle and Town Car services options that run from the airport to various points, including Kissimmee, theme parks, University of Central Florida, and the cruise port at Port Canaveral . Shuttle services are a cheap alternative to taxis, and operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Approximate rates [2] for shuttles ranges from $9.99-26 depending on your destination.
Orlando Airport Van , +1 866-204-4000 provides shuttle service from Orlando International value rent a car to all hotels along International Drive between Universal Studios and Sea World. Rates are $9.99 per passenger, each way. [3]
Mears Transportation , +1 407-423-5566 provides shuttle service from Orlando International to many hotels in and around value rent a car the region, including those in the Disney area that are not served by Magical Express. Rates vary depending on the passenger's destination, but generally range between $15 and $30. [4]
Public transit from MCO to Downtown Disney/Magic Kingdom transportation centers is provided by Lynx Route 111 [5] , every half an hour, picking up at Landside A Terminal (North), on the Ground Transportation Level (Level 1), at Commercial Lane spaces A38-A41. $2.
Disney's Magical Express , +1 407-WDW-MAGIC or 407-939-6244, [6] Complimentary shuttle and luggage delivery service for guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Advance reservations are required.
Florida Magical Tours and Transportation value rent a car , +1 407-240-8432 provides transportation value rent a car services (Town Cars, Escalade SUV's, Passengers Vans, Limousines) from Orlando International Airport MCO and Sanford International Airport SFB. [8]
Orlando City Limousine , +1 407-967-5533 Specialized Limo Service provider for Airport Transfer to and from Orlando International Airport MCO, Wedding, Home coming Prom, Corporate Transportation, large group, party and night out in and around Orlando City. [13]
A secondary airport which serves the Orlando area is the Orlando-Sanford International Airport ( IATA : SFB , [14] ) located in Sanford , a city just to the north of Orlando, the side of Orlando opposite most attractions. Service between Orlando Sanford International and Europe includes: Monarch Airlines (London-Gatwick Manchester; seasonally to Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle upon tyne Newcastle); Thomas Cook Airlines (Manchester; seasonally to Belfast, Glasgow, London-Gatwick); Thomson Airways (Birmingham, London-Gatwick, value rent a car Manchester; seasonally value rent a car to Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne); Arkefly (Amsterdam); and Icelandair (Reykjavik, seasonal). Orlando Sanford International is also a hub for Allegiant Air which serves a lot of small U.S. cities. /p
Other regional airports (within a 90 min drive) include Daytona Beach International value rent a car Airport (served by Delta to Atlanta and US Airways to Ch