Things to do in Orlando
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Orlando
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, dry and sunny, peak prices at Christmas and New Year, mid-January to February is a sweet spot.
Locals favourite, split by spring break crowds in March; late April to May is the best value and weather window.
Hot, humid and stormy with daily thunderstorms, best for springs and bioluminescence; September has lowest crowds and rates.
Humidity breaks and event season, the second sweet spot, with Thanksgiving week the exception.
What's on
- EPCOT Festival of the Arts Jan-Feb
Winter festival at EPCOT.
- Universal Mardi Gras Feb-Apr
Universal festival running into spring.
- Arnold Palmer Invitational March
PGA Tour event at Bay Hill, spilling into late February planning.
- EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival Spring
Topiaries and garden kitchens at EPCOT in spring.
- Gay Days June
Summer calendar event.
- Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Aug-Oct
Halloween party nights at Magic Kingdom.
- Universal Halloween Horror Nights Late Aug / Sep-early Nov
Premier Halloween event on select nights, sells out on Saturdays.
- EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Late summer-Nov
Graze World Showcase kitchens, weekdays are less crowded than weekends.
- EPCOT Festival of the Holidays December
Holiday festival at EPCOT, part of the four festival set.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Orlando
Universal Epic Universe
Universal's newest park, five themed worlds around Celestial Park, worth a full day for theming and headline rides.
Walt Disney World Resort
Pick Magic Kingdom for the icons or EPCOT for food and festivals, one park per day rather than cramming all four.
Universal Orlando Resort
Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida linked by Hogwarts Express, the strongest pure ride line-up.
Gatorland
Old Florida family park from 1949 with thousands of gators, a breeding marsh boardwalk and keeper shows.
Lake Eola Park
Downtown park around a lake with a fountain, resident swans and a Sunday farmers market, the city's calm front room.
Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
One hour boat tour through lakes and canals, then Park Avenue and the Morse Museum Tiffany collection nearby.
Leu Gardens
Fifty acres of botanical gardens on Lake Rowena with camellias, roses and a tropical stream garden.
Orlando Science Center
Four floors of hands-on science, planetarium and giant screen films, the best rainy day pick with kids.
Where to stay in Orlando
Lake Buena Vista / Disney Springs area
Disney-led first trips
Just outside Disney gates with early entry perks, shuttles and walkable Disney Springs dining at saner prices.
International Drive (south / SeaWorld end) + Universal area
Universal, Epic Universe and mixed parks
Most hotels at every price on the attractions spine, with the I-Ride Trolley and walkable dining in the southern stretch.
Winter Park
real Orlando and food trips
Brick streets, lakes and Park Avenue restaurants, with no park shuttles and a long drive to Disney.
Downtown / Thornton Park
city, events and nightlife
Walkable around Lake Eola, Dr Phillips Center and Kia Center, but a drive to everything else and quiet after office hours.
Kissimmee / US-192 vacation-rental belt
groups who need a house
Whole villas with private pools for less than two hotel rooms, 15 to 25 minutes to Disney, driving everywhere.
Think twice about
- Orange Blossom Trail (US-441)
Long-standing problem strip with adult businesses, cheap motels, drug and prostitution activity and higher crime.
- Parramore
High crime and no visitor infrastructure. Fine for an event nearby using official lots, do not wander west on foot at night.
- Pine Hills
High crime residential area with no visitor infrastructure, not a lodging area despite listings marketed as west Orlando.
- North International Drive, north of Sand Lake Road
Run-down, poorly lit motel fringe flagged for caution after dark. Stay in the Pointe Orlando and SeaWorld stretch instead.
Best restaurants in Orlando
Sorekara
Orlando's only two-star restaurant, a multi-room micro-seasonal Japanese tasting journey from about 270 dollars.
Victoria & Albert's
One star tasting menu in Disney's flagship hotel with formal service, a deep cellar and a chef's table option.
Camille
One star intimate counter serving a French technique, Vietnamese soul tasting menu a few doors from Sorekara.
Kadence
Nine seat husband and wife omakase counter with impeccable fish and serious sake, Orlando's local consensus pick.
The Ravenous Pig
Orlando's original chef-driven gastropub from 2007 with its own brewery, pub burger and house charcuterie.
Prato
Handmade pastas and wood-fired pizzas in a lively, handsome room on Park Avenue, the Winter Park guest dinner.
DOMU
Ramen room attached to East End Market known for rich tonkotsu, house noodles and wings locals order as a main.
Mills Market
Asian food hall on Colonial Drive with great-value Banh Mi Boy sandwiches around ten dollars and no bad order.
Outdoor things to do in Orlando
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Stand under a Saturn V and see Atlantis as flown, plus a bus tour past launch pads, a full day east of Orlando.
Kelly Park - Rock Springs
Crystal spring water feeding a free natural tube run down Rock Springs Run through shaded forest.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
Swim in a 72 degree spring basin then rent a kayak or canoe to paddle the Wekiva River past turtles and herons.
Blue Spring State Park
Boardwalk viewing of hundreds of winter manatees in warm spring water, swimming and tubing when the run reopens in summer.
Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures
Airboat across the Everglades headwaters for wild alligators, eagles and wading birds; Wild Florida is the combo alternative.
BK Adventure
Small group sunset and bioluminescence kayak paddles where summer water glows blue with every paddle stroke.
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge
PGA Tour championship golf at the Arnold Palmer Invitational course, playable only as a member, guest or lodge guest.
Winter Park Golf Course
Beloved 1914 nine hole course woven through a neighbourhood, walkable and about 20 to 25 dollars for nine holes.
Best hotels in Orlando
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
Best hotel in Orlando inside Disney gates, with a private water park, adults only pool, spa and rooftop Capa.
Universal Helios Grand Hotel
Loews in-park hotel with its own dedicated entrance into Epic Universe and park view rooms.
The Alfond Inn
Rollins-owned boutique hotel two blocks from Park Avenue with art, a restaurant and a quiet pool courtyard.
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Resort luxury on a nature preserve in the Disney orbit, with golf, a large spa and free Disney shuttles.
Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando - Disney Springs Area
Best value mid-range stay with free hot breakfast, evening Kickback, no resort fee and Disney shuttles.
Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, Autograph Collection
Velvet and art downtown hotel opposite City Hall with a rooftop pool, walkable to Kia Center and Dr Phillips Center.
Disney's Pop Century Resort
Disney Value tier with Skyliner access, food courts and full Disney transport; All-Star Resorts are the other budget option.
Universal Stella Nova Resort
Universal Prime Value hotel by Epic Universe, opened 2025; Terra Luna is its pair, with shuttles and early admission.
Is Orlando expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $120 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $240 a person |
| Splurge | $500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Walt Disney World Resort: weeks ahead
- Universal Orlando Resort: weeks ahead
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: a few days ahead
- Wekiwa Springs State Park: a few days ahead
- BK Adventure: a few days ahead
- Winter Park Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Sorekara: weeks ahead
- Victoria & Albert's: months ahead
- Park tickets, Disney park reservations and Universal Express Passes first, plus Lightning Lanes at 7am on the day.
- Sorekara, Camille, Kadence and Victoria & Albert's the moment reservations open, weeks to 60 days ahead.
- Kennedy launch viewing tickets when a launch is scheduled, and Kelly Park and Wekiwa entry for summer weekends.
- WP9 tee times a week out, Bay Hill via a lodge stay, and bioluminescence paddles around the new moon.
Is Orlando safe?
- Never leave anything visible in a parked car; rental break-ins at parks, springs and trailheads are the most common tourist crime.
- Alligators are in every freshwater body. Swim only in designated spring and park areas, never at dusk, never feed them.
- Florida is the US lightning capital. When thunder roars, get off water and out of pools immediately.
- Hydrate early and treat June to September midday as indoor time.
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Orlando travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Timeshare pitches offering free park tickets for a 90 minute presentation that eats half a park day.
- Third party discount ticket booths and hotel pizza flyers under doors that harvest card numbers.
- Eating on International Drive chain row or in the parks for every meal instead of one Mills 50 or Winter Park dinner.
- Trying to do all Disney, Universal and SeaWorld parks in a week, and underestimating distance, heat and afternoon storms.
Getting around Orlando: public transport and more
- Rent a car unless doing a single resort park trip on hotel shuttles. Rideshares between park corridor and real city run 25 to 45 dollars each way.
- Use SunPass or E-Pass for toll roads SR-528, SR-417 and SR-429 and never ignore a Toll-By-Plate bill.
- Budget 45 to 60 minutes from the park corridor to Winter Park at dinner time, 25 minutes off-peak, with I-4 the choke point.
- Inside corridors use Disney free transport, Universal water taxis and buses, the I-Ride Trolley and free downtown LYMMO buses.
Who Orlando suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Orlando your trip
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