The first part of your plan for your vacation in Orlando that will occupy your mind is transportation. How to get to Disney, how to get to Universal Studios or any other park within the incredible world of existing parks in Orlando, is what we will explain in this article.
Orlando, the city of fun
Florida is one of the most complete states in the USA. No, it is not a cliché to say that there are few things you cannot find in Florida if you come looking for relaxation, beach tourism and fun in theme parks. The great thing about Florida is that besides these three great options, you have many more.
Nature, history, sports, tourism and NBA are other possibilities that the state called Sunshine State offers its visitors. Orlando, with 270,000 inhabitants, is the largest non-coastal city in Florida, but above all, it is a micro universe that houses the largest range of theme parks per square kilometer in the world.
In addition to being the home of Walt Disney World, Orlando features parks for all tastes, ages and budgets. Of the 20 best theme parks in Florida, Orlando hosts 19 of them.
Arrival in Florida
The two main entry routes are Miami and Orlando, with Miami being the most common. If you have chosen Miami as the entrance city to Florida, you still have 370 kilometers to reach your dreamy Orlando theme parks. Let’s see how you can get to them.
Transfer from the Miami airport to the Orlando theme parks
You have 3 main options: Rental car, Bus or domestic plane.
Rental car
Renting a car in Orlando is an excellent option and we personally love it. Not only is it economical but it gives you the freedom to move at will and squeeze the state of Florida with complementary activities to parks like the magnificent Kennedy Space Center. Also, if you rent a car in Miami but leave it in Orlando, you will not be penalized with the One Way rate. Make it a point that if you’re finally going to rent a car at the Miami airport, you should go to the airport’s RCC (Rental Car Center).
Bus
There are several bus companies that for just over $ 30 will take you and bring you from Miami Airport to Orlando. Now, these options, in general, will not leave the Miami airport itself and even less, they will leave you in the parks themselves. That will entail the extra expense of moving you to the city of Miami.
And if you get one that does, the price will go up and the journey will last longer. But if you do not want to drive under any circumstances and the domestic flight is not your option, then the bus, although more expensive than the rental car, can take you there.
Domestic flight
Domestic airplanes in the United States are very cheap. In the case of two nearby cities such as Miami and Orlando and booking it in advance, the ticket can easily cost you $50 per person.
You could also choose private transport companies or taxi, both options we do not recommend at all because of the excessive price.
If, on the other hand, you have arrived in Florida through the Orlando airport, you have 4 options to get to the parks area.
On the one hand there is the Universal Studios and Sea World area and on the other, the area of Disney parks. The Universal Studios area is located in the International Drive Area, while Disney is located in the Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee areas. The 4 existing options to go from the Orlando Airport (MCO) to these two different areas are these:
- Car rental
- Shuttle
- Taxi – Uber
- Disney’s own transportation
Car rental
One of the best options whenever we are on American soil is car hire. Good roads, good cars, automatic change and more than competitive prices. If you are renting a car at the Orlando airport, you must go to level 1 (Ground Transportation), which is where the rental offices are located. While to go to Universal Studios or Sea World, you must choose to take the 528 freeway to get to the International Drive area, if you go to Disney, you will have to directly choose Highway 417 towards Disney.
From Orlando airport to Universal Studios there are 28 kilometers, while to get to Disney there are 30. A car for a week for early May costs around $ 158.
Shuttle
If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can skip this option and go directly to the last option that is Disney’s own transportation.On the other hand, if you are staying in a hotel in Kissimmee or in a location near Disney or Universal parks, the shuttle can be a very good option.
Taxi – Uber
Between $ 30 and $ 93 (depending on the size of the vehicle) would cost a trip from the Orlando airport to the Epcot park via taxi.
Disney own transportation
If your first destination in Orlando is going to be a Disney park and you will also be staying in one of the theme hotels inside the parks, you do not have to worry about the transfer. Disney provides it for you.
The transport network of the Disney parks is like a transport network of a city. The Magical Bus is made so that as soon as you arrive at the airport, you don’t have to worry about anything!