Orlando airport flight prices up sharply this summer

April 19, 2012 by

Orlando airline prices up this summer

With summer just a few months away it looks like airline flights coming into and out of the Orlando, Florida area will be up sharply this summer. Higher fuel prices are making the cost of flying go up this year.

For instance some of the more popular Orlando flights are up $50.00 to $70.00 above what they were last year. That’s not too much if it’s a single person. But since Orlando is home to Disney most flying in are families.

So when you take a family of four into consideration that higher price for each one can really hurt. It’s too early to say just how high Orlando airline prices will go, if they go higher.
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Flying to Orlando for your Disney vacation

December 9, 2011 by

Flying to Orlando for a Disney vacation

Millions of people every year fly to Orlando, Florida for a Disney or other type of vacation. Most of them come to see Disney, but there are many other things to do and see in Orlando. The two main airports that serve the Orlando area are the Orlando International airport and the Sanford International airport.

Both are popular airports for both domestic and International flights. You will find that all the major airlines service both airports. So if your looking for popular flights to Orlando chances are good it will include one of these two airports. Here is some information about each one to help you out.

The Orlando International airport is the biggest one, busier and a bit closer to most of the theme parks, including Disney. A unique feature of this airport is that all airline gates are at satellite terminals separate from the main airport terminal.
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Beware of high gas station prices close to Orlando International airport

August 20, 2010 by

Gas stations in Orlando

I thought I’d give all the tourist a heads up today on a subject that has been in the local news here. When people rent a car at the Orlando airport, it’s only natural that they stop at a gas station close by before taking it back.

However if you do that, don’t pick a gas station very close to the airport, at least not on route 436, otherwise known as Semoran Blvd. which is just north of the airport.

The reason is that some gas stations close by the airport will charge much more per gallon than other gas stations. They know that it will be mostly tourist in a hurry to get back to the rental car place.
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Orlando Holiday airport travel tips and tricks

November 14, 2009 by

Orlando Holiday airport travel tips and tricks

The 2009 Holiday travel has begun! Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years see’s the biggest tourist crowds in the Orlando airport. Many from Florida are flying out to spend a white Christmas with loved ones up north. While many more are flying in for a Disney or other theme park Holiday vacation.

The biggest hassle will be at the Orlando airport. Expect long lines both at the baggage check-in area and also at the security points. These two spots will give you the biggest headaches and cost you the most time. Many people flying in or out for the Holidays don’t travel often and may not be up to date on everything.

So here’s a few refresher tips and tricks for you. Many airlines now charge for checked baggage, or checked bags over one per person. So remember that when your in the baggage line. But since they charge per bag anyway, and the baggage line is the longest wait at the airport, why not ship them instead?
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What to tip a taxi cab driver in Orlando, Florida

October 19, 2009 by

What to tip a taxi cab driver in Orlando Florida

Many people who go on a dream vacation to Walt Disney World or any theme park in Orlando often don’t travel very much. Because of that, they are confused about tipping. Seems like everyone wants you to tip them, even the girl getting your coffee! But one place that tipping is always expected is the taxi cab driver.

So for this post I’ll just explain what you should tip a taxi service. Now, chances are if you don’t rent a car your going to take a cab from the airport. Because they are use to big families and parties the taxi service there often has mini vans and full size vans along with the more standard taxi cab.

When I first took a cab from the Orlando airport they got me a mini van cab. I was confused about if I should pay a bigger tip because they used a van just for me. The answer is NO, you do not. Normally if it’s a single rider or a couple they will use a car. But sometimes they just have a van available at the time, so that’s what they use.

They also have nice big sedans that don’t even look like a taxi cab. It all depends on the cab company. Again what they use for a vehicle has no bearing on what the tip should be. 15-20% of the fare is the right amount for tipping. Now if you get a private limo that is different, and I would tip 20-25%.

No matter what type of vehicle is used, the standard tip for a taxi cab driver in the Orlando area is 15-20% of the total fare. It also does not matter where you have them take you. Dropping you off at a rental house, Disney or a 5 star hotel the rates are the same.

Now what if you have lots of luggage? Well it depends. If all he does is pop the trunk and stand there as you load it all in, then I would not tip him any more than the normal 15-20% of the fare. But if he helpfully and cheerfully stuffs your 10 bags in the cab and helps get them out, I would throw in an extra 5 bucks or so.

Just on a side note, you never tip a public bus driver, nor any driver of any Disney bus service. You also don’t tip any driver that drives the rental car shuttle bus from the airport to the rental car lot. I hope this helps you a bit to know what to tip for Taxi cab services in the Orlando area!

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How far from the Orlando airport is Disney and other theme parks?

October 11, 2009 by

Orlando Florida map of airport distance to Disney, Universal, Sea World and other attractions

Click here to open larger map in new window

One of the most asked questions I get is how far from the Orlando International airport is Walt Disney World, Sea World and all the other attractions. So I’ll give you a quick run-down in this post on the distance in miles from the Orlando airport to Disney and many other attractions and areas around the central Florida area.

The Orlando airport connects to major interstates and toll roads that gets you right to all the major attractions. You can pretty much stay on only one or two roads all the way to where your going. Reading all the road signs can be tricky, but for the most part it’s pretty simple to drive from the Orlando airport to where your going.

Now for the number one question I’m asked: how far is Walt Disney World from the Orlando airport? Disney itself is 44 square miles big, so it depends on what part your going to! But in general Disney World is about 22 miles from the Orlando airport.
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Orlando International airport information page

October 4, 2009 by

Orlando international airport terminal map

I’ve got a long way to go as far as making this site filled with all the Orlando information I want to put in here. But today I finally made a new page all about the Orlando International airport. For most tourist the airport is where they will be coming in, renting a car or talking a bus or taxi, and flying out.

So it’s nice to know where everything is once you get there! The Orlando airport is much more compact than most major airports. You can walk from one end of the main terminal to the other in 5 minutes. That’s because the gates where you board the planes are located in four different “hubs” connected to the main terminal by automatic running monorail cars.

In fact they look just like the monorail at Disney! You HAVE to take one of the cars to get to the gates, there is no other way. Two hubs are at one end of the main terminal, the other two on the other end. So make sure what your gate number is and take the monorail car to the right gate section. You have to pass through security before you can get on board the monorail. [Read more…]

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Soon all rental cars will be available at the Orlando airport

September 12, 2009 by

Orlando airport rental car companies will soon all be at the airport

Most people think that they can hop into any type of rental car right at the Orlando airport. For most of the rental car companies that is true. Almost all the rental car booths are on the first floor of the main Orlando airport terminal. BUT, for some like Hertz, you then need to take the rental car shuttle van or bus to their rental car lot located a mile or two from the airport.

The reason for this is that up until now there just was not enough room at the airport to hold all the rental cars. With around 6 major rental car companies operating out of the Orlando airport, each one with hundreds of cars, they take up lots of space! So large ones like Hertz had to get car lots just outside of the airport.

But now the Orlando airport is making some big construction jobs, one of which is to make more room for rental cars. So by next spring of 2010 all the major rental car agencies will have their cars ready to pick up right inside the airport terminal garages. That also means you can drop off your rental car right at the airport and be on your way to catch your flight.

More than 2 million rental cars are used a year by Orlando airport guest. So now it will be that much easier to grab your car and take off as soon as your plane lands. If you like Hertz rental cars, look for them to be operating out of the Orlando airport by spring of 2010, like all the other major rental car agencies!

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Orlando airport checkpoint friendly laptop bags requirements

September 9, 2009 by

Orlando airport checkpoint friendly laptop bags requirements

One of the things I hate the most when traveling by plane is having to take my laptop out of the case. My laptop is my whole job, so I am very picky about it. Seeing it dumped into a dirty plastic tub and smacked around while I hurry up with my other items is very stressful. Well now there is good news, at least at the Orlando International airport.

They now will let you keep your laptop in the case,,, IF it meets the checkpoint friendly laptop bag requirements. Which brings up the question, just why do you need to take it out anyway? It all goes back to a plane bombing about 18 years ago. The bomb was inside a boom box. So they now X-ray all laptops to make sure there is no bomb inside of the case.

The screeners know what the inside of a laptop should look like and if it has been tampered with. So they need a very clear view of the laptop. If there are pockets full of pens, papers, wires and so on over it they can’t get a clear view of it. So that’s why they need to view it outside the laptop case. But now they have decided your laptop can stay in the case as long as the case gives a clear view of the laptop.
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Orlando airport rental car information

February 20, 2009 by


no one deals like we do!

Rental cars, how we love them and hate them! I could make 50 post about rental cars in Orlando, and I’m sure I will. So I’m going to just talk a little bit about them in each post. Today I’ll just give you some basics about getting a rental car at or near the Orlando International airport. Orlando is one of the biggest rental car cities in the world.

As you would expect, there are many rental car companies that have an office and cars right there at the airport. There also are many others very close to the airport, around 1 to 5 miles. Almost all of them have regular bus and van services to and from the Orlando airport many times a day. So lets say you decide your going to get a rental car, truck or van for your Orlando vacation.

The biggest thing you can do for yourself is MAKE A RESERVATION FOR A RENTAL! Please don’t wait until you get there and figure you’ll just pick out whatever is cheapest. Your going to be tired from the trip and if you have kids they will be hungry and tired also. You want to grab your car and get the heck out of there, not wait in another long line! [Read more…]

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Can you take an Orlando Vacation without a rental car?

February 5, 2009 by

One of the biggest things you need to figure out when you take an Orlando vacation is if your going to do any of your own driving or not. Much depends on just what your going to do when your here. Orlando is a very spread out city, with many points of interest miles away from each other. If you do much sight seeing a cab will quickly cost much more than a rental car.

However many tourist in Orlando do quite well without a rental car, because they don’t go very far. So lets talk about those who would not need a rental car. Lets say you and the family are going to be down here for 7 days. Your a big fan of the theme parks and have almost every day planned out, with each day going to a different park.

You schedule in a day or two to relax and take it easy. So for the most part your whole vacation will consist of staying at the hotel or going to the theme parks. Disney has buses that go right to the airport and whisk you right to your Disney hotel, if your staying at a Disney one. For the other hotels there are many other buses, passenger vans and taxi that operate out of the airport. [Read more…]

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What is Orlando Inside all about?

December 12, 2008 by

If your here, you must have been looking for something about Orlando, Fl. Maybe you were looking for information on Walt Disney, or Universal Studios. Maybe it was the Orlando airport, or shopping in Orlando. So just what is this site all about? Well let me tell you who I am! My name is Bill, and I have lived in Orlando for over 17 years.

I worked for Walt Disney World for 2 years, and Universal Studios for 1 year. I have lots of friends who work at Sea World also. I worked at the Orlando International airport for 3 years, and was a courier driving throughout Orlando for 5 years. So, I think it’s safe to say I know a lot about Orlando! Through out all those jobs I always saw tourist making bad decisions and choices.

Now, I work from home making websites like this one. I decided to make this site to share all the inside secrets I know from my years of working and playing in Orlando’s theme parks, airport and the many hotels, rental shops, dining areas, resorts and shopping places. I want to help tourist who come here so they get the most out of their vacation and not the vacation from hell!

So this site is all about Orlando; how to get around it, how to get the best deal for your money, the best hotels to stay at, what to do and what NOT to do. An Orlando vacation guide that helps you make your Orlando vacation the best one ever. Best of all, all this information here is free for you to use! So browse around and get tips and tricks for your Walt Disney World, Universal Studios or other type of Orlando vacation.

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