Orlando Airport

Horrible mass confusion. It took us an hour to navigate after dropping off the rental car and going through screening. Albeit we did arrive only an hour prior to boarding but it shouldn't have taken an hour on a Tuesday at noon to leave. Their screening area was a jumble not enough lanes open for the amount of travellers. We had to get rescreened because I put my laptop in the same bin as my shoes etc (don't do that) and it took forever for it to come back through once they separated it. You definitely need 2 hours to go through there airport.

If You are arriving into this airport and are going to go to Disney use the Disney Magical Express Bus Service. This is the way to go.. If You are going to do Disney stay on the property and at Disney's Pop Century Resort. Now when you get off the plane and you are on the side that has a water fountain on it walk right through that and follow the sign for chillis too. Once you see Chillis too look for the b side which you will see solantic Urgent Care center. Go to the elevator and go to level 1. When you get to level one look for disney magical express bus service. You must check in at the desk before boarding the busses. After you check in you will be assigned by your resort for the busses. When you are eating inside the terminal go to Famous Familga's Pizza and Sabarro it is great. Don't bring water or anything through TSA and have your laptop computers out of the bags. Now when you get off the plane (Except for disney resort guest) you will arrive on level 3 in the main terminal. Baggage claim is on level 2 of the airport as well as curbside pick up. If You are getting a Taxi its on level 1.

Orlando airport is in dire need of renovation which it appears they are working on but if you are traveling through this airport currently prepare for less-than-comfortable surroundings. I fly through many airports and this is by far on the low end of major airports. In the 1-29 wing the ceilings have been removed revealing the structure and it looks as if asbestos is exposed to all. There are air ducts in plastic running overhead that shoot a brisk breeze to all below. There are minimal food options and restrooms. The line at Starbucks is huge because it's the only game in town in this wing of the airport. The airport does nothing to help their cause. If you have the option fly into Tampa which is much nicer especially if you're on business. You can avoid the families and retirees who know little about navigating through security etc.

I travel through MCO several times a year on business and have found the airport to be pleasant to transit. Yes the Disney influence screaming kids and ridiculous "monorails" to the main terminal were off-putting at first but I've grown to appreciate the kitsch factor and a Bose headset mutes the brats. The only real lines I've encountered at Orlando were for ticketing and curbside usually alleviates this - it's worth tipping the skycap to avoid the rabble. Security checkpoint lines are usually VERY fast a welcome difference from the TSA mess at most other major airports. Personnel are usually polite efficient and a few are even downright friendly - again a welcome surprise. I travel most often on Southwest and that carrier's terminal is impressively clean and modern with a number of shops and fast food choices. Walk times from the furthest gates are a bit on the long side but I don't mind the walk. I've never had to connect at MCO though so I can see how this would be a challenge especially between different carriers. For a busy congested airport you can do worse than to travel through Orlando - think "Miami."

A modern relatively comfortable airport. Also extremely busy with many families starting or ending holidays there which adds to the chaos in the check-out lines (lots of overweight baggage on the way out and far too few attendants at least at Delta). After checking in getting your bags weighed etc. you need to take all of your bags to a security area to leave them off for scanning (agents said to just leave our bags and leave which seemed to defeat the purpose of security; also not clear what would prevent one from adding items to their luggage to get around weight restrictions). Security line was relativey quick for us but have heard it can be very busy. Plenty of options for shopping and dining but far fewer once you go through security and take at train to your individual terminal. Returning a rental car can be a bit confusing since some companies have their return facilities next to the terminals (need to walk) and some are off-airport. Worse when we stopped to top-off the tank of our rental car several blocks from the airport entrance and with no price signs outside the station we found only at the tank that gas cost TWICE as much as we had paid several miles away. The attendant explained that the higher price was due to it being "on airport property." Sounded like a rip-off (fortunately we were buying just a gallon). We were in the area of hotels and shops and restaurants but not within the airport itself. We had flown into Jacksonville when we arrived in Florida and would likely endeavor to use it or perhaps Daytona when departing from the area again unless we wee going to be based in Orlando.

For international arrivald its a complete shambles. Having cleared customs you now cannot take your baggage via the shuttle to arrivals. You have to go through the whole security screening again and then you must place your baggage on the belt for delivery in the arrival area. One hour later the bags arrived on the belt.

Terrible airport as far as accommodating passengers. They have all the Hotel and Private Limo Pick - Up spaces on Level one way down at the end of the line on both sides. A very long walk if you have luggage to carry. Toward the end of the year 2008 Hotel and Rental Car buses and large vans will have to drop passengers off on Level One and not on Level 3 where curb side check in and ticketing is located. Passengers will be required to walk all the upstairs to the ticket counter. Another long walk with your luggage in tow.

I worked in Florida for a while and was a regular at the airport! I have seen it where everything is open no delays and everything is quick and goes to plan - I've also seen the complete opposite! As for facilities these are what you would expect in an Orlando airport - generaly a good choice and selection of near enough everything. The terminal (land side) makes for an interesting wander.

When we arrived from the UK from the back of a 747 I expected a long delay through immigration however I was pleasantly surprised to see all booths manned and the process only took about 30 minutes. However customs randomly x-raying baggage is a new one for me and one or two people were struggling to get their bags on the machine. Departure was good with plenty of choice for food at reasonable (for an airport) prices. Also there was plenty of room for passengers to sit.

Only 4 out of the 26 available desks for non US citizens (both US citizen desks were open and then closed once the US citizens were processed) were open on arriving into the immigration hall at Orlando. I appreciate there may not be full availability of staff as it was Sunday afternoon but overall I feel this is poor planning on the part of the authorities. There was a group of officers standing in one booth chatting and seemingly indifferent to the melee forming in this hall. They are undoubtedly aware of the number of overseas flights and should plan for pax arrivals accordingly. After a long wait two more desks were finally opened to process more people thus causing a mini stampede. No security search on arrival this time around (I have commented on this previously and wondered why this was). Pax are now permitted and actively encouraged by staff to put their suitcases on the train rather than use their slow belt system after clearing Customs. Orlando has a nice departures area which a wide range of shops and restaurants (particularly landside but airside is good too especially when compared with some other US airports). There are now a wheelchair line and a families line at the security checkpoints on departure. Lines move very slowly.