Book Flights to Orlando, Florida
Orlando -- the theme park capital of the world -- receives 75 million visitors annually, anchored by Walt Disney World (the most visited theme park resort on Earth), Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld, and Kennedy Space Center 45 miles east. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is served by every major US airline with nonstop service from virtually every domestic market.
FareOptic compares Delta, American, Southwest, JetBlue, United, Spirit, Frontier, and all carriers to MCO -- finding the cheapest available fare for your Orlando trip.
Cheap Flight Deals to Orlando (MCO)
*All above fares are one way/round trip. Fares incl. all fuel surcharges, taxes & fees and our service fees. Displayed fares are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking. See all booking terms and conditions.
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Why Visit Orlando, Florida?
Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Harry Potter World, Kennedy Space Center, EPCOT World Showcase, and Epic Universe
Walt Disney World Resort -- The Most Visited Theme Park on Earth
Four Parks, Two Water Parks, 30,000 Hotel Rooms -- 58 Square Miles of MagicWalt Disney World Resort -- 58 square miles (25,000 acres) of Disney property on the western edge of Orlando -- is the most visited theme park resort in the world: approximately 58 million annual park visits across Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. The resort contains 30 hotels (from value to deluxe), two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), Disney Springs shopping and dining complex, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Magic Kingdom is the single most visited theme park on earth at approximately 20 million visits per year.
How Walt Disney Bought 25,000 Acres in Secret -- The Florida Project Land Acquisition
Walt Disney purchased the land for Walt Disney World using a network of 18 shell companies in 1964-1965, paying an average of $185 per acre for what is now some of the most valuable entertainment real estate on Earth. Disney learned from the Disneyland experience (where he didn't control surrounding land) that he needed to own everything. The shell companies used names like 'Tomahawk Properties' and 'Reedy Creek Ranch' to avoid tipping off Florida landowners to the true buyer. Disney also negotiated the Reedy Creek Improvement District -- a special self-governing entity that gives Disney the powers of a county government on its property, including its own fire department, utilities, and building codes -- a legislative arrangement that has been politically contested in 2022-2023 but remains substantially intact.
Universal Orlando Resort -- Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, and Two Full Parks
Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe () -- The Full Thrill PackageUniversal Orlando Resort -- 7 miles north of Walt Disney World -- contains Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure (home of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter), and Volcano Bay water park, with Epic Universe (a fourth full-size theme park featuring Nintendo, Harry Potter, and Universal Monsters) opened. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (split between both parks, connected by the Hogwarts Express) is the most successfully executed book-to-theme-park experience in history. Universal's parks are generally preferred by teenagers and adults who find Disney's pace too gentle.
Harry Potter vs. Disney -- Why Universal's Potter Land Changed the Industry
When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010 at Islands of Adventure, it was the first time a competitor had genuinely threatened Disney's theme park dominance since the 1980s: Universal saw a 25% attendance increase in the first year. The Potter land's success drove Disney to accelerate its own franchise-based investments -- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Avatar's Pandora at Animal Kingdom were both responses to Potter's success. The competition between Disney and Universal has directly benefited Orlando visitors: both resorts have accelerated investment, resulting in more new attractions in 2015-than in the previous 25 years combined.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
America's Spaceport -- Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and Active Launch Operations -- 45 Miles EastKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex -- on Merritt Island, 45 miles east of Orlando via the Beachline Expressway (SR-528) -- is one of the finest science and exploration institutions in the United States: the Saturn V Center (containing an actual Saturn V moon rocket, the most powerful launch vehicle ever successfully operated, suspended horizontally in a dedicated building), the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit (the orbiter displayed with its payload bay open and landing gear down as if freshly returned from space), and the launch viewing opportunities for actual SpaceX, ULA, and NASA missions. The center is adjacent to the active Kennedy Space Center launch facility -- the same pads that launched Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle missions.
The Shuttle Landing Facility and the New Space Economy at KSC
Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility -- the 15,000-foot runway where Space Shuttles landed from 1984 to 2011 -- has been leased to Space Florida and is now an active commercial spaceport: it hosts X-37B landings, Blue Origin operations, and is being developed for commercial orbital vehicle operations. The broader KSC area has become a major hub of the new commercial space economy: SpaceX operates from Launch Complex 39A and 40 (the original Apollo and Shuttle pads), Boeing's Starliner program launches from Complex 41, and over 200 space-related companies have operations on or near the Space Coast. The economic transformation of Brevard County from NASA dependency to commercial space hub is one of the more remarkable industrial transitions in recent American history.
EPCOT -- Walt Disney's Original Vision and Its Complicated Evolution
World Showcase, Guardians Coaster, and the Park That Defied Easy DescriptionEPCOT -- Walt Disney's original concept for an 'Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow' (a planned urban environment, not a theme park) that was reimagined after his death (1966) into a two-zone park (Future World and World Showcase) -- is the most intellectually ambitious and thematically contested park at Walt Disney World. The World Showcase (11 pavilions representing countries from Canada to Morocco to Japan, each with authentic architecture, food, and entertainment) is one of the most genuinely educational and culinarily excellent experiences in American theme parks. The park's reimagining in 2020-2024 (adding the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and Moana's Journey of Water) has modernized it while maintaining the international showcase's character.
Why EPCOT Will Never Be What Walt Disney Wanted -- And Why That Might Be Okay
Walt Disney's original EPCOT concept (documented in a 1966 filmed presentation he made shortly before his death) was for an actual city of 20,000 residents, built under a climate-controlled dome, organized around a town center with radial neighborhoods, electric vehicles underground, and monorails overhead -- essentially a planned urban experiment sponsored by corporate America to demonstrate what cities could be. It was not a theme park at all. After Disney's death, the company concluded that a real city with real residents was legally and practically impossible (residents would have voting rights, undermining Disney's control). The theme park opened in 1982. The tension between what EPCOT was supposed to be and what it became is why the park has always had the most passionate defenders and critics of any Disney park.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Orlando
Book Disney/Universal Trip Flights 2-3 Months Out -- Holiday Windows 4-6 Months
Orlando is one of America's most consistently booked leisure destinations year-round. Holiday windows (spring break late March-April, summer June-August, Thanksgiving, and Christmas week) fill 3-4 months in advance. For the best combination of flight and hotel pricing, target early September (after Labor Day) or late January (after Martin Luther King weekend) -- Orlando's two true off-peak windows.
MCO Is 25 Miles from Disney -- Budget Shuttle, Uber Pool, or Rental Car
Orlando International Airport (MCO) is 25 miles from Walt Disney World and 12 miles from Universal Studios. Disney's complimentary Magical Express airport shuttle was discontinued in 2022; visitors now use rideshares ($30-50 to Disney), rental cars, or Sunshine Flyer ($39/adult one-way, shared shuttle). For Universal, rideshare is $20-30. If you're renting a car anyway for the trip, picking up at MCO and driving to the parks saves money.
Visit in September or January for Lowest Crowds and Best Prices
September (after Labor Day) and January (after New Year's) are Orlando's two genuine off-peak windows: theme park crowds are at annual lows, hotel rates drop 30-50%, and flight prices follow. September weather is hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms, but park hours are often extended. January is ideal weather (72-78°F / 22-26°C, low humidity) with the lowest crowds of the year at all four Disney parks.
Compare Southwest Separately -- It Often Has the Cheapest MCO Fares
Southwest Airlines is one of MCO's largest carriers and does not appear on Google Flights or aggregator sites. Always check Southwest.com directly when searching for Orlando flights -- the cheapest fare to MCO is frequently a Southwest nonstop invisible to standard searches. Southwest's two free bags policy is worth $60-120 in savings for a Disney family checking luggage.
Airlines Flying to Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Southwest Airlines
Orlando's High-Frequency Value Carrier -- Theme Park Family Travel SpecialistSouthwest Airlines operates the highest capacity of any carrier at Orlando International (MCO) for leisure and family travel, with nonstops from nearly every major Southwest city: Chicago Midway (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Nashville (BNA), New York (LGA area via HPN), Philadelphia (PHL), and 30+ other markets. Southwest's no-change-fee policy and two free checked bags are particularly valuable for Disney families whose plans sometimes shift and who check multiple bags of gear.
Key Routes
MDW to MCO (2h 30m nonstop); BWI to MCO (2h 30m nonstop); DAL to MCO (2h 30m nonstop); LAS to MCO (4h nonstop); DEN to MCO (3h 30m nonstop); BNA to MCO (1h 50m nonstop)
Delta Air Lines
Atlanta Hub -- SkyTeam Gateway and Multiple Daily Nonstops to MCODelta Air Lines operates the largest hubbed network to Orlando from Atlanta (ATL) -- multiple daily nonstops on the 1-hour ATL-MCO route -- plus direct service from New York (JFK, LGA), Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), Los Angeles (LAX), and Seattle (SEA). Delta's premium cabin (Delta One business class on select transcontinental routes, First Class on shorter routes) makes it the preferred carrier for premium Orlando leisure travelers. The ATL hub provides the fastest connection for Delta passengers from the South and Southeast.
Key Routes
ATL to MCO (1h nonstop, 8+ daily); JFK to MCO (2h 40m nonstop); LGA to MCO (2h 30m nonstop); LAX to MCO (5h nonstop; DTW to MCO (2h 15m nonstop; BOS to MCO (3h nonstop)
American Airlines
Charlotte, DFW, and Multiple Direct Routes -- Largest International Footprint at MCOAmerican Airlines serves Orlando International from Charlotte (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago O'Hare (ORD), New York (JFK/LGA/EWR), Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL), and Los Angeles (LAX). American also operates the most international routes at MCO of any US carrier: nonstops to London Heathrow (British Airways codeshare), Cancún, Nassau, and multiple Caribbean destinations. MCO is a top-5 American destination for family leisure travel.
Key Routes
CLT to MCO (1h 30m nonstop, multiple daily); DFW to MCO (2h 30m nonstop; ORD to MCO (2h 30m nonstop; JFK to MCO (2h 40m nonstop; LHR to MCO (9h nonstop via British Airways)
JetBlue Airways
Northeast Family Travel to Orlando -- Boston, JFK, and New England RoutesJetBlue Airways is the preferred carrier for Northeast family travelers to Orlando, with high-frequency service from Boston Logan (BOS), JFK, and Hartford (BDL) -- the three primary Northeast markets for Disney World and Universal Studios visitors. JetBlue's MCO routes consistently carry among the highest proportions of families with children of any US airline route, and the carrier's slightly larger seat pitch and seatback screens are appreciated on the 2.5-3 hour flights.
Key Routes
BOS to MCO (3h nonstop, multiple daily); JFK to MCO (2h 40m nonstop; BDL to MCO (3h nonstop); FLL to MCO (1h 10m nonstop; SJU to MCO (2h 30m nonstop)
Things to Do in Orlando, Florida
Essential Info for Your Orlando Trip
State
Florida (FL)
Airport Code
MCO — Orlando International Airport
Currency
USD — US Dollar
Time Zone
EST (UTC-5) / EDT (UTC-4) in summer
Annual Visitors
75 million+ (one of the most visited cities in the US)
Airport to Disney
25 miles, 25-35 min by car (Beachline Expressway). Rideshare $35-55 to Disney hotels.
Best Visit Months
January-February (lowest crowds, ideal weather 72-78°F). September (off-peak, cheaper). Avoid: summer heat and holiday peaks.
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Orlando
Everything you need to know about booking cheap flights to Orlando, Florida (MCO)
What airport serves Orlando, Florida?
Orlando International Airport (IATA: MCO) serves Orlando. The airport is located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of downtown Orlando -- approximately 25 miles from Walt Disney World and 12 miles from Universal Studios. MCO is one of the busiest airports in the US (consistently top-10) and handles over 50 million passengers annually. A second option, Orlando Sanford International (SFB, 35 miles north of Disney), serves some low-cost carriers including Allegiant. MCO is the right airport for nearly all Orlando visitors.
How far is Orlando airport from Disney World?
Orlando International Airport (MCO) is approximately 25 miles (40 km) from Walt Disney World's main entrance at the junction of I-4 and US-192 -- about 25-35 minutes by car without traffic via the Beachline Expressway (FL-528 toll road). Rideshares (Uber/Lyft) from MCO to Disney hotels cost $35-55 depending on destination within the resort. There is no rail connection between MCO and Disney World; Disney's complimentary Magical Express service was discontinued in January 2022.
When is the cheapest time to fly to Orlando?
Cheapest flights to Orlando: September (after Labor Day, theme park off-peak), January (after New Year's through mid-February), and mid-May (after spring break, before summer). Most expensive: spring break (late March-April), summer (June-August), Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week (December 23-January 1). Orlando has minimal true off-season because Disney and Universal operate year-round with consistent global demand.
Which Orlando theme park is best?
Magic Kingdom (Disney) is the best for families with young children (ages 3-10) -- the most classic Disney experience. EPCOT (Disney) is best for adults, foodies, and international culture enthusiasts. Hollywood Studios (Disney) is best for Star Wars and Marvel fans. Animal Kingdom (Disney) is best for Avatar fans and animal conservation content. Islands of Adventure (Universal) is best for teenagers and thrill-seekers. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (split between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure) is exceptional for Potter fans of all ages. Epic Universe (Universal, opened) is best for Nintendo fans and visitors who have done the other parks before.
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