I will be the first to admit, I have no sense of direction. If you tell me to go East, that means nothing to me. So it is no surprise, even though we had a map and instructions on how to get to the Magical Express transportation area at Orlando International Airport (MCO), we struggled. We stepped off that plane and you would have thought we landed on Mars. I decided to tackle this topic as a form of public service for all my fellow directionally-challenged travelers.
Are we there yet???
First, and most importantly, it does not matter what gate you fly into, you will HAVE to board a tram to take you to the main hub of the airport. Everything happens within this hub at Orlando International Airport; baggage claim, Magical Express transportation area, car rentals, etc.
Think of the hub as a rectangle. The trams will spit you out on one of four corners of the main hub. Within that hub lie two terminals; Side A and Side B. Pay attention when you hop off your flight as to which baggage claim you will need if you are not using Magical Express baggage services. If you are using Magical Express baggage services, no worries here.
Your next step will be to either head to your rental car desk or the Magical Express transportation area. There are rental car desks on both Side A and Side B. Both sides have rental desks for the following rental companies; Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, E-Z • Enterprise, Hertz, L&M, National, and Thrifty. If you are using Magical Express, you need to head to Terminal B, Level 1, which is the ground floor. There are elevators and escalators. Keep your little ones in mind if you choose to use the escalators. They are steep and can be difficult to navigate if you are handling bags and kids.
Believe it or not, MCO has great shopping and a wonderful food court. Most people will not utilize these options when flying into MCO, but keep them in mind on your day of departure. I hear lots of complaints about Magical Express dropping people off too early before their flight departs. No worries, there are lots of options to kill time and spend those last few vacation dollars. Did you forget someone on your souvenir list? No worries, there is a Disney’s Earport where you can even get in one last swipe of your MagicBand.
We don’t want to leave!!!
It’s a tricky airport and your adrenaline will be at an all time high as you get ready to embark on your Disney vacation. Relax, there are friendly people everywhere who can point you in the right direction if you make a wrong turn.
What tips do you have for people traveling in and out of Orlando International Airport?