Visit Orlando

Orlando comes down to a choice: how many days for Walt Disney World, how many for Universal, and what to keep for the rest. Central Florida adds the Kennedy Space Center, clear-water springs and alligator swamps. Allow at least three park days, a car, and a good dose of patience in summer.

Why visit Orlando?

Orlando is the most visited tourist destination in the United States, with four Disney parks, three Universal parks and a dozen other attractions. The subtropical climate means you can visit year-round, the airport has a direct flight from Paris, and the Atlantic coast with its beaches and space centre is under an hour away by road.

Orlando's must-sees

The major parks, a space centre and a few more local attractions around the city.

Magic Kingdom

The most iconic Disney park, around Cinderella Castle, with nightly fireworks and an afternoon parade.

EPCOT

A Disney park themed on the future and world cultures, around a lagoon lined with eleven country pavilions.

Islands of Adventure

The Universal park with the resort's most intense coasters: VelociCoaster, Hagrid's Motorbike and the Harry Potter Hogsmeade.

Epic Universe

The third Universal park, opened in 2025, with Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe and How to Train Your Dragon lands.

Kennedy Space Center

On the coast, the suspended Atlantis shuttle, the bus to the launch pads and the full-scale Saturn V rocket.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

An hour-long cruise on the canals and lakes of Winter Park, past old mansions and cypress trees, north of Orlando.

Gatorland

A wildlife park devoted to alligators and crocodiles since 1949, with feeding shows and a boardwalk through the cypress.

What to discover in Orlando, area by area?

Walt Disney World

The resort brings together four parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) and two water parks on land the size of San Francisco. Each park needs a full day, with a dated ticket and the paid Lightning Lane option to skip the lines on the big rides. Book tickets and lodging several months ahead, arrive at opening (rope drop), and allow for internal transfers that easily take 45 minutes between parks.

Universal Orlando Resort

Universal lines up three adjacent parks: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and the Epic Universe park opened in 2025. The first two are linked by the Hogwarts Express and hold the Harry Potter Wizarding Worlds, VelociCoaster and Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure. The Express Pass, expensive but effective, cuts the lines and is included if you stay at certain resort hotels. Two days are enough for the three parks at a fast pace.

Beyond the parks: the city and nature

Away from the resorts, Orlando has a real downtown around Lake Eola, and the smart Winter Park district with its boat tour on the canals (an hour, about 18 dollars). To the south, Gatorland has shown alligators and crocodiles since 1949. To the west, the Wekiwa and Blue Spring springs, 40 minutes away, offer swimming in 22-degree water year-round and manatee watching in winter.

The Space Coast and day trips

The Kennedy Space Center, an hour away on the Atlantic coast, takes a full day: buses to the launch pads, the Atlantis shuttle hall, the Saturn V rocket. Check the launch schedule, often visible from the beaches of Cocoa Beach or Titusville. Further afield, Tampa and its Busch Gardens park are 1h30 away, Miami 3h30 by highway; each works better as an overnight than as a day trip from Orlando.

Orlando in pictures

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Orlando: frequently asked questions

How many days do you need for Disney and Universal in Orlando?
Allow one day per park you really want to see: three to four days for Walt Disney World, two to three for Universal with Epic Universe. A comfortable trip covering both resorts and one rest day works out around seven to eight nights.
Do you need to rent a car in Orlando?
Yes, unless you stay locked inside a Disney hotel and never leave. Free shuttles exist but are slow and rigid; as soon as you want Universal, the Kennedy Space Center, a spring or an off-park restaurant, a car saves hours.
What is the cheapest, least crowded time to visit Orlando?
The second half of January, early February, the first half of May, and above all September, quieter despite the heat and hurricane risk. Avoid US school holidays, Thanksgiving week and the Christmas-to-New-Year period.
Should you pay for Lightning Lane at Disney World?
On a short trip in high season, yes: without it, waits top an hour on the headline rides. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass is bought at 7am the same morning. Off-peak and over several days, you can skip it by arriving at opening.
Can you visit Orlando without going to the theme parks?
Yes, but the offer is thinner: downtown and Lake Eola, Winter Park and its boat tour, Gatorland, the Wekiwa or Blue Spring springs, the Kennedy Space Center and the coast beaches. Two to three days are enough for this park-free version.

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