Orlando

The theme-park capital of the world, with four Walt Disney World parks, Universal Orlando and the newly opened Epic Universe, plus Kennedy Space Center: the ultimate family destination.

Orlando is in central Florida and has the highest concentration of theme parks of any city in the world, welcoming more than 70 million visitors a year. The city itself is known for its lakes and oak trees, but visitors' destinations are clustered in the southwest suburbs: Walt Disney World Resort (110 square km, with four theme parks, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, plus two water parks and the Disney Springs shopping district); Universal Orlando Resort (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay water park, and Epic Universe, the third theme park, which opened in May 2025); SeaWorld and the neighboring Aquatica; and International Drive (hotels, restaurants, the ICON Orlando observation wheel and outlet shopping). Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, 75 km to the east, is the best day trip outside the theme parks.

The climate is subtropical. February–April and October–November, with temperatures of 20–28°C and little thunderstorm activity, are comfortable and relatively uncrowded; June–September is hot, above 33°C, with thunderstorms almost every afternoon and a risk of hurricanes. Christmas through New Year's, Easter spring break (March) and the US summer vacation are the busiest times in the parks, so book tickets and reservations in advance.

Getting there: Orlando International Airport (MCO) is 25–35 km from the resorts. From China, most routes connect via Los Angeles, New York, Dallas or Atlanta. From the airport to Disney you can take the Mears Connect shuttle or Uber (about US$40–60); Disney and Universal both run free buses, monorails and boats within the resorts. A rental car is the most convenient if you want to visit Kennedy Space Center or combine multiple parks; parking at the parks costs about US$30 a day.

Tickets: a one-day, one-park Disney ticket costs US$109–189 (dynamic pricing), while multi-day and park-hopper tickets offer better value; you must reserve your park in the My Disney Experience app (Park Pass) before entering. Universal two-park and three-park tickets for 2–3 days are good value, and an Express Pass saves a great deal of time in lines.

We recommend staying 5–7 days: 3–4 days at Disney (one day each for Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and one day each for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, or combine them), 2–3 days at Universal (Epic Universe needs a full day to itself), and 1 day at the Space Center.

Notes: food in the parks is expensive, so bring your own water and snacks; in summer, bring sunscreen, a rain jacket and a change of clothes; children's height requirements are posted in centimeters at each attraction entrance; downtown Orlando (Winter Park, Lake Eola) is a good place to relax for the last half day, and the nearby Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets are great for shopping.

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