Orlando International Airport (KMCO/MCO)
Orlando, United States
Orlando Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
Crew car rental deal ↓Hotel deals ↓
The MCO crew card
| Car pickup | Terminals A and B: Alamo, Enterprise and National on Level R1, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Payless and Thrifty on Level R2, Sixt on Level P1. Terminal C: desks on Level 4 beside Garage C. Six of the ten brands return on a different level from pick-up, so read your own agreement |
|---|---|
| Tolls | SR 528 and SR 417 are toll roads; grab the free Visitor Toll Pass hangtag in the terminal and decline the rental desk’s toll package |
| Parks without a car | LYNX Link 11 bus to downtown Orlando USD 2.00, or Link 42 to International Drive USD 2.00; Mears Connect to the Disney area from USD 17.60 |
| Payments | Cards everywhere; tipping at sit-down restaurants runs 18 to 20 percent |
| Tap water | Safe to drink; a slight mineral taste is normal |
| Emergency | 911 (City of Orlando and MCO Airport numbers) · non-emergency 407-825-3177 |
| Crew knows | The Hyatt Regency sits inside Terminal A/B, pre-security; on a short overnight you never have to leave the building |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · MCO crew card · Checked Sep 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Picking up your rental car at MCO
All on-airport brands sit in the terminal garages. At Terminals A and B pick-up is Level R1 for Alamo, Enterprise and National, Level R2 for Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Payless and Thrifty, and Level P1 for Sixt. At Terminal C the desks are on Level 4 beside Garage C. Six of the ten on-airport companies list a return level that differs from the pick-up level, so check your own paperwork before you drive back in.
The expressways serving the airport are toll roads with no cash lanes. Reserve the free CFX Visitor Toll Pass in its app and collect the hangtag at one of the airport’s pick-up points, on Level 1 in Terminals A and B and Level 4 in Terminal C, and decline the rental desk’s toll program; tolls then bill your card at the lowest electronic rate. Drop the hangtag in one of the 14 return boxes before you fly home: the airport states the tolls are billed to your card with no additional fees.
Warm year-round; June to September brings near-daily afternoon thunderstorms that pass quickly.
Getting from MCO to the Attractions / Hotels without a car
Without a car, MCO still connects: Brightline runs south to Miami, and shuttles cover the parks.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| LYNX bus (Link 11 to downtown, Link 42 to International Drive) | 38 to 55 minutes to downtown Orlando; 65 to 89 minutes to the Destination Parkway SuperStop Link 42 every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., then hourly to midnight |
USD 2.00 per ride, USD 4.50 all day | Buses board on the A side, Ground Transportation Level (Level 1), at Commercial Lane spaces A38 to A41. The airport names Downtown Orlando, Destination Parkway, the Orange County Convention Center, SeaWorld, Florida Mall, Premium Outlets and the Sand Lake Road SunRail station as destinations. |
| Brightline (intercity rail) | West Palm approx 2 h, Miami approx 3 h 30 min | Dynamic fares, book ahead | Separate Train Station building beside Terminal C, reached from A and B via the Terminal Link people mover. The operator lists 16 daily round trips with hourly departures. Orlando is the northern terminus, so every train from here runs south; there is no service to downtown Orlando or the parks. |
| Mears Connect (Disney area) | From USD 17.60 one way + 3 percent surcharge | The paid successor to the discontinued free Magical Express; Sunshine Flyer merged into it. Book ahead; child 3 to 9 USD 14.30, under 3 free. | |
| Ride-share (Uber, Lyft) | app priced; the airport publishes no ride-share fare | Pick up at the marked app-ride zones. Fares are dynamic and depend on traffic, so read the price in your app. | |
| I-Ride Trolley (I-Drive) | Red Line about every 20 minutes, Green Line about every 45 minutes, daily 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | USD 2 single, USD 8 one day pass | Covers the International Drive corridor. It does not serve the airport itself: reach the corridor first on LYNX Link 42 from the terminal, then transfer. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Orlando
International Drive: The hotel corridor closest to Universal and the convention center, with a walkable stretch of restaurants and the I-Ride Trolley along it.
Lake Buena Vista and Disney Springs: The Disney-side base: crew-rate hotels cluster here and Disney Springs dining needs no park ticket.
Winter Park: Brick streets, lakeside cafes, and Park Avenue boutiques; the grown-up antidote to a parks trip.
Airport and Lake Nona: Newest hotel cluster minutes from the terminals; the practical pick before an early report time.
Booking your own stay? Compare 6 Orlando hotels
Compare an MCO airport night, a Disney Springs base or a suite on International Drive. Open our Expedia collection for a short note on each hotel and current booking options.
Compare the total with any staff rate you qualify for. Expedia prices are not guaranteed crew rates. Check your dates, room and cancellation terms. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
What to Do on a Layover in Orlando
Under 8 hours: Stay inside the airport. The Hyatt Regency sits inside Terminal A/B above the security checkpoint, pre-security and open to non-guests, with rooms and a restaurant overlooking the runways. MCO has no walk-up observation deck.
About 24 hours: Collect the car on arrival and pick one anchor: a single theme park, Kennedy Space Center on the coast, or Winter Park for a slower reset. Drop the car back at your own terminal’s garage.
Multi-day family trip: The classic MCO pattern: pick up the car at the terminal garage, grab the free Visitor Toll Pass before driving out, base in Lake Buena Vista or on International Drive, and mix park days with a beach day on the Atlantic coast.
Crew Tips for Orlando
Park tickets: Buy Disney and Universal tickets online in advance, never at the gate; multi-day tickets carry a far better per-day rate, and some Disney ticket types still need a date-linked reservation.
Weather: Warm year-round. June to September brings near-daily afternoon thunderstorms that pass quickly, and the parks stay open through them.
Money: Cards are accepted everywhere; tipping at sit-down restaurants runs 18 to 20 percent.
Drinking Water: Orlando tap water comes from the Lower Floridan Aquifer and meets or exceeds all federal and state standards; refill often in the Florida heat.
Emergency Numbers for Orlando, Florida, and the USA
👉 Swipe sideways if the numbers do not fit
| Emergency (police, fire, medical) | 911 |
| Orlando International Airport, non-emergency assistance (live agents 6 a.m. to midnight) | 407-825-3177 |
| Orlando International Airport 911 centre, non-emergency | 407-825-2065 |
| Orlando Police Department, non-emergency | 321-235-5300 |
| Orlando Police Department Information Desk, 24 hours (call this to report a theft that happened at the airport) | 407-246-2470 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
Is the rental car center inside Orlando Airport?
Yes. MCO has no separate off-site rental car center. The on-airport brands sit in the terminal garages: at Terminals A and B pick-up is Level R1 for Alamo, Enterprise and National, Level R2 for Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Payless and Thrifty, and Level P1 for Sixt, and at Terminal C the desks are on Level 4 beside Garage C. You walk to your car, no shuttle needed for on-site companies, but six of the ten list a return level that differs from pick-up, so check your paperwork.
Does Brightline stop at Orlando Airport?
Yes. The Brightline station sits in the Train Station building next to Terminal C, linked to Terminals A and B by the Terminal Link people mover. Trains run 16 daily round trips south to West Palm Beach in about 2 hours and Miami in about 3.5 hours. No service runs toward the theme parks.
How do I get from MCO to Disney World without a car?
Book the Mears Connect shared shuttle, from USD 17.60 per adult one way plus a 3 percent fuel surcharge, or take a ride-share from the designated pickup zones. There is no train or free Disney shuttle from the airport; Brightline heads south to Miami, not toward Walt Disney World.
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Crew Discounts in Orlando: verified car rental and hotel deals for airline staff are just below this guide.
