How To Handle the Record-Breaking Crowds at Orlando’s Airport

Disney4me · August 8, 2023

If you’ve flown into Orlando International Airport recently, you might have noticed that the airport has been WAY more crowded than in previous years.

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Orlando International Airport is VERY busy

Well, you’re not imagining it! The airport has seen record-breaking crowds over the past year, with 54.6 million passengers traveling through it over a 12-month period. Needless to say, these crowds can create a less-than-ideal airport experience, but if you know how to handle those crowds, we promise everything will be okay!

Don’t worry — we’re here to help you navigate your way through Orlando International Airport, even when it’s super crowded.

Get to the airport early

The absolute best piece of advice we can give you when you’re flying out of Orlando International Airport is to get to the airport early. It is highly recommended that you get to the airport three hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. That might seem like a lot of time, but trust us — those three hours go fast when you spend a lot of time getting checked in and then having to wait to get through security.

Orlando International Airport

If all else fails and you breeze through check-in and security, you have time to check out some airport shops, grab some snacks, have a drink, and relax before the hectic chaos begins all over again when you board your plane.

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How to deal with security

Remember those security lines we mentioned? Well, they can get REALLY long, and this is probably where you’ll lose a LOT of time. That’s why we said to get to the airport early. However, there are a few other things you can do to make getting through security less stressful. First, check security times on the Orlando International Airport website — you can get an idea of just how long your wait might be.

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Orlando International Airport crowds

Second, consider using MCO Reserve. This is a FREE service that lets you schedule a time to go through security. Then when you arrive at the airport, you get to use a shorter security line at the time you previously designated. MCO Reserve is open from 5AM to 5PM and passengers with flights that depart between 6:30AM and 8:30PM are eligible to use it.

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©Orlando International Airport

Finally, if you travel often, you might want to consider applying for TSA PreCheck, which will let you access an exclusive security line for members while also allowing you to keep your baggie of liquids in your carry-on and your shoes on.

©AP

TSA recently dropped the price for PreCheck, too, so now is a great time to sign up.

PreCheck vs. Global Entry: What You Should Apply For Before Your Next Vacation

Know about delays

One thing you’ll most certainly need to do is keep checking your airline’s website or app to keep up to date on delays. Delays happen often these days, but if you’re aware of it, you can adjust your plan accordingly. Weather, in particular, will often delay flights into and out of Orlando, so you’ll want to have an idea of any weather that might be in the area, too.

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Tropical Storm Nicole affected flights ©Orlando International Airport

The Orlando International Airport will often post to social media when the weather has adversely affected multiple flights, so you can get information that way, as well.

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Know your airline’s check-in policies

You’ll also want to know your airline’s policies about check-in. Some airlines, like Frontier, require that passengers be checked into a flight at least an hour before that flight is scheduled to leave. You must have your printed boarding pass in hand by that time, as well as have your bags checked. So you’ll have to make sure you’re at the airport in time so you don’t miss checking into your flight.

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This is something you’ll need to consider when planning transportation to the airport, too — give yourself plenty of time for traffic delays and other things that could slow you down when you’re on the way to the airport.

More about Frontier’s Check-In Policy

With a little bit of planning and preparation, you can make even the most crowded day at Orlando International Airport a little stressful. We hope these tips help, and we wish you happy travels! Stay tuned to DFB for more!

If you want to do some planning before your flight (or even on the plane!), check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining. We’ve compiled all of our BEST tips and tricks from years of Disney World travel into one eBook that you can download to your tablet or smartphone and take with you! We’re offering our readers 25% off with code WDW2023.