There are five primary flight routes into the Orlando area:
Flying direct into Orlando from the UK is the perfect start to your Disney vacation. No changing planes first before flying on to Orlando, and only a short journey from Orlando to your hotel or house.
However, the convenience of flying direct to Orlando does come at a cost – it’s the most expensive of the flight options, and, sometimes, by quite a considerable margin.
Flying indirect into Orlando naturally requires a plane change at a major US city, such as Newark, Chicago or Atlanta.
This can be a cheaper option, though does add an extra 3 to 4 hours to your overall journey. However, it can be a better option than the drive up from Miami, that takes about the same time. With flying indirect into Orlando you do at least get to clear US immigration at your first port of entry into the US, rather than in Orlando.
Flying direct into Miami can be much cheaper, but you’ve just got to weigh that up against the drive to the Disney area after a long flight.
Flying direct into Tampa is eminently possible, there just aren’t that many airlines that fly into Tampa, and the costs can be quite high – but worth taking a look because it’s a smaller, easy to navigate airport, and it’s a relatively short commute up I4 to Orlando.
Flying direct into Melbourne (on the east coast) is an option if you are booking with TUI – the only airline and holiday company with a limited Melbourne flight schedule.
Ideally, we would always fly in to and out of Orlando, but we usually end up either flying into Orlando and then out of Miami, or in and out of Miami to save money!
This is achievable with any of the airlines.
It’s always worth investigating flights through the likes of Kayak and then book your preferred flights direct with your chosen carrier, or as part of a package (flights and hotel) with your chosen package provider.
We generally fly with Virgin Atlantic, based on value for money, cabin service, flexibility and our past, positive experiences – but the carrier you choose is a very personal and budget-based choice.