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Located in central Florida, Orlando is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, welcoming millions of visitors each year. While Orlando is best known for its world-famous theme parks like Universal Studios and Walt Disney World, the city offers much more than rides and entertainment. Visitors can enjoy excellent shopping, diverse dining, outdoor parks and lakes, vibrant nightlife, and nearby historic districts such as Old Town Kissimmee, and on a budget too. I visited Orlando once as a child and since those memories are fuzzy, my family and I planned a return trip last month to explore and reconnect with our Jamerican relatives. In today’s article, I’ll share our 4-day budget-friendly itinerary, as well as my tips to help you make the most of your time in one of Florida’s most beloved destinations.
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Where We Stayed in Orlando
We flew into Orlando from Montego Bay, Jamaica as flights were more affordable and consistent compared to leaving from Kingston. Our prebooked shuttle from the Orlando International Airport to our hotel costed US$36 each way, and was a 30-40 minute drive barring traffic conditions. Alternatively you could rent a car to get around, but I haven’t quite worked up the courage to drive abroad yet. We stayed in a queen room at the Galleria Palms Hotel which costed US$96 per night, and included two queen sized beds, a daily 3-hour breakfast buffet, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, cable television, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker and free coffee. The room was decent, but the pool was out of service for 75% of our stay. Breakfast options rotated daily which was excellent since we dined at the hotel for four mornings in a row. Offerings included: eggs, breakfast burritos, sausages, bacon, cereal, bagels, toast, muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, fruit juice, coffee, tea and yoghurt. The hotel also included a free shuttle to Disney World which we definitely made use of.
Consider renting a car in Orlando to get around.
Where We Dined in Orlando
The single best thing I ate on this vacation was my shrimp rice bowl at Bahama Breeze. This Caribbean-themed American restaurant chain serves island-inspired food and drinks in a vibrant tropical atmosphere, so the ingredients and flavours felt familiar. That being said, their restaurants are closing permanently over the next 12 to 18 months due to losses unfortunately. Other meals I enjoyed on this vacation were at: K Bistro, a poolside hotel restaurant; A&W Restaurant, one of America’s oldest fast food chains; and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe at Disney World.
Pro Tip: Book travel insurance before a trip abroad.
Shopping & Old Town Kissimmee
On our first full day in Orlando, we went to a Walmart Supercenter located within walking distance of our hotel, followed by taking an Uber to the Rolling Oaks Commons Plaza which features shops such as Ross, TJMaxx and DollarTree. It rained for two hours that afternoon which placed a damper on our plans, but eventually sunshine returned and we were able to end our evening at Old Town Kissimmee. Old Town in Kissimmee, Orlando is free to enter but you can pay US$15 to receive meal vouchers to either A&W or Nathan’s Famous restaurants, as well as a Ferris wheel admission ticket and coupon book which included discounts on rides and souvenir shops around the theme park. This was great value for money, as a Ferris wheel ticket on its own would’ve costed US$12, and our meal of one burger, fries, fountain drink and soft serve ice-cream per person would’ve costed US$16, resulting in savings of US$13 per person. We paid for one additional ride, but most of the excitement came from people-watching, strolling and admiring the historic district. Our final day in Orlando was spent with family and at another mall, Vineland Pointe.
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Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
The highlight of our trip was most definitely Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, about which I’ll publish a separate post next week. Disney World has four main theme parks, namely EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Each park has its own appeal, and if I’d had a longer trip and larger budget, I would’ve visited EPCOT too for its celebration of eleven international cuisines and cultures. But, since I only had time for one park, I settled on Magic Kingdom, the classic fairy-tale park built for Disney magic which features the iconic Cinderella Castle, traditional dark rides, and character meet-and-greets. Prices to Disney World’s theme parks vary widely depending on if you select one park per day vs. park-hopper, multi-day entry tickets and also add-on features like Lightning Lane which allows you to skip the lines. That being said, tickets can start as low as US$119 per person, but in reality tend to average closer to US$200 per person.
I think the best way to plan your Disney World itinerary is to focus on one park per day. The park opens at 9AM (unless you pay extra to enter at 8:30AM for a head start on the rides) and closes at 11PM. You’ll spend up to an hour standing in the queues for some rides, and if you visit in summer like I did, it is HOT. It felt hotter in Orlando than even I am used to in Jamaica, so you need to pace yourself. Download the Disney app to check the wait times for rides and use that as a guide to prioritize which rides to take and when. You can also use the app to order food ahead of time to avoid waiting, and much more. I’ll share this and more tips in my next article so look out for that.
Magic Kingdom’s float parade and fireworks show is the best I’ve ever seen. While I was extremely exhausted after thirteen hours at the park, I have no complaints. Despite the humidity, heat and unpleasantly long queues, I’ll remember this adventure for a long time to come.
Wrap Up
Personally, four days was the perfect amount of time to spend in Orlando as we got to see a bit of the city and visit the world’s # 1 theme park! It also allowed us to vacation in Orlando on a budget, as daily costs can add up quickly if you visit several theme parks. Other places I would’ve visited in Orlando if I had a longer stay include:
- Universal Studios theme parks
- Everglades Airboat Ride and Wildlife Park
- Kennedy Space Centre (about 45 minutes’ drive away)
- Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards (free tours and tastings)
- City Arts museums in City District (free)
- Icon Park, with the iconic Orlando Eye
- Helicopter City Tour
Have you ever visited Orlando, or would you like to visit? Sound off in the comment section below. Check out past international travel roundups here, and see you next week!
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