Most people would believe that the winter holidays are the busiest time of year at Orlando International Airport (MCO), but Spring Break melts away that idea as more passengers are expected to travel through the airport in the coming weeks than at any other time.
With Spring Break 2024 in Central Florida upon us, MCO is expecting a record 11 percent increase in passengers over the previous record set last year and is offering sage advice to follow the 3-2-1 rule.
“We expect to set a new Spring Break benchmark with more than 7.6 million passengers,” said Kevin Thibault, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “This growth is actually a continuation of what we saw in 2023. For the year, we shattered all passenger records with more than 57.7 million travelers.”
Like the holiday season, the 3-2-1 rule can help ease travel. Arrive at your airline ticket counter at least 3 hours in advance. Head to security processing at least 2 hours prior to departure and arrive at your gate at least 1 hour prior to boarding. Also, always remember to pack your patience and never bring weapons through the security checkpoint.
As MCO continues to welcome record numbers of travelers, parking has been at a premium. A portion of the passenger increase is attributed to local residents. Population growth in Central Florida means more residents are using the airport. This increase has emphasized the need for more parking.
In December, MCO opened three new surface lots to respond to parking needs. The lots are accessible with E-Pass and SunPass Plus. SunPass customers must be enrolled with Easy Pay, and a transponder must be used to enter and exit the lots.
A new Reserved Parking program works by allowing passengers to log in to Reserved Parking at MCO or use the MCO mobile app in advance of their arrival to the airport, punch in their vehicle information, make a payment and receive a QR code for easy access to Level 4 of Parking Garage C.
Currently the program is only operational in Garage C on Level 4. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis for approximately 715 spots during the rollout of this program. The cost is $32 per day.
The current MCO daily passenger record was set on December 30th of last year with 98,521 going through security at Florida’s busiest airport. The Spring Break season stretches for 44-days this year from Saturday February 24th until Sunday April 7th. Easter Sunday falls early this year, on the 31st of March, and is anticipated to be the 8th busiest travel day this season. The following are the projected ten busiest Spring Break days at Orlando International.
Ten Busiest Spring Break Days at Orlando International Airport (MCO):
