Orlando International Airport has extensive dining options and a variety of shopping experiences, ranking it among the top airports in the country.
USA Today 10Best on Wednesday released its ranking of the best airports in the country and MCO did well overall and in individual categories for shopping and dining. Among the best large airports, it ranked No. 4 behind (No. 1) Tampa International Airport, (No. 2) Nashville International Airport and (No. 3) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
“The gateway to the theme park capital of the world, scores points for customer satisfaction and its robust concessions program,” according to the list selected by expert panelists and voted on by readers. “Plus, the array of art installations adds impressive visual intrigue to the airport’s terminals.”
Orlando International Airport ranks No. 3 for dining
Servicing more than 50 million passengers annually, MCO has a large array of dining options to accommodate from grab-and-go to sit-down.
Overall, the airport came in at No. 3 for dining options. Options include Starbucks that has mobile ordering, Shake Shack, Sunshine Diner, Summer House and Wine Bar George.
Cask & Larder, a Southern kitchen and brewery, was honored in both the grab-and-go and sit-down categories, second and third respectively.
Shopping is abundant at Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport came in No. 3 for shopping.
The expert panels looked for top-notch retails programs, offering travelers a wide range of shopping options before and after the security check. Theme park guests regretting not buying that Mickey souvenir or Harry Potter wand still have an opportunity before flying out of Central Florida.
There are Disney and Universal stores before going through security. The rest of the airport features a wide variety of stores including Brookstone, Sunglass Hut, Johnston & Murphy, and Ron Jon’s Surf Shop.
Why is Orlando International Airport MCO?
People often mistake the code for Orlando International Airport to be OIA.
It’s actually MCO. But why?
The airport used to be a military base back in the 1940s. In 1958 it was renamed McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael McCoy.
And that’s where the MCO comes from.
USA Today 10Best Large Airports
- 1. Tampa International Airport (TPA) (Tampa, Florida)
- 2. Nashville International Airport (BNA) (Nashville, Tennessee)
- 3. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) (Detroit, Michigan)
- 4. Orlando International Airport (MCO) (Orlando, Florida)
- 5. Denver International Airport (DEN) (Denver, Colorado)
- 6. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- 7. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) (Phoenix, Arizona)
- 8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) (Austin, Texas)
- 9. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) (Queens, New York)
- 10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Spitzer is a Trending Reporter. She can be reached at MSpitzer@Floridatoday.com.