Orlando Airport Terminal C
 

Returned Thursday on an international flight which landed at Terminal C. This was our first experience with this location. After an 11 hour flight, passengers had to climb a spiral ramp up four floors to passport control. Very steep and a long time to find a restroom. Getting through the checkpoint was easy. Then the fun began. Our car was parked in the North Lot. Big terminal with very limited signage but we found one that said where shuttle service was. We knew we needed to get to the main terminal. Only shuttles went to South Lot and Employee Parking. Shuttle driver said we needed to take the train which was on level 3. Went to the elevators but there is no button for 3. Choices went from 2 to 4. Went to level 4 and found the sign that showed where to get the train. Hauled our cargo there only to find the only way to get down to level 3 was by dragging our suitcases on an escalator. I feel sorry for any visitors who encounter this mess. We knew where we needed to go but found it difficult to figure out how to get there. It was easier to make our connecting flight in the huge Frankfort Airport with a language barrier than it was to get through the mess in Orlando.

I think all modern airports must be designed by people who don't use airports.

To get anywhere involves a walk of miles, poorly signed, with large open areas that are a waste of space while the functional areas are crowded and cramped.

Heard the nightmare story a number of times.

One of the local news channel did a story on it.

MCO "promised" to fix it.

:censored:

Thanks for the info. Hope Virgin does not end up there as we are going to the UK soon. Jet Blue uses this terminal. Off site parking companies hate going there and it does involve a lot more walking than if a person uses terminal A or B. Like Jet Blue but will not use them unless they are $100 less because of this new terminal.

We recently came into Terminal C from an overseas flight and had a similar experience. Because of our connecting flights in Europe, we were 20 hours into our trip home by the time we hit Terminal C. We will consider which terminal the plane disembarks on future flights.

Style overruled pratical things like people movers, but upgrades are planned by 2024.

But I prefer Terminal C if picking up or dropping people off. The other terminal is a zoo in that regard.


Orlando International Airport upgrading terminals for growth

Terminal C Upgrades
Expecting growth to keep going, MCO leaders are already in the process of upgrading Terminal C by adding projects that were put on hold during the pandemic and preparing for renovations in the original Terminals A and B. These projects include:

Moving Walkways
Pedestrian Bridge
Seating Areas
Additional Gates

Crews are currently constructing a pedestrian bridge that will connect Terminal C directly to the Intermodal Terminal, allowing passengers to connect to MCO terminal trams and Brightline trains. This bridge will allow passengers to avoid walking through the parking garage as they must do now.

Moving walkways will also be installed within the pedestrian bridge, and throughout Terminal C itself, retrofitting areas for the walkways post-security.

“Some of it was how can we help with walking distance and that’s what we’re doing now and we’re not stopping there,” Thibault said. “We’re looking at other features that we can implement. We’re looking at more room for seating, and as this area grows, we’re putting in more seating, more interior landscaping, more trees, and so on to build on those added features.”

They expect the pedestrian bridge and moving walkway to be completed in 2024.

Crews are also in the process of building 8 narrow body gates that were in the original plans for Terminal C, but also put on hold due to funding uncertainty during the pandemic.

The additional gates under construction now will open by the end of 2025, expanding capacity for an additional 3-5 million passengers.

Long term, Thibault said Phase II expansions include an additional 16 to 24 gates built at Terminal C.

Thibault said short-term and long-term planning is focused on keeping up with growth.

“We’re actually getting out in front of where this growth is taking us so we can keep ahead,” Thibault said. “Having the size (12,000 acres) gives us the ability to grow and handle growth without impacting Terminals A and B, so in the master plan we envision Terminal D on the other side of the train station, mirror image of Terminal C, so as we grow we have a plan to follow that says this is how we handle that growth

Wow lots of airports to copy from and seems like designers have no clue

“Expecting growth to keep going, MCO leaders are already in the process of upgrading Terminal C by adding projects that were put on hold during the pandemic and preparing for renovations in the original Terminals A and B. These projects include:”

Maybe the pandemic had something to do with the issues?

Yes Stu it was already stated in POST #6

Let's hope they don't cut costs. Moving walkways are only useful when they are moving. I have been through many airports where they are "out of service".

My point was whoever designed the airport in the first place screwed up.

They are going to retrofit Teminal C with moving walkways. The pandemic has nothing to do with the lack of installing them at the time of construction. It was cost cutting and stupidity. Unless you have used Terminal C you have no idea how user unfriendly it is.

With all of the above problems, we also had to endure a very slow baggage retrieval system.

There’s always Sanford…………….:shrug:

Any sensible person would have thought that these projects could have been performed when the new terminal was being built. Now will take longer and cost more due to people in the area.