The skylit hall of Terminal C at Orlando International Airport, with palms, an information desk and blue signs to the gates

Guide: Orlando International (MCO)

Orlando airport pickup: where each kind of ride meets you

At MCO, the way you leave the airport decides where you walk after baggage claim. Here is where each option picks up, and what that means with children and bags.

Child seats, meet and greet, tolls and airport fees are in the price

A driver unloading suitcases from a black SUV outside a vacation home while the family walks to the door — Vacation homes too.

The short answer

A pre-booked private car meets you inside, at baggage claim on the Ground Transportation Level for A and B arrivals, with the driver holding a sign. App rides load outside at the arrivals curb: Level 2 for the North Terminal, Level 6 for Terminal C. Taxis, shared shuttle vans and resort buses run from the Ground Transportation Level.

Where your ride meets you at MCO

Pre-booked carBaggage claim, Terminals A and BLevel 1
App ride, A and BArrivals curbLevel 2
App ride, Terminal CArrivals curbLevel 6
Taxi or shared shuttleGround Transportation Level, A and BLevel 1

Pre-booked private car

Rules set by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority place in-person greetings for the North Terminal in its baggage claim, on the Ground Transportation Level, and require a sign that can be verified. A driver may go in no sooner than 15 minutes ahead of a domestic flight’s arrival, or 5 minutes ahead of an international one, and may stay up to 30 minutes after a domestic arrival or an hour after an international one.

In practice that means you collect your bags and your driver is already where you are. For families, that is the main difference: no walk to a different level with a stroller, and nobody standing on a curb with three tired children waiting for a car to be assigned.

Travellers crossing the skylit central hall of Terminal C at Orlando International, with indoor palms, a media wall and blue gate signs — Inside Terminal C, the newest of the three MCO terminals.

A mother and two children sitting belted in the leather back seats of a vehicle, smiling — The ride itself.

Ride-share apps

App drivers collect passengers from the Level 2 arrivals curb at the North Terminal at any hour, and from Terminal C’s arrivals curb up on Level 6. They are not allowed to wait there, so the airport recommends ordering roughly 20 minutes after touchdown, closer to 40 if you have bags on the carousel. With an app ride, check whether a child seat is available before you count on one.

Taxis, shared shuttles and resort buses

These leave from Level 1, the North Terminal’s Ground Transportation Level, alongside rental-car counters and hotel shuttles. Shared shuttle vans stop at several hotels on the way, which is the trade-off for a per-person fare.

Travelling with small children?Seats, bags and no waitA pre-booked car settles all three before you fly: seats included, a vehicle sized to your bags, a driver already there. See car service with child seats.

A driver helping an older couple step into a black minivan — Easy steps for grandparents.

Checklist before you fly

Check your terminal
Your airline confirmation says A, B or C. Assignments change, so do not rely on a previous trip.
Book with your flight number
It identifies your arrival and tells us the terminal.
Count bags and seats
Suitcases, carry-ons, a stroller, and each child’s seat type.
Keep your phone on after landing
Whatever you booked, it is the fastest way to sort out any change on the day.

A driver standing by a black SUV as a family with suitcases walks into a resort entrance with a fountain — Arriving at the resort.

Questions travellers ask

Where do ride-shares pick up at Orlando airport?

Outside at the arrivals curb: Level 2 for the North Terminal (A and B) and Level 6 for Terminal C.

Where does a pre-booked driver meet you at MCO?

For A and B arrivals, inside baggage claim on the Ground Transportation Level, holding a sign, as the airport’s rules require.

How soon after landing should I order an app ride?

The airport’s advice is around 20 minutes after touchdown, or nearer 40 when you have checked luggage.

Two young children belted into the back seat of a car, laughing together

Online booking opens soon

Booking for Orlando Private Car Service is being connected to this site now. Until it is live, the details below are what you will be asked for, so you can have them ready.