Orlando travel safety advice
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Extreme Temperatures
Never leave children or pets in a parked car for any length of time! Due to high temperature for most of the year, the interior of a parked car can easily heat to lethal temperatures in a short amount of time. During the summer, the interior of a parked car can reach 130-170ºF (55-75ºC) in just 15 minutes, regardless of the color of the exterior or interior, nor whether the windows are open a small amount. You not only risk death, but it is illegal and the consequences are taken VERY seriously...including thousands in fines and even imprisonment.
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Orlando is roughly the same as many other large cities, in that there are certain areas of the city which are considerably less safe. Such as:
Parramore District, area in downtown Orlando, is a haven for crime and homelessness.
Orange Blossom Trail, south of Sand Lake Road, this area is known to be an unofficial red light district. Prostitution is not legal in Orlando, you may well be spending a night in jail if you decide to indulge.
Pine Hills, located around Silver Star Road and Pine Hills Road west of John Young Parkway. This area is notorious for high crime. The Greyhound bus station is in Pine Hills and is a place to use caution. Fortunately those areas are away from tourist destinations and easy to avoid.
Orlando is renowned as a tourist destination, with annual tourists far outnumbering the regional population (~2million). Many persons are aware of this and keen to turn tourists into victims. Fortunately, following common sense travel precautions goes a long way to prevent crime. In fact most crime committed on tourists are for common, easily-preventable mistakes.
Hotel room invasions do occur, especially open-air hotel and motel rooms when the victim leaves their hotel room unlocked and not dead-bolted. When you are in a hotel room, always lock your doors behind you, even if you expect someone in a minute or two.
Never leave valuable items in your car unattended, get any purchased items to your hotel room as soon as possible.
Never leave small children unattended for any length of time, especially at a pool. Most hotel pools do not have lifeguards.
Due to the unique proximity to two coasts, thunderstorms form everyday from mid-June through September. While some days it may rain for 10 minutes, other thunderstorms will last for a couple of hours. These make central Florida the lightning capital of the western hemisphere. During these storms it is best to remain indoors due to the danger posed by frequent cloud-to-ground lightning, especially on golf courses. A couple of dozen people are killed each year by lightning in Florida and many more spend much time receiving treatment for lightning strikes.
Pets are better off left with a friend or in a kennel. If you choose to bring your pet, note that most theme parks and hotels prohibit pets but may provide kennels for a fee. Also note above about interior temperatures in parked cars.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Orlando
