Where to stay in Orlando
International Drive, the Disney area and Kissimmee are the bases for the theme parks, Downtown and Winter Park the city side of the choice. The county line decides the room tax.
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How the areas differ
International Drive is Orlando's main tourist strip, an 11.1-mile (17.9 km) road at the southern edge of the city, with ICON Park and its observation wheel. From its centre, Universal Orlando is about 9 km (6 miles) by road and Disney Springs about 12 km (7 miles).
Lake Buena Vista is a small city in Orange County and Walt Disney World's mailing address. Disney Springs, its shopping, dining and entertainment complex of 120 acres, and some of the hotels are there, while the four theme parks are in the neighbouring city of Bay Lake. Walt Disney World counts 31 Disney-owned resort hotels, and many other hotels stand on and near the property.
Kissimmee, the county seat of Osceola County, lies south of Orlando, about 18 km (11 miles) by road from Disney Springs. Downtown Orlando, the historic core and business district, takes in Lake Eola Park and neighbourhoods such as Thornton Park and South Eola. Winter Park, about 10 km (6 miles) north, was founded as a resort community and is home to Rollins College.
By road from Orlando International, International Drive is about 19 km (12 miles), Downtown about 20 km (12 miles), Winter Park about 24 km (15 miles), and Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee about 29 km (18 miles).
Staying with a rental car
The expressways run by the Central Florida Expressway Authority take no cash: drivers pay with a transponder, or by plate, with the invoice sent to the car's registered owner. With a rental car that owner is the rental company, which bills tolls through its own programme and its own fees. The alternative is the Visitor Toll Pass, a free pass for renters flying round trip through Orlando International, picked up in Terminal A, B or C. The driver declines the rental company's programme, adds the plate in the pass app and pays tolls with no extra fees.
Downtown, the city's garages cost USD 2 an hour up to USD 15 a day, and a car must leave by 5:29 a.m. or pay the next day's rate; entry after 10 p.m. costs USD 10. Street parking costs USD 1 an hour from Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the city aims to be fully cashless on its streets by 1 October 2026, with payment through ParkMobile, by text or by phone. Winter Park's 2026 parking guide marks free public parking downtown with 3-hour and 4-hour limits.
No official source lists hotel or resort parking charges on International Drive, in the Disney area or in Kissimmee, so ask the hotel before booking. GetCar's guide Driving in Orlando and Florida: Tolls and Rental Cars, the Visitor Toll Pass, Rules and the Airport covers the roads and the Florida rules.
Room taxes and rental rules for a guest
Florida's 6% sales tax applies to stays of six months or less and is added to the rent. Orange County adds a 0.5% surtax and a 6% tourist development tax, so a room in Orlando, on International Drive, in Lake Buena Vista or in Winter Park pays 12.5%. Osceola County adds a 1.5% surtax and 6%, so a room in Kissimmee pays 13.5%.
Florida licenses a vacation rental, a home or condo rented more than three times a year for less than 30 consecutive days. The 2026 statutes require the licence, and no rule putting its number on listings was found.
Local rules decide which homes can be rented. In the City of Orlando, short-term means less than 30 days: a home share host lives on site, rents at most half the bedrooms, takes one booking at a time and links proof of registration to the listing, while a whole-home rental is a commercial dwelling unit, allowed only in certain zoning districts. In unincorporated Orange County, stays of 179 days or less are allowed only in commercial and industrial districts and in planned developments that permit them, and single-family homes for less than 30 days only in the R-3 district. Osceola County's rules could not be verified as of September 2026.
When to book what
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with its peak around 10 September. Florida publishes evacuation zones by address, so the address of a stay can be checked before booking in those months. Once the Governor declares a state of emergency, Florida law bars unconscionable prices, in the declared area, for a dwelling needed as a direct result of the emergency, for up to 60 days unless extended.
Reserve the Visitor Toll Pass in its app before landing, and apply for the ESTA before buying flights. Then compare and book the stay with the county's taxes in the total.
Which area for which trip
Several theme parks in one trip: International Drive.
A trip centred on Walt Disney World: Lake Buena Vista and Disney Springs.
A base on the Disney side in Osceola County: Kissimmee.
A city stay around Lake Eola: Downtown Orlando.
A quieter base north of the city: Winter Park.
Questions
How far is International Drive from the airport?
About 19 km by road. Downtown Orlando is about 20 km, and Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee about 29 km.
Is the room tax higher in Kissimmee than in Orlando?
Yes. Kissimmee is in Osceola County, where a room pays 13.5% in all, against 12.5% in Orange County, which includes Orlando, International Drive and Lake Buena Vista.
What is the Visitor Toll Pass?
A free toll pass from the Central Florida Expressway Authority for rental car customers flying round trip through Orlando International. It is picked up in any terminal, the driver declines the rental company's toll programme, and tolls are billed with no extra fees.
Where can a car be parked overnight downtown?
In the city garages, at USD 2 an hour up to USD 15 a day, or USD 10 for entry after 10 p.m.; a car still there at 5:29 a.m. starts the next day's charges. A monthly permit with 24-hour access costs USD 165 plus tax in three garages.
Are home shares legal in the City of Orlando?
Yes, if registered: the host lives on site and is present, at most half the bedrooms are rented, one booking at a time, and proof of registration is linked to the listing.