ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando is set for a busy weekend as multiple events bring crowds and traffic to the city.
EDC kicks off Friday, joining a lineup of events including the Orlando Magic playing the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Pride facing the Seattle Reign and the musical “Water for Elephants” at the Dr. Phillips Center.
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Mayor Buddy Dyer said the city’s busy event schedule is no accident.
“Back in 2008, you’ll remember that we conceived this community venues plan to do the performing arts center, to build what’s now the Kia Center, and to renovate what was then the Citrus Bowl, and we envisioned stuff like this,” he said. “You have to have the facilities to be able to handle events like this, but I think it’s proven to be a real economic benefit for our community.”
With so many happenings, the city is preparing for logistical challenges. Walking, driving and parking will be intense as hundreds of thousands descend on Orlando. EDC alone is expected to generate over $100 million for the local economy.
“So, we’ve sold over 100,003 three-day passes, and then there are single-day passes as well,” Dyer said.
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“Seventy percent of the people are coming from out of the market. So that means a lot of hotel room stays if they’re staying here for the full three-day experience, and most of the tickets that have been sold are three-day passes, not a single-day passes.”
There are dozens of road closures planned for these events. Dyer recommends that people consider using the many transportation options available to get around downtown.
“Parking’s a little bit limited. So, we’re encouraging everybody to take various means of shuttles and busses and the things that we haven’t been able to get people from downtown,” he said.
“So, your best bet would be to park in the downtown area or to take SunRail to downtown and then to take a shuttle over to the stadium.”
Dyer advised those not attending events to avoid downtown to reduce congestion.
“If you can avoid downtown, if you are not coming to one of the events, that’s probably the best idea because there will probably be a little bit of congestion,” he said.
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