Orlando will be a hot destination with some cool temperatures this Thanksgiving.
Across the country, nearly 82 million people are projected to travel at least 50 miles by Sunday, making this potentially the busiest Thanksgiving week ever in the U.S.
This year’s record projection is an increase of 1.6 million holiday travelers compared to 2024, according to AAA, meaning even more crowded airports and highways.
The top destination for millions of those travelers? Orlando, ranked as the number one holiday spot this year based on AAA booking data, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Los Angeles.
At Orlando International Airport — the ninth busiest in the country — officials anticipate nearly 1.9 million passengers going through gates between Nov. 21 and Dec. 2.
With airlines resuming normal operations after the recent government shutdown, more than 6 million of those travelers will take to the air, with about half booking seats to fly on Sunday, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
“Orlando is usually one of the nation’s hottest travel destinations for the holiday season, and Orlando International Airport is ready,” said Lance Lyttle, chief executive officer of the Orlando Aviation Authority, which oversees the airport.
Similar to airfields around the country, OIA expects Sunday to be the busiest day of the week with more than 177,400 passengers projected to move through the airport, followed by Saturday with 175,855 fliers.
AAA also projects at least 73 million people will get behind the wheel of a car for an extended road trip during the holiday season. That’s about 1.3 million more drivers compared to last Thanksgiving weekend.
That number of projected drivers, however, could be higher if some air travelers facing flight cancellations decide to use a car instead. Orlando ranks among the top five markets in the nation with the highest demand for car rentals.
In addition, domestic car rentals are 15% less expensive this Thanksgiving compared to last year.
Travel experts advise drivers to leave early. The worst travel times are between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Sunday.
As of Tuesday, prices at the pumps in Orlando averaged $3.16 a gallon, and $3.08 a gallon statewide, according to GasBuddy.
About 2.5 million travelers, however, will skip the planes and automobiles and take Amtrak or buses to reach their destinations, according to AAA.
Airline passengers traverse through the main terminal at Orlando International Airport on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
For those visiting Orlando, or residents planning to stay in town, you can expect pleasant weather on Wednesday, then a cooldown on Thanksgiving Day and Friday, followed by a gradual warming over the weekend.
Wednesday’s high temperatures in Orlando are forecast to reach the mid-80s under partly sunny skies and then drop to the low 60s overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
On Thanksgiving Day, the high temperature is projected to reach the low 70s before a cold front moves into the Central Florida region. By Friday morning, temperatures are expected to drop to a chilly 46 degrees.
The highs on Friday will reach only the mid 60s, according to the weather service.
“It will be cool and sunny on Black Friday behind the front,” said Matt Volkmer, an NWS meteorologist. “But the winds will be breezy, so it will feel a lot cooler.”
A gradual warming trend will begin by Saturday, when high temperatures are forecast to reach a seasonal average of mid 70s. The low temperatures on Saturday night and early Sunday will drop to about 60 degrees.
For those planning to fly out of OIA, travelers are encouraged to arrive at their airline’s check-in counter three hours in advance, be at the TSA-security checkpoint two hours before their flight and get to the gate one hour before boarding.
Travelers can check parking availability and TSA wait times on the airport’s Orlando MCO cellphone app.
Those picking up friends and family at the airport are advised not to park on the shoulder of airport roadways. Cellphone lots are available with free parking.