ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Two weeks after sweeping changes to downtown Orlando\u2019s parking system took effect, residents, visitors and business owners say higher rates and a new payment process are making trips downtown more expensive and less convenient.<\/p>\n
The changes include the removal of traditional parking meters, increased hourly rates for street parking and garages, and a shift to paying by phone or through a mobile app.<\/p>\n
For some visitors heading downtown for a Friday night of entertainment, the cost of parking was already putting a damper on their plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been crazy. It\u2019s a lot,\u201d said one young woman who traveled downtown with her mother for a concert.<\/p>\n
The pair said parking near the venue was so expensive that they decided it would be cheaper to park near the University of Central Florida and take an Uber downtown.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last one I checked was between $24 to $35,\u201d the mother said, describing the parking prices she encountered.<\/p>\n
Under the city\u2019s new pricing structure, on-street parking costs $2 an hour for each of the first two hours, double the previous rate. The price increases to $3 for the third hour and $4 for the fourth.<\/p>\n
City parking garages now charge $2 an hour for the first four hours, followed by $3 for each additional hour. The daily maximum has increased from $15 to $20.<\/p>\n
Parking rates can climb even higher during special events, depending on the location.<\/p>\n
For visitors already paying for accommodations, those additional expenses can add up quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little discouraging when you have to pay for the hotel room, then you have to pay additional for the parking, especially at $30,\u201d one visitor said.<\/p>\n
The higher prices are also affecting people who regularly spend time downtown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate it, absolutely hate it. It\u2019s unbearable,\u201d said one woman who frequents the area.<\/p>\n
She said the increased parking costs have changed how often she goes out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to come out a lot, but now I am paying more to park than I am to get in the club,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Beyond the higher rates, the removal of traditional parking meters has created another adjustment for drivers, who must now use an app or phone-based payment system.<\/p>\n
That change is affecting not only people visiting downtown for entertainment but also those who travel into the area for work.<\/p>\n
A couple associated with family-owned Infinite Air HVAC and AC said they, too, are paying more to park while conducting business downtown.<\/p>\n
Other residents expressed frustration with the new system at a time when they say everyday expenses are already rising.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s super annoying. We are locals here. We have earned our place to be here, and we already have the economy going up,\u201d one resident said.<\/p>\n
Two weeks into the transition, the reactions from drivers highlight concerns about both affordability and convenience as downtown Orlando adjusts to its new parking system.<\/p>\n
For residents, workers and visitors, the question is no longer simply where to park \u2014 but how much it will cost and how to pay for it.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Two weeks after sweeping changes to downtown Orlando\u2019s parking system took effect, residents, visitors and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[167071,139,141,140,167072,167069,167070,167074,167073],"class_list":["post-423951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-event-parking-pricing","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-orlando-parking-garages","tag-orlando-visitors-parking","tag-parking-affordability-orlando","tag-parking-cost-impact","tag-parking-meter-removal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}