Helicopter Over Orlando's Theme Parks: Day Flight or After Dark?
3 min read
Short answer: for a first helicopter flight, book the day flight over the theme parks: you see the parks in daylight, and its options run from 20 minutes to an hour. Choose the after-hours flight if the lights are the reason you are going. Both come with the pilot’s commentary, both are private to your group and both leave from 4010 4th Street in Kissimmee. If you only want a view from above and not a flight, the Orlando Eye is an alternative to compare, not a substitute for the helicopter.
The two flights
| Flight | Price | Rating | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrated day helicopter flight over theme parks | €119.69 | 4.8 (160) | 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the option; pilot commentary, headsets, window seat and heliport fees included; photos extra |
| Theme parks after-hours private helicopter flight | €116.89 | 4.9 (77) | 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the option, over “a bright and magical sea of lights”; the same inclusions as the day flight |
Both flights are run by the same operator from 4010 4th Street in Kissimmee, and neither includes hotel pickup. The helicopter takes three passengers at a time: your group flies on its own, and parties of four or more are split across two or more flights. No passenger may weigh more than 136 kg (300 lb), the three together no more than 272 kg (600 lb), and everyone is weighed before boarding. Children up to 2 years old and under 13 kg fly free on a lap. Selfie sticks are not allowed.
Day or night?
By day you can pick out the parks as places: the layout of the resorts, the lakes and the roads between them. The listing names Universal Studios, the Disney complex, Old Town Kissimmee, the Orlando Eye and Blizzard Beach, and says the sights vary with the option you choose.
After hours you get the glow of the parks and the city, which is what the listing sells: the illuminated Epcot globe, the wheel at ICON Park and, from a distance, a glimpse of the Magic Kingdom castle, depending on the option. The operator points out that sunset times change through the year and that it cannot guarantee how dark it will be, so check the sunset time for your date. The “after-hours” in the title describes the time of the flight; it is not an entry to any park.
Both are views, not park visits. Neither replaces a day in a park. If you are still choosing which park to spend a day in, read our guides to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
If you would rather not fly
The Orlando Eye at ICON Park is a 400-foot observation wheel with 30 air-conditioned glass capsules, and a ride takes about 20 minutes, according to the ICON Park press release. The Orlando Eye ticket is listed at €108.12, and the day helicopter flight at €119.69. It is a different experience: a slow turn at a fixed spot, not a flight over the parks. Our ICON Park guide compares the options there.
Our recommendation
For most visitors: the day flight. It is the more reviewed of the two flights, its options go up to an hour, and a daytime view is easier to understand than a night one. Pick the after-hours flight if you want the lights; it is shorter, at 15 to 30 minutes. More ways to see Orlando from above are on our helicopter tours page.
