America's Least-Walkable Tourist Destination Is An Extremely Popular Southern City

There's nothing like slipping out of your hotel as the sun sets and embarking on a quick walk to a nearby ice cream parlor or convenience store for an evening vacation snack. A city's walkability can be a make-or-break factor for some travelers, as those who prefer to save money on a car don't want to end the trip with blistered feet. However, there are some destinations that don't cater to frequent sidewalk surfers. If a city's attractions require a lot of walking or the popular landmarks are spread far apart, you'll either leave with aching feet or a hefty car rental bill. 

This is especially true in Orlando, a city that sees around 70 million travelers yearly despite being one of the least-walkable destinations in the country. With so many eyeing Florida's fourth most populated city as their next vacation destination, there must be a reason why the city is so attractive to tourists. After all, Orlando is known as being an expensive destination for families, so it's even more important to justify why it's a worthwhile city. While Orlando's theme parks are a big draw for travelers, you can also head to this quiet beach town to escape the crowds.

Two main attractions contribute to Orlando's overall popularity: Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. In 2023, the two corporations saw millions of people crossing the turnstiles of their signature parks. Ironically, the parks are responsible for Orlando being the least-walkable tourist destination in the U.S., largely because of the distance between one another. You can't easily walk from Magic Kingdom to Epcot despite both being under the Walt Disney World banner. Walking from Universal Studios to Magic Kingdom is even less of an option, with the two sitting about 15 miles apart.

According to a Preply study, it would take about 11 hours and 19 minutes to walk the distance between Orlando's top five main attractions, and you'd cover approximately 31 miles. Even visiting smaller attractions around the same part of Orlando (like Ripley's Believe it or Not!, WonderWorks, and SeaWorld) requires some serious mileage, diminishing the city's walkability. Although Ripley's is only about 3.4 miles north of SeaWorld, the walk would take over an hour.

You can spend a pretty penny at the parks and stay at a resort on-site or choose a nearby third-party hotel with shuttle services. The enormous Orlando World Center Marriott offers complimentary shuttle services to all of Disney's parks and Disney Springs. Since there's a lot to see in Orlando beyond the theme parks, there are other transportation options to get around the city if you don't want to rent a car, such as the LYNX Bus Service. Uber and Lyft are typically always options, and if you're spending time downtown, take advantage of the LYMMO bus lines.

None of this alleviates the walking you'll do within each attraction — it's all part of the Orlando experience. Comfortable walking attire is a must, and try to use as much of the on-site transportation as possible. For example, you can use the Hogwarts Express Train to travel between Universal Studios' Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. On the other hand, Walt Disney World has a far more complex system of transportation, as buses, monorails, and boats connect the different parks. However, you might want to skip Hollywood Studios, which is rated as the worst Disney Theme Park.