I have enjoyed the shops at MC many times. It's even bigger than my home airport, BWI, which is not a small airport!
Plan on arriving at the airport 2 hours before your scheduled take-off time.
Proceed to the check-in counter of your airline, where you will check your bags and be given your boarding passes, if you don't have them already (many airlines allow you to check in online up to 24 hrs in advance, so you get a good seat).
After check-in, wander over to the security lines and see how quickly they are moving. If it looks like it's going really fast, then you will have some time to explore the terminal. All of the best shops and stores in MCO are in the main terminal building. There is also a food court.
When you get within an hour of your scheduled take-off time, go to the security checkpoint for your gate. When you enter the line for the metal detectors, you will have to show your boarding pass and your photo ID, so keep them handy.
When you get to the metal detectors, you will have to place your carry-on bag on a conveyor belt to be x-rayed, and empty your pockets into a plastic bin which also goes onto the belt. But before you get in line, take a moment to empty your pockets into your carry-on bag, so that you will only have to pick up your bag at the other end instead of also worrying about the little bin with your pocket change.
You will also have to take off your coat for x-ray scaning, and sometimes your shoes, especially if they have any metal components.
If you travel with a laptop computer, you will be required to take it out of the bag and place it into a plastic bin on the conveyor belt by itself.
If you are travelling with camera equipment and film, you should take your film out fo the cardboard box and pack it in a clear Ziploc bag. When you get to the metal detector, hand the bag to one fo the security people and say, "I would like this hand inspected, please." They may give you the standard line, "x-rays won't hurt film," but this is not entirely true and you are legally entitled to have your film hand inspected. The x-rays will not harm your film camera, digital camera, camcorder, tapes, laptop, PDA, MP3 player, cell phone, or other electronic devices.
For more info on flying with film, see my web page on the subject:
http://willcad.org/image_film_tips.html
Once in a while people are randomly pulled from the security line for a more thorough search with a metal detector wand. If this happens, don't panic, don't worry, don't be upset - it's all routine. Just do what the security people tell you, stay calm and friendly, and you'll be done in a few minutes. The rest of your party can wait for you within sight of you on the other side of the metal detector.
At MCO there are 4 security checkpoints. Each checkpoint leads to a tram station. The trams take you to 4 satelite buildings containing the gates. There are a few smaller shops and eateries in each satelite building, but not as many as there are in the main teminal building. There are also bathrooms, drinking fountains, phones, vending machines, and some reasonably comfy chairs near each set of gates. Boarding for your flight will usually begin about 20 minutes before the scheduled take-off, but this varies. People will begin lining up at the doors as much as 30-40 minutes before the flight, however, especially with Southwest Airlines, since they don't have assigned seats. When your boarding group or row of seats is called to board, you will hand your boarding pass to the gate attendant and walk down the jetway, which is the flexible corridor that leads to the plane itself.
When you get on the plane, you can stow your carry-on bags in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. I prefer the under-seat area, because rude people tend to cram their own oversized bags on top of other people's in the overhead bins. It's also easier to get to your bag in flight if it's under the seat in front of you, especially if you are not sitting in an aisle seat.
I carry on only my laptop bag and my camera bag. In my laptop bag I carry all of my travel documents - plane, car, and hotel ressies. I also keep my ID on a lanyard around my neck when I fly, just for convenience, since I have to show it at the check-in desk at the airport, then again at the metal detector line, and later when I land I have to show it when picking up my rental car, and when checking into my hotel. During my WDW trips I keep my room key and PhotoPass card in the lanyard.
Thanks for the reply. I think we'll do okay going to WDW, since it is a pretty small airport. From the website, MCO looks huge!!! I'll be very nervous there. Thanks for the advice!!
