Orlando airport’s free visitor pass now runs 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Orlando International Airport’s free Experience MCO Visitor Pass now lets people without a plane ticket through security from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., double the old window, to see travelers off at the gate.

Want to walk your family to the gate before their flight home from Disney World? At Orlando International Airport, you’ve now got a lot more hours to do it.

The airport’s free Experience MCO Visitor Pass program now runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., WDW News Today reported. The old window was 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

That’s 12 hours instead of six.

What is the MCO Visitor Pass?

It’s a free pass that lets people who aren’t flying go through security and into the gate areas at Orlando International, which goes by MCO.

You can use it to walk someone to their gate, meet an arriving traveler, or just shop and eat past security. It works at all three terminals: A, B and C.

What are the new MCO Visitor Pass hours?

You can enter the secure area from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone has to be out by 8 p.m.

The early start is the big change. Plenty of flights leave Orlando in the morning, and the old 10 a.m. start missed them.

How do you get an MCO Visitor Pass?

Apply online, up to seven days before your visit. Your approval comes through after midnight on the day you’re going.

Passes are first-come, first-served, and they’re limited, so apply as early as you can.

What do you need to bring with an MCO Visitor Pass?

Your digital visitor pass and a TSA-approved photo ID, like a passport or a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. TSA has required REAL ID at checkpoints since May 7, 2025, so an older license won’t cut it.

You’ll go through the regular TSA lines, with the same rules as people who are flying. That means the same liquids rules, the same bag checks, all of it.

Can you use TSA PreCheck or CLEAR with a visitor pass?

No. TSA PreCheck, CLEAR and MCO Reserve can’t be used with the visitor pass.

And once you leave the secure area, you can’t come back in on the same pass. So plan your goodbyes accordingly.

When did the MCO Visitor Pass program come back?

The program came back and expanded to all three terminals in December 2025. Now it comes with much longer hours.

Terminal C is the newest of the three. It opened in 2022, so if you’ve never seen it, the visitor pass is a free way to look around.

Do other airports have visitor passes?

A few do. Pittsburgh International started this trend with its myPITpass program in 2017, the first of its kind at a U.S. airport after 9/11 security rules shut non-flyers out of gate areas.

Orlando’s version is free too, and with these hours, it now covers most of the flying day.

Why does this matter for Disney World visitors?

MCO is the main airport for most people flying in and out of Disney World, and since Disney’s Magical Express bus service ended in 2022, families have handled their own airport trips.

If Grandma is flying home after a park week, you can now see her off at the gate even if her flight leaves at 8 a.m.

Just don’t plan on running back through security for one more coffee. Once you’re out, you’re out.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• WDW News Today (Oct. 2026), the new 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. window, the 8 p.m. exit time, how to apply, ID rules, TSA lane limits and the program’s December 2025 relaunch

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