What's a good 3-day itinerary for Orlando?

Orlando is a driving city. No train connects the airport to the parks, and the I-Ride Trolley covers only International Drive. Budget $25-40 each way for rideshare from Orlando International (MCO) to the Walt Disney World area, about 30 minutes without traffic. Day 1 belongs to Magic Kingdom, the park that opened this whole corridor in 1971. Arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center by 7:15 AM, take the monorail to the gates, and be on Main Street U.S.A. when rope drop hits at 8 AM. Walk fast to Tomorrowland. Space Mountain's line will be 15 minutes at 8:05 AM and 90 minutes by noon. The morning air still carries a brief coolness before the humidity locks in around 10 AM, when the asphalt starts radiating heat through your shoes. Hit Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tiana's Bayou Adventure before 10:30, then cross to Frontierland for Big Thunder Mountain. Lunch at Columbia Harbour House is the best counter-service value in the park. The lobster roll runs about $17, the upstairs seating is quieter, and the air conditioning hits hard enough to feel cold on damp skin.

After lunch, retreat to your hotel between 1 PM and 4 PM. This is not laziness. June afternoons in Orlando reach 33-35°C with 85% humidity, and thunderstorms roll through almost daily between 2 and 5 PM. You'll hear the rumble before you see the clouds. Return to Magic Kingdom by 5 PM when the park cools slightly and the worst crowds have left. Ride the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, then hold a spot on the hub in front of Cinderella Castle for the Happily Ever After fireworks at 9 PM. Take the monorail out and skip Disney Springs tonight. You will have been on your feet for 10 hours. Day 2 shifts 20 minutes northeast to Universal Orlando Resort. Buy a 2-Park ticket online the night before, $185-230 depending on the date. Be at Islands of Adventure by 7:45 AM for Early Park Admission. Walk directly to Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in the Wizarding World. The queue winds through a greenhouse that smells like damp earth and fog-machine mist. Ride it before 9 AM or face a 120-minute wait.

By 10 AM you should have both Hagrid's and VelociCoaster done. VelociCoaster is the best roller coaster in Florida. Four inversions, a 155-foot top hat, and a launch that pins you to the seat at 70 mph. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is worth one ride but feels tame afterward. Lunch at Mythos Restaurant around noon, where the lamb meatballs run about $19 and the dining room is carved to look like a rock grotto with water features trickling down the walls. At 1:30 PM, board the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. The train ride itself is a 4-minute theatrical show. Spend the afternoon on Revenge of the Mummy and the Men in Black ride. When the 3 PM thunderstorm hits, duck into the Horror Make-Up Show, a live comedy act that runs rain or shine and is funnier than it has any right to be. Dinner at Bigfire on CityWalk. The wood-fired rotisserie chicken ($26) is better than anything inside the gates, and the patio overlooks the lagoon.

Day 3 has no turnstiles. Drive or rideshare 25 minutes north to Winter Park, which feels nothing like the theme park corridor. Park Avenue runs 10 blocks under live oaks, lined with independent shops and restaurants in low Mediterranean-revival buildings. Start at Briarpatch Restaurant by 9 AM. The blueberry pancakes ($14) are thick, and the patio faces the sidewalk. At 10:30 AM, walk 3 blocks to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. It holds the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany glass in the world, including the chapel he built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Admission is $6. The light through those stained glass panels shifts color depending on where you stand. The Scenic Boat Tour launches at noon from the east end of Morse Boulevard. The 1-hour pontoon ride loops through 3 of the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, past the Rollins College campus and cypress-lined canals where Spanish moss hangs low enough to brush the water.

After the boat tour, lunch at Prato on Park Avenue, where the wood-fired margherita is $18 and the dining room opens onto the sidewalk. Drive 20 minutes south to downtown Orlando in the afternoon. Lake Eola Park sits at the center of the city, ringed by a 0.9-mile walking path. The swan-shaped pedal boats cost $15 for 30 minutes. From Lake Eola, walk south to Church Street for dinner at Hawkers Asian Street Food, where the laksa is $14 and the roti canai is $8. The room is loud and the tables are communal, which tends to suit the end of a long trip better than anywhere formal. Total walking across the three days comes to about 25 kilometres, assuming you drive between zones. Pack a portable battery and a wide-brimmed hat. The afternoon storms pass in 30-45 minutes and drop the temperature by 5°C. Wait them out under cover, then enjoy the emptied queues and steaming pavement.