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US Airways Flights from Orlando (MCO) to Chicago (ORD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on US Airways, which operates 5 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from Orlando (MCO) to Chicago (ORD), departing between 6:00am and 7:51pm, and 3 additional non-stop flights, departing between 12:06pm and 5:33pm on select days of the week. Usually an Airbus A318/319/320/321 or Boeing 737-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Orlando, FL to Chicago, IL is 2 hours and 58 minutes.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Ravinia Festival
Want to know where the natives get away from it all? Come summertime, you'll find us chilling on the lawn at Ravinia, the summer home of the highly regarded Chicago Symphony Orchestra in suburban Highland Park. The season runs from mid-June to Labor Day and includes far more than classical concerts: You can also catch pop acts, dance performances, operatic arias, and blues concerts. Tickets are sold to both the covered pavilion, where you get a reserved seat and a view of the stage, and the lawn, which is the real joy of Ravinia: sitting under the stars and a canopy of leafy branches while listening to music and indulging in an elaborate picnic (it's a local tradition to try to outdo everyone else by bringing candelabras and fine china). I've been here for everything from Beethoven symphonies to folky singer-songwriters, and the setting has been magical every time. The lawn to the left of the stage is a popular place for families to spread out, but I'm partial to the tree-filled area on the right (the lights projected into the branches create a dramatic effect after the sun sets).Don't let the distance from downtown discourage you from visiting, because Ravinia is served by an extremely convenient public-transportation system. Any evening a concert is scheduled, a special Ravinia Metra commuter train leaves at 5:50pm from the North Western train station at Madison and Canal streets (just west of the Loop). The train stops directly at the festival at 6:30pm, plenty of time to enjoy a picnic before an 8 o'clock showtime. After the concert, trains wait right outside the gates to take commuters back to the city. The round-trip train fare is $5, a real bargain considering that traffic around the park can be brutal.Dining options available at the park range from the fine-dining restaurant Mirabelle (tel. 847/432-7550 for reservations) to prepacked picnic spreads from the Gatehouse, featuring gourmet items to go. For $10, you can rent a pair of lawn chairs and a table from booths set up near the park entrance. In case you're wondering about the weather conditions at concert time, dial Ravinia's Weather Line (tel. 847/433-5010).
City Council Chambers at City Hall
The public meetings of the volatile Chicago City Council make great theater for political junkies. The council meets in a massive building that takes up an entire city block, encompassing both City Hall and the County Building. (You can't miss it: Its columns are probably the most massive of any city building -- 75 ft. high and crowned by Corinthian capitals the height of an entire floor.) Although politics aren't quite as colorful under Mayor Richard M. Daley as they were under his dad, when a hot-button issue is being debated, factions can still get down and dirty, and the political posturing of the 50 aldermen (the name given to the city council members) can make for the best kind of theatrics. Call ahead to find out when the council is in session. City Hall tours also can be arranged for groups; call to make a reservation. Allow 1 hour.
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield is the Chicago area's largest zoo. In contrast to the rather efficient Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield is spacious, spreading out over 216 acres with thousands of animal residents -- camels, dolphins, giraffes, baboons, wolves, tigers, green sea turtles, Siberian tigers, snow leopards, and more -- living in naturalistic environments that put them side by side with other inhabitants of their regions. These creative indoor and outdoor settings -- filled with activities to keep kids interested -- are what set Brookfield apart. One of the newest exhibits, The Living Coast, explores the western coast of Chile and Peru and includes everything from a tank of plate-size moon jellies to a rocky shore where Humboldt penguins swim and nest as Inca terns and gray gulls fly freely overhead. Other impressive exhibits include The Swamp, which re-creates the bioregions of a southern cypress swamp and an Illinois river scene and discusses what people can do to protect wetlands, and Habitat Africa!, a multiple ecosystem exhibit that encompasses 30 acres -- about the size of the entire Lincoln Park Zoo. The thrills here aren't always high concept: Some of my favorite exhibits are the Australia House, where fruit bats flit around your head, and Tropic World, where you wander at tree-top level with monkeys. The dolphins at the Seven Seas Panorama put on an amazing show that has been a Brookfield Zoo fixture for years. If you go on a weekend, buy tickets to the dolphin show at least a couple of hours before the one you plan to attend because they tend to sell out quickly.The Hamill Family Play Zoo is a wonderful stop for kids, a place where they not only get to pet animals, but also can build habitats, learn how to plant a garden, and even play animal dress-up. The only catch: You will have to pay a separate admission fee ($3 adults, $2 children). Allow 3 hours.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Chicago area, including:
The Drake
If ever the term "grande dame" fit a hotel, it's The Drake, which opened in 1920. Fronting East Lake Shore Drive, this landmark building is Chicago's version of New York's Plaza or Paris's Ritz. Despite a massive renovation in the 1990s, the Drake still feels lost in time compared to places like the glitzy new Peninsula. But for many, that is part of The Drake's charm.The Drake's public spaces still maintain the regal grandeur of days gone by, but the guest rooms have been modernized with new furniture and linens. Most rooms include a small sitting area with couch and chairs; some have two bathrooms. The lake-view rooms are lovely, and -- no surprise -- you'll pay more for them. Be forewarned that "city view" rooms on the lower floors look out onto another building, so you'll probably be keeping your drapes shut. Rooms and suites on the "executive floors" provide such additional amenities as disposable cameras, a generous continental breakfast in a private lounge, and free cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, plus a daily newspaper and valet assistance for polishing shoes, packing and unpacking, and securing theater tickets.The hotel's restaurants include the Oak Terrace, a large dining room serving up American fare and some great views of the lake and Michigan Avenue; the Cape Cod Room, an old-timey seafood spot; and the Coq d'Or, one of Chicago's most atmospheric piano bars.
Four Seasons Hotel
Consistently voted one of the top hotels in the world by frequent travelers, the Four Seasons offers an understated luxury that appeals to publicity-shy Hollywood stars and wealthy families. Although the hotel has every conceivable luxury amenity, the overall look is that of an English country manor rather than a glitzy getaway. The real attraction here is the service, not the decor.The city's tallest hotel, the Four Seasons occupies a rarefied aerie between the 30th and 46th floors above the Mag Mile's most upscale vertical mall. The elegant rooms have English furnishings, custom-woven carpets and tapestries, and dark-wood armoires. Each has windows that open to let in the fresh air. Bathrooms boast such indulgences as a lighted makeup mirror, oversize towels and robes, scales, and Bulgari toiletries. Kid-friendly services include little robes, balloon animals, Nintendo, a special room-service menu, and milk and cookies. The hotel's elegant fitness center and spa exude the same upscale, old-money feel as the rest of the public areas. An 18-foot-high white marble fountain marks the entrance to the opulent Seasons Restaurant.
Fairmont Hotel
The Fairmont is easily one of the city's most luxurious hotels, offering an array of deluxe amenities and services and regularly hosting high-level politicians and high-profile fundraisers. Open since the mid-1980s, its overall effect is chic but a bit impersonal. The entrance faces anonymous office towers, and you're likely to wander the circular lobby awhile before finding the check-in desk. Still, the rooms are large and decorated in a comfortable, upscale style (ask for one with a lake view, although city-view rooms aren't bad either). The posh bathrooms feature extra-large tubs, separate vanity areas, and swivel TVs. The windows open (a rarity in high-rise hotels), so you can enjoy the breeze drifting off Lake Michigan. Suites have one or two bedrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a built-in bar -- and all come with lake views. The hotel is connected to the city's underground "pedway" system, through which you can walk all the way to Marshall Field's on State Street -- a bonus on inclement days (a florist, pharmacy, and salon are conveniently located in an adjoining building).Facilities: Restaurant (American/eclectic); lounge; access to Lakeshore Athletic Club, one of the top health clubs in the city (with full-court basketball, climbing wall, pool, and spa); concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; 24-hr. dry cleaning.
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