Want to Sightsee at Orlando International Airport Terminal C? Here’s How.

Orlando International Airport now offers electronic permission slips to explore the new Terminal C.

“The program is easy to use and is great for local families or early date nights,” said airport director Kevin Thibault, announcing the new program to aviation leaders. “There are time limitations ,and TSA approval is needed. Guests are required to sign up in advance. The program will be available to the general public.”

It’s free, too.

Set up as a yearlong experiment, with a daily limit of 50 visitors, it will be interesting to see whether the virtual hall pass becomes popular.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has bet billions on the allure of the year-old Terminal C, which is a mile south of the original A-B terminal complex.

The new terminal has a ceiling of soaring, award-winning windows, and its vast space contains multiple, large-scale interactive features.

But except for passengers on a JetBlue or international flight, the vast majority of the traveling public at Orlando International doesn’t get to experience most of Terminal C’s best look.

Thibault said he read about the virtual pass gaining popularity at another airport. He directed staff to learn more, and they found that New York’s La Guardia, Detroit’s Metro and Charlotte’s Douglas International offer visitation passes.

Also offering visitor admission is Ontario International Airport in Southern California. It’s called the “ONT+ Visitor Pass Program” and closely resembles what Orlando’s airport has just begun to offer.

That’s because the Ontario airport program is one “we closely reviewed and mirrored,” said Orlando airport spokesperson Angela Starke.

While there is no charge for the Orlando airport visitation pass, there are costs, including the drudge of a TSA security checkpoint: belts and shoes off, and arms up for a see-through-your-clothes scan – and all the other stuff that applies to travelers.

Parking at the Terminal C garage isn’t cheap: about $4 an hour and maxing out at $19 daily, but going up to $21 daily in October.

On the upside, Terminal C is far more leisurely than terminals A and B, with the wait times to enter TSA’s security checkpoint there usually pegged at a few minutes.

And, if any of the airport’s parking garages are likely to have space available, it’s Terminal C’s garage.

The visitor pass application and rules are at experiencemco.orlandoairports.net/

“Shop, dine, spend some more time with loved ones who are flying out,” the airport suggests. “Terminal C is new, modern, and has so much to explore: shop the theme parks, discover local brands, unleash your imagination and interact with our immersive, multimedia experiences, grab food on-the-go or sit down and dine on a delicious meal – the adventure is yours to create!”

If that sounds exhausting, there are boundaries. Visitors must enter between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and exit by 8 p.m.

The airport did not respond when asked why 8 p.m. is the curfew.

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