Getting to the venue and getting around

Map of local area in close proximity to the conference venue.

Most SIGDOC 2023 events will be held in the conference hotel, Embassy Suites Orlando Downtown, 191 East Pine Street, Orlando, FL, 32801.

The Thursday evening Ignite Talks and social event are in the Orange County Regional History Center, which is approximately 1-½ blocks (0.1 mile) from the conference venue at 65 E. Central Blvd.

 

Public transportation

The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is located about 13 miles from the conference hotel. Taxi and rideshare services are available from Terminals A, B, and C. If arriving at Terminal C, bus and train services require taking a shuttle to Terminals A and B.

 

  • Taxi: Average transport time to/from downtown Orlando varies with traffic from between 25–45 minutes. Average fare is $55-60. More information about taxi connections, including pick-up locations and contact information for individual companies, can be found on the airport website. 
  • Rideshare (Uber and Lyft): Average transport time to/from downtown Orlando varies with traffic from between 25–45 minutes. Rates vary depending on demand; a range of $30-50 is likely.
  • Bus: The Lynx bus system lines 11 and 51 runs from MCO to/from the Lynx Central Station in Downtown Orlando about twice an hour between 5 am and 11:30 pm. The closest stop on the 11 to the hotel is Rosalind and Central (across the street from the hotel); the closest stop on the 51 is Robinson and Rosalind (about 0.4 mi from the hotel). The fare is $2. Average transport time is between 40-50 minutes, depending on traffic.
  • Train: The SunRail train does not go directly to the airport, but may be accessed by Lynx bus via the Sand Lake Station. Cost is $2 (includes Lynx transfer). The Church Street Station is the closest stop to the conference venue (about 0.6 miles away). More information is available here. Note that SunRail does not run on weekends.

The Orlando Amtrak station is located about 1.5 miles south of the conference venue. See Amtrak’s website for more information about accessibility and connections. Connections can be made to the conference venue via taxi, rideshare, or Lynx bus.

Parking information

Self-parking is located in the surface lot directly across Pine Street from the hotel (on the corner of Pine and Rosalind). Take a ticket upon entering the parking lot. Hotel guests should bring the ticket to the front desk when checking in to receive a parking voucher which they can use for unlimited exit/re-entry at a cost of $22 per day. Non-overnight guests may find that the day rate in this surface lot or the parking structure just east on Pine Street are more economical, but this rate doesn’t include exit/re-entry privileges. Metered street parking is available in the neighborhood south and east of the hotel, but note that City of Orlando parking enforcement staff tickets quickly for overstaying metered time.

Downtown Orlando

Orlando, and particularly downtown Orlando has a high density of arts, dining, and entertainment options. We want to provide general area information and dining suggestions for SIGDOC attendees, centered on the conference hotel. These are not endorsements, just suggestions! 

Local area

The Embassy Suites is located just southwest of Lake Eola, Orlando’s main park. West of the hotel is the Central Business District; east are the South Eola and Thornton Park neighborhoods.

Downtown Orlando’s Central Business District (CBD) is bounded on the west by I-4 and south by the 408 Expressway. City Hall and the Orange County government buildings are located in the south CBD, as is the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center and a variety of small comedy clubs and arts spaces (e.g., Orlando Fringe ArtSpace). The northern part of this district has a large variety of restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. The Orange County Regional History Center is located in the north CBD area.

South Eola and Thornton Park are the neighborhoods just east and northeast of the Embassy Suites, respectively. Lake Eola has a popular park for a stroll, to feed the waterfowl, or for swan boat rental. There are a variety of restaurants in this area centered on Central Blvd., as well as Eola Dr. and Church St. While South Eola has been experiencing high-rise development in the past few years, Thornton Park (more east and north) is a neighborhood of historic bungalows. There are a variety of restaurants along Summerlin Ave. and Washington St.

If you have a car or want to take public transportation or a rideshare, a few other areas may be of interest.

  • Mills 50 (NE of downtown, centered on Colonial Dr/SR 50 and Mills Ave) is a dynamic area with a variety of south and east Asian dining options. The area is the heart of Orlando’s large Vietnamese community.
  • Parramore (W of downtown) is a historically Black neighborhood. Historically underinvested in, it’s now experiencing gentrification with the development of sports venues and the UCF Downtown campus/Creative Village. Cultural spaces include UCF’s Downtown campus, Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture, Amway Arena (home of Orlando Magic basketball, Orlando Solar Bears hockey, and concert venue), and Exploria Stadium (home of Orlando City and Orlando Pride soccer teams).  
  • Loch Haven Park, further north) hosts Orlando’s “museum campus” and cultural venues, including the Orlando Shakes, Orlando Museum of Art, Mennello Museum of American Art, and Orlando Science Center. It’s on the SunRail line.
  • Winter Park is a historic town further north (also on the SunRail line) with a high concentration of restaurants, shops, and small museums and art galleries.

Dining suggestions

Note: this list mainly includes places that are walkable to the conference venue with vegetarian options to provide flexibility to SIGDOC attendees. There are a variety of other restaurants including steakhouses, BBQ, and New American restaurants in the area as well.

  • South Eola
    • Great Harvest Bakery (breakfast, lunch, quick bites)
    • Bynx Orlando (coffee & quick bites)
    • Pop Parlour (coffee & popsicles)
    • Greenery Creamery (ice cream & vegan desserts)
    • F&D Cantina (Tex-Mex)
    • Soco (upscale Southern cuisine)
  • Thornton Park
    • RareTea (iced tea, boba)
    • Benjamin French Bakery and Cafe (breakfast, lunch, quick bites)
    • Jinya Ramen (good, but expect a wait!)
    • The 808 (Hawaii-inspired food)
    • Anthony’s Thornton Park (pizza & pasta neighborhood standby)
  • Central Business DIstrict
    • La Boulangerie (coffee, brunch, lunch)
    • Gringos Locos (hole-in-the wall, tacos & burritos)

Safety considerations 

While Central Florida is known for its theme parks and resorts, we’d like to remind SIGDOC attendees that Orlando is a big city and so the downtown area has social issues common to other cities. Please exercise the usual caution than you would in other urban areas.

For those extending their stay beyond the conference, keep in mind that while the downtown area is very walkable, most of Florida is extremely pedestrian-unfriendly. Drivers tend to be aggressive and infrastructure is hostile to both pedestrians and cyclists. If you’re planning to stay in the resort areas, we recommend you rent a car or make use of rideshare or resort shuttle options.

The legal drinking age in Florida is 21, as in the rest of the U.S. Medical marijuana use is legal, though you must have a permit card issued by a physician to purchase marijuana from a registered dispensary. Recreational marijuana use is illegal, though decriminalized in Orlando (subject to a fine rather than arrest, at the discretion of police).

Other information resources