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orlando humidity hell: a budget student's damp nightmare

@Grace Miller2/13/2026blog
orlando humidity hell: a budget student's damp nightmare

just rolled into orlando with 17 bucks in my pocket and a backpack full of instant noodles. turns out, this city’s weather is doing its best to drown me in 98% humidity while temps hover around 13.6°C. feels like breathing through a wet sock. i just checked the forecast and it’s… perpetually damp, hope you’re into that kind of thing.


so here’s the deal: theme parks are off the table. heard from a dreadlocked guy at *sketchy hostel downtown that universal studios charges $120 for a one-day ticket. he said, ‘mate, that’s rent money for a week.’ instead, i’ve been haunting public libraries for AC and free wifi. found a neat one near orange county regional history center where they don’t shoo you away if you nap on the sofas.

a bird sitting on top of a tree branch


if the humidity makes you want to claw your eyes out, tampa and jacksonville are just a bus ride away. i might bolt to jacksonville this weekend for a beach day. heard there’s a pier where you can catch free sunsets without paying admission.

a close up of an animal in a body of water


oh, and the food scene? it’s either overpriced tourist traps or mystery meat diners. but i found this place called
tijuana flats. some girl warned me their hot sauce is ‘strong enough to strip paint,’ but the $7 burritos are decent. check their yelp reviews before you go-apparently the one on international drive has roach issues.

a duck floating on top of a body of water


also, got scammed by a ‘free’ shuttle to
icon park*. turns out it was a timeshare trap. learned my lesson: never trust guys with clipboards. but the observation wheel at night is kinda cool if you can sneak a peek from outside.

for real budget hacks, peep these cheap eats on tripadvisor and this local events board. peace out, and bring an umbrella.


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About the author: Grace Miller

Student of life, taking notes for everyone else.

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