MCO Plaza Premium Lounge Review: Overcrowded Priority Pass Option

Orlando International Airport (MCO) Terminal C’s Plaza Premium Lounge is big, bright and ambitious — but it doesn’t always live up to the promise. Located in the airport’s newest Terminal C, this 10,000-square-foot space was designed with thoughtful amenities including luxury bathrooms.

The lounge's popularity is also its biggest drawback. When it’s packed, it can feel more crowded than the Magic Kingdom in the summer. Here’s what travelers should know before deciding whether this Priority Pass-eligible lounge is worth a stop.

The Plaza Premium Lounge is located airside in Terminal C, on Level 2 near Gate 241. This terminal serves airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Emirates, Icelandair, JetBlue and Lufthansa.

The lounge isn’t connected airside to Terminals A or B, so lounge hopping isn’t practical unless you're flying out of Terminal C.

Access to the Plaza Premium Lounge at MCO is available via:

• Priority Pass (offered as a complimentary perk on many travel credit cards).

• Plaza Premium Lounge Pass Americas, a lounge membership product that includes U.S. locations.

• Day passes (prices vary by demand, but hover around $70).

This lounge is designed with a green and blue color palette intended to reflect Central Florida’s springs and waterways. Maximalist wallpaper and large art pieces evoke the spirit of Florida.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the tarmac on one side (great for plane spotting) and Terminal C’s Palm Court concourse on the other.

Places to sit range from custom-designed couches to semi-private workspaces with international charging ports. There’s also a dedicated quiet zone.

Complimentary luggage storage is convenient and low-key necessary, given the lounge’s usual crowds.

One of the lounge’s most charming features is an interactive family zone, where touch screens on the wall make for a fun activity. The interactive “Tasty Turtle Treats” game, which you play by standing in front of a giant screen, is a must-try (at least if you’re around age 10).

It's LEED Certified, meaning the space was built to meet certain sustainability standards.

Compared to the majority of other Priority Pass lounges in the U.S., the Plaza Premium Lounge’s food selection is a cut above.

Items at the buffet feature globally inspired options, including:

• Cuban-style ground beef.

• Chicken and vegetable stir fry.

• Assorted pasta dishes.

• Pastries, including cakes and cookies.

Then there is a separate area where you can order items that are made fresh for an additional fee. These include cheeseburgers, chicken tenders and fries.

Adults can sample cocktails curated by the lounge’s mixologists — including three drink recipes exclusive to Plaza Premium guests. But aside from house beers and wines, most alcohol costs extra.

For what it’s worth, drinks were pretty affordable by airport standards, with some cocktails under $10.

There are showers (which cost extra) and bathrooms, which Plaza Premium’s marketing materials promote as “luxury washrooms with spa-like shower facilities.”

But I can’t vouch for them. Every time I’ve gone to the lounge, there’s been a line down the hallway just to use them, so I never have.

I was too impatient to wait — especially with no-line bathrooms in the public areas of the terminal — and felt awkward blocking the hallway as people passed with plates of food.

Here’s the catch: this lounge gets crowded. Usually, the dining area has the energy of a cheap hotel breakfast buffet right before closing.

It’s not just the buffet area that’s packed, but seating throughout the lounge. During one visit, a traveler politely asked to share a cocktail table with me because there were no other spots available (I said yes).

Arrive at the wrong time, and you may end up inhaling a rice bowl and some cookies while standing.

I’ve never seen the lounge use waitlists to manage crowds, though I think it might help. A spokesperson for Plaza Premium confirmed that they do not have a formal waitlist system in place, but is currently exploring options to better manage capacity.

Although they sometimes post signs outside saying the lounge is full and seats are not guaranteed, they keep letting people in.

The Plaza Premium Lounge at MCO is a legitimate upgrade over most other Priority Pass lounges in the U.S., and it’s definitely the best of MCO’s Priority Pass lounges. The food is good, but only stick around if crowds are light.

And it's probably not worth paying for a day pass. Lounges are supposed to be a respite from the hectic terminal.

Terminal C at MCO is already calm and well-designed. Ironically, it’s the Plaza Premium Lounge that feels more chaotic.

I’ll generally take the free food over paying for a meal. But if I see a mob outside the Plaza Premium check-in desk, I head to Sunshine Diner or Wine Bar George instead. Then I kill time making pressed pennies and taking photos with Hagrid’s motorbike replica at the Universal Orlando store instead.

(Top photo by Sally French)