The video notes that the flight is surprisingly smooth and gentle. Despite expectations from theme park roller coasters, passengers found the ride to be lovely and far less turbulent than anticipated, making it suitable even for those with mild motion concerns.
At a glance
Length
20 min
Channel
butlersempire
Video from
Nov 2025
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Theme park tourists and Orlando visitors curious about aerial tours; first-time helicopter flyers wanting an honest experience preview.
What this video answers
How bumpy is the helicopter ride?
Can I film and photograph during the flight?
What is the actual flight duration, and how much area do you cover?
Is there a minimum group size, or can two people fly together?
How do I book, and should I arrive early or book in advance?
Reads the guide aloud in your browser — free, no account.
Overview of the Orlando Helicopter Tour from International Drive
This video follows the British vlogging duo from butlersempire as they experience their first helicopter ride over Orlando, departing from International Drive. The 10–15 minute flight covers a 15-mile radius, sweeping over major theme park attractions including Universal Studios, ICON Park, and the surrounding tourist corridor. It's an accessible and surprisingly affordable way to see Florida's most visited area from a perspective that ground-level tours simply cannot match.
The experience is ideal for visitors who want a bird's-eye view of Orlando's layout and attractions without needing to rent a car or spend hours traveling between sites. Whether you're planning a multi-day Florida holiday, curious about how theme parks are arranged geographically, or simply keen to try something unconventional, a helicopter tour review like this one shows you exactly what to expect before booking.
Key Moments
Key Sights and Moments on the Flight
Aerial views of Universal Studios and surrounding theme park infrastructure as the helicopter gains altitude
A clear bird's-eye perspective of ICON Park, the Orlando Eye (Millennium Eye), and the catapult and slingshot rides visible from above
The smooth, gentle nature of the flight—noticeably less bumpy than expected, despite prior concerns from theme park roller coasters
Sweeping views across a wide radius including SeaWorld and glimpses of wildlife like dolphins and orcas visible from the air
The landing sequence and pilots preparing for the next group of passengers
Honest reflections from both passengers: confirmation that it was worth the cost and a definite "yes" to doing it again
What to Know Before Booking Your Orlando Helicopter Flight
Location and access: Tours depart from International Drive (bus stop 18), reachable by public bus ($2 per ride) or Uber; it's about a 5-minute walk from the bus stop to the helipad
Duration: Flights last 10–15 minutes in the air, covering a 15-mile radius
Pricing: Walk-in rates start at $25 per person if scheduled flights are full; private flights for two people cost $65 per person plus tax and tip (the video's total was approximately $85 per person after tax and gratuity)
Scheduling: Flights are scheduled throughout the day (the video's 3 p.m. slot is an example); you must book in advance or arrive hoping for available seats in an existing flight
Photography: Despite signage saying "no photography," the pilot confirmed that filming during the flight is allowed
Best conditions: Clear skies are ideal; the video was shot on a cloudless day with excellent visibility
What to wear: No special gear is mentioned as required; dress comfortably for sitting in a small aircraft cabin
Frequently Asked Questions About Orlando Helicopter Tours
How bumpy is the helicopter ride?
The video notes that the flight is surprisingly smooth and gentle. Despite expectations from theme park roller coasters, passengers found the ride to be lovely and far less turbulent than anticipated, making it suitable even for those with mild motion concerns.
Can I film and photograph during the flight?
Yes. Although signage at the helipad suggests no photography, the pilot explicitly confirmed in this video that passengers are permitted to film and photograph during the flight, so you can capture your own aerial footage.
What is the actual flight duration, and how much area do you cover?
The flight lasts approximately 10–15 minutes and covers a 15-mile radius around International Drive. This encompasses Universal Studios, ICON Park, SeaWorld, and other major attractions in the region, giving a comprehensive aerial overview of Orlando's tourist corridor.
Is there a minimum group size, or can two people fly together?
Yes, two people can fly together on a private helicopter ride. However, if you book as the only two passengers in a scheduled slot, the cost is $65 per person (plus tax and tip) rather than the $25 walk-in rate, which applies only when multiple groups are flying together.
How do I book, and should I arrive early or book in advance?
Tours are scheduled throughout the day. You can walk up and try to join an existing flight for $25 per person if space is available, or book in advance to guarantee a time slot. Because flights fill up and private rates apply when you're the only group, booking ahead is recommended, especially during peak tourist seasons.
This video is genuinely helpful because it removes the mystery from an activity many travelers wonder about. The vloggers are honest about costs, give accurate flight duration, and show real footage from takeoff through landing—no exaggeration or shortcuts. They address common anxieties like turbulence and photography rules head-on, and their enthusiasm feels earned rather than forced.
What I appreciated most was seeing the unguarded reactions during the flight itself: passengers visibly surprised by how smooth it is, the natural wonder at recognizing landmarks from above, and the candid verdict afterward that yes, it's worth the money. If you're on the fence about whether to book a best helicopter tour during an Orlando trip, this honest walkthrough will help you decide.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
In this vlog, we do something totally unforgettable — we take a helicopter ride over Orlando, lifting off from International Drive for a sky-high view of Florida’s most iconic tourist area! 🚁
🏙️ We fly over Universal Studios, ICON Park, and surrounding attractions, catching stunning views of Orlando from above.
Whether you're planning a Florida holiday or just love seeing new places from the sky, this is a must-watch!
🎥 In this vlog:
Full in-flight footage from takeoff to landing
Bird’s eye view of major Orlando landmarks
Honest thoughts: Was it worth it? Would we do it again?
💬 Have you ever taken a helicopter tour? Would you do it in Orlando? Let us know in the comments!
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow our Orlando vlog series for more theme parks, food, and incredible experiences around Florida.
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Video transcript for “Scary But Incredible – Our First Helicopter Ride Over Orlando!” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
Right, we're out on our drive again, Sharon. We're at bus stop do stop number 10. Yeah. And we're going to hopefully go on a little helicopter ride. So, uh, do come along with us. But we're going to have a little bus ride up to bus stop number 18 where we think it is. So, uh, you can come
along with us and hopefully we can look down cuz I haven't got me drone with me and I don't think you're allowed to fly a drone here, Sharon. I'm not sure. I should be. So, cuz that helicopter's always going over, isn't it? Yeah, always going over. There are longer trips you can do and the
money goes up obviously, but um that's all we want to do. Just have a little buzz around just to see above here. There's no clouds in the sky so we should be fine. Oh, it's perfect. It's beautiful. Sorry for all you people in Yorkshire that got all the snow. Sorry. Oh dear. Anyway, I drive nice and
quiet at the moment. Oh, the bus is coming now. Is it now? We've got our $2. Sharon's got hers there and I've got mine in my pocket somewhere. Stinks this money. And all you do is you slide it into a little machine. Sharon, don't you? It's weird. I'm used We're used to the plastic money now. So,
I'll show you Sharon doing hers and you can see that's if we if you if you're a fan with dollars, it's $2. You can go anywhere on our drive in one bus journey. $2 per ride or you buy the day passes, don't I've shown them that already in the last video. Sh or one of the videos anyway.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, baby. Let's get on. Always let the people get off the bus first, folks. Anyone getting off? No. No. just getting on. Hello. Thank you. Right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There she goes. Thank you. Oh, hello. Step I took there. I just took an enormous step there, didn't I? Yeah, there was no step there. And there was no step there. Sh. Anyway, we're on our way from step number 18. coming up. Thank you. Thank you. There we are. Stop 18 by another Rosen
in. Oh, yeah. So, we're just going to walk back a little bit now, folks. Just back here and you'll see the helicopter just sitting on the roadside. Exciting, isn't it? Yeah. We're hoping it's $20. We think it's 25 Martin. $25 rather each. We were surprised when we see that how cheap it was. And
it's not it's only taken about 3 or 4 minutes to get here in it. We could have walked it, but um yesterday we done 17,000 steps. So, uh my back's been playing up as well. Yeah. So, we we've said we're going to have a little easy day today. So, I think I'm missing my swimming. Is that what
it is? It's probably them big bumpy rides we've been going on, Sharon. Yeah, could be. We are of a certain age now, but I find it all right. All right. But you're a bit more delicate than me. I actually think it's the bed cuz I've started to lower my me stomach now through the night and
the pain's not so bad. Yeah, we've been sleeping very well. I will say I like a firm mattress. Oh, it's £25. Four person. I keep saying pound. Let's show you the site, folks. Four pilot. That's it's like an old five. I think that's just showing you how much it Yeah. $25 per person. There we go. So,
that's where we're going, folks. Let's have a little go in there, baby. Let's see. Uh if it allows two people to go up. I should have. It must do cuz Jimmy and the your brother. Yeah. Went up here. So, let's get inside and uh see if we can get even busters, I wonder. Come on,
baby. Okay, folks. So, you can't just really come off the street and book a $25 ride. They schedule the flights throughout the day. The next flight apparently is at 3:00 in the afternoon. The time now is uh 20 1. And the minimum they can fly the plane for for two people is they got different
scales in there is $65 each. That's if you got a load of walk-ins, you can basically have the $25, but they've got nobody else booked in for because no one's booked in. That means if we do want to go at 3:00 and us be the only two in there, we've had to pay $65 each. If there's other people in there,
you could it opens up more options where you the more people can sort of fly up to four extra people and the the uh the pilot obviously, but you do fly on your own. You're not going to get in with strangers. He said you you'd always go on your own. It'd always be your own ride. Then you
as you get out, other people would get in. They would mostly wouldn't stop. So it doesn't look like there's no one else booked in. So we've paid the $65 plus tax, which was $71. And you also give a tip. So, we ended up paying about $85 or something like that each, which is a one-off
experience at the end of the day. And we're not only flying for a couple of minutes, we're flying for about uh 10 to 15 minutes, I think. And we're going over a wider 15 mile radius. Yeah, land sea world and all that. So, and we thought, we just asked him, it said out the front there,
there's no cameras or whatever. That is basically in and around here. While you're up there, you can you can film. So, see, you're coming with us. You are coming with us. Well, I had me doubts about that cuz it said no photography there, but yes, you can. I did ask him. So, we will be
filming it and we're coming back here just before 3:00. And I did say he'd like to film from the outside of the helicopter. Unbelievable. Right, we're just going to have a little walk about. We got a bit of time now. We're going to get a bit of sun and have a little walk around. So, we see
you back here at 3:00. Right, we're on a bit of a walk about. As you know, folks, Sharon's getting a little bit hungry and she wanted a bit of chicken. So, uh proper American chicken. Yeah, we're going to go in there. raising canes, chicken fingers, and uh go in there, get a cold drink. Yeah. And
it should be air conditioned, which should be lovely. Yeah. So, let's get inside and let's see what this is all about. Oh, yeah. Chicken. It's not doo Sharon. What doodle is the school bus? Look. Show the school bus. Yeah, the old school bus is over there. Look, you can't see them,
can you? Proper school bus. Come here, baby. Let's get inside. Oh, no. I just want a nice cold drink. Oh, yeah. Yeah. December 2nd. All right. Okay then. What's that? December 2nd. They open. Oh, okay. They're not open. Brand new place. Not open till December. That's what That's why they're
recruiting. Look. Oh, you ain't You ain't getting your chicken then, are you? I'll find somewhere else. Thought it was open. That must be their recruitment day. Oh well, we're bugging up there, folks. You ain't going to be able to see that until December the 2nd. So, just out and about
for a walk, folks. We're back to that um Pirates Cove crazy golf there. As you can see, look. Really um looks an interesting one. We done the crocodile one. Yeah. A couple of days ago. Well, about a week ago now, wasn't it? When we first come here was Yeah. Nearly two weeks ago. And uh
shame it didn't film, but uh yeah, we're just uh having a little casual stroll. Open 7 days a week, 9 to 11:30. There you go. I thought it was quite funny, wasn't it? Going for chicken. She says, "Are you here for chicken?" Said, "Yeah, come back in December." Unbelievable. But it's their
recruitment day. Yeah, it's that big wheel, folks. Look the um Orlando eye where we are at the moment. We got to keep an eye on the time because uh we don't want to miss our flight, so to speak. Although, we have paid and it don't look like there's anyone else booked in. He never
said anyone else has booked in, so we should be okay. But a lot of these roads crossings are out of order. They have got sort of tape around the the head so you can't see the hands. So, uh just be aware that when that happens, you're playing a game of chicken. Really, not like the chicken Sharon couldn't get. Woohoo. Here we go. But always remember to press them,
folks. Look. Here we go. Wait. They can come from all angles. Look at the height for that. Jimmy's restaurant here. Look, brother. Jimmy's barbecue catapult. Look at that catapult. Look, I'm going to pay for you to go on that. I don't want to go on it, Sharon. Although you've done
some Daredevil stuff, I must say, which I didn't expect you to do. We've had a lot of fun here, folks, but 2 weeks definitely isn't enough. And a lot of you have been asking or saying, "Oh, you want to go and visit here? You want to go and visit there?" Well, we have got a slight
itinerary by what Jimmy was telling us, the places he'd been. So, we've actually done them. So, we can't actually do everything in one go. We have This is the only downtime day we've had today. And that's only cuz Sharon's got a bad back basically. And also, we've not hired a car
cuz cars are very expensive out here. Yeah. When we go to Disneyland, it's like $60 a day to park your car. I said that in the comment section. Yeah. So, yeah, we've been getting about fine on the Uber and on the eye. This is it telling us to cross it. Yeah. We've been so busy chatting. We
missed the little hand. We missed a little hand. 21 seconds. She starts panicking. Soon as she sees that thing change, she goes, "Oh." Oh. And off she goes. Am I? I'm down to 14 seconds. Look at me. Yeah. Unbelievable. The big cars though, they take your head off some of these. Yeah. Let's find
a cold drink anyway. Yeah, folks. Look at this. Look. Look. Just standing underneath this. Look, that's just the uh arm for one of the catapults. Look. Absolutely enormous. And that um you go about this way and show it, can't that big tower over there is much bigger than the one that was in
Skg Nest. The Big Ben in Skg Nest. Sharon. Yeah. Was it amazing? Where you going now? We're going through here. You showing the slingshot. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah, that Millennium Eye thing, whatever it is, the Orlando eye is massive. But I think this one to go on is about $65 in it or
something. Sh. Yeah. This catapult, which we're not going on. Definitely not going on. Definitely. Yeah. There you go. We come here during the evening. We come here. Yeah. And it looks so different in the uh nighttime with all the uh neon signs illuminated. They are. $65. Yeah. $65. Here
we go. One rider, one t-shirt, one video. $65. Unbelievable. Oh, what's this? Southern food. Hey, brother Jimmy's barbecue. You want to go in there? I bet it's like a restaurant. I don't want to. I just want somewhere just to sit and eat. Not a restaurant, you know. It's not a restaurant,
is it? I don't know. Well, you got some food next to it. What's that then? That's that, is it? Look. Yeah, it looks like a restaurant, doesn't it? Yeah. We don't want that. It is a bar and karaoke as well. Sharon, we just want I just want a little snack. Yeah. Well, we'll have a look.
Heat. Heat.
baby. Yeah. Go, folks. Just about to take off. Nice. And we're up. It's lovely and smooth, isn't it? Lovely, isn't it? We done a few few of the roller coaster rides at um the parks and it's we we had
we had a vision that it could be a little bit bumpy but it's not. It's lovely. There you go folks. You don't really get to see the view from this sort of angle before. I have got a drone but I'm not too sure. I don't think you can use a drone around here. Can you? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't bring it anyway just because I thought that because the helicopter thing
Is that I drive then all along here? Is it? No, I drive. Yeah. Oh, okay. That see over there. See how well
we go down there. Oh yeah. Yeah.
All right. I didn't realize you can also flatten the landscape.
Yeah. Can't be off. Really? Wow.
It's not open yet. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. down there.
Heat. windy.
What's that line? That's where we watch
Universal Studios. Now you see.
Oh yeah. Heat.
Heat. Right. the uh around by the Orlando.
intimidating. Someone in the catapult
just coming back in now for land. If you do come, folks, definitely worthwhile doing experience. Yeah. And there you go, folks. We're going to get out now. And uh that was a lovely ride. We do recommend you try.
Well, there you go, folks. That was absolutely fantastic. If you want to try that, we do recommend it. That's the um Orlando heli tours there on iDrive. Uh we get up at number 18 bus stop on the iDrive and it's a little walk back. Probably about a 5minute walk back and that's where you are. Hope
you enjoyed that. We definitely did. I did. It's money for transport. Unbelievable. Yeah, absolutely. Like floating. It's so so different than what I expected and you can see why people do like or use helicopters for transport. It's a different world. Brilliant. Brilliant. Anyway,
and there it goes, folks. Getting ready to go up again with another couple of people in it. That's what we just done. There you go.
And now we got to cross the road. Quick, run, run, run, Joe, run. You remember that? Run, Joe, run. I thought it was run forest. Program in the 70s about a German Shepherd dog and it could understand humans. Run, show, run. Woof, look how clear these roads are, folks. Look. Amazing, isn't it? Oh, that was a lovely experience, baby, wasn't it? Well,
I want to go to Orlando to the shoe just now to go to Harry Potter a bit. Where are you, baby? I can't I can't see you back. You want to go where? To the Harry Potter studios now. So, I'm definitely coming back. There was so many and that sea dolphins swimming about. Want to go there? And
the orca wows I think you said. And you can swim with dolphins. I never realized how flat the whole of Florida is there. It's just bit like Lincoln. That's probably why we like it. I cannot believe I did know just down the road I could have gone and swam with dolphins. Right, let's get back, baby.
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