If you have ever traveled into the Orlando International Airport you know how busy it can be, and in desperate need of some expansion due to the travelers. Well finally the much anticipated Terminal C has opened with some really interesting dining and shopping options. The only problem is they are all beyond the TSA Security check available only for travelers arriving or departing from this terminal.

However that has all recently changed, and they now offer a special visitor pass to anyone that is interested in visiting the terminal. You just need to visit the Experience MCO website linked here fill out the form with your information and select the date (only up to 7 days in advance). Then the day of your visit you will receive an email confirmation from TSA if are approved with your visitor pass. It was quite simple and before I knew it I was on my way to Terminal C

After parking in the lot, I headed inside and towards the TSA Security check. You still have to go through this check just like every other passenger, empty out your pockets, take off your shoes and put them in a bin to be scanned. Thankfully I didn’t need to worry about any luggage so the process was pretty quick. Then I headed down a long hallway and into the large atrium.

There were a lot of places to explore here, but today my main destination was the Universal Store. Even just from the outside you can tell how big this place is with two floors of merchandise it was pretty impressive.

If you are a frequent visitor to the Universal Orlando theme parks all this merchandise will be very familiar to you. There are different sections for things like general Universal items, Jurassic World, Minions, and of course Harry Potter.

They also have some fun photo ops scattered around the store like Hagrid’s motorbike, and even a Raptor tearing through one of the walls.

Tucked in among the super hero stuff is where I found the first pressed penny machine. The cabinet matched the store design perfectly and I liked the rounded corners just like the nearby fixtures. The designs here are very similar to ones you can get inside the theme parks and have images of The Simpsons, Minions, Spider-man, Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic World.

Next it was time to head upstairs and it was all Harry Potter up there. Plus do you see that picture of Hogwarts castle on the far wall, well that is actually a huge digital screen that extends from that wall, up along the ceiling and over to the opposite wall. There is a really amazing Dragon encounter that takes place and if you want to see if check out my TikTok video here.

This floor had Hogwarts robes, lounge fly bags, wands and so much more. I was really surprised with how much merchandise they jammed into this store.

This is also where I found the second pressed penny machine and I’m sure you can guess what the designs are here, yup it’s all Harry Potter. These designs are also available in the theme parks among a couple different machines. So they aren’t technically new designs, I matched a few of them up at home and they don’t appear to be any differences. But if you missed out on them at the parks, this is a great way to pick up a set before heading back home.

I did wonder around the rest of the terminal to check out the Disney store and SeaWorld gift shops but neither of them (for now) had a pressed penny machine available. There was no real time limit on my visitor pass, just that you need to leave by 8pm so that gives you plenty of time to check it out. I was there for about an hour and parking only cost me $5 but we know that at an airport that can jump up quickly if you are there for a longer period of time. Keep on Pressing!

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