Fall Weather — Courtesy: Image by Maridav from Shutterstock
Orlando, Florida locals may not know what a cool autumn breeze feels like, but it hasn’t prevented them from getting cozy with a surprising new label.
A recent survey from BetMGM Casino ranks Orlando among the ten most cozy U.S. cities for autumn of 2024.
Yes, the same Orlando where the only thing that changes in the fall is the Starbucks menu, where palm trees replace maple trees, and where warm weather persists throughout the year.
However, it seems that the term “cozy” has a whole new connotation.
Portland, Maine, ranked first among the ten coziest U.S. cities for 2024 with an overall cozy ranking of 208. With an aggregate score of 117, Boston, Massachusetts, came in second, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, came in third with a score of 105. With a score of 99, Salt Lake City, Utah, came in fourth, and Portland, Oregon, came in fifth with an 89. Denver, Colorado, finished a close seventh with a score of 78, behind sixth-place Virginia Beach, Virginia, with a score of 79.
With 76 points and a tie for eighth place, Orlando, Florida, Providence, Rhode Island, and Savannah, Georgia are all considered equally cozy for the fall season.
Chicago, Illinois, finished tenth with a score of 68, while Nashville, Tennessee, came in ninth place with a score of 69, rounding out the top 10.
How, then, could a Sunshine State city with the highest average seasonal temperature and the least colorful fall foliage of all the places examined in the study make the top ten?
The 2023 list of “The 21 Best U.S. Cities for Fall Travel” by Travel and Leisure served as the basis for the current study. Orlando was ranked number eleven on the list, barely missing the top ten.
Travel & Leisure’s assessment of Orlando’s fall attractiveness may be found here.
“The start of the school year is a good time to visit Orlando because theme parks tend to have fewer crowds if you want to take your preschoolers to the theme parks or just ride Space Mountain repeatedly, without any kids in tow.” But the city is more than simply Universal and Disney. Explore the vibrant dining scene in downtown, where you can discover stylish restaurants like Enzo’s on the Lake for Italian food with a view or Domu for Japanese cuisine.
Researchers identified five variables associated with fall and coziness, including the number of physical venues like farmers markets and pumpkin patches, the color intensity of fall foliage, the number of parks and lakes, as well as the average rainfall and temperature. Based on Travel and Leisure’s list, they chose 18 cities “for their cozy, sweater weather feel and pumpkin spice is in the air” vibe.
A research representative told GulfLive, “Florida had a large number of overall fall venues, especially cozy cafes and coffee shops, with 114 in total.” “High rainfall during the fall season (3.8 inches) helps compensate for this shortcoming, even though Orlando is the least impressive city overall for fall foliage.”
The study indicates that “more rain is often associated with a cozier atmosphere,” transforming Orlando’s damp autumns into a cozy, coffee shop-filled haven from the heat, even though the city may not win any prizes for its fall foliage.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.