Central Florida pulse
What operators are watching this season.
A briefing desk compiled from public filings, visitor calendars, and metro labor numbers. Written for owners who need a next step, not a tourist recap.
Theme parks · August 2026
Epic Universe is still hiring in its first full year.
Universal's newest park opened in May 2025. 2026 is the first full calendar year of operations, and hospitality is still ramping staff and vendors.
I-Drive · August 2026
Four large I-Drive openings are still loading in 2026.
Society Park, Museum of Ice Cream, PopStroke, and a multi-level Build-A-Bear flagship are arriving on International Drive this year.
Medical City · August 2026
AdventHealth is planting 60 acres in Lake Nona this year.
A health and wellness campus is scheduled for late 2026 at Narcoossee Road, adding another hospital system to Medical City.
Osceola · 2026
NeoCity breaks ground on a semiconductor lab in 2026.
Osceola County is building a 30,000 square foot research lab with a $17.5 million Florida Job Growth Grant. More than $500 million is already invested on the 500-acre campus.
Procurement · April 2026
Orange County and the City of Orlando opened Small Business Enterprise programs.
In April 2026 both governments launched SBE tracks open to firms in the Orlando MSA: Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake.
Labor market · July 2026
Job growth cooled. Orlando still leads Florida.
The metro added 8,800 jobs in 2025. That is far below the 44,000-a-year clip of the late 2010s, and it still beat Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville.
Aerospace · August 2026
Aerospace firms keep using Central Florida as the U.S. front door.
This month a Colombian aerospace software company chose the region as its American launchpad. Lake Mary is adding headquarters jobs at the same time.
Vacation homes · August 2026
Inland STR insurance is cheap. Storm income is not covered.
Orlando-corridor vacation homes often pay $2,000 to $4,000 a year for short-term rental insurance. AirCover pays nothing when a park closes for a hurricane.