Black Friday brings big crowds to Orlando outlets

Shoppers says lines not as long as previous years

ORLANDO, Fla. – Thanksgiving is over, but that means it’s time for the Black Friday shopping rush across Central Florida.

Many stores opened Thanksgiving Day and some stayed open all night for shoppers wanting the special deals.

“I went to Dress Barn and since they’re closing, everything is 50% off, so I got a good deal. Good deals everywhere,” Rachel Meeks said.

Meeks got up before 6 a.m. Friday and went to the Orlando Premium Outlets on International Drive with a group of friends.

It’s estimated that the average American will spend around $1,000 on holiday gifts and more than 165 million people will shop between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year.

“A lot of the deals are translating to the Cyber Monday thing. They are combining it to one big holiday,” Christina Cabrera said.

Many shoppers said the Black Friday "craziness” wasn’t as bad this year.

“We used to have to stand in the long lines and wait for hours to get in, and doesn’t seem that way anymore,” Lisa Montero said.


About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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