How we choose businesses for Orlando residents

My Best Orlando is written for people who live here, not for the visitors passing through the attractions corridor. Our lists start with focus. A pool service company is ranked against other pool services, an urgent care clinic against other urgent care clinics, and a business that treats the topic as a sideline sits behind one that makes it its main work.

We then look at public reputation built over time, the kind any resident can see online. A strong rating counts, balanced against the length of the record, so an AC company that has kept households in Conway or College Park cool through many summers carries more weight than a newcomer with a brief run of praise. What each business publishes about itself, on its website and official pages, including services, coverage area and guarantees, also plays a part.

Our editors decide the order on merit and revisit it through the year. Let us know about errors through our contact page. Getting onto a list cannot be purchased, and neither can the criteria. Some businesses that have made a list pay extra for a richer profile or a featured spot, which is always labeled.