Driving around Orlando

[Karyn.Phil]

Hi all

Bit of a worry here. Last time I was in Flroida I was in a car accident and wrote the car off when another driver drove straight across an intersection and head on into us. Pretty scary.

This was quite a while ago and I hadn't been worrying about it until recently. We are driving quite a lot on our holiday this June. I won't be driving, just boyfriend and I am pretty good navigator. However, the more I study the maps the more confused I get!

What is it like finding your way around Orlando? We are staying on Formosa Gardens (not far from Animal Kingdom) and will be visiting Universal, Seaworld, WetnWild as well as Disney.

I'm not normally nervous in a car (having spent my life throwing my car around Pembrokeshire back roads) and I'm fine on the long trips planned down to the coast because it's a straight road. It's the traffic in Orlando that worries me, and those intersections!

Advice please (and reassurance would be good too )

Karyn

 

[neilybealy]

i'm a little apprehensive about our trip to orlando in sept as i've never driven abroad before !!!

 

[banjo]

try mapquest.com they have great detailed maps that you can print off giving you about 3 diffrent routes for the same location eg avoiding highways, quickest route and shortest route.
good luck and enjoy your holiday.

 

[SpottyDog]

Karyn you'll be fine. I'm sure this is just understandable apprehension after yer last experience.

As you'll remember, the roads run on a mainly grid system so plannin yer routes should be fairly straightforward. I use the fact that the signs above the road indicate the road yer crossin and look for a name that's one or two before the junction I actually want. I use that to raise me awareness before the actual junction I want to come off on and have had few problems so far.

If I do miss a turn, most roads have left hand turn lanes where you can U Turn in safety to get back on track. If that's not feasable or safe, I just use the grid system to turn right, right and right again to come back full circle to the junction I just passed. (This has only failed me once, outside Universal when the second right took me onto the I4,but we were headin home anyway!)

This was supposed to help- have I confused yer?

Oh, and I can understand yer not wantin to drive but you could maybe take a turn, once yer there and settled, on a straightford trip to yer favourite shop or restaurant. I'm sure you'd feel more comfortable alround if you can 'get yer US nerve' back.
I rarely pull out onto any road if there's traffic comin in any direction- even where the gap is much larger than I'd drive into at home so yer not alone.

 

[vernon]

If possible, I'd try to keep it as simple as you can. Formosa Gardens is along the 192, getting to Disney is going to be simple. The other things you want are all along I-Drive. The simplest link between the two is I4. Seaworld has it's own exit from I4 , so does US/IOA.. You want !4 east going to the attractions ( marked up as Orlando) and West going home ( marked as Tampa), the exit off I4 to 192 can be a little missleading, you want 192 WEST, it's easy to follow the wrong sign which says Kissimmee but this is 192 East, or to end up going into WDW as the exit to WDW is very soon after you get on this road/slipway

Once you feel comfortable with your way around that axis ( 192,I4 and IDrive) you should be ok to branch out with the roads inbetween.

 

[MalcolmC]

You'll find it easy to drive and find your way around.

You just drive from Formosa Gardens down to 192, turn right and about 2 miles further on you turn off on to World Drive which takes you into WDW. WDW roads are very well signed and give you plenty of advance warning of where to turn off etc. I4 is just about half a mile further on from World Drive. For Universal, Sea World, International Drive, Belz etc. just remember to go north on I4 towards Orlando.

As Vernon and SpottyDog said its easy.

Don't worry, just enjoy yourself.

 

[Eastender]

one mistake I see some people make is they get so used to getting a green filter turning left at lights, then when you don't (like most Brit junctions), they turn straight into the oncoming traffic thinking they've got the right of way. Bad mistake & one to be wary of. Get a map & do some homework. The fact that I 4 runs north/south through Orlando & is called east/west is confusing.

 

[UKDEB]

Karyn,

We've stayed at Formosa Gardens the last two trips and will be doing so again in October. The trip before that we were at Sunset Lakes which is a stone's throw away. We always use the Sherberth Road shortcut into WDW. You've already got some really good advice, but if you want any specific directions from FG to anywhere in the area, feel free to e-mail me.

 

[neilybealy]

hi debbie

we're staying in rolling hills in sept/oct (silver bass court to be precise)

neil

 

[Karyn.Phil]

Thanks for all the help and advice

Our villa owner has given us great directions including the Sherberth Road shortcut - handy for Animal Kingdom.

I wasn't going to drive at all over there as I loath automatics and I didn't want to pay for the additional driver as I was going to do so little driving. I think I read on the American boards that wives are automatically included as drivers when husband rents car a car in Florida and as I will be officially wife type thing for last four days of holiday I may give it a go then

As we can't move into accommodation until the afternoon of the day we arrive we thought we would have an orientation / getting lost drive around that day just to get used to it and suss out some landmarks.

Thanks again folks and Dave please hurry up and finish your trip report cos I want to print it out to read on the plane

Love

Karyn

 

[neilybealy]

good luck with the wedding Karyn

 

[UKDEB]

Hi Neil

I have a cousin called Neil who lives in Ramsgate and with whom I share a birthday. It's not you is it?

 

[neilybealy]

oooooooo spooky

when's your birthday then?

mine's in july

 

[MalcolmC]

I didn't want to pay for the additional driver as I was going to do so little driving. I think I read on the American boards that wives are automatically included as drivers when husband rents car a car in Florida and as I will be officially wife type thing for last four days of holiday I may give it a go then

Karyn,

You will need to pay for the additional driver(s) at the outset I'm afraid

US renters are different to us. Their own car insurance gives them considerable insurance cover when they rent a car. Which presumably also covers their wife (as a named driver?).

We have to pay for all the extra insurance AND additional drivers, since we don't have US car insurance.

You can usually pay (in the UK) about £10 per week for an initial tank of fuel and up to three additional drivers. It goes under various different names - Gold upgrade, comprehensive, The Monty etc. etc. It can be very worthwhile.

I can send you more details if you need them.

 

[panpant]

Karyn,

I've just got back and have driven for the first time there.

At first, quite nervous but it really is "easy peasy lemon squeezy" and got into it very, very quickly.

The roads are wide and the traffic safe enough.

Once you get used to not using your left foot, there isn't a problem....

Automatics make you feel lazy, well it did me. Have to watch your speed though as it can get away from you.



All the best


Greg

 

[UKDEB]

Neil - mine's in July too!

 

[neilybealy]

Originally posted by UKDEB
Neil - mine's in July too!