Anyone else get lost driving on Disney property???

[blue_eyes5212]

We were on our way home and took the wrong turn or something (not sure what we did wrong) and we ended up going toward the pay for parking booths at AK! It wasn't open yet and there was nobody there, so we just made a big U-Turn! Then we couldn't find the highway!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Thank goodness we weren't the only ones or I would have thought we are complete morons.

 

[Mecha Figment]

there are a few things that can throw you. for example if you are are comming from say you were comming from downtown disney and going to animal kingdom. once you leave animal kingdom you can't go back the same way to downtown disney or you will end up goign into the epcot parking lot.

 

[micksterlee]

Once we arrive at the resort the wife makes me park the car and turn over the keys. She said it has something to do with her being able to enjoy her vacation more when she doesn t have to spend hours trying to get me back to where I should be.

 

[Micca]

I could get lost anywhere, but I actually do pretty well on WDW property. I call DW my GPS--Global Positioning Spouse. She has an uncanny sense of direction and actually manuevers around property and has found some short cuts. I would share them, but when she starts ignoring the road signs, I have no idea where we are.

 

[Vivianne]

We always rent a car and despite my having a good sense of direction and my husband's GPS, once in a while we do get lost.

Sometimes, it's a learning experience. You don't forget how to get there because you've gotten lost. It helps you remember for the next time

 

[Lynne M]

First onsite trip in 1995 I tried to read the map. It was a disaster. Disney does not want you to do that... I released my urge to KNOW where I'm going and just started following the signs. As someone said, it may be the long way around, but follow the signs.

That's the key - put away the maps. Seriously, it's MUCH easier if you just follow the signs and don't try to overanalyze it. The only times I've ever gotten lost at WDW have been when I've tried to use a map.

 

[dbal]

Wow this thread makes me feel soo much better. We always rent a car and we always get lost. We make a wrong turn probably once a day. The funny thing is.. it doesn't even bother me anymore. Once we start talking about anything besides where we are going, we end up missing our turn.

Blue eyes- we did the exact same thing as you at AK exept it was at night after it was closed.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

our first trip I found it much harder than I thought it would be to find our way around, but this last trip we didn't have any problems.

 

[mickeyholic]

We always get lost at least twice during every trip. But it is Ok, afterall it is Disney!!!

 

[XOoOoVEEoOoOX]

I always now where I am when Im lost lol...I usually just turn in the wrong direction so I am the QUEEN of U-Turns lmao.. my sister said she might as well have ridden the teacups for all the truning around I did. ( never once did we get anywhre without making a u-turn on the way there.

 

[AU Tigger]

We live about an hour or so away, so we go alot. We never have any problems getting TO somewhere, but we always having problems trying to get back OUT going in the right direction.

Have you noticed how Disney is really great about directing you ONTO their property (and around inside of it), but are terrible about directing you OUT of their property? We never seem to be leaving from home from the same place twice, and the signs to the Turnpike North leave a lot to be desired. Signs will say "I-4 and 192 this way", so we go the other way (knowing we don't want to go any where near I-4). But when you turn the other way, there's a sign saying you're headed to I-4 and 192. And the type that says "North" or "South" above the signs you finally find for the Turnpike are too small to see at a distance.

And what's with NOT telling us the names of the streets at the intersections?

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I got lost when I was on the WDWCP and wound up on the tram road at EPCOT...I didn't even know it until the CM on the tram was almost screaming at me!!!

 

[May Queen]

Okay, I gotta ask. What the heck is the weird village with the magician that one of the previous posters mentioned? I'm racking my brain trying to think where that could be. ??????

It was this tourist trap thing, I think. It was early in the morning, I hardly remember. I'm pretty sure it was some kind of a roadside attraction near WDW.
~May Queen

 

[randbmom]

I have a pretty good sense of directions and have a curious love of maps anyway. I love the map inside the cover of the Passporter, and use it regularly since we now stay offsite at Marriott timeshare properties. My biggest gripe is that the road signs sometimes send you WWWAAAAAAYYYYY out of the way instead of the shortest route. I follow the Passporter map, especially when exiting the property, to reach the highway. I hardly ever use the road signs. They would send me two or three exits in the opposite direction on the interstate!

 

[MinMouse]

I agree . . . Disney often sends you a roundabout way if you follow their signs. I feel comfortable getting to some locations on property (there I follow my own directions) and uncomfortable with others (there I follow the signs and sometimes put a little more mileage on the van!). Years ago I got a map of the property with some DVC promotional material. Every once in a while I'll ask a particularly helpful CM at the front desk if they have new maps like mine(some of the street names have changed; POP isn't on it, etc.) They usually look at my taped up map curiously and say "no . . . I've never seen anything like that!" I rely on it a lot.

 

[stitchgal]

I get lost too. I got so lost in August going from the Magic Kingdom to Port Orleans.

 

[mdfdisney]

I never consider myself lost - I know I am still on Disney property

As others said, following the signs will get you where you want to go. It may not be the shortest route, but you will get there. Do pay attentention or you might have to make a second loop around the World before you reach your destination.

My last trip I forgot to bring a map. We were staying at POP for the first time. I expected the signs to guide me to the entrance, but I learned that POP is new and has a very limited number of signs. Fortunately I remembered that it was near Wide World of Sports, so it didn't take long to find it.

Occasional "mis-directions" are only a minor nuisance. We strongly prefer the freedom and speed of a rental car over the buses.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We used to always get lost. It was almost a joke (actually it was pretty funny). One time it took us an hour to get from WL to Epcot. It might have taken longer, except that we finally went back to the hotel and asked for directions. And one time, we kept going by this billboard, you might remember it, it's the one with the people on ToT, and the elevator is moving back and forth. We'd break out laughing-"There's that elevator again!" Now, after about 10 trips renting a car, we're getting to know our way around. But when I'm solo, like a previous poster mentioned, this is one reason why I always depend on Disney transportation-I just know I'd get lost if I drove.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Hubby gets lost or rather takes wrong turn, the same one, every time we go LOL