Coming from wdw--port orleans...if we want to

[grover]

be at the gate for IOA or US at opening time..what time should we leave at?
We would have to park our car in the parkade..if we leave at 8am-that should be good?

 

[Jason71]

Assuming a 9:00 am opening, I would think even leaving by 8:15 or 8:20 would be fine.

 

[donaldduck352]

Earlier the better!!If you get to the garage at 8:15 its gonna take another 15 minutes to get to the gates of the park of your choice.Sometimes they do open before 9AM..Not all rides will be open but you will get afew done really quik!!

 

[grover]

thanks!

 

[macraven]

when i travel from the disney resorts to universal, i always leave around 7:30.

i try to avoid as much traffic as possible so i don't waste my time in the car.

if you are in line for the garage parking by 7:45, you should be about the 4th car in line.

the parking garage opens at 8.

if you are there early for parking, you will be inside the garage parked and on your way to the parks by about 8:10.

many times ioa opens around 8:30ish if the line at the turnstile is very long.
there are some rides that will be open at that time if they let the public in then.

you can do front seat hulk a couple of times and get spidey in before it is 9.
then hit the other rides.
most love to do the coasters when they first enter ioa.

just saying how i have done it when i move from one park to another.

 

[grover]

good to know..we should shoot to be there a bit early then just in case they open up!

 

[inkkognito]

I-4 can be NASTY at rush hour. If it looks like it's backed up, make a left out of the WDW gate at Crossroads (I think it's 535) and take that to Sand Lake Road. Make a right onto Sand Lake and take it to Turkey Lake Road. Turn left onto Turkey Lake and before you know it Universal will be on your right.

 

[disneyba]

When we stayed at POR last January, we left for Universal at about 8:15. We avoided I-4 and took Palm Parkway/Turkey Lake Road instead (Buena Vista Blvd to Hotel Plaza Blvd, right onto Hotel Plaza Blvd, turn left onto 535 at Crossroads, turn right onto Palm Parkway at next stoplight, Palm Parkway becomes Turkey Lake Road, stay on Turkey Lake Road right to Universal). Traffic was light to moderate, and it took us about 20 minutes.

To save a bit more time, we used the valet parking instead of the parking garage. When you turn off Turkey Lake Road into Universal, just watch for the Valet Parking Sign, a few blocks and stoplights up on your left. The valet is closer to the park gates...just up an escalator and you are a short way from CityWalk. Valet parking is about $20.00, but worth it in my opinion. At the end of the day, the same short walk back, and they retrieve your car in a few minutes.

We got to the front gate of IOA at about 8:50. That day, the gate was already open, so we went right in.

Enjoy your trip.