Driving from WDW

[dspads]

Hi

We leave for our first US/IO trip Wed

This trip was kinda planned on the fly, and around others plans. I am just now realizing, although the hotel is about 12 miles from Universal, there may be a lot of rush hour traffic.

Can someone give me the best route to take? Any local driving tips appreciated. Another consideration is that my parents are staying at WDW Saratoga Springs - so we may actually head there first in the morning (so one of them can get in out car, as they are both AP holders).

TIA! I am nervous that we are going to regret our hotel choice, we are used to going to WDW and staying on-site!

 

[DOOM1001]

From Saratoga to Universal taking I-4,Buena Vista Dr to Hotel Plaza blvd,turn right at 535 and stay to the right to get on the eastbound I-4 ramp towards Orlando,get off at the Universal Blvd exit,I thinks its like exit 75,turn left.


From Saratoga to Universal taking ground streets,Buena Vista Dr to Hotel Plaza blvd,turn left at 535 and get to the right lane and then turn right at Palm Parkway.Stay on Palm parkway which will become Turkey lake rd and just go straight to Universal.After you go through the Sand Lake rd intersection you will see Universal,turn right at Hollywood way which will take you directly to the parking garages.

 

[Senator Tressel]

Yeah, easiest is just to hop on I-4 towards Orlando. It's like eight miles to exit 75 for Universal. Turn left at the exit. The parking garages are maybe three tenths of a mile down the road on the right.

Getting back on I-4 towards Disney is much more complicated and you don't get back on where you got off. Follow the signs.

 

[dspads]

Thanks so much! Should we be prepared for a lot if traffic on I-4 in the morning? If I map it, it says 25 minutes.

 

[PammyK]

Thanks so much! Should we be prepared for a lot if traffic on I-4 in the morning? If I map it, it says 25 minutes.

You can never tell what any given day will be like since one crash can create major havoc on I4.

That said, I drive west on I4 from Central Florida Parkway (exit 71) at around 8am every weekday morning and I rarely see heavy/slow traffic in the eastbound lanes. Some mornings are busier than others but on most mornings things seem to be moving pretty well at around that time.

 

[glocon]

When we moved over to UO from WDW we took surface roads. There are directions somewhere on these boards for that, because those are the ones we followed. I think it was Turkey Lake Rd or maybe Vineland Rd we took, but not sure, it followed along side of the interstate. I would post a link but don't know how. It was interesting to see what the areas around UO and WDW were like.

If you have a GPS you could follow that.

 

[truck1]

Thanks so much! Should we be prepared for a lot if traffic on I-4 in the morning? If I map it, it says 25 minutes.

I drive I4 on occasion from US27 which is exit 55 to universal blvd exit which is one of the universal exits. There are some slowdowns occasionally around Disney but that would be before where you get on I4. If anything you'd be at the end of the slowdowns.

 

[2girlsmom]

Yep, we drive this with some frequency, and will agree that unless there is a wreck or something, I4 is generally pretty quick. I will say, there are 2 Universal exits, we always take 74, which is sand lake road, you take the exit and turn left at the bottom, then take the first right (just past the Drury Inn), this is Turkey Lake Road, and we've had better luck coming in to Universal from that direction. Exit 75 brings you in the front, and we did that way once, but we missed a turn and had to go out of our way a ways.