First Time Questions

[vicky1bfc]

hi all,
hope someone can help me,we have booked a holiday in disney in febuary 04,its our first time out of the uk and i would just like a bit of advice to help put our minds at rest.
we are very worried about driving in the us as its the wrong side of the road too what we are use to,
we have also been told some stories about bad areas where tourists should not go in orlando and surrounding areas,does anyone have any information on this?
we will be landing at sanford we have also been told what we could be waiting up to 3 hours to get though customs ect,is this right?

sorry it all sounds a bit of a moan but we are really worried about these things and till we know what there is too know,we can really not look forward to our holiday.

other than the things listed we can not wait to get there,
theres me and my husband too be,(its also our honeymoon) plus our two 5 year old daughters.

 

[matty624]

Welcome to the Disboards Vicky.
This is by far the best place to get info etc.
Taking your worries in turn...
1. Driving in the US (IMHO) is actually easier than driving here! There's fewer cars, the roads are bigger, and the cars are incredibly easy to drive because they're automatic.
2. There probably are some less pleasent areas, but in 6 trips we've never been unduly concerned. Orange Blossom Trail is a slightly dodgy area, but again we've been up and down it many times with no problems. I wouldn't walk up and down it though at night!
3. Customs at any of the airports can take along time. There's no way around it. Last year we landed at 9.00pm in Orlando, after a connecting flight from Washington. There were people there who had landed at 3.00 that afternoon, but due to immigration computer problems were only leaving as we were. We were lucky that day, as we'd cleared immigration in Washington! That said, that was relatively unusual. It usually takes us about 1-2 hours to clear immigration and collect luggage etc and get underway.
Hope this reassures you a little.
Ian

 

[vicky1bfc]

thanks matty, dont know where orange blossom trail is though. for info we're staying in a villa just outside Davenport.

 

[matty624]

We stayed at Davenport a few years ago.

This link may help.
http://www.orlando-maps.info/top_down_maps/kissimmee_top_down.htm

Davenport is at the bottom left. Orange Blossom links the south (i.e. Kissimme area) with the more Northern part of the area.

this is the same site, but less specific.
http://www.orlando-maps.info/orlando_maps.htm
Regards
Ian

 

[RUSHBURY]

Hi

My DH thinks that driving in Florida is much easier than in the UK, I'm a non-driver!

We've always been lucky with immigration etc and the longest has been 1 hour 40 mins.

We tend to stick to the main roads when driving and haven't had any problems.


Helen

 

[ear_poppin]

Driving on the right side of the road is the way to go!!! In fact when you come back driving on the left seems wrong. lol

Immigration is well immigration...perhaps our country could learn a thing or two from the immigration in America!

Never felt unsafe in Orlando Tourist areas. Went south of the 192 down Ponciana by mistake once...seemed scary as it was dark!!

Its just like London, Manchester etc each has good areas and bad areas so its just a question of being cautious. Think of Kings Cross at night...now you would never go there would you!!! lol....its just the same at Orlando....ie parts of Downtown etc...I'm sure in Simons guide it points out the dodgy parts if I'm not mistaken.

You will have a brill time...I'm going twice next year...love it...love it...love it!!

 

[Red-Snapper]

I would imagine on your first trip you are going to be staying pretty much to the main tourist areas - you almost certainly wont even see any "bad" areas.
As said above - driving is easier - big wide roads - most drivers who will let you out etc etc

As for immigration, all I can say is that the biggest wait for us is usually to get the suitcases when we arrive back at Gatwick !! There is more security now but there is at every airport and it shouldnt take much more than an hour.

I am sure you will have a great time.

 

[Birtie]

How well I remember all the same worries and then once you're there and it all seems so easy, wonder why you were so anxious.

Driving is no problem, the only thing that confuses is remembering my right from left when turning at junctions (it's got a wrong way round feel to it)

I've never felt worried either driving or on foot in any areas w have visited, but we do stick to main tourist areas.

Sanford is quite a staright forward airport to deal with and we were surprised how quickly we had our luggage and were in the car driving away from the airport. Waited forever for our luggage at Manchester when we returned home. We warned the kids no messing about at immigration as we had heard they don't appreciate it, only to find a friendly immigration officer who was joking with the kids.

Have a great time, I know you will

 

[MARTINIUS]

The only dodgy area I've been to is the area West of I-4 / Downtown if you turn left off the I-4 instead of going right toward Church Street station. Very run down and some dodgy characters about. Although nothing happened to me there I got the feeling if I stopped the car and got out I'd either be mugged or the car would be stolen. I've a feeling you can end up in this area if you head out of Church Street Station and head toward the I-4 but go under the freeway and carry on rather than on to it.

 

[edie w]

Hi Vicky and welcome.

Regarding safety - you will be mostly travelling on the Hwys 27 and 192, and the I4 if you are going to the Universal parks. They are well signposted, and well lit in the places you are likely to stop. I've never felt at all threatened. We keep the villa doors locked at all times, and lock car doors if driving in a built-up area - but I do the same at home anyway!

Do you know whereabouts in Davenport your villa is? It's a big place and I think lots of places are listed as Davenport but actually are much nearer Disney than Davenport itself.

Driving is a breeze - well I think so anyway. My DH refuses to drive but I think he's a big chicken!

Definitely check out the orlando-maps.info site Ian recommends above. They also have brilliant photographic driving directions from Sanford and MCO (make sure you get the right one!) and a link to the Florida Highway Code. It's a bit long, but worth scanning through.

Don't be afraid to ask the rental car attendant to give you a quick explanation of the car's controls, but some tips:

Keep your left leg out of the way - you are only going to use this to put on and/or remove the parking brake.

The parking brake will be some sort of pedal on the left. Usually you push down to put the brake on, and then either push again or pull a lever on the dash to release.

Put your right foot on the brake before you do anything with the gear stick.

The gear stick may be in between the front seats like a normal gear lever (only it moves in a straight line), or may stick out of the side of the steering column with a display on the dashboard. It will be in P (park) when you get to it. You will use Drive or Reverse to make it go. Gently release the footbrake as the car may surge, and then use the accelerator to go.

Don't even think about using the numbered gears. You don't need them.

If you can't work out how to turn your lights on and off, that's because on some models they are automatic and will do it all on their own!

When you stop, you have to put the car in park before you can turn the engine off. Don't forget to apply the parking brake!

The actual driving is easy - most people are courteous which makes the whole thing more pleasant. Parking spaces are huge and most are in a herringbone formation which is so civilized!

And on immigration - experiences of Sanford just after 9/11 were very good - extremely fast, polite and friendly processing. I think we were at the car hire place in about 30 mins. You may have to queue for ages for your car though!

Have a wonderful time. I'm so envious!

 

[vicky1bfc]

hi all

thankyou so much for all your advice,
most worries have now started to go,

roll on 21st of feb,oops sorry really that should be 14 feb first(wedding day)

 

[vicky1bfc]

thanks for the info, the villa is on Majesty Drive, just off highway27 (junction 55 I4). Roughly half way between I4 and the big walmart of H27.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

I think most of your questions have been answered but just a bit extra.......We went through some of the concerns you did when we first went in 1992 but we've now been three more times to WDW and twice to California (touring). Safety wise - the key is to be sensible....we were told once by a more experienced visitor that the biggest mistakes tourists make is to look 'touristy'. Things like driving around in convertable cars with the video camera going, bags in full view on the back seat etc. Our rule of thumb is to put EVERYTHING in to the boot except some cash for tolls etc. Check the maps - which are usually AWFUL by the way - before you set off to go anywhere, so that you don't look lost etc. Bear in mind that in the Disney/Universal etc area 99% of people are tourists so are probably just as anxious or lost as you are!

With regards to the driving - as others have said it really is a doddle. I love driving automatics - so much so I've got one of my own now. I'm just sooooo bone idle! If you're going a bit further afield at all - Kennedy Space Centre or Busch Gardens for instance - the 'cruise control' is WONDERFUL!!! It basically does the driving for you - all you have to do is steer.....it's easy to release it if necessary - you just hit the brakes lightly, so there's no danger of it 'running away' with you!!!

The only thing to be careful of is when you're coming out of a junction without traffic lights - it's easy to forget which way to look for the first couple of days - so just check both ways carefully until you get used to it.

As others have said Simon V's book has some really great tips about driving - very worth buying!

Have a great time - we went for our honeymoon the first time too.....next year we'll be taking our little girl for the first time - roll on November!!!!

 

[0kitsme]

Just one small point learned from bitter experience.

When driving up towards a junction, you will see strung beneath the traffic lights a road name.
Now!

This road name is the name of the road you are crossing, NOT the name of the road you are on.

On our first visit this lead too much frustration and, I’m sorry to say, severe questioning of the DWs renowned navigational/map reading skills.

We were going wrong at every single junction on the first evening of first visit. We made more U turns than the Government just to get back to the Hotel.


We will be there in Feb 04 also. So if you see a family driving with the passenger covered in a map and the driver blatantly going where he thinks best that could well be us.

I’m sure you will have a fantastic time and all the worries will seem very small indeed.

Roger

 

[Disney owl]

Been to Sanford twice now & haven't waited 3 hours.

When we went this last August our biggest/longest queue was to pick up the hire car not at immigration.

on the return journey can highly recommend the lounge at Sanford airport that you have to pay for . Can't at this minute remember its name!!!!! But was well worth what we paid.

 

[kazzie]

LOL Roger,typical--blaming your DW's navigational skills

Hi Vicky,

Nothing to add really except to confirm that you buy a cope of the Brits Guide,it will be invaluable

 

[MalcolmC]

The longest time we have waited for immigration was at Sanford but was only about an hour and a quarter. ....and that was when three planes arrived at virtually the same time!!

Our fastest time is about 10 minutes at Orlando international but then you have to wait for the luggage, so you can't win.

Don't worry about driving its pretty easy, just stay alert.

You shouldn't see any dodgy areas during your stay. Its all pretty orderly and quiet out on US 27, that's why we bought out there!

 

[mike230652]

vicky

Sanford is way the easiest airport to get through /out of. It's very user friendly and once out the roads are clearly marked.

OK, it's about 40 minute to the resort are....but straight easy roads, so you can get some easy driving practice in.


mike230652