If you're new to Florida like us...try Google maps!

[nomy]

We are due for our first ever visit next May and can't wait. We are staying at Comfort Inn LBV. Now, the one and only thing I am not too happy with is driving over there straight off the plane. I have real difficulty with reversing my brain However, thanks to a search on this forum I have found the UK driving guide really helpful.

But absolutely the best thing ever is Google Earth and Google Maps. With this I have been able not only to find and see Comfort Inn quite clearly, but to actually watch my route from the airport! The image is so close with Google Earth (downloadable), that you can see all the cars, intersections etc quite clearly.

Great stuff!!

 

[Netty]

Hi
we were on google earth the other night, looking all over the kissimmee area!
with driving, when you get your car, just spend a few minutes getting used to the feel of it and take your time! there is no rush at all and within half hour you will be fine.have a look here for directions and plenty of advice.


http://www.orlando-maps.info/

 

[nomy]

Thanks for the link!

Google is just great. As a first time visitor I now have the scale of things in my head Just looking at an areal view of the parking lots for MK and Epcot says it all

 

[disneyholic family]

be very careful when you pull your car into a street....i see so many Brits looking the wrong way as they pull out.....so many near misses....

 

[nomy]

Actually, out of interest... Looking at the images of Epcot and MK I have a couple of questions: It looks like there is a monorail link from Epcot to MK, is that right? Or is that only used by the Resort hotels. I'm just a bit confused with MK layout. It seems a long way from the car park to MK itself. How do we get there? I can see (again from Google) that you are picked up in the parking lot with some kind of bus thingy Does that take you to the park itself?

One more question....on the approach to MK on World Drive there seems to be a big toll booth looking layout. Is that where they check your tickets?

Please excuse my ignorance here. Wow, we are all just so excited!!

 

[nomy]

be very careful when you pull your car into a street....i see so many Brits looking the wrong way as they pull out.....so many near misses....

Yeah, thanks for that. It's the left turns I'm dreading. One setup that I really am unsure of is the intersections where there is no control and it's a first arrive priority kind of thing (I think!). Any tips for those?

 

[basas]

<< Actually, out of interest... Looking at the images of Epcot and MK I have a couple of questions: It looks like there is a monorail link from Epcot to MK, is that right? >>

Yes, that is right. There are three lines. TTC-->MK Express (from the parking lot directly to the park), TTC-->MK Resort Line (running the opposite way and stoping at the three monorail hotels (Contemp., Poly., and Grand Floridian). And finally, TTC-->Epcot (direct)


<< I'm just a bit confused with MK layout. It seems a long way from the car park to MK itself. How do we get there? I can see (again from Google) that you are picked up in the parking lot with some kind of bus thingy Does that take you to the park itself? >>

It is far! Basically, once you park, you will be picked up by a parking tram and taken to the TTC (the place to buy tickets for the MK). You will then have a choice to take the ferryboat, or the express monorail to cross the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom entrance.




<< I can see (again from Google) that you are picked up in the parking lot with some kind of bus thingy Does that take you to the park itself? >>

As explained above, those are the parkling trams and will take you to the TTC (when at MK), and directly to the park entrance (when at AK, MGM, or Epcot). They are alot of fun! Well...i like them anyays

<< One more question....on the approach to MK on World Drive there seems to be a big toll booth looking layout. Is that where they check your tickets? >>

The toll booth looking layout is just that- a toll booth! It costs $9 to park at WDW theme parks (it is free at Water parks), so this is where you pay for parking. They do not check tickets. This is done right at the MK entrance (across the Seven Seas Lagoon)

<< Please excuse my ignorance here. Wow, we are all just so excited!! >>

Glad to help. Have a great trip!

 

[disneyholic family]

Yeah, thanks for that. It's the left turns I'm dreading. One setup that I really am unsure of is the intersections where there is no control and it's a first arrive priority kind of thing (I think!). Any tips for those?

left turns are terrible.....i know americans who'll do a triple right just to avoid a left turn (go past the intersection, turn right at the next street, then another right, then the final right onto the street you originally wanted to turn left on)...
i've never done that, but i can certainly understand why someone would...

you have various types of left turns at intersections....
if there is no special left turn light (i.e. an arrow, be it green, flashing red, etc)...then yes, you have to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear before you can make your left turn....if the traffic doesn't clear at all before the light turns amber, then as soon as it turns amber AND if the oncoming traffic has stopped, then you can turn left......in fact, by law, 2 cars are permitted to turn left in this situation (even if it's actually a red when you make the turn..)....
but in very heavy traffic, it's a very difficult turn...

however, i don't recall seeing many of these types of turns in Orlando...
they usually have turning arrows....
if an intersection has a turning arrow, when you have a full green arrow, then it is your right of way...
however, if it's a flashing red arrow, that means you are facing oncoming traffic that has the right of way....you can only turn left when the traffic clears...
and if the arrow is solid red, you can't turn at all.......you have to wait to either get a full green or a flashing red......

not very clear..

left turns are a pain.......

and don't forget, you can make a right turn on a red light after you come to a full stop if the street you're turning onto is clear of traffic ----- unless the intersection is marked "no turn on red"...

 

[JohnnySharp2]

left turns are terrible.....i know americans who'll do a triple right just to avoid a left turn (go past the intersection, turn right at the next street, then right, then right onto the street you originally wanted to turn left on)...
i've never done that, but i can certainly understand why someone would...

you have various types of left turns at intersections....
if there is no special left turn light (with an arrow, be it green, flashing red, etc)...then yes, you have to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear before you can make your left turn....if the traffic doesn't clear at all before the light turns amber, then as soon as it turns amber AND if the oncoming traffic has stopped, then you can turn left......in fact, by law, 2 cars are permitted to turn left in this situation (even if it's actually a red when you make the turn..)....
but in very heavy traffic, it's a very difficult turn...

however, i don't recall seeing many of these types of turns in Orlando...
they usually have turning arrows....
if an intersection has a turning arrow, when you have a full green arrow, then it is your right of way...
however, if it's a flashing red arrow, that means you are facing oncoming traffic that has the right of way....you can only turn left when the traffic clears...
and if the arrow is solid red, you can't turn at all.......you have to wait to either get a full green or a flashing red......

not very clear..

left turns are a pain.......

and don't forget, you can make a right turn on a red light after you come to a full stop if the street you're turning onto is clear of traffic ----- unless the intersection is marked "no turn on red"...

I fully agree - have always found these difficult myself - thanks Beth that helps a lot

 

[disneyholic family]

many accidents involve left turning cars...
my mom was hit by a speeding SUV that ran a flashing red left-turn arrow...
this was in Michigan not Florida, but the driving laws are the same...

it was on a road with a 45 MPH speed limit....my mom was driving east, probably at about 45 through her full green light..
a 16 year old boy driving west, with a brand new drivers license and a gigantic shiny brand new SUV, made a flying left turn, probably at close to 45 MPH, without slowing or stopping, despite the fact that he had a flashing red left turn arrow (meaning he was supposed to stop and wait until the traffic clears to make a left turn)...

the very high speed, nearly head on collision totally destroyed both vehicles.....fortunately for my mom, she was in a volvo or else she wouldn't have survived the encounter with an SUV....
when we saw her car we still don't know how it was she lived through it...

but the point is, left turns are very dangerous...
actually, intersections in general are dangerous since so many cars run red lights....it's always good to be especially alert when crossing intersections...

 

[nomy]

Many thanks for the help and advice folks. Just one more thing (and this will expose me as completely stupid I know), what does TTC stand for? Sorry

 

[disneyholic family]

Many thanks for the help and advice folks. Just one more thing (and this will expose me as completely stupid I know), what does TTC stand for? Sorry

TTC = Transportation and Ticket Center
If you drive to the Magic Kingdom, the parking lot isn't actually at the MK but rather at the TTC. You park there and then take disney transportation to the MK. Either on the monorail to the MK or the special ferry boat (a very big boat) that takes you across the lake to the MK (about a 7 minute crossing)....

also at the TTC is a monorail to Epcot...so if you're at the MK and want to go to Epcot by monorail, you get on the MK monorail that takes you to the TTC....there you change monorails and get on the one that takes you to Epcot..

but you can also drive directly to Epcot (there's a parking lot there....with trams that take you from the parking lot to the entrance ----sometimes you can park so close you end up walking in, rather than riding the tram)...

 

[nomy]

Many thanks. It's starting to sink in now

 

[basas]

left turns are terrible.....i know americans who'll do a triple right just to avoid a left turn (go past the intersection, turn right at the next street, then another right, then the final right onto the street you originally wanted to turn left on)...
i've never done that, but i can certainly understand why someone would...




left turns are a pain.......

and don't forget, you can make a right turn on a red light after you come to a full stop if the street you're turning onto is clear of traffic ----- unless the intersection is marked "no turn on red"...

Left turns aren't really that hard unless its a really busy intersection. If you can't do a left-turn, i really don't see how you can drive on the roads here if half the turns you are making are left-ones! If there is a stop-sign and no turning lane, then i can see turning right, then doing a U-turn, then coming back (if the traffic is heavy), but i find it is usually not a problem to just find an opening to do a left turn (usually at the really busy intersections where this would be a problem, they have arrows anyways). Even when its busy though, if you're the first car sitting the middle of the intersection (assuming no arrow), when the light turns yellow/red and the cars coming straight eventually stop, you can complete your turn.

 

[Miffy2003]

Nomy you will be so well prepared when you get there Great idea!

We found with left turns they are okay as long as you follow the excellent help given above. When you get the hang of driving in the US (which doesn't take that long) it really is easier than the UK

 

[nomy]

Thanks again. Left turns at light controlled intersections are not really my main concern although I will be a bit nervous on my first one! It's the left turn when approaching a 'T' junction that bothers me more. It's a complete reversal of awareness...look left then right then left again as opposed to the opposite.

My main concern, as I mentioned, is the uncontrolled cross roads where the priority is in order of arrival ...or something. Can anyone clear that one up?

This thread really needs another title!

You are all just so helpful. Many thanks for taking the time

 

[JohnnySharp2]

My main concern, as I mentioned, is the uncontrolled cross roads where the priority is in order of arrival ...or something. Can anyone clear that one up?

This thread really needs another title!

You are all just so helpful. Many thanks for taking the time

It is quite common for threads to change subject, it's just mainly because people are so friendly they like to talk

As I understand it at these uncontrolled junctions, it goes in order of who gets there first. That's the way we treat it, the most problematic one we have seen is the one at the exit of the Florida Mall where there is literally vehicles coming from everywhere.

The best tip is to be cautious and just watch the traffic, even as you are driving forwards - just keep your eyes peeled, I am sure you will be fine.

 

[disneyholic family]

Thanks again. Left turns at light controlled intersections are not really my main concern although I will be a bit nervous on my first one! It's the left turn when approaching a 'T' junction that bothers me more. It's a complete reversal of awareness...look left then right then left again as opposed to the opposite.

My main concern, as I mentioned, is the uncontrolled cross roads where the priority is in order of arrival ...or something. Can anyone clear that one up?

This thread really needs another title!

You are all just so helpful. Many thanks for taking the time

ok....so i guess you're referring to what's called a "4-way stop" (there are also issues with "3-way stops")..

so....JohnnySharp2 is correct in saying the right of way belongs to the person who arrives at the intersection first....of course you always have to be careful, since you only have the right of way if the other person actually lets you have it (in other words, watch out for bad drivers and road-hogs)..

however....what happens when 2 cars arrive at the intersection at the very same moment?..
this is trickier...

let's say they're coming in opposite directions....one driving east, the other driving west and they arrive at the 4-way stop at the same time...
if they're both going straight - no problem....they both can continue on at the same time...

if one of them is turning right and the other going straight - still no problem...they both can go at the same time..

if one is turning left and the other is going straight, the person going staight has the right of way and the left turner waits for him to clear and then makes his left turn.....this is ONLY in the case of actual stop signs in place...
if there are no stop signs and it's a free for all, then the left turning car will have to continue to wait for the traffic to clear..

but let's continue with the case of the 4 stop signs...

so we've finished with the possibilities of 2 cars coming from opposite directions..

now what happens with 2 cars, coming perpendicular to each other and arriving at the same time....
who goes first?....
the person on the right...
that's the rule...of course again, you have to be careful to make sure the person on the left is actually letting you have the right of way...
but by law, the person on the right has the right of way....
and the person on the right has the right of way no matter what he's doing (straight, right or left)....

if all 4 cars arrive at the same time, then you all just have to be gentlemen and wave the other guys ahead....to make sure you're not hit....once the other cars go, you'll then have the right of way for any new cars arriving at the intersection...

as for a T road.....if the road you're turning into is a main road (and you have a stop or yield sign, but no traffic light) then basically you have to wait until the road is clear until you turn....if that main road is very busy and you're trying to turn left, it's going to be a difficult turn.....i have to admit that there are times that i've turned right in situations like this, then made a left at the next place i could and come back around....i actually do that a lot rather than take a chance of making a left onto a busy road, when i don't have the benefit of a light to stop the traffic...

and yes....look left-right-left.....left-right-left....left-right-left....
i live around lots of Brits and they drive me crazy when they come flying into our road, looking right instead of left....

the truth is, i don't know how you all manage to switch sides of the car and switch sides of the road....my brain would go on overdrive in 2 seconds....i get dizzy just sitting in a car in london....my brain can't process where all the cars are....

 

[JohnnySharp2]

wow Beth - you know your stuff about these junctions - great advice, I will remember this thread.

 

[nomy]

Thank you so much Beth (and JS2) That has helped a lot.

To be honest these four way stops sound much the same as our little 'mini' painted roundabouts over here. Small painted circles about 2 mtrs diameter! We are supposed to observe the give way to the right rule as other roundabouts. This is fine when less than four people are using it at any one time. It amazes me how many times all four people arrive together and everyone sits politely giving way to each other! But it amazes me even more that as soon as you decide to make a move, everyone else does at exactly that moment

Thanks again.