Is I-4 our best option?

[TinkOhio]

We will be coming down 95 to WDW and are wondering if just staying on I-4 West from 95 will be our fastest route. We are staying at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, which is located kind of behind Hotel Plaza Blvd. It's off of Winter Garden Vinland Rd. Is just staying on I-4 the best way to go? We will probably be in the area around 3pm...but who knows? We'll be battling the Good Friday crowds, and we've seen some pretty ugly traffic on that day!

Thanks for any help!

 

[shafke]

Unfortunately yes. If you look at a map, between Jacksonville and DW there is this big honking Ocala National Forest that you have to go around. Also, as near as I can tell there are no major highways between except I95-I4.
If you go west from Jacksonville (I10-some local roads that highways with traffic lights-I75) it is about an hour longer.

 

[NJRRK]

The other choice you would have is to get off of I-4 around Sanford and take the Central Florida Greenway (toll).

I have never run into any traffic on this route (of course I haven't driven it that often) and I hear that it is much less crowded than I-4 at most times. It will add miles and tolls but if you really want to avoid traffic this might be the anwser. The Greenway wraps around the east side of Orlando and meets back up with I-4 south of Kissimmee.

Look at a map and see if this would be a good choice for you.

 

[seashoreCM]

Coming down I-95 (south), through Jacksonville, and getting onto I-4 west, you could get off onto Toll 417 expressway long before I-4 reaches Orlando. Rte. 417 takes you around the horn south of Orlando Int'l Airport and then you get to the Disney area.

Get off Toll 417 onto Route 535 heading west, after you cross under I-4 you take the next left which is Hotel Plaza Blvd. and which is also opposite Goodings' Plaza where there is a supermarket although quite expensive.

Rte. 417 has some toll plazas where you must get over tot he right and take what looks like an exit ramp to pay your toll in cash. Then you merge back onto the expressway. Watch the signs carefully. If you have a Florida electronic toll device, you can stay on the straightaway.

 

[NJRRK]

Fyi - the last two posts were recommending the same road.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Let me clarify a few things.

1) Yes, I-4 is your best bet, getting on at Daytona Beach and following it to Orlando. If you pass downtown Orlando around 3pm, you should be ok as far as the rush hour traffic goes.

2) Because it's Good Friday, tourist traffic could become a real problem even at 3pm once you hit the Universal Studios area. This past Friday afternoon it was gridlock from there to Disney. If you run into that, there is a very easy back road to your hotel. Get off at the Universal Studios exit 74B and follow it to the first light and turn left on the Universal exit road to the next light which is Turkey Lake Road. Turn left and follow TLR all the way. It's 4-lanes, runs directly beside I-4 and then changes names to Palm Parkway and when it crosses SR535 in Lake Buena Vista, it becomes Winter Garden-Vineland Road. Continuing straight, your hotel entrance is on the left. Coincidently, I've got a picture of the exit you need to consider on by blog located at:
http://savepleasureisland.blogspot.com/2010/03/pi-update-spring-break.html

3) Taking I-4 to TOLL 417 in Sanford is a good option to bypass all of the craziness as it's Orlando's eastern beltway. You cannot exit onto SR535 though as stated by some others. You exit onto SR536 (Exit 6) and at the second light turn right onto SR535. That will take you under I-4 and when you get to the light at Winter Garden-Vineland Road/Palm Parkway, turn left to find the entrance to the Hyatt. This routing is relatively expensive, about $6.00 one way. Don't turn left into Hotel Plaza Blvd. as your hotel is NOT there. The next light is where you turn left. (7-Eleven & Shell at the correct corner.)

BobK/Orlando

 

[TinkOhio]

Wow! Thanks for all of the detailed information. I'm printing this page and putting it into my binder right now.

 

[MagicPrincess]

Hey Tink-
I noticed you are from Ohio! NE Ohio here!!!

Are you driving straight through or stopping on the way down? We're trying to find a good stopping point- not sure we want to go as far as Savannah.

Just wanted to see if my fellow Buckeyes have any suggestions!

Have a great vacation!

 

[TinkOhio]

Hey Tink-
I noticed you are from Ohio! NE Ohio here!!!

Are you driving straight through or stopping on the way down? We're trying to find a good stopping point- not sure we want to go as far as Savannah.

Just wanted to see if my fellow Buckeyes have any suggestions!

Have a great vacation!

Hello!

We are stopping on the way down. I'm student teaching, so we can't leave untill after school on Thursday. Our plan is to drive to the Lake Norman, NC area and rest untill about 5am. We want to hit the road early on Friday because we used to drive this route on Holy Thursday/Good Friday regulary. We have seen standstills on 77 and 95 that have lasted for hours. Good Friday travel is really something! One year, we spent an additional 6 hours sitting on the highway sitting in a jam, and that was on Good Friday alone!

When are you planning on leaving, and if you do plan on stopping, how long would you like to drive before stopping for the night? I can recommend some of the areas that we think are nice, but that really depends on what you would like to do.

 

[MagicPrincess]

We're planning on going early August.

I'm thinking that we might drive 10 hours the first day- which according to Mapquest stop us south of Columbia, SC somewhere around Orangeburg??? Never heard of it.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

I love the Lake Norman area- used to stop there all the time on the way to our family vaca's to SC!

 

[sharadoc]

We're planning on going early August.

I'm thinking that we might drive 10 hours the first day- which according to Mapquest stop us south of Columbia, SC somewhere around Orangeburg??? Never heard of it.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

I love the Lake Norman area- used to stop there all the time on the way to our family vaca's to SC!

Hi. That's exactly where we plan to spend the night on our June trip. If you Google hotels in Orangeburg, SC, then zoom on the map, you'll see a TON of hotels in that area. It's close to 95, your total trip on Day 2 should be around 5 hours or so. We found a Country Inn and Suites that we're going to try. We like their 1 Bedroom suites.

 

[MagicPrincess]

I did notice quite a few hotels around that area, so I figured it's probobly a good stopping place! Just didn't want to stop somewhere desolate and scary! LOL...

I'll have too google the city and check it out!

 

[NotUrsula]

Jump off and take the 417/Greenway -- really, it's worth every penny of the toll.

All it takes is one wreck or stalled car on I-4 in Orlando and you'll be sitting still for two hours.

 

[MagicPrincess]

thanks for that info! I'll make a note of it!