kissimee vs i-drive

[dor1]

Having had such a great time in orlando in october we are already planning our next trip.We stayed in kissimee at the orange lake country club which was great, the only problem was at night to get anywhere we had to drive.When we drove down i-drive it seemed to us that you could walk to alot of the bars/restaurants etc-is this the case?Also any other pros and cons you know of would be helpful.Thanks to everyone whos replied to my posts in the past,its been really helpfull.

 

[TracyK]

I much prefer I-Drive. As you say, it is ideal for walking to restaurants or just hopping on the I-Ride trolley bus. I also love the close proximity to Universal and Sea world. I would recommend the southern end round the Convention Centre.

 

[JohnnySharp]

Good question.
If you are staying on I-drive as Tracy says much better near the Convention Center end, we have stayed at the Rosen Center and the Clarion ,both great hotels.
Not so keen on the other end , bit busier and not as nice really.

As for Kissimmee vs. I-drive , a few years ago I would have said I-drive (South!) , however, we have an Autistic son who loves water, Blues Clues videos, is a fussy eater and can make a lot of noise....hence it's a nice villa just off the 192 for us!!

To be honest we have great memories of some brilliant hotels, Rosen Center, Registry at Naples but once you have stayed in a villa you would (probably) never go back to staying in hotels again.

Sorry guess I haven't really helped have I?

 

[jimmybog]

I would pay a bit more and stay at one of the hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd at lake Buena Vista. You can walk to DOwntown Disney and are 2 minutes drive from the Crossroads shopping area. Here you will find all of the popular restaurants like Red Lobster, Chevy's, Denny's, pizza Hut, Shoneys, Pebbles etc. Nearby is also Bahama Breeze, Golden Coral, Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden, Bahama breeze. And you are much closer to Disney and only 10 minutes to Sea world and 15 from Universal.

 

[Sue & Co.]

We are firmly in the villa camp and so for us I Drive would not be an option but then with three childern we don;t tend to go out at night once we get back from the day's activities so that is not an issue for us ( we have our own supply of goodies in the fridge).

Sorry I realise that this doesn't actually help your situation just my opninion.

Sue

 

[Fantasia Sam]

If I was staying at a hotel off-site then I'd have to go with I-Drive every time. I've stayed at both ends and have enjoyed all my stays. The bottom end by the Convention is a little more green and easier on the eye but I enjoyed staying at the North end too. I love the fact that you can walk up and down I-Drive with ease or get the I-ride trolley too. I think I-Drive is a great location for those staying at a hotel who don't wish to drive so much.

 

[SEVANS2208]

I-drive is our fave but unfortunately you are then limited to staying in a hotel. Our recent trips have been with extended family so we need to stay in a house.

I wonder if anyone knows of any houses near I-drive?

 

[Sue F UK]

As far as I know there are currently no houses actually on I Drive although a few apartment complexes with 'Condos' are springing up at the southern end towards 'Premium Outlets'

We have stayed at both and have found that for convenience in the evenings I-Drive (especially using the trolley bus) is great BUT.... the traffic is a total nightmare for most of the time with the top end of I-Dr resembling a car park in the evenings. It also tends to be noisy and 'touristy'.

The traffic on the 192 tends to be better, although still heavy, and we love the freedom and space that we get with our villa. When we are sitting by our pool with some wine watching the sunset (or TV! LOL) we don't seem to worry too much about going out in the evenings. We are usually too tired after a 'park day' anyway. If we want to go out then there are some top class restaurants less than a mile away and taxis are fairly cheap if we don't want to drive.

So basically the debate seems to be about what you intend to do with your evenings. If you are definately not going for a villa then I think that Jimmybog's suggestion of Lake Buena Vista, Hotel Plaza Blvd is a good one as some great discounts can be had at the Grosvenor Resort and others within walking distance of Crossroads/Downtown Disney.

 

[SimonV]

If you like to go out for a walk in the evening, I-Drive definitely takes some beating. The DD area is good, but I-Drive has more variety (especially of the budget type) and, unless you are going to spend the whole holiday just doing Disney, the proximity of Universal, SeaWorld and some of the smaler attractions is highly desirable. The one drawback is I-Drive's growing traffic - this is becoming a real snag at the Sand Lake Road Junction and lower down by the Convention Centre. In the evenings (from 6-8pm), it can take up to half an hour to crawl along this half-mile stretch, which really puts a crimp in your day That said, there is now the alternative of Universal Boulevard, which many people overlook.

 

[JohnnySharp]

I agree with Sue and Co...if you do stay in a villa you usually have children also, going out in the evening is not an option really for us unless it's in the car.

I think if you are a couple, as I said in my earlier post we have stayed at both ends of I-drive and in the past frequently enjoyed a walk in the evening, the hotel price ranges are very varied and suit the various budget's accordingly.

Simon's point about the traffic is certainly true also, Friday and Saturday evenings in particular.

Guess it all depends on your personal circumstances.

 

[Beejayjay]

If being able to walk to attractions and restaurants is your main concern, then I-Drive does take some beating. LBV around Disny Downtwon would be a reasonable second choice, with the 192 third best chioce.

Personally I found staying on I-Drive a bit too full on - too much traffic, too many glaring signs, too busy in general. And if you are unlucky enough to come across that particularly British phenomenon, the beerswilling brain dead lout, I-Drive will be the place !

I always stay on the 192, much preferring the relaxed atmosphere there. The majority of hotels are far enough back off the road so that traffic noise isn't a problem, and if you want a condo/house, you've got a much bigger selection there than on I-Drive.

Just my two pence worth...

 

[metalguru]

Have to agree with beejay, before they started to build the ******* Convention centre I-Drive was the place for me, went down to Kissimmiee after that but have to say the last few years I have loved being in Lake Buena Vista, just don't go to Pebbles - a complete rip off.

 

[MARTINIUS]

That's easy then:

Hotel/No car - I-Drive

Villa/Car - Kissimmee/192

Personally I found I-Drive to be very touristy and the place your
going to bump into a lot of Brits or even worse your boss on his holidays! I found Kissimme/192 to be more 'American' and during my stays there have met hardly any Brits but lots of Americans who have all been very friendly, especially since 911. I've had people coming up to me in restaurants telling me they are glad you're still coming over to the U.S. and what a great friend the UK is to America.

 

[Enright78]

Thoroughly agree with the last poster, much prefer Kissimmee for its wide street and more "American" feel. Lots of restaurants and shops too. I just like driving up the 192 to look at stiff and stopping off at random.
We always have a car and always rent a villa or condo so I suppose it is ideal for us.
And the idea of walking anwhere.....heavens, you are in USA you know!!!!

 

[foxyfee]

Martinius you have it dead right!

We are about a mile from the Formosa Gardens Shopping Plaza which has loads of restaurants, so we can walk if we wish - well certainly at night. It's too hot in the summer during the day.

If you want to be in the action in I Drive then stay in a hotel there. But we have always stayed in a villa even before we bought our own. Just love the freedom of going wherever we want whenever we want without any worries.