Looking for some more help on arrival day

[jaysue]

Need to drive from Boardwalk Villas at WDW to HRH on a Friday morning in January (regular workday - not holiday day) and would like to check in (do not care if actual room ready) in order to get my FOTL key and access etc. all set up:

I believe the parks open at 0900 - questions are:

1) I have 2.5 days - Fri/Sat/Sun am - which park should I start with?

2) What time roughly should I leave WDW to get to HRH in time to be onhand for the opening of the parks and therefore do the parks always open at official time or ever earlier

3) Should I just take I-4 from S/R 536 exit or is there a better way to get to USF/IOA from WDW?

4) Does anyone know where I can find an aerial picture of the parks (this always helps me get my bearings better)

5) Is there any specific time I should get back to the HRH to get my room (assuming not ready when I arrive) or does it not really matter in terms of location?

6) I am not moving my car from arrival until departure - should I get valet parking or is the self serve parking close enough and relatively secure against theft etc. (not sure who would steal our minivan anyways but just in case)

thanks again for all your assistance

Cheers
jaysue

 

[JessicaR]

You can see a map here

I can answer a few of your questions and I'm sure others will chime in too.

1. I would do IOA on Friday and USO on Saturday and on Sunday go back and do your favs.

2. I would leave around 7:30A if you want to be there for opening and there may be a chance your room will be ready. The parks do have a tendency to open earlier then posted time.

3. Dont know

4. Map posted above

5. When you check-in if room isnt ready they give you a card with a # to call and a time. Usually your room is pre-picked already, you can ask.

6. Not moving your car...I would park it in self park.

Have Fun!

 

[highlander447]

With FOTL u will not need to worry about what park to do first enjoy your trip

 

[SpideyHulk24]

#3 Yes!!! Take I4 east bound. You will be there in less than 15 minutes! Have fun!

 

[Motherfletcher]

Jess had everything right as always.

3. Dark Marauder is the man where this is concerned but I would exit at SR 535 and take Turkey Lake Road to Vineland during the workday morning peak hour.

You don't have to worry about anyone stealing the minivan. Sometimes they are hard to find though, since there are so many of them.

 

[jaysue]

RE#3 so that would be exit at 535 to Turkey Lake Road to Vineland looping around north of USF and then turn onto Universal Blvd?

thanks
jaysue

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

I have to agree with SpideyHulk on taking I4 eastbound. My parents and I have to take this, since we're coming from the Gulf Coast, and it doesn't take us long to get from the Disney exits to Universal's exit...plus, Universal is RIGHT off the interstate. Just pull onto the off-ramp and make a left and you're within a mile of the parking garages.

But, you do need to figure out about the times you'd be driving on the interstate. If you can go early in the morning, things are still quite slow around 7 - 7:30AM. but, I'm sure later, after morning rush-hour, you should be fine.

However, you want to check in quite early to HRH to ensure the best room...sometimes rooms are ready, or they may let you request a certain floor or something...when later you would not have this choice. I saw, shoot to check-in around 8-8:30AM. This also makes taking I-4 a good idea, again, since you will be on the road at the "right time" to have less traffic.

HTH

 

[Motherfletcher]

Jaysue-
Yes to #3. Another option and how I would do it would be to avoid I-4 altogether. You can follow the signs to Downtown Disney(DD) which is on Buena Vista Drive. That time of day there is very lite traffic and most of it will be going the other way. Just beyond DD take a right on Hotel Plaza Blvd. and follow that north to a signal at SR 535, take a left onto 535 and be prepared to take a right at the next signal which is Turkey Lake Road. There will be very few cars on this route which takes you across Sandlake Rd. to a right on Vineland Rd. north of Universal and another right at Universal Blvd. and a quick right into Hard Rock.
Drive to the valet and let them unload but tell them that you'll self park. They will store your luggage until you can get into your room. January touring should be a walk in the park. Enjoy!

 

[SpideyHulk24]

It's worse west bound than it is east bound in the mornings as most people are headed to Disney.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

While getting on I-4 is easiest, you can avoid it. As has been stated, you can take 535 from Hotel Plaza (turn left) or from the 535/536 intersection (turn left). If you get on 535 via Hotel Plaza, you need to get into the far right lane, then into the turn lane. The turn lane is Palm Parkway. Take it up, and it becomes Turkey Lake Road. Take this road up until you see signs for Universal. The rest is easy: a turn right at the light where you see the huge entrance, then follow into the parking garage (or where ever you may be heading).

 

[Motherfletcher]

Thanks, Dark, for the "Palm Parkway" leg. I thought that might have a different name at that intersection.

Spidey and Flyfly are right. STAY ON I-4!! I would like to keep the back way a secret as long as we can. I know the Traffic Engineer for the City of Orlando. I'll have to let him know that the Friday A.M. peak is directional on I-4 away from the City.

 

[jaysue]

Thanks for the Palm Parkway tip as well - my maps of Orlando are not clear that it links with Turkey Lake Rd

Cheers
jaysue

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

Well, I honestly do not know the problem with I-4...we've never experienced any traffic problems at all... And out of the 30+ times we've gone, you'd think that would mean something. I don't think we'd waste the time going the back way...we're on the Interstate anyway...so we save time by just staying on it. We make excellent time too...only takes us 2 hours max to get there...from I-75, we are on I-4 for only about an hour or less.

But, it all depends on the time you are on the road, I guess!!

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Wow Motherfletcher!!!! You really have brought us bad luck! First high entertainment rates, now traffic all the time on I-4.

 

[jaysue]

OK, I will flip a coin on the Friday morning - heads I-4, tails the back way....

This board has a different flavour than DVC board - this one is actually cooperative in tone and flavour. The DVC one is all over the place...too much pixie dust maybe



thanks again all!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by jaysue
Thanks for the Palm Parkway tip as well - my maps of Orlando are not clear that it links with Turkey Lake Rd

Cheers
jaysue

Palm Parkway becomes Turkey Lake Road at the Central Florida Parkway intersection. It just switches names, that's it. Sneaky, eh?

 

[Motherfletcher]

Jaysue-
Before you flip-
The annual average daily traffic on I-4, 1 mile south of SR 482 is 142,158. Eastbound is 69,814 and westbound is 72,344.
On I-4 , one mile south of SR 536 there are 116,500 cars a day. Eastbound is 64,500 and westbound is 52,000.
The I-4 ramp eastbound at Sand Lake has 12,000 cars per day which creates a bottleneck.
January is considered seasonal peak in Florida which increases the daily average. Friday is the busiest traffic day of the week. Existing data related to travel demand supported by trip generation analysis, origin/destination data and market analysis supports Spidey's theory marginally(3.5%).
I drove the morning peak yesterday and found a level of service "D" on I-4 starting south of 192 so I exited at 535 and encountered 18 cars the back way. Level of service D is when it is difficult to change lanes because of volume and speeds are greatly reduced.
If I remember correctly, driving in Canada did not involve more than 50,000 cars a day on any roadway and sometimes you wouldn't see that many cars a week. Now flip!

 

[jaysue]

I am going to go via Palm Parkway and Turkey Lake Road and leave a touch earlier - might even reconiter the route in advance if I find some extra time...

LOL, Motherfletcher, love those traffic stats and thanks for posting
- I am getting a touch old to flip!

Many times when I have gone over I-4 at Osceola Pkwy I-4 does not look too healthy

The 401 in Toronto has more traffic but that is spread across as many as 8-10 lanes in each direction

I also finally found on mapblast.com the Palm Parkway to Turkey Lake Road connection.....was not on any of my printed maps.

thanks to all who have replied!
jaysue

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Wow!!!! I have to say I am impressed Motherfletcher!!!! You did your homework!

 

[Motherfletcher]

I have a couple of friends at the Florida Department of Transportation that love to complain about I-4. They were beside themselves when I asked for stats. They get even more excited when you request crash data.
Jaysue-
You are right about Toronto's 401. I think that is the most lanes of traffic(motorized) than any other place in the world.
My Canada experience was limited to the Alaska Pipeline. That area got pretty quiet, trafficwise.
As one ole flipper to another I'd rather give a "heads up" than see you land on your "tails". Have fun!