Need advise for driving to and from Deland

[Todd_H]

I'm taking a class in Deland at the end of June (Monday-Friday) and I decided to stay at the World and commute every day to the class (good excuse for a WDW visit... even if it is in the evenings, right?). I took a class in Deland back in December and drove one night to DTD for dinner so I know that the commute should be around 1 hour and 15 minutes. My question is what should I expect traffic-wise between Orlando and Deland in the a.m. and p.m. (I'm mainly concerned with that Orlando rush hour traffic)? My class starts at 9:00 am every day and I am staying at Pop.

surfweb: <-me in class every morning after EMH!)

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I believe you're asking for trouble. Traffic will be very heavy through downtown Orlando from 6:30am onward including the approximate time you would need to pass through. And if there is construction or an accident, DOOM!

The only way around it would be to use the eastern beltway around Orlando (TOLL 417/Central Florida Greeneway) which would take you from near WDW up to Sanford, well north of the congestion. You'd merge into I-4 there for the remaining journey to Deland. The 417 should be free-flowing everywhere but the tolls (I believe) would be around $5 each way. (Not sure if you'd need it going back to WDW, depending on when your classes end. From 4pm onward I-4 is congested downtown.)

Staying at WDW is fun....but I'm not sure it's THAT fun.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Edd]

If you go the 417 and than I-4 to Deland you are looking at closer to an hour and a half to an hour and forty five minutes unless you have a real heavy foot. I would guess the mileage is about 85 miles and I don't even know what part of Deland you are going to. Maybe Stetson which is really on the north side. You would have to leave at 0700 or earlier in the morning to get to class on time. Same way coming home. The tolls would be $5.00 one way. Stay away from I-4 in the morning and between 1600 and 1900 in the evening. Hope for the best after 1900.

 

[Todd_H]

If you go the 417 and than I-4 to Deland you are looking at closer to an hour and a half to an hour and forty five minutes unless you have a real heavy foot. I would guess the mileage is about 85 miles and I don't even know what part of Deland you are going to. Maybe Stetson which is really on the north side. You would have to leave at 0700 or earlier in the morning to get to class on time. Same way coming home. The tolls would be $5.00 one way. Stay away from I-4 in the morning and between 1600 and 1900 in the evening. Hope for the best after 1900.

Thanks for the info. My company is picking up the tab for my room, so I don't mind paying an extra $25 in tolls for the week. Do you think going the extra mileage on 417 will turn out to be a shorter drive time than trying to fight it all the way up I-4? I think the answer is probably "yes", but I want to make sure. I do expect to fight traffic in the mornings, I just want to allow myself enough time to make it to Deland (by the way, the class is on the western side of Deland... not sure about the name of the area). When I drove from Deland to WDW back in December, it was an hour and 15 minutes from the class site to DTD, and we fought some traffic going through Orlando on I-4.

 

[Edd]

There will be no traffic in the morning on 417 to Deland. Disney to the Sanford exit is close to an hour at 70 mph and Sanford to Deland another 30 minutes at that speed, possibly more because you have to get off on the south end of Deland and than have some city traffic to go through to get the the west side. Going home in the evening the 417 will be again clear all the way because traffic is the opposite way. Just be careful on the exits. Getting on 417 at Sanford is tricky, watch following the 417 to the airport at the 408 exit, actually get to the right after you pass the first .50 toll, and than continue on 417 to Disney. You can follow the Beechline to I-4 but rreturning you might find traffic slowing you down. If you follow 417 to Disney it will be full speed all the way. Do not use the I-4 either way between the St Johns River and Orlando between 4:00 pm and 7:00 as there will be plenty of traffic there.

 

[Todd_H]

Thanks for all your help. Sounds like 417 is the best way to go.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Most of the toll roads around Orlando are owned and operated by the Expressway Authority, and their map gives you a good idea of the routing of the 417 and the other roads. 417 nearly always flows very, very well.

http://www.expresswayauthority.com/assets/ExpressMap2006.pdf

If you're coming back to Florida anytime in the future you might consider purchasing a SUNPASS. It costs $25 and you can buy them at Publix grocery stores and Walgreen drug stores. Activate it immediately via a phone number and credit card, beginning with another $25 in prepaid tolls. Then you don't have to stop for any of 5 toll plazas each way and that could save you 10-minutes. If this is your only visit I wouldn't bother; but if you're coming back to anywhere in Florida that has toll roads, it would be a good investment in time savings. SUNPASS is accepted at all toll plazas in Florida that say "SUNPASS" (green roads on this map) or around Orlando, "E-Pass" (purple roads on this map).

BobK/Orlando

 

[Todd_H]

Most of the toll roads around Orlando are owned and operated by the Expressway Authority, and their map gives you a good idea of the routing of the 417 and the other roads. 417 nearly always flows very, very well.

http://www.expresswayauthority.com/assets/ExpressMap2006.pdf

If you're coming back to Florida anytime in the future you might consider purchasing a SUNPASS. It costs $25 and you can buy them at Publix grocery stores and Walgreen drug stores. Activate it immediately via a phone number and credit card, beginning with another $25 in prepaid tolls. Then you don't have to stop for any of 5 toll plazas each way and that could save you 10-minutes. If this is your only visit I wouldn't bother; but if you're coming back to anywhere in Florida that has toll roads, it would be a good investment in time savings. SUNPASS is accepted at all toll plazas in Florida that say "SUNPASS" (green roads on this map) or around Orlando, "E-Pass" (purple roads on this map).

BobK/Orlando

Thank you. That is great advice.