Orlando to Tampa

[Mamalou1977]

Hi all,
We are looking at doing a last minute weekend trip but the only airfare that works is In/ out of Tampa. We have made the drive from Tampa to WDW before but it was 11 pm. Our flight home would be at 7pm on a Monday. Thoughts and suggestions??? Thanks!

 

[Anthony1971]

We did this a few months ago (also a number of times in the past but not for years). First there are no tolls if you get on the I-4 by Disney springs if you are staying at a MK resort GPS may direct you to the new toll road.... Traffic going to Disney around 12pm was 0. Traffic going to Tampa around 11am was maybe 5 minutes which was going into Tampa 1-4 was clear. Make sure you get gas at the end of I-4 there will be 15 or less miles in that range. The car return since you are not picking up is in one building for all very easy to get to but you will be going up ramps and several on each floor so watch the signs. Lastly it is 2 monorails to the main terminal maybe 15 minutes for all. If you have a 7 flight leaving by 3 should give you plenty of time - more likely even with traffic, car return and tram you will be at the terminal by 5. It is a very straight forward drive. Drive should be around an hour and 15 minutes with some traffic.
Make sure you check the car rental $... the ones at Disney springs hotels are very easy to access for a one day rental we use Avis in the Hilton as we get a huge corporate discount -yes we have ID and have been asked- which is maybe an 8 minute walk from Once upon a toy.
sorry I see both ways... Exit 67 on I-4 make it easy make a left you will pass under the welcome to Disney sign 3 minutes later... This will be near Disney springs

 

[Mle8308]

I-4 traffic can be a nightmare going to/from Tampa, especially at the time you'd need to leave to get back to TPA. If you flight is at 7pm, plan on leaving Disney by 3:30pm at the absolute latest. Fortunately, Tampa is a small airport and lines won't be nearly as long for security as MCO. If it's your only option, then do it. We used to fly there sometimes to save money, we generally travel to WDW during thunderstorm season, and after being caught on I-4 in the worst storm I've ever experienced (and I lived in Orlando for 15 years), it's not worth it anymore. It's not really storm season now, so that's not really a concern. However, I also don't like the extra time it takes to drive to/from TPA to Disney. Too many things can go wrong and there's really only one way to get there, where there are a few different routes to MCO if there is heavy traffic or an accident.

 

[IndyToThere]

We did a split Disney/Clearwater trip this summer (started in Disney for a few days, then drove to Tampa in the afternoon after those few days). I will say that the drive on I-4 from Orlando area to Tampa in the afternoon was pretty backed up and surprised me on how much time it added to the trip. So definitely give yourself extra time. You might test out the time by looking at GPS directions on your favorite map app around the time of day you're looking at to get a good approximate time.

I bought a Sunpass for tolls thinking I'd need it, but never encountered any, so that was nice. If you get a rental car, like Anthony mentioned you have options in the WDW area - it might pay to look around at different sites to see what is cheapest/most convenient (ex our car was about $100 cheaper when renting from the same rental brand at the Hyatt by DIsney Springs instead of the one closer to AKL where we were staying).

 

[mikehn]

You are going to be traveling at the height of the cluster, also known as rush hour. The drive on I4 will be tame till you reach the Tampa city limits when traffic will come to a stand still. And that exit/service road leading to TPA is another cluster all in itself. If you leave WDW by 3, you might make it there by 5, or not. It's a matter of how much sweat you want to shed.

 

[keishashadow]

been there, done that

all it takes is an accident (or two) and traffic on I-4, either way from TPA-MCO; can turn a 1-1/2 hr trip into a marathon.

OP does spirit or Allegiant (SFB) work for you

 

[dvczerfs]

I live off exit 55 of I4. I would do everything I could to avoid that drive. This time of year it’s a bigger parking lot than what it is during the summer. I4, all the “back” roads are plugged up. Snow bird season is upon us. A lot of the places they use to land at in Northern Florida has been devastated by hurricanes. They are migrating more south. Truck traffic is also on the rise, and they are still building more and more. I leave work at 11:30pm most nights and there is still traffic heading both directions. During the day, you have a two hour window to make a break for it. 12:30 to 2:00 pm. During the week, if I leave oak at 5pm, it’s not unheard of to be a good 45 minutes just to get off property.
The traffic crawls on the entrance ramps to I4 on property. The traffic is bumper to bumper, past the MM electric tower, past Champions Gate exit and now all the way to exit 55.
It’s not easy anymore.

 

[IndyToThere]

The traffic crawls on the entrance ramps to I4 on property. The traffic is bumper to bumper, past the MM electric tower, past Champions Gate exit and now all the way to exit 55.
It’s not easy anymore.

This echos my experience with the drive from Orlando to Tampa in our rush hour drive in the summer. Driving into the Tampa area was actually ok. It was getting into I4 and then waiting on I4 on the southwest section coming out of Orlando that was backed up.

 

[dvczerfs]

This echos my experience with the drive from Orlando to Tampa in our rush hour drive in the summer. Driving into the Tampa area was actually ok. It was getting into I4 and then waiting on I4 on the southwest section coming out of Orlando that was backed up.

Every day. That’s why I work closing shifts. It’s about a 33 minute drive. If I work days, it’s an hour and a half in and at least a n hour and a half back.

 

[dvczerfs]

This echos my experience with the drive from Orlando to Tampa in our rush hour drive in the summer. Driving into the Tampa area was actually ok. It was getting into I4 and then waiting on I4 on the southwest section coming out of Orlando that was backed up.

They say Orlando is an hour away from Orlando. Lol.

 

[DVC-Don]

You never know. We had a mid morning drive from the Tampa cruise port to Orlando last year. 3+ hours due to 2 accidents.

 

[ngl]

We live in Tampa. AP, DVC, so do that drive often. 2 Fridays ago we left Tpa at 3pm and it took us 3 hours to get there. No accidents, just traffic. Had the same on drive back. There is no rhyme or reason on the I4 drives anymore. 20 years ago we could always guarantee a max drive of 1.5 hrs. Now we always plan for a minimum of 2 hours.

 

[dvczerfs]

We live in Tampa. AP, DVC, so do that drive often. 2 Fridays ago we left Tpa at 3pm and it took us 3 hours to get there. No accidents, just traffic. Had the same on drive back. There is no rhyme or reason on the I4 drives anymore. 20 years ago we could always guarantee a max drive of 1.5 hrs. Now we always plan for a minimum of 2 hours.

I’m off exit 55. Usually only use exit 62 either going to work to to Sanford airport. The last few years it seems as soon as school lets out for the summer, the traffic lightens up. This year after Labor Day, it still wasn’t too bad till after Milton. Rt 27 is the same way. Sometimes it’s not to bad and other times, we wonder where did all these cars come from all of sudden.