Stressing over Toll roads

Firepath

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
685
I know everyone says it is super easy but I've only driven a rental car once from MCO to WDW and it was a horrible experience! It was dark and pouring rain and I have no experience with toll roads. I think my problem was not realizing some of the toll booths are where you get ON and some are where you get OFF.
I was so stressed over missing one that I tried to go through them ALL!! I exited a couple of times and had to make u-turns and other trick driving to get back on. I think we went through 4 or 5 just to get to WDW. How many toll booths should I really go through and where are they located?

I think maybe we should just use the rental car transponder and pay their fees. Then I can just follow a ME bus! I'm really not a bad driver! We usually rent from the Car Care Center or not at all. I got a last minute room at Bonnet Creek so no Magical Express this time. I have 2 pending rentals, one with Alamo and one with Budget. Are either of their toll packages better? Getting last minute FP's was bad enough but this is really stressing me out....
 
I know Budget will charge you a fee everyday of your rental even if you only use the toll booths one day. I think Alamo only charges the fee on the day you use the transponder, but you should double check that.

I don't know about Bonnet Creek location but I have gone through 2 toll booths using the southern exit from the airport to Disney. There may be a third if you go farther on 417. I just take quarters and go to the right at the toll places to the cash lanes. These booths are not at entrances and exits, they are placed along the main roadway.

I have my rental car map and it looks like toll booths between exits 17 & 14 (which is shortly after you get on the road), and between 10 & 6 (those are the mile markers for the exits). There is also one after exit 2 but we never go that far
 
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Alamo only charges a fee for their electronic toll program, for the day you USE the program.

Once you go thru a toll they charge U (plus the toll) and this fee covers you for 24 hours (you still pay the toll fee)

IMO this is the BEST rental car program (and same as Enterprise and National)

************

various rental company policies and charges are here ....

https://www.sunpass.com/en/tolls/rentalVehicles.shtml
 
Went thru the same issues a few years back . So do what I did enroll in sunpass...its easy you can do it thru the mail. You pay a one time fee for the transponder attach a credit card to your account and use it
when you need too. After we land and get our rental I go online while still at the rental company put in the vehicles information, the start/end times and dates and off we go. When were finished take it off the
windshield put it into the bag provided and store it at home until the next time were off to Disney or anywhere in Florida...best thing I ever did.
 

I know Budget will charge you a fee everyday of your rental even if you only use the toll booths one day. I think Alamo only charges the fee on the day you use the transponder, but you should double check that.

I don't know about Bonnet Creek location but I have gone through 2 toll booths using the southern exit from the airport to Disney. There may be a third if you go farther on 417. I just take quarters and go to the right at the toll places to the cash lanes. These booths are not at entrances and exits, they are placed along the main roadway.

I have my rental car map and it looks like toll booths between exits 17 & 14 (which is shortly after you get on the road), and between 10 & 6 (those are the mile markers for the exits). There is also one after exit 2 but we never go that far
Going to Bonnet Creek, you will want to use exit 6, World Center Drive/International Drive. Take this exit toward WDW past I4 where World Center Drive becomes Epcot Center Drive. Bonnet Creek will be on the left side of Epcot Center Drive. The two toll plazas along 417 between the highway entrance from the south exit of MCO and exit 6 are well marked. The cash lanes are along the right side of the highway, and the cash lane farthest right will make change and provide receipts if you don’t want to bother with quarters.
 
You really should get a SunPass so you can avoid all of the stress. You can bypass all of the toll booths and have piece of mind that you won't receive a fine or big bill from the rental car company.
 
If you are a visual learner, try YouTube. You can watch a trip between the airport and Disney World. While it might not be identical to what you will experience (because construction is always a possibility), it might help ease your concerns if you have a basic idea of what to expect.

Here a YouTube video using the Central Florida Greeneway (State Road 417). That's the toll road to the south of the airport.

 
/
on this page https://www.cfxway.com/for-travelers/

click the toll calculator (and then click to CASH payment)
{sorry the site won't let me hang a direct link}

it will show every toll position in the greater Orlando area
{note that an empty circle is a booth at an EXIT
and a solid circle is a mainline booth}



for what it is worth .... all tolls in Orlando have a cash option .... SOME are exact change ONLY .... but cash is an option at all stops.

A roll of quarters will cover any trip from MCO to WDW or Universal with money left over.
<unless you get REALLY REALLY lost>
*************

if a frequent visitor the comment about buying a Sunpass is spot on
 
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Just out of curiosity, if it stresses you so much to drive then why would you drive to begin with? There are many methods of transportation between MCO and WDW that do not requiring driving, you can just sit back, relax, and let someone else do the driving. DME, Uber/Lyft, etc..
 
We use 417 and the toll lanes are super easy. You need exact change for the tolls when you leave the tollway. On the tollway, there is always a staffed booth so you don't have to have exact change.
We rent through Alamo and did use their toll service once. Super easy. You don't do anything except drive through the sunpass lane. They bill you for a one day fee and the tolls you go through.
Since, we just bring some change and pay the tolls as we go through.
 
on this page https://www.cfxway.com/for-travelers/

click the toll calculator (and then click to CASH payment)
{sorry the site won't let me hang a direct link}

it will show every toll position in the greater Orlando area
{note that an empty circle is a booth at an EXIT
and a solid circle is a mainline booth}



for what it is worth .... all tolls in Orlando have a cash option .... SOME are exact change ONLY .... but cash is an option at all stops.

A roll of quarters will cover any trip from MCO to WDW or Universal with money left over.
<unless you get REALLY REALLY lost>
*************

if a frequent visitor the comment about buying a Sunpass is spot on
There are some toll points missing on the CFX map. In particular, the toll exiting 417 at Osceola Pkwy is missing. Also, some of the Turnpike-operated toll amounts are out of date.

And cashless toll points are beginning to pop up on new construction. The only one I know of on 417 is the interchange between 417 and the Turnpike, which would not impact visitors traveling between OIA and WDW.

429 north of Apopka, aka Wekiva Pkwy, is cashless. The road is not complete, but it's conceivable that Google could route travelers going from Sanford Airport to WDW that way if both I-4 and 417 have extreme backups. When it is completed in a couple of years, it could become the preferred route from Sanford.
 
Just out of curiosity, if it stresses you so much to drive then why would you drive to begin with? There are many methods of transportation between MCO and WDW that do not requiring driving, you can just sit back, relax, and let someone else do the driving. DME, Uber/Lyft, etc..
OP is not staying at a Disney hotel, so they will need the car for more than just airport transportation.
 
I think my problem was not realizing some of the toll booths are where you get ON and some are where you get OFF.

Hmm. As far as I recall on 417 the toll as you get off is at the end of the line. The rest aren't really as you get on, but as you go. They are RIDICULOUSLY well-marked. On 528, too.

I was so stressed over missing one that I tried to go through them ALL!! I exited a couple of times and had to make u-turns and other trick driving to get back on.

I get what you mean, but when I worry about those exit ones, I'm overthinking things. The ones you move to the right for, you aren't exiting. You're just getting in a different set of lanes to the right, then you get right back on. You'll see people over there entering and maybe paying tolls, but that's not for you. (and I think the one I'm thinking of right now is on 528).

If you just TRUST in the signs, you'll be OK.

Then I can just follow a ME bus!

I will tell you that I have literally NEVER seen a DME bus while I'm driving on the toll road.
 
Hmm. As far as I recall on 417 the toll as you get off is at the end of the line. The rest aren't really as you get on, but as you go. They are RIDICULOUSLY well-marked. On 528, too.



I get what you mean, but when I worry about those exit ones, I'm overthinking things. The ones you move to the right for, you aren't exiting. You're just getting in a different set of lanes to the right, then you get right back on. You'll see people over there entering and maybe paying tolls, but that's not for you. (and I think the one I'm thinking of right now is on 528).

If you just TRUST in the signs, you'll be OK.



I will tell you that I have literally NEVER seen a DME bus while I'm driving on the toll road.
Really? I have. When taking 417. In fact, the last time I returned the car at MCO, it was pouring...couldn't see the road! It was awful. I kept praying for the DME bus behind me to pass me so I could follow it back to MCO!!! Sadly, it didn't....and I managed to overshoot the car rental exit..right past the airport!!
 

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