Tips on Driving Within Disney World?

[Mainsail Minnie]

We've been to Disney World several times, but always after a flight and using either Disney transportation or taxis. Next month we're going to drive to Disney World for the first time, and plan to use our car for park to park and resort to resort transportation quite a bit. Do you have any tips for driving around the World? Are there any drivers' maps that make it easy to find your way around? Does GPS help? I've read that it can take you to the wrong place at Disney World. Thanks for any tips.

 

[Alesia]

I always use Google maps and it has never steered me wrong. One tip, though: always type the location name, not the street address

 

[Wild4Walt]

We've driven the last 2 times, signage is good but it can sneak up on you - meaning you see the sign and then the exit is within a few blocks if not immediate. Also, if you miss an exit because of this don't stress. There are usually several ways to get to the location you want that doesn't take you too far out of the way.

 

[FCDub]

Just follow the signs.

 

[Stratman50th]

Used to drive from Maryland to Disney and back for many years. Never had a problem getting around but I agree about typing the location name.
Laughable but we've had more trouble getting around now that we live 30 minutes away. Most of that has been due to numerous construction projects on property and temporary routing changes that Google maps has a hard time keeping up with. I also agree about the not so great advanced warning of exits and turns. You can get turned around, but again as others have said it's nothing that can't be undone.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I HATE driving around WDW .....

it is IMO over signed ......

and there is ALWAYS construction that my map programs don't know about

I'm a local and go frequently and STILL get lost!

 

[JimMIA]

We've driven the last 2 times, signage is good but it can sneak up on you - meaning you see the sign and then the exit is within a few blocks if not immediate.

Agree. Most exits have 3-4 signs, but you have to know what your destination is called or what it is near, so you have to do two things: 1) know what you are looking for, and 2) watch closely for the signs.

You'll figure it out after a few tries, but the first trip may be an adventure. Alesia's suggestion of Google Maps is a good one, although you may want to turn the verbal instructions OFF. They can be confusing and distracting.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I have used Waze the last few trips with good success. Occasionally I have had a GPS try to send me down a service road.

 

[snappy]

We have been driving in Orlando for 18 years on and off property. We find signage to be good. Easier to see them during day light though. Agree that there are multiple ways to get somewhere, so don’t sweat if you overshoot an exit. We take our time. It’s very different for us than daily commutes at home. Very. Thank goodness. That said we avoid Disney Springs and park rope drops like the plague. Hated the DS parking lots and the garages weren’t much better when we used them. DS might be ok during mid day on a week day but there’s other places at DW I’d rather spend my time. We will be walking to CityWalk during our upcoming Universal stays. I am looking forward to comparing.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I never found it hard to get around the World. We started our vacation visits many years ago, before DME, so we always rented a car. We enjoyed the flexibility and kept on renting. We are now local snowbirds. I did spend a bit of time studying maps of the area prior to my first couple of visits. I found the signage in the World to be very good. Never used or needed GPS. I also found getting into the World very easy to do. The exits off of the major roads into WDW are very well marked.

I suggest spending a few minutes with Google Maps and learn the four main roads in WDW, World Drive, Osceola Parkway, Buena Vista Drive, and Epcot Center Drive, and how they connect to each other, the four parks, and your resort.

Having the basic road arrangement in my mind together with the signage was enough for me to never to feel lost.
Wishing you a visit!

 

[richmo]

Driving around isn't too bad and the signage is generally pretty good. One thing to keep in mind is to have a good idea of where you're going lands in the overall scheme of things, especially with resorts. For example, if you're on property looking for say, Coronado Springs, you're not likely going to see signage for it right away. You need to know that its an Animal Kingdom area resort, so you'd start by looking for Animal Kingdom (and possibly "All Guest Areas" if you're about to leave property), then as you get closer "Animal Kingdom Resort Area", then finally "Coronado Springs". I don't think maps will help you all that much, but hopefully Google Maps is pretty up to date with directions. The main thing is to pay attention to the signs.

 

[AngiTN]

LOL... our tip is don't do it!
We are grabbing a rental car when we come down at Christmas but not to drive at Disney. DH wants to head over to Cape Canaveral. The car will remain parked at Disney because it's just a pain to drive around there. We used to till I discovered the wonderful world of flying and using the buses over driving. Plus, we enjoy an adult beverage or 2, (or 5, it's vacation, )

 

[Alesia]

Thanks for sharing this information because next year I am thinking to visit Disney Land. Now I won't be getting in any travelling problem .

The thread is about Disney World (in Florida.) Disneyland is in California

 

[Disneypro1]

It’s easier than small town America.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Just use GPS. Its easy to miss a turn and lose 10 minutes if you aren't completely familiar with the roads.

 

[Disneypro1]

Thanks for sharing this information because next year I am thinking to visit Disney Land. Now I won't be getting in any travelling problem .

 

[sam_gordon]

Just use GPS. Its easy to miss a turn and lose 10 minutes if you aren't completely familiar with the roads.

Not really. As PP's have said, have a general idea of where you're going, and follow the signs.

 

[_19disnA]

Although Disney has a LOT of road signs on the property, they can often be confusing the first few times you see them. I can recall our first time driving to Disney, rather then see a hotel sign you will first see something like 'Magic Kingdom resorts' or 'Epcot resorts'......and I guess they assume everyone knows which hotels those are. Certainly wasn't obvious to us our first time visiting.

 

[JimMIA]

Although Disney has a LOT of road signs on the property, they can often be confusing the first few times you see them. I can recall our first time driving to Disney, rather then see a hotel sign you will first see something like 'Magic Kingdom resorts' or 'Epcot resorts'......and I guess they assume everyone knows which hotels those are. Certainly wasn't obvious to us our first time visiting.

Or my 20th time visiting! You have to know where you are going and what it's called.

You also have to pay close attention to the signs -- something that is not easy on a winding expressway, in traffic. Each exit may have 3-4 signs, but the key words you are looking for will only be on one sign. If you miss it, you missed your exit.

I think the best strategy is to use Google Maps or Waze, turn the verbal directions OFF to prevent distractions, and pay close attention.

 

[bumbershoot]

I can recall our first time driving to Disney, rather then see a hotel sign you will first see something like 'Magic Kingdom resorts' or 'Epcot resorts'......and I guess they assume everyone knows which hotels those are. Certainly wasn't obvious to us our first time visiting.

That’s why the biggest suggestion is always to know what area you’re going to. Which means taking a peek at where, for instance, Pop is, or OKW is. Once you know that, you hbr a better handle on where you’re going and those signs will make more sense.

Basically you slowly hone in on your destination lol.

The hardest part for me is ignoring the “clutter” of “Disney's“ being before every single thing. YES we know it’s Disney’s. Just tell me animal kingdom lodge or Saratoga Springs etc. For me it’s hard to ignore and takes a lot of effort.

Which is why I suggest, if you have two adults or maybe an adult and mature teen, have one be the driver and one be the navigator. Navigator tells driver where to go. Driver does what navigator says while making sure they are doing it safely.