To those who take 417 do you avoid I-4 during your whole vacation?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

This is a question to those who always take 417 if your renting a car from MCO. In a lot of others threads about it I always read comments saying how it's a much better route then I-4 because you can avoid a lot of their heavy traffic when driving to Walt Disney World. Well my question is after you have arrived do you also avoid going on I-4 for the remainder of your vacation if you don't like it? Personally I can't see any other way of getting around if you plan to visit Universal Orlando, various malls and offsite restaurants. So do you know of other ways to get around or is the only time you avoid I-4 when you arrive in Orlando and that's it?

 

[5boyz]

We use I 4 all the time...we have never encountered any traffic jams...and we are use to traffic jams on 401 403 and 410...LOL!!!

 

[rewok]

I love the 417 from the airport, very quiet, much better than 528+I-4 (we used it the first time we drove from the airport, because my GPS wasn't so happy about having moved 1500 miles, and I wasn't paying attention to the signs to guide DH). We (well, DH drives, I navigate) do however drive on I-4, to Universal, The Mall at Millenia, ... As I see it, no reason to go into traffic (it's stressful, you need to focus more energy on the road, higher risk of accidents) if you can avoid it, that's why we always take the 417. Is there a good reason NOT to take the 417 from the airport?

 

[LidoDeck]

We live in central Florida and avoid I-4 like the plague. I do like the Greenway / 417, but the tolls are high (#1 reason some avoid it) and it does take you out of way going to / from the airport (#2 reason some avoid it).

We have a timeshare in Cocoa Beach and spend a couple weeks there each year. Both of us will commute to work from there ocassionally. Because hubby goes in early and gets out late, he finds it faster to use 528 & I-4. Because I commute 9 - 5:30, I find it much faster to take the Greenway.

If you aren't used to the area, I'd take the south exit from airport and use the Greenway / 417, taking you to 536 and right onto Disney property. But if you are comfortable in traffic, dealing with a couple interchanges and aren't traveling at rush hour, it is probably a little faster to do the Beachline / 528 and I-4.

 

[DebbieB]

We used to go to the Belz Outlets by Universal, I took I-4. Traffic isn't bad during the day. I have also driven to Downtown Orlando for work during morning rush hour and traffic on I-4 was bad, especially closer to Downtown; same thing in the evening going out of Downtown.

 

[NancyIL]

When I stayed at Bonnet Creek with a friend last December, we opted to take Mears to and from the airport, and whatever shuttle service goes from Bonnet Creek to Universal. We had no traffic problems getting to Universal in the mornings on I-4, but returning to Bonnet Creek each night on I-4 was very slow going.

I know of no other way to get to Universal from WDW other than on I-4, so that's how I would go if I were driving. However, I do have a choice when driving between WDW and the airport, and for that trip I choose to take 417.

 

[ParrotBill]

I generally avoid I-4 until heading up toward Universal or Belz.... then try to avoid doing so during rush hour. I know the alternate routes but they are quite slow also with lots of lights and lower speed limits... so I-4 it is when necessary.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Rarely if ever go offsite, so we get to avoid I-4 completely!!!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Rarely if ever go offsite, so we get to avoid I-4 completely!!!

Good way to avoid I-4.

 

[Ress76]

I avoid I-4 as much as possible, but there are some times, like going to the Florida Mall, that a non-local, and fairly not-brave driver such as myself is further ahead to just bite the bullet and take I-4 rather than mutliple secondary roads. When we have gone up to Daytona for the day, or coming down fron NY, we always take 417...the tolls, for me, far more than make up for the hassle of I-4.