Tolls - WDW to Port and back

[bumbershoot]

I'm still not 100% clear if there are manned tollbooths the whole way (417 to 528 is the route DCL recommends - we are coming from Boardwalk Villas and returning there after).

There are cash tollbooths the whole way.

I saw this and it made me wonder if 417 is all electronic-only now?

No. They are just saying that on the mainline, meaning not the exits, there are sensors that sense at highway speeds.

 

[Justacruiser]

probably a couple of dollars more but you miss having to get on 4 and deal with the airport traffic.

 

[tinkmom2]

When we rented from Budget, they had the sun pass installed in the car. I used it and they just billed our credit card.

 

[TagsMissy]

Hi, all. Just wanted to verify what I think my options are. We are doing two one-way car rentals between WDW and Port Canaveral for our cruise (WDW before and after), both through Enterprise.

I think that, assuming we take the standard/recommended routes, we have two choices:

1.) Go through the cashless toll lanes and get charged a $3.95 convenience fee each way + toll amounts.
2.) Bring a bunch of quarters and go through manual lanes.

I am leaning towards #1, despite being a cheapskate. Just was thinking we avoid any possible waits and don't have to worry about having quarters and making sure we don't venture off the beaten path and run across any tolls without manual lanes - and under $4 each way isn't too bad for the convenience, I think. Sound reasonable or am I missing anything? Are the toll amounts themselves the same amount either way?

Thanks!

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ETA from after our trip, in case this helps anyone: we ended up doing the cashless tolls and each way was $8.20 total. The cash tolls would have been $6 each way, so it was $2.20 more and we got to drive straight through and not worry about lines or coins. The reason it was less than $3.95 each way was that they give you the discounted toll rate when you do this. It was worth $2 each way to us to save a bit of time and trouble.

Hi I am just curious what route you took? I am just now contemplating this... we're looking a grabbing a vehicle through Budget at the airport and having it a couple days then just driving to the port.

 

[Trera]

Thank goodness we live in Orlando and our cars are already set up with the electronic toll stickers. It is a necessity as many of the routes we use to avoid the high traffic areas are toll roads.

We actually live north of town and hit the 528 by coming down the 417 from the north. Very light traffic and easy trip over to the port.

 

[bumbershoot]

Hi I am just curious what route you took? I am just now contemplating this... we're looking a grabbing a vehicle through Budget at the airport and having it a couple days then just driving to the port.

Choices are in the map below:

We have driven on 528 over to the east. But that's because when we've gone to or from the port we are at, or going to, Universal. So we're right up there anyway.

Easy enough to do 417 over and up to 528 then 528 over to the port if you're starting from Disney.

 

[Dugette]

Hi I am just curious what route you took? I am just now contemplating this... we're looking a grabbing a vehicle through Budget at the airport and having it a couple days then just driving to the port.

We planned to do the 417 to the 528 - just following what Disney recommends. However, I believe we took some alternate routes/side streets at points in order to stop at Trader Joe's for wine on the way to port and Target for groceries on the way back to WDW. I don't think we went TOO far off course, though. It was a fairly easy drive.

 

[bumbershoot]

We planned to do the 417 to the 528 - just following what Disney recommends. However, I believe we took some alternate routes/side streets at points in order to stop at Trader Joe's for wine on the way to port and Target for groceries on the way back to WDW. I don't think we went TOO far off course, though. It was a fairly easy drive.

Ooh there's a tj closer than Tampa now? I'll have to look into that!

 

[lisamarie12]

We ended up paying the tolls in cash when we went from the airport to Cocoa Beach and the Port. It really was not too big of a deal. We did not really wait that long at any of the tolls. Had it been part of a 10 hour drive my opinion might have been different. I would not really have an issue with doing the pass either, even for a small convenience fee. We did not know what to expect so I just kept some quarters in a baggie in my purse. We did not end up using all of it, so that became my soda and meter money for a while.

 

[The Sasquatch]

i feel like a real weirdo

I rent the car for the whole time, go through the tolls with whatever money I have (bills, quarters, etc) and I park the rental in the garage.

Like someone said, RELAX. In the grand scheme of things its a difference of a few bucks

 

[erionm]

Ooh there's a tj closer than Tampa now? I'll have to look into that!

There are currently two Trader Joe's in the Orlando Area: http://www.traderjoes.com/stores?q=32822

 

[Dugette]

Ooh there's a tj closer than Tampa now? I'll have to look into that!

There are currently two Trader Joe's in the Orlando Area: http://www.traderjoes.com/stores?q=32822

I just checked and we stopped at the Dr. Phillips TJ's location. So, we must have taken 4 there, then cut over to 528:

We ended up paying the tolls in cash when we went from the airport to Cocoa Beach and the Port. It really was not too big of a deal. We did not really wait that long at any of the tolls. Had it been part of a 10 hour drive my opinion might have been different. I would not really have an issue with doing the pass either, even for a small convenience fee. We did not know what to expect so I just kept some quarters in a baggie in my purse. We did not end up using all of it, so that became my soda and meter money for a while.

You and I both have a daughter with the same name (and near-ish the same age) and did a Disney cruise in the same month! Hope you had a great time!

i feel like a real weirdo

I rent the car for the whole time, go through the tolls with whatever money I have (bills, quarters, etc) and I park the rental in the garage.

Like someone said, RELAX. In the grand scheme of things its a difference of a few bucks

That works too. For us, we had one-way rentals, as I was able to get that for about $30 each way vs. the much higher cost of a weekly rental and parking at port. If the cost were a bit closer, I'd do what you did, though - just for the extra convenience.

Just to be clear, this thread got revived from a few months ago and we had a very relaxing cruise. I am a pretty relaxed person in general and was not panicking over this. Just simply trying to confirm how the tolls and the pass worked so I knew if I had to a.) be concerned about some large hidden fees/penalties from Enterprise due to driving right through or b.) go to the bank and get cash/coins before our trip (we don't use cash often and had already gotten what we needed for the rest of the trip). No big crisis - we just don't have tolls around here and I figured experienced cruisers had been through this before and would know the options. For others looking for the info I was: we did not see any automated coin-only or pass-only tolls, so you don't have to raid your child's piggybank or buy a sunpass AND the rental car drive-right-through pass was indeed cheap and easy, just as it sounds. Both are good options. Happy cruising, all!