Traffic going back to MCO on a weekday

[rewok]

This will be our first time getting in/out of Orlando on a weekday, so it has me wondering. Our return flight is leaving MCO at 7:45PM. which would have me leave our hotel around 5, stop to fill up the car, and drive back to MCO. Never had problems doing that on a Saturday/Sunday. Can I expect commuters traffic around that time on a Monday night? We usually take the 417 (seems quieter than I4+528 which we used once), but if another option is better, no problem.

 

[skelooch]

By all means use RAC, check your bags upon checking out and you can forget about them until you get off the plane, get your boarding passes and then do whatever you want till it's time to head to the airport.
5pm should be just about right for your 7:45 flight and still leave you enough time to grab a bite before boarding. Sometimes getting thru security can be an adventure, once it took me 45 min the lines were so long. 417 is definitely the way to go, much faster and simpler albeit $.50 more expensive.

Have a safe trip.

 

[DebbieB]

I've used 417 during rush hour and never had a problem. I've never seen major traffic on that road in either direction.

 

[safetymom]

417 will be fine during that time.

 

[rewok]

Thanks everyone! With all the strange traffic patterns I've encountered around US cities, I was envisioning a big 1 hour backup, and me stressing about missing our plane. On the other hand, I didn't want to leave too early for nothing.