What is I Drive?

[Goofyish]

Why not do a split stay - some nights on-site and then some nights on I-Drive. That way you get the best of both

If you haven't got a car, then you will be relying on either hotel shuttle busses, Mears shuttles or taxis to get to and from WDW and I-Drive.
There is also a Lynx bus that travels between Seaworld and the Transportation and Ticket Centre near MK.

A taxi back from WDW to IDrive will be around $35-40 plus tip, slightly less from DTD.

 

[Lizzybear]

So if we did stay, say on the south end of I Drive? Would it be a problem spending 2 nights (epcot/mk fireworks) and a couple of nights at downtown disney and getting back?

And on the flipside, if staying on site, the same question as above, as I know their are plenty of options on site and this situation seems to be the only one thats causing us a bit of trouble planning. Also easy to get up and down I Drive to seaworld? DC etc from staying on site?

I'd check the shuttles from the hotel, like what their latest time going back is as they do vary with different hotels. If it's too early budget some taxis in, may be cheaper to prebook these but i'm not certain as we always caught them 'on the fly' as there was plenty about
Staying onsite for your whole stay if you want to go to places apart from Disney could get expensive as they obviously don't want you spending money elsewhere From what I can gather there is a Lynx bus from the TTC at Disney which goes to I-drive, it is a long route though (we did it once and to be honest wouldn't want to again!) so it's probably better to use taxis or prebooked shuttles with someone like Mears. Hopefully someone else who had a better experience with this bus than me can help you more, we just found it very inconvenient and couldn't imagine relying on it as our only way of getting offsite from onsite.

 

[paulh]

Anyone that has been to Blackpool will know that it is filthy dirty, full of drug addicts and beggars, street traders selling Crap, .

I seam to recal that Micky Des (the big macdonals)was raided a few times for drug dealing from it.Beggars alwqys seam to be on the road when you turn of the I4 onto sandlake road .I have stayed there over 10 years ago and it has changed belive me
Paulh

 

[steve_rob]

Evening times we will probably dine on I Drive, but also go Downtown disney and want to see fireworks at epcot/MK. Which end is best to stay on for this?

Even though the southern end of I-Drive is strictly speaking nearer to WDW, I'd say it was easier to stay at the northern end. Reason is, in the evenings I-Drive can get stacked up with traffic and it takes ages to get anywhere. Because of this, the easiest way to get to Disney is to avoid I-Drive completely and use Interstate 4 which runs parallel.

The trouble with the southern half of I-Drive is that it doesn't have any exits on to I-4 (you have to go all the way down to SeaWorld which could be three/four miles from your hotel), compared to the northern half, where you can get on it at Sand Lake Road, Universal Boulevard and Kirkman Road - all of which are within half a mile of each other.

 

[dc1964]

PaulH, you are right about the beggars, of course they are present in most places nowadays, I was just making the point that in my opinion I drive is OK, everyone has differnet opinions, I have stayed onsite before but after a fortnight of Disney i was going mad, so it is nice to get away. Its good that opinions are different, people can take what they want from them.

 

[daveyoghurt]

So if we did stay, say on the south end of I Drive? Would it be a problem spending 2 nights (epcot/mk fireworks) and a couple of nights at downtown disney and getting back?

And on the flipside, if staying on site, the same question as above, as I know their are plenty of options on site and this situation seems to be the only one thats causing us a bit of trouble planning. Also easy to get up and down I Drive to seaworld? DC etc from staying on site?

You'd get the best out of Seaworld and Universal by staying on i-drive undoubtedly, whereabouts depends on how 'busy' you like it - access is easy via hotel transfers or the i-ride trolley. Onsite would give you the best access to fireworks and Downtown Disney as you would avoid late night taxis, bus trips or worse!

 

[daveyoghurt]

I seam to recal that Micky Des (the big macdonals)was raided a few times for drug dealing from it.Beggars alwqys seam to be on the road when you turn of the I4 onto sandlake road .I have stayed there over 10 years ago and it has changed belive me
Paulh

Like anywhere, I suppose you could find anything if you really looked for it, glad to say that I have never seen anything of the sort on i-drive or anywhere else in Orlando for that matter.

 

[paulfoel]

its a bit like blackpool meets benidorm nowadays
Paulh

Too many British people along I-Drive !!!!

 

[floridalol]

Like anywhere, I suppose you could find anything if you really looked for it, glad to say that I have never seen anything of the sort on i-drive or anywhere else in Orlando for that matter.

I first stayed on I-Drive in 1987 and many times since and have never seen any beggars, druggies or the like either.

 

[Lizzybear]

Too many British people along I-Drive !!!!

Couldn't the same be said for all of Orlando? *lol* I see what you're getting it, but it's never really bothered me.. They're entitled to their holiday as much as I am to mine

 

[mozzman]

its a interesting thread this one and the one thing i have decided is to cancel my holiday to blackpool in september beggars are a part of most towns and citys now so why not orlando.