What tolls will we have to pay driving from MCO to WDW

[helenk]

We leave next Saturday and I am trying to make sure we have the cash for the tolls. Are there any that take change only? I generally take DME but we are renting a car this trip and I have no idea how many toll booths we will have.

 

[AlexandraF2015]

i could be wrong, but i think you will have to pay only $3 (from MCO to Disney)

 

[helenk]

i could be wrong, but i think you will have to pay only $3 (from MCO to Disney)

Thanks, that is not too bad. I was reading some information on another site and the advice there was to make sure you stay in the right lane as you get to the toll booths for the cash lanes.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Here's an answer that I posted last year when a similar question was asked:

Regardless of whether you use the northern route (SR-528 to I-4) or the southern route (SR-417 to exit 6), there are two cash tolls in each direction.

Both routes have attended "Change-Receipt" toll booths available. U.S. paper money is fine. You do not need quarters. You may want to ask for receipts.

Paying cash will avoid any rental car toll service charge. If your rental car company requires "opt in" or "opt out," you can safely opt out. Different car rental companies have different plans: https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

Just pay attention. Both routes have open road electronic tolling if you don't exit to the right toward the traditional toll booths. Open road tolling is like driving under a sign at freeway speed. Even if you don't have a SunPass transponder, it reads your license plate. On this forum, we regularly have threads from people who were charged an unexpected toll and service charge. In at least some cases, they probably overlooked the need to exit to the right for cash toll lanes.

There are no tolls on I-4 around Orlando. So once you're in tourist corridor, you don't have to worry about tolls.

I prefer SR-417 if I'm driving from MCO to WDW because it avoids busy I-4 entirely.

 

[seashoreCM]

You can do it reasonably for about one dollar.

North airport exit and left at first light (Frontage Rd.). About a mile to next light (Conway) take left and quickly another left to get on 528 (Beach Line) west. Now watch for the exit ramp if you need to use cash to pay the toll.

Takes you to I-4, go west (southwest) for Disney, east (north-northeast at that spot) for Universal.

 

[helenk]

Thank you all for your I put. I was worried that some of the tolls were exact change only. Not sure why, maybe some of the off ramps were like that at one time. It has been a looong time since we've used a rental car.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thank you all for your I put. I was worried that some of the tolls were exact change only. Not sure why, maybe some of the off ramps were like that at one time. It has been a looong time since we've used a rental car.

When driving from MCO to WDW on SR-417, be sure to get off at Exit 6. Follow the signs to Walt Disney World. You'll pass off-site resorts (including Marriott's Orlando World Center) and then enter WDW property on Epcot Center Drive. You'll have access to anywhere on WDW property from there.

If you're staying at a resort in the southern part of WDW and coming in on SR-417, your GPS might send you to Osceola Parkway (Exit 3). In that case, you'll need some quarters for an unattended toll booth. You might save a couple of minutes. However, it's also safe to exit at Exit 6 and let your GPS recalculate.

 

[seashoreCM]

For a long time there have been a number of ramps with tolls, some of them exact change or electronic only.

The pseudo exit ramp to pay tolls using cash is a more recent innovation, and there is no actual exit at that point.

 

[helenk]

If you're staying at a resort in the southern part of WDW and coming in on SR-417, your GPS might send you to Osceola Parkway (Exit 3). In that case, you'll need some quarters for an unattended toll booth. You might save a couple of minutes. However, it's also safe to exit at Exit 6 and let your GPS recalculate.

We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The driving directions in google do have me going to exit 3, but exit 6 would be better?

 

[wdwrich]

We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The driving directions in google do have me going to exit 3, but exit 6 would be better?

Yes, in order to avoid that extra toll (unattended booth).

 

[ParrotBill]

Exit 3 is a third toll at an unattended booth so you need quarters. But this is a much faster more direct route to Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge via Osceola Parkway.

The alternate route via Exit 6 takes you into EPCOT Drive, and you must exit to Buena Vista Drive (second exit, around the loop to head west.) You take this road past Studios and Boardwalk, and over World Drive, and just past Blizzard Beach and Coronado Springs you turn right to get on Osceola Parkway which takes you the rest of the way.

 

[seashoreCM]

Exit 6 (showing route number 536 and/or 535) off of 417:
Stay straight (536) past some ramps, then under the Disney welcoming arches and past more ramps on the right, then get into left lane and take narrow bear left. You will come to World Drive, straight ahead to go south, then look for and take Osceola Parkway exit west. Now get in left lane and take narrow bear left. Straight ahead is Animal Kingdom Lodge. Skips about 8 traffic lights compared with the previous directions.

Using I-4 west, skip the 536 interchange and take the Osceola interchange that follows.

 

[robinb]

Thank you all for your I put. I was worried that some of the tolls were exact change only. Not sure why, maybe some of the off ramps were like that at one time. It has been a looong time since we've used a rental car.

I would bring some change and leave it in the car just in case you need it. We were driving to Tampa over Spring Break and ran into some traffic. My GPS took me off I-4 and I ended up on the tollway for less than a mile to the very first exit. The toll was 25-cents and we had NO change. We drove through it and it picked up on our licence plate which was automatically charged the toll. The next month we had a $25.25 charge on our credit card from the company that Hertz hires to take care of missed tolls. I was very mad, but we agreed to it when we picked up the car and we could not add PlatePass after the fact to cover the missed toll. We even tried to pay the toll directly to FL and it was refused.

My lesson: keep some change on hand in the car.

 

[helenk]

I have $9 in quarters for the pressed penny machine in WDW. I will keep them in my purse just in case.

 

[seashoreCM]

... to cover the missed toll. We even tried to pay the toll directly to FL and it was refused.
My lesson: keep some change on hand in the car.

I'm surprised you were not able to pay the toll directly to the toll agency, assuming you mailed it within 12 hours of when you ran the toll.

The address might be posted in the toll booth, or you can find it using the internet or using the resources of your or a nearby resort's business center.

 

[robinb]

I'm surprised you were not able to pay the toll directly to the toll agency, assuming you mailed it within 12 hours of when you ran the toll.

The address might be posted in the toll booth, or you can find it using the internet or using the resources of your or a nearby resort's business center.

It's because Hertz has PlatePass on all their cars. American Traffic Solutions (PlatePass) was automatically charged so there was no toll for me to pay and they billed me the 25-cents plus their $25 "administration fee".

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm surprised you were not able to pay the toll directly to the toll agency, assuming you mailed it within 12 hours of when you ran the toll.

The address might be posted in the toll booth, or you can find it using the internet or using the resources of your or a nearby resort's business center.

Same thoughts.

DH went through an unmanned toll with no cash. There were envelopes there and we immediately mailed a check so they had it inside a week.


OP, the tolls are easy but don't leave this to chance. Purposely get a roll of quarters and 10 ones, and have those available when you're in the car. Don't comingle funds with the penny press money.

 

[robinb]

Same thoughts.

DH went through an unmanned toll with no cash. There were envelopes there and we immediately mailed a check so they had it inside a week.


OP, the tolls are easy but don't leave this to chance. Purposely get a roll of quarters and 10 ones, and have those available when you're in the car. Don't comingle funds with the penny press money.

There were no envelopes at this particular toll booth and we did send a check within a week. I think Hertz and Dollar both have PlatePass. Apparently, I am not the only one to be hosed by PlatePass, here is Google's review page for them: https://www.google.com/search?sourc...7#lrd=0x872b745020144349:0x3e8a2fbb3938ef9c,1 .

 

[seashoreCM]

I would contact the rental company directly requesting a credit and also take it far enough to do a credit card dispute if desired. Consider the following:
1. The driver should have the privilege of paying the toll using the instructions at the booth regardless of what auxiliary agencies (such as Platepass) that the car owner subscribes to.
2. When the driver makes a valiant effort to pay the toll rather than just let himself be caught then it should not be considered a violation.
3. The toll agency does not want drivers to panhandle at the booth for change and then drive on.
4. If the toll agency rejects the payment that may be taken as the toll agency wishing to forgive the driver the toll.
5. Platepass should undo the charge upon finding out that the driver tried to pay the toll quickly.
Let the credit card company weigh in on the preceding 5 points even though it may ultimately rule against you.

 

[robinb]

I would contact the rental company directly requesting a credit and also take it far enough to do a credit card dispute if desired. Consider the following:
1. The driver should have the privilege of paying the toll using the instructions at the booth regardless of what auxiliary agencies (such as Platepass) that the car owner subscribes to.
2. When the driver makes a valiant effort to pay the toll rather than just let himself be caught then it should not be considered a violation.
3. The toll agency does not want drivers to panhandle at the booth for change and then drive on.
4. If the toll agency rejects the payment that may be taken as the toll agency wishing to forgive the driver the toll.
5. Platepass should undo the charge upon finding out that the driver tried to pay the toll quickly.
Let the credit card company weigh in on the preceding 5 points even though it may ultimately rule against you.

That's all well and good, but the PlatePass rules were clearly spelled out in my Hertz rental agreement. I would have simply wasted MORE time and effort disputing the charge.