Things to do / Travel Guide
Orlando Driving Directions
Unless you're staying on a theme park's property, and do not plan many excursions beyond, it is usually worth your while to rent a car. The main attractions in the area are spread out almost across the width of Florida. Even if you don't plan on leaving the Orlando area, the main attractions are best visited by car. Furthermore, hotel prices go down the further away you get from the main attractions. A 10 minute drive may get a much nicer hotel for the same price, but you will need a car. In short – rent a car. There are usually good deals to be had.
The roads in the Central Florida region are good, expect only regular rush hour traffic. The Orlando area, however, is an exception to this, as traffic around the theme parks can sometimes be heavy in the high tourist seasons, during Easter/spring break, from Christmas-New Year's Day, and during the summer months. I-4, connecting Orlando to Tampa on the Gulf Coast and Daytona Beach on the Atlantic Coast is seldom crowded, except foe a few exits around Orlando during peak season. The Beachline Expressway due east of Orlando connects to Cape Canaveral – travel time is slightly more than an hour.
Disney Shuttle and Orlando Shuttle Service
Driving around the Orlando area you will notice shuttle busses zipping around delivering vacationers to their hotels and to the main attractions. If you are willing to plan your day around various shuttle schedules, you can avoid renting a car, some expenses and parking hassles. You can also end the day at a different park than where you started and not worry about getting back to the car. And best of all, someone else drives the car full of “are we there yet” kids.
Key to navigating the area by shuttle is staying in a well located and popular hotel. Shuttles serve the main Orlando and Kissimmee hotels, Orlando International Airport (MCO), Universal Studios, Disneyworld and Seaworld. Making sense of some of these shuttle buses:
- Most of the major hotels within a 4 mile radius of Orlando International Airport have complementary shuttle service from MCO.
- Disney Magical Express Service offers complementary shuttle service between Orlando International Airport and Disney Resort Hotels. They even pick up your bags and deliver them to your Disney hotel.
- Most Disney Hotels, Disney Theme Parks, Disney Water Parks and Downtown Disney are connected by free shuttle service. Being Disney, the “getting there” is an attraction unto itself – the shuttles may be ferryboats, water taxi, bus or Disney's famous Monorail.
- Many non-Disney hotels, both on and off Disney property offer limited, but complementary shuttle service to the Theme Parks and Downtown Disney.
- There are complementary shuttles between the major hotels and local outlet malls, including Orlando Premium Outlets. Plan on spending a nice part of the day (and of your budget) at the outlet mall.
Universal Studios Shuttle and SeaWorld Shuttle Service
- Hotels near International Drive offer free shuttles to SeaWorld and Universal. Some offer free shuttles to Disney, as well.
- Disney Resorts will NOT have shuttle service to SeaWorld and Universal. Obvious!
Summing it all up – a well located, top rated hotel will likely have free shuttle service to the most popular Orlando attractions.
Orlando, Florida Public Transportation
There are two excellent, but limited in scope, public transportation systems in the Central Florida region. One is the trolley that runs along International Drive in Orlando, and the other is the fantastic monorail service within the Disney World complex, which travels around the huge theme park, stopping at different parts of it.
Lynx, the bus service of the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority provides very reasonable (under $4) fares around the Orlando area. Orlando International Airport, Disneyworld, International Drive and Downtown Orlando are well served. Travel time is approximately 75 minutes from MCO to Disneyworld.
Bus Tampa to Orlando
Greyhound serves the Tampa - Orlando route with several busses a day. The 2 hour trip connects the downtown areas of Orlando and Tamp. Bus service to Kissimmee serves Disneyworld, as well.
There are also some shuttle services between lodging properties and the theme parks (often a free amenity for the lodging guests), so be sure to check their schedules and reliability.
Train Tampa to Orlando
Confusing ballots seem to be a Florida specialty and you can appreciate that on your two hour train ride from Tampa to Orlando. In 2000, Florida voters approved a high speed rail from Orlando to Tampa, scheduled for completion in 2009. In 2004, the very same voters reversed the vote, most likely because they were confused by the wording. If you wait a few more years for Federal funds. And Disney influence to kick in, you might one day see a 45 minute connection between Orlando and the Gulf Coast.
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