Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
65
Tips
Look Both Ways
Traveling on foot anywhere in Orlando, most especially on International Drive, can
be tricky. If you have to walk across a parking lot or street,
be careful.
The Surface
Transportation Policy Project's pedestrian safety report has named Orlando the
most dangerous city in the country for pedestrians. Drivers are paying far more
attention to their maps and street signs, not the people running in front of them.
Though walking up and down the sidewalks on International Drive or U.S. 192 can
be an enjoyable way to get to a restaurant or minigolf course without having to
pack up the car, you need to pay strict attention when it comes to crossing the
street, and you should avoid crossing multiple-lane roads altogether.
free transportation system that runs
throughout the entire WDW property.
Disney resorts and official hotels offer
unlimited free transportation via bus,
monorail, ferry, or water taxi to all WDW
properties throughout the day, and at
times well into the evening. If, however,
you want to venture elsewhere (say, to
Universal or SeaWorld), you'll just have to
pay extra to do so.
If you're staying at the Disney resorts,
using the system can save you money on a
rental car, insurance, and gas, as well as all
those parking fees ($12 a day at the WDW
theme parks, though Disney resort guests
are exempt from parking charges). The
drawback, however, is that you're at the
mercy of Disney's schedules, which are
often slow and, at times,
very
indirect; bus
trips from the outlying resorts (especially
Fort Wilderness) to the various parks (and
vice versa) can take over an hour during
peak times.
Along with the maps in this guide, pick
up a guide map when you land at the
Guest Services desks at any of the Disney
resorts and theme parks, or view a more
generic map and download it at
www.
disneyworld.com
(you'll need Adobe
Acrobat Reader).
The best rule when using Disney trans-
portation: Ask the driver or someone at
your hotel's front desk to help you take the
most direct route. Keep asking questions
along the way. Unlike missing a highway
exit, missing a bus stop means you may
reach your pension before you reach your
destination.
BY CAR
Whether or not to rent a car while in
Orlando is one of the most important
decisions you will make when planning
your trip (just behind selecting your hotel).
First, think about your vacation plans. If
you're planning on going beyond the
boundaries of Disney to Universal, Sea-
World, or anywhere along I-Drive, a rental
car is a necessity. If you want to head out
in the evenings to smaller attractions, din-
ner shows, or other activities not located
within the realm of Disney, a car will defi-
nitely allow you the most flexibility. If you
plan to limit your vacation only to WDW,
then a car might prove an extra and
unnecessary expense (“might” being the
operative word here).
If you've decided to stay right on Dis-
ney property, the question to ask yourself
is how, exactly, will you get to the parks? If
the Magic Kingdom is accessible only by
taking a bus, switching to the monorail,
and then catching a ferry, you may want to
opt for a car. The least expensive proper-
ties, the All-Star resorts, are among the
farthest from the Disney parks. Wait times
between buses can be considerable, if not
unendurable, even with recent enhance-
ments to its dispatch system.
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