|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 15, 2023 7:53:37 GMT -5
Just know this, go south exit to avoid I4 and north to take I4. I exclusively use Waze for driving. Always avoid I4 at all cost. I've had a ton of issues with Waze in Florida. My Waze loving friends dropped it when moving to Florida too. Maybe it's better now but especially where my in laws lived it was the worst. FIL used it and really gave horrible directions because of it. I personally don't have a need when going from MCO to anywhere on Disney property now. I still use Google over Waze especially since the buy out by google in 2013. Waze also doesn't play well with Android Auto. I never go I4 from MCO. I had to going elsewhere though. Hate it. Glad the in laws moved. Sorta but that's a different story. |
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Aug 15, 2023 7:57:13 GMT -5
I never go I4 from MCO. I had to going elsewhere though. Hate it. Glad the in laws moved. Sorta but that's a different story. You can hear me groan and sigh in the back seat when we get an Uber driver that uses I4 to go to WDW. |
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 15, 2023 8:00:04 GMT -5
I never go I4 from MCO. I had to going elsewhere though. Hate it. Glad the in laws moved. Sorta but that's a different story. You can hear me groan and sigh in the back seat when we get an Uber driver that uses I4 to go to WDW. A ton of car services use I4. Drives me mad. I am sure the cheaper tolls along with more time in the car makes it preferred for ones like Uber. |
|
|
|
Post by johnb on Aug 15, 2023 8:29:56 GMT -5
You can hear me groan and sigh in the back seat when we get an Uber driver that uses I4 to go to WDW. A ton of car services use I4. Drives me mad. I am sure the cheaper tolls along with more time in the car makes it preferred for ones like Uber. This. And the Publix on Universal Blvd, just off of 528, seems to be the go to for grocery stops. So if you use a car service MCO to WDW and request a grocery stop, you'll be going 528/Publix/I-4/WDW. We used a car service last month, and the driver used 417. I asked him why (because in the past he's always used 528) and he told me that 1. he'd just returned from a WDW drop off and 528/4 was a mess, and 2. we didn't need a grocery stop. |
|
|
|
Post by disney54us on Aug 15, 2023 8:33:18 GMT -5
Many use a gps system that I find all systems tend to sometimes take you the longest way. When we would use a Uber from the airport going home the way gps would tell them to go was longer. There was a quicker easier way and we would just give them directions to go that way.
For others, I think it’s a way to up-charge. Had a Uber driver pick us up at AKV Kidani we were going to Rivera. He was holding his phone, when I inquired why he wasn’t just following the large screen, he claimed it didn’t work, it did. He left the world of Disney only to pull onto I4 during traffic time. What in the world! I questioned where he was going and why we were on I4. He drove like a nut, one of the off ramps that are very curvy he was doing like 50 I told him to slow down. As we sat in I4 traffic, I received a text from Lyft asking if I was safe as my ride was taking too long. Worse ride but we had several during that stay. Which is why I told my husband, I’m done. Then I received a up charge of $27 and change! It was removed but what a scam. An no I don’t believe it’s because he didn’t know his way around Disney.
|
|
|
|
Post by Adelard of Bath on Aug 15, 2023 8:59:55 GMT -5
We rented a car for the first time, September of last year. Budget, at Tampa airport. I signed up for the Fastbreak but since it was my first time, my papers were not in the little grab-and-go thingie, which I knew would be the case but I was hoping they would be there anyway. Went to the little glass-walled booth thing in the garage and they took care of me. Hopefully (hopefully) when we go next time, my papers will in fact be in the little grab-and-go thingie.
As an aside, Tampa is different than MCO: after getting our luggage, we were walking past the car rental counters and there was pretty much no line. We went out to the garage, though, like we were supposed to. There was actually a line out there...hee hee. No big deal, just one or two people. But the problem was the workers were behind glass and the garage is kind-of loud and we had trouble hearing each other. And she was having a lot of trouble finding my reservation or something, she kept asking "are you sure this is a fastbreak reservation" or something, like I said we were having trouble hearing each other. Eventually it was found. In retrospect it probably would have been a lot easier at the normal counter, but hindsight 20/20 and all that.
Just hoping at the next one, I will walk up and see a little folded piece of paper sticking out of the slots with my name on it!
Otherwise, car was good, parking ramp was easy enough, bringing it back no problem, I just pulled up to where they were motioning me and somebody looked it over real quick and I got a text saying everything was complete.
|
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 15, 2023 10:28:54 GMT -5
A ton of car services use I4. Drives me mad. I am sure the cheaper tolls along with more time in the car makes it preferred for ones like Uber. This. And the Publix on Universal Blvd, just off of 528, seems to be the go to for grocery stops. So if you use a car service MCO to WDW and request a grocery stop, you'll be going 528/Publix/I-4/WDW. We used a car service last month, and the driver used 417. I asked him why (because in the past he's always used 528) and he told me that 1. he'd just returned from a WDW drop off and 528/4 was a mess, and 2. we didn't need a grocery stop. That Publix is too far IMO if doing some frozen foods (like waffles or pancakes) if you get stuck in traffic. There is one just off of 417 that's less out of the way. I do think it's tolls for some and car time for ones like uber. We've done Tampa airport when in laws lived there. It's much nicer in terms of lines and such but car selection at Alamo or National are extremely limited. |
|
|
|
Post by brp on Aug 15, 2023 10:32:53 GMT -5
Just know this, go south exit to avoid I4 and north to take I4. I exclusively use Waze for driving. Always avoid I4 at all cost. As do we. Rarely fails us.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 15, 2023 11:55:55 GMT -5
I exclusively use Waze for driving. Always avoid I4 at all cost. As do we. Rarely fails us. Cheers. I know we've had this chat about Florida. Both are Google products. Waze relies more on crowdsourcing which I think is the problem in some places. Same company, different methods though both are becoming more alike now really and I wouldn't be shocked when Waze is dropped because it is Google and such. When we first started driving in Florida Waze was just the worst. It is better but I really don't need any GPS for Disneyish areas anymore. Just used it for Tampa. But for us it's a total fail with lack of Android integration until recently. I actually use neither at home in my car but I have a different app that plays nice with MINI and Android together. ETA looking ar numbers Waze is down to 9 million downloads. Google is 25 million (that's ignoring that it comes pre downloaded on many phones). That's why I wouldn't be shocked if Waze disappears entirely. |
|
|
|
Post by Adelard of Bath on Aug 15, 2023 13:43:12 GMT -5
What we do is my wife drives and I use Google Maps to find the way, but I read the map and often choose what roads I want to go on instead. Then I tell wife which way to go.
Normally I would drive but she does NOT do well with phones or reading maps.
Speaking of "reading maps", I'm old-school insofar as reading maps goes and I had to turn off that thing in google maps where it rotates the map so you are always pointing up. Screws with my head. I'd rather see my little arrow going up and down a map that is always "north is up"
|
|
|
|
Post by bakerworld on Aug 15, 2023 17:07:59 GMT -5
Last time we rented a car we used the Bee-line (I think that is is I4). LOL. Been a while.
|
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 15, 2023 18:19:20 GMT -5
Last time we rented a car we used the Bee-line (I think that is is I4). LOL. Been a while. Beeline is 528 which is what you take after the north exit to get to I4 That's the route I avoid |
|
|
|
Post by pooh bears mom on Aug 21, 2023 18:37:57 GMT -5
I hate car rentals for WDW trips. I have done it twice, hated the experience both times. For the cost and hassle, it just never made sense for me to do again. One of the two rentals, the rental company tried to charge me for small damage to the car. I video record a walk around of the car on pick-up and drop-off. There was no damage. We went round and round with the car company and finally I was done and just stopped responding to them. Never heard back from them since. My advice here.....video record your car outside and inside when you pickup and drop-off to avoid "false" charges. I know most advise against it, but I usually get insurance to avoid this hassle. If not, I literally go through every scratch or dent or whatever in the car. Great advice to video outside of car! |
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Aug 22, 2023 10:31:50 GMT -5
I hate car rentals for WDW trips. I have done it twice, hated the experience both times. For the cost and hassle, it just never made sense for me to do again. One of the two rentals, the rental company tried to charge me for small damage to the car. I video record a walk around of the car on pick-up and drop-off. There was no damage. We went round and round with the car company and finally I was done and just stopped responding to them. Never heard back from them since. My advice here.....video record your car outside and inside when you pickup and drop-off to avoid "false" charges. I know most advise against it, but I usually get insurance to avoid this hassle. If not, I literally go through every scratch or dent or whatever in the car. Great advice to video outside of car! We carry several layers of insurance protection....thru the Travel Agency, personal and via the credit cards. But I was just going to turn a claim over to insurance when I know and had proof otherwise. |
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Aug 22, 2023 11:17:24 GMT -5
We have been fortunate to (knock on wood) not deal with issues like that. I do know some rental brands are worse than others at it too. Upcharges in general as well tacked on in the end. I get picky with my National and Alamo but it is done for a reason. We also have enough insurance coverage without paying extra. I see no need for it.
We just booked spring break (ugh, I hate my school district for shifting it to the last week in March next year) and I will debate on keeping the car rental for that since we're going 5 days only. We will be at Riviera for the first time ever since we've been putting off that stay there for a few years now. I'm not sure it is worth it to get a rental or not. I actually enjoy the drive and as I've said I don't even need to use GPS to get around much unless venturing way off site (like I did in march picking up my kid from his very off site hotel near Giordanos). It can be very daunting for those who have never done it before. We do intentionally choose the pick your own car deal. When we did check bags when my kid was little, I'd go get the car while the spouse waited on luggage then I'd pick him up. Now we walk out and pick a car and leave. Given some of the ride shares and car services use I4, it's a wash in the end on time and stress. Coming back car service is a bit better, but National and Alamo returns are quick and painless.
|
|
