Orlando - Transportation
Orlando is truly a city that was created with the car in mind. Visitors from Europe or other areas that rely heavily on public transport are likely going to get the worst culture shock of their lives when they see that the transit service in the city, Lynx, takes hours to get anywhere and offers almost no direct buses, unless direct is going to the downtown bus station. There is one rule when it comes to getting around Orlando. If you are staying on theme park property and you don’t much care to see anything else, don’t rent a car. If you are staying off theme park property and you want to look around, don’t rely on the non-existent public transit system and rent a car.
Should you choose to drive, it’s important to note that Orlando is one town where you don’t want to be stuck behind a map while you drive for several reasons. Not only is it not safe, this isn’t the safest place to drive, and you’ll miss all of the beautiful palm trees along the way.
Starting at the airport, which is located in the southwest corner of the city, you will likely head east towards Interstate 4. I-4 is a free roadway to use, but it has a notorious reputation for congestion starting on weekdays from around 3 pm-6:30 pm. The city planners never imaged Orlando would grow to the size is has, and since the incomplete attempt at a beltway is an extremely expensive toll road (The Central Florida Greenway, aka, Route 417), just about everyone piles on I-4 for the commute to and from work.
Other than I-4, there are a handful of other streets you should know by name before you head out on the open road. Route 91, AKA Florida’s Turnpike, is a toll road that runs the length of the state and is the main artery to get from Orlando to Miami without having to drive north on I-4 to reconnect with I-95. If you are coming to see the Atlantic coast and you want a direct and mostly trouble free route, this is the quickest way.
As far as surface streets are concerned, there are only a few that you need to be concerned with. Orange Blossom Trail, also known as 441, is a main drag that heads completely through the city and is the site of many a tourist attraction, as well as the Florida Mall and many shops and restaurants. Colonial Drive is divided up into an east and west section and runs across the city. This is another great road for shopping and dining, especially close to downtown. Sand Lake Road and International Drive are located in the southern part of the city near the theme parks. International Drive is the ultimate tourist destination, while Sand Lake Road is a main street with fashionable restaurants and shops, especially in the Dr. Phillips area of town. Hotel Plaza Blvd is a short bit of road located just on the edge of Disney property but it is beautifully manicured and lined with some of the best high-end area hotels. It is flanked at one end by Downtown Disney and on the other by local shops.
Buses
The public transit system in the greater Orlando area is known as LYNX and unfortunately meets and even exceeds every stereotype Europeans have about American public transit. It is overpriced, inefficient and terribly run. Instead of busses that stick to street routes throughout the city, LYNX buses run elongated routes that sometimes take an hour and a half to get from one end to the other, especially if you are trying to take them from the theme parks to anywhere else. Almost all buses run from the downtown bus station, head to a point and then come back, so, for instance, if you are staying at Disney and you wanted to go visit the campus of the University of Central Florida, you would have to take a bus from Disney to downtown that would take about an hour and a half, and then from downtown, you would take another bus to the campus that would take another hour. Neither the locals or tourists use the system much, but it clearly wasn’t designed well, and when a city has as much of a sprawl problem as Orlando does, you pretty much have to have a car if you are going to see areas outside of the theme parks. If you do want to check out the LYNX system, look for the buses that feature the giant paw print on the side. Orlando can be a confusing place to catch a bus simply based on the fact that there are dozens of buses at every tourist location around the city. The bus stops also feature the paw print logo, often in purple with white print.
One nice feature that the LYNX service does offer is the downtown LYMMO service. This short but sweet bus line is actually completely free and runs past several important locations, including the local sports arena (The Amway Arena, home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic) all the way to City Hall. The coolest thing about the LYMMO service is that it runs on its own dedicated lane, which means while the rest of downtown traffic is at a standstill (and this happens especially when there is a major event at the arena that evening), you can hop on this bus and be taken right there almost like there was no traffic at all. The fares on the LYNX buses are $1.75, plus an additional fare for transfers.
While the service may still be a ways off (projections are looking at a 2011 opening) the new SunRail service looks to connect one end of Florida with the other, including several stops throughout Central Florida. With proposed stops by Sand Lake Road, in Kissimmee and in Poinciana, you can bet that this service will end up being a main artery to the theme parks and other tourist areas in years to come.
I-Drive Trolley
If you have decided to spend some of your vacation on International Drive, you can park your car at one end (either by Sea World or at the Prime Outlet Mall on the other) and take the I-Drive Trolley. The trolley makes 54 stops along International Drive, which is just about a stop a block. There really is a lot to see within the city, especially if you live in a rural area and you aren’t used to this kind of concentration of retail shopping, food choices and odd attractions. The trolley comes once every 20 minutes and starts running around 8:30 am and finishes at around 10:30 pm. The cost is a very reasonable $1 for adults and only a quarter for seniors. Kids under 12 ride free, but you will need exact change for everyone else. Probably the best value, however, is a $3 full day pass you can buy directly from the trolley driver. If you are a shopaholic, you could easily spend an entire day at the various outlet malls on I-Drive, and when you consider the cost of taxis, the trolley really is the best deal going. You can contact the trolley company at 407/248-9590 for more information.
Free Shuttles
If you are staying anywhere near the theme parks, even if you are off-property, you will likely have a free shuttle that will take you to the various parks. However, since Universal and Sea World aren’t anywhere near Disney, you may want to make sure that your hotel offers a tram to all the parks, and you may also want to check to see how frequently it leaves. In general, these trams are free as part of your room price, but in some cases, there may be an extra charge, so make sure you ask before you hop on board.
Taxis
It’s not that taxis are any more expensive in Orlando than they are anywhere else, it is the fact that Orlando is often held hostage by terrible traffic and that the city is so spread out that a trip from a Disney hotel to downtown will likely cost you $40 or more, and that’s with a traffic free road in front of you. If you want to see more than just the theme parks, you really do need to rent a car, but if you want to just go with a taxi, stay by Universal since you are just about half way between Disney and downtown. Hopefully, your hotel will offer transportation to other parks and you’ll only have to pay to go downtown in a taxi. It is also important to note that you should always call ahead for a taxi in this city. Not only can you go quite some time without seeing one on the street, flagging one down with your hand almost never works, even from sites marked as a taxi stand. This just isn’t a community that relies on taxis on any kind of regular basis, and unless you need to get back and forth from the airport, you likely shouldn’t rely on them either.
Car
Things aren’t all doom and gloom when it comes to transportation in Orlando. This is an incredibly cheap place to rent a car since there is so much in the way of competition, and Orlando often features gas prices significantly lower than what you would find in the Northeast or in Pacific Northwest. Just remember to use your rental with a bit of common sense. Don’t leave valuables in clear view when you park, always lock your doors when you leave your car, and pay the extra $4 for the accident insurance, it could be the best decision you’ve ever made.
The overwhelming majority of car rental facilities are located at Orlando International Airport, however there are several in downtown that cater more to locals and to those coming in on Amtrak. It is extremely important that you shop around for rates. Along with the name brand car rental companies, there are also several near the airport that aren’t household names. Companies such as EZ Rent-A-Car or Sunshine Rent a Car can sometimes beat the major rental companies, but you will likely have to call them yourself or check their website for a quote.
Since just about every car you will see at the theme park is a rental, it isn’t unusual for folks to forget where they parked or forget what their new rental even looks like. If you can, try to get a color that will stand out, if not in the parking lot, than in your mind. You also want to spring for accident insurance. Orlando is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous places to drive and one of the most dangerous places to walk or bike in the nation due to the huge amount of people who don’t know where they are going and elderly folks who likely shouldn’t be driving. Hearing stories about folks who haven’t been in an accident in 20 years and then come to Orlando and get in one within five minutes of leaving the airport is common, so drive defensively and buy collision insurance.
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