Ft Lauderdale to DW?

[Honeystar120608]

So we are totally 1st timers here! I hope this is where I'd post these questions....

BackStory: We just won a cruise in Nov with Princess Cruises. It's a 5 night cruise, and we are thinking maybe tacking on 2 extra nights if the sponsors allow and driving to DW.

The question is... I assume we should avoid the parks Nov 24 25 on the first leg of our trip, instead for Dec 1 Dec 2 on the last leg?

We will need to drive from Ft Lauderdale...how bad/good is traffic to DW?

Is it recommended we get a room only discount perhaps and buy tickets separately?

Cheapest place for 2 days park tickets? Undercover Tourist?

What else should I be thinking about? lol

 

[WineTraveler]

Yeah, Black Friday and Saturday will be much more crowded than the next weekend, so you'd get a lot more done and spend a lot less on your hotel on the 1st and 2nd.

Traffic on the turnpike isn't too bad once you get past West Palm Beach. It can be bad from Lauderdale to West Palm but even when it's bad, traffic is worse on the 95 unless there is a bad accident. Bring cash for the tolls, because the car rental agencies really stick you when you use toll by plate.

As far as tickets separately vs. a package, see what the total works out to. Usually reservations and tickets separately are a better deal but not always. For 2 day tickets, Disney doesn't discount them to brokers so Disney is always the lowest price, but if Undercover Tourist is running one of their AMEX deals (last month was spend $150+ and get $30 statement credit) it still may cost less to use them.

 

[FSU Girl]

The drive isn't bad I make it every trip since I live there. I only notice bad traffic when I get to Orlando

 

[Parker Clan]

I was around that area in March and wanted to do a day trip to Epcot during Flower and Garden & the traffic was not bad at all.

 

[OKW Lover]

As far as traffic on the Turnpike from FLL to WDW goes I'd agree with the others that once you get out of the lower FL metropolis (i.e. north of Palm Beach) there won't be any real traffic issues. The drive can be a bit monotonous from there north but it moves right along.

 

[Honeystar120608]

Perfect! Thanks guys!!

 

[goofy4tink]

It's three hours.....we have done the trip several times, from Pompano Beach, just north of FtL. We take the turnpike and have never had to worry about traffic. Boredom, yes, traffic, no!!

 

[hsmamato2]

It can be bad from Lauderdale to West Palm but even when it's bad, traffic is worse on the 95 unless there is a bad accident. Bring cash for the tolls, because the car rental agencies really stick you when you use toll by plate.

is this an option when using a rental on fl turnpikes? I thought we had no choice but to use the box provided with the car..(or buy our own etc)

 

[goofy4tink]

is this an option when using a rental on fl turnpikes? I thought we had no choice but to use the box provided with the car..(or buy our own etc)

Not always. There are more and more cashless tolls along the Fl Turnpike, especially closer to Ft Lauderdale. That's why I now have my own SunPass...tired of getting charged $5 each day I use a tolled roadway in Fl!