|
|
International Drive, or I- Drive as it is often called, is an area that truly offers something for everybody. Over the years it has become practically a destination unto itself, offering hotels, resorts, dining, shopping, and attractions both large and small.
There over 150 dining options catering to every taste and budget, unparalleled shopping experiences with over 375 retail shops, and a collection like no other of over 100 hotels and resorts – with more springing up every year.
This densely populated strip even offers its own transportation system, the I-Drive Trolley, which services the majority of I-Drive’s many resorts, restaurants, and attractions. While International Drive has a great deal to offer, it is also one of the most congested tourist areas anywhere in or around Orlando. It is most noticeably so just to the north of the Central Florida Parkway (right where SeaWorld is located). You’ll find the hundreds of hotels, resorts, restaurants, shops, and attractions located not just along the main thoroughfare, but along the several offshoot roadways and cul-de-sacs required to accommodate the sheer number of properties that line the roadway.
Traffic (especially during the peak seasons) can be torturous at times, but when you add to it the multitude of lighted intersections, it can become downright infuriating. While the maps may show short distances between the properties, the sheer volume of traffic (especially during the dinner and evening hours) in addition to the many stoplights along the way, can make traveling along I-Drive a rather time-consuming proposition. Now, this is not to say that it isn’t a great area to stay - it most definitely is. You simply need to be prepared for the somewhat overwhelming experience and to understand that staying in the middle of all the action means slow going at times along this route.
As an alternative to driving, the I-Drive Trolley offers service to the majority of resorts, restaurants, and attractions, with over 87 stops. And with so many properties in the area, it is often quite easily to walk to the numerous restaurants, shops, and even attractions right from the doorstep of your hotel or resort. The bonus is that walking or riding (the IDrive Trolley) alleviate the difficulty of having to find (or at times pay for) a parking space, saving you time and allowing you to enjoy the ambience of the area. Those of you planning to spend most of your vacation time at SeaWorld or Universal Orlando may find the I-Drive area a very convenient choice (though Disney isn’t really all that far away).
Overall, International Drive, with its vast array of offerings including themed restaurants, retailers, and resorts, quite literally offers something for everyone, no matter their taste or their budget and it’s location is hard to beat as it’s in the middle of it all. An array of smaller through very worthwhile attractions as well as a few of the areas more notable attractions are within a short trolley ride or even a short stroll from the many resorts that can be found lining the roadway. Walkways wind their way past the busiest and most populated sections of I-Drive, which makes walking a real option along this very busy thoroughfare (though crossing this thoroughfare is another subject all together), although a reasonable amount of caution is required to do this safely.
|
