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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:24 PM  
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Stitchfan626
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I've changed my mind...again!

I've decided to brave it and have a hire car!

I'm feeling nervous about driving but I've realised that my hate for public transport is greater than my fear of driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

Plus (and don't think me crazy) I really wanted to do the car park trams and then the journey from the TTC to the parks. I can't wait for my DS (who will be 4) to experience that for the first time!

I'm now really excited about it!

Roll on April 2017!
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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:29 PM  
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mick
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Originally Posted by Stitchfan626 View Post
I've decided to brave it and have a hire car!

I'm feeling nervous about driving but I've realised that my hate for public transport is greater than my fear of driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

Plus (and don't think me crazy) I really wanted to do the car park trams and then the journey from the TTC to the parks. I can't wait for my DS (who will be 4) to experience that for the first time!

I'm now really excited about it!

Roll on April 2017!
Stitchfan

At the risk of boring about 90% of the DIBB I do have some driving tips that I've accumulated after over 30 driving trips and possibly 25,000 miles or so.

I say "boring" because I do tend to post them fairly regularly but only when people ask . New drivers say they are useful but regular readers may have seen them too often.

Happy to post them if you want. Not everyone has to read them

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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:30 PM  
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Stitchfan626
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Any advice is very welcome and very much appreciated

You certainly won't bore me!

Thank you
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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:32 PM  
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mick
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Originally Posted by Stitchfan626 View Post
Any advice is very welcome and very much appreciated

You certainly won't bore me!

Thank you
Well as I say nobody else has to read them

There’s lots of good advice in the DIBB guide but here’s a few tips from me which may be repeated by others

• It is reasonably well known that you can turn right at most red traffic lights unless there is a sign saying “no turn on red”. You must come to a complete stop and give way to any pedestrians and traffic on the road you are joining.
• You can legally overtake (or undertake!) in any lane so make sure you use your mirrors.
• Roundabouts (traffic circles as they are known) are very rare and I think I’ve encountered less than half a dozen in over 30 visits. There is one at the entrance to Loop West if you approach from Osceola Parkway. Recent DIBB evidence however suggests that there are more appearing on the coast.
• Four way stops are fairly common. You basically come to a complete stop and proceed in the order that you arrived at the junction. It is a law that is very well respected.
• American cars usually only have a registration plate at the rear so you should park bonnet in first if the parking bay is perpendicular to the road. Not sure if this law is enforced in private car parks like Walmart though as many people seem to drive through.
• In many places if you are parallel parking you should park at the kerb on the side of the road in the direction of travel IYKWIM. Especially in Celebration where you are very likely to be fined if you don’t.
• If a yellow school bus is stationary with its hazards on and red warning sign out you must stop behind it and you cannot overtake. If you are on a single carriageway you must stop whatever way you are travelling.
• On multi-lane highways like I-4 if an emergency vehicle is stationary at the side of the road you must give it one clear lane of clearance. So if a police car is stationary in lane 1 for instance you should pass it in lane 3. If changing lanes is not an option because of traffic conditions then you can stay in your lane but reduce your speed to at least 20mph below the speed limit on that road.
• Don’t get stressed by tolls and you are not forced to have a toll pass. Read all the pros and cons on toll passes (there a few hundred threads on here) and make your own mind up. At present there are no cashless tolls in the Orlando area. There are however some unmanned toll plazas. The plazas on the main roads are manned. Just make sure that you keep well over to the right in the cash lane. Give the attendant no more than a $20 bill and ask for change. However many (if not all) of the plazas on exit ramps will not be manned and you will need to throw some quarters into the basket. I think most are 75 cents.
• Loads of threads about filling up with gas on here as well especially how it can be difficult using a credit card at the pump as it asks for a zip code. We always use cash. Go inside and say $40 on pump 6 please and the pump will stop. If you can’t get $40 in the tank go back inside and get change.
• On the Interstates, the junction numbers are not sequential as they are in the UK but reflect the mileage from the road’s starting point. Very handy if you join I-4 at j65 and want to leave at j78 for example. You know you’ve got 13 miles to drive on the Interstate.
• You absolutely do not need an International Driving Permit (if your licence is in English), a code from DVLA or the paper part of your licence if you have the plastic photocard type.
• Sit in the car in the garage for 10 minutes before driving off and get to know all the controls, wipers, lights, adjust the wing mirrors and seat position etc. Most of them will be intuitive but better then than on the I-4 when it suddenly starts pouring down and you can’t find the wiper switch.
• You should always carry ID when driving. The plastic photocard type with your photograph on it is fine. If you have the old paper licence then you must carry your passport when driving.


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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:37 PM  
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Lisa_Lollipop
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These are really great tips Mick, they should be made into a sticky as I am sure there are many who would benefit from these! (I never drive when over there but like to be in the know in case one day I ever have to!)
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Old 27 Jul 16, 02:41 PM  
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Originally Posted by Lisa_Lollipop View Post
These are really great tips Mick, they should be made into a sticky as I am sure there are many who would benefit from these! (I never drive when over there but like to be in the know in case one day I ever have to!)
Thanks Lisa

There is actually already a DIBB driving guide which is very good so it's unlikely to be made into a sticky.

I've just collected my own thoughts and experiences and saved them to a Word file which I can edit and update as things change

One of the laws that I only found out about in the last couple of years was the "move over" rule - keeping a lane free

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Old 27 Jul 16, 03:08 PM  
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Enjoy - I find driving there a breeze. Much easier than Europe and, dare I say, easier than this country .
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Old 27 Jul 16, 04:01 PM  
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Originally Posted by Stitchfan626 View Post
I've decided to brave it and have a hire car!

I'm feeling nervous about driving but I've realised that my hate for public transport is greater than my fear of driving on the 'wrong' side of the road.

Plus (and don't think me crazy) I really wanted to do the car park trams and then the journey from the TTC to the parks. I can't wait for my DS (who will be 4) to experience that for the first time!

I'm now really excited about it!

Roll on April 2017!
Driving over there is a breeze, wide roads and automatic cars.
I would suggest a Sat Nav though, I've used the Waze app on my phone the last couple of times, its free and works brilliantly by avoiding traffic jams and is more up to date than my old TomTom, the roads and exits change constantly. Use it in your car over here to get used to it, then when you land connect to the airport Wifi and it will download an Orlando map and uses very little data in daily use.
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Old 27 Jul 16, 04:09 PM  
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That is a really helpful list Mick, I didn't know any of that. I'll be sure to pass it on to the other members of my party who may be driving.
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Old 27 Jul 16, 04:09 PM  
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