If you stay outside of Walt Disney World property, chances are you may have to take I-4, which is currently one of the top ten highways in the nation for heavy traffic, right up there with roads in LA and New York City. Yes, even at 11pm at night you will likely encounter traffic.
As of now, the big bottlenecks heading westbound are usually from around Exit 75 for Universal to about Exit 67 for Epcot. Then you get a couple miles of smooth sailing. However, around Exit 62 the traffic almost always builds again. Florida 417 and World Drive spill onto I-4 west at this exit, and create a traffic headache. Once you merge, the traffic will still be heavy, but usually lightens up as you head past the ChampionsGate exit (Poinciana, Kissimmee, exit 58).
Going eastbound from Tampa, you’ll notice the traffic is heavy from about Exit 55 to Exit 60. The reason: you lose a lane for exit only for Florida 429 north. After Exit 60, there’s a bit more traffic until you clear Exit 62. Then as westbound, you get a couple miles of smooth sailing, before you guessed it, more traffic. From right before Exit 68 to about Exit 72 it almost always jams.
The moral of the story, and the reason for writing this, is to beware that I-4 is a traffic nightmare. Now state and local government have made improvements, such as the diverging diamond at Championsgate and the exit only lane for Exit 58. And they’ve promised express lanes in about a decade, just like the express lanes that rumble through downtown Orlando. However, in the meantime, just be safe on the road, have patience, and know that you’ll likely have a ton of company no matter what time you travel.