One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Nightmare

Re:One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Ni... by jballanc on Sunday May 20, 2018 @10:42PM (#17115864)

As a resident of South Florida, I'm guessing they're banking on the eventual Orlando connection. Many of the theme parks in Orlando offer very attractive discounts for Florida residents, especially in the off season, but speaking personally, our family has refrained from taking more advantage due to the drive. From Miami to Broward traffic can be a nightmare, and then from Broward to Orlando the Florida Turnpike is surrounded by...nothing. For two hours of drive time the only signs of civilization are the rest areas on the Turnpike (which, admittedly, are undergoing major updates, but still have limited offerings).

If we had the option, instead, to pay $100 per person to ride up on a relaxing train, we'd probably be taking the kids every other weekend over the summer.

Alternatively, taking a slightly more cynical outlook, they might be gambling on a hurricane evac windfall or two. As Irma approached we evac'd our family to Orlando, but the drive that usually took 3 hours turned into 12 hours of bumper-to-bumper nightmare. Flights out of MIA and FLL that usually cost $300 or $400 jumped in price to over $3500 literally overnight. For even $400 we probably would've opted for the train.

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Re:One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Ni... by tbyehl on Monday May 21, 2018 @02:09AM (#17116477)

As a former South Floridian who used the heck out of my Disney passes for the ~15 months I had them... US-27 is the way to go. Much less stressful and you're never far from civilization from South Bay on up. Can get a bit trafic-y around Sebring but generally it's an easy smooth drive.

Or go around the east side of Lake Okeechobee at South Bay, 98/441. Less civilization, more tourist traffic and having to deal with passing zones... but still a nicer ride than the Turnpike.

Either way takes a bit longer but the scenery is nicer. For middle Florida values of nice scenery, anyway -- I greatly prefer the mountains.

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Re:One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Ni... by walshemj on Monday May 21, 2018 @10:32AM (#17118634)

And you could probably have a buffet car on that length of route and as you say it increases the potential catchment area for the parks.

Last year in the UK I helped optimise a ppc campaign for Centre Parcs (up market forest holidays) and they found that almost all customers would only drive < 2hours.

So I knocked up a simple Perl system that used the lat and long of every post town/place in the country and worked out the as the crow flies distance to each site.

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Re:One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Ni... by s0rce on Monday May 21, 2018 @12:04AM (#17116054)

Sounds just like the SF<->LA drive along I-5, traffic, then nothing for a long time (western edge of the San Joaquin valley), then more traffic. Yet people still do it. Currently the coastal train route is very slow and expensive, the inland train stops at Bakersfield, hours from LA. The best option is to fly until the eventual high speed rail.

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Re:One-Of-a-Kind Private Train Takes on Florida’s Traffic Ni... by wtvanhest on Monday May 21, 2018 @01:40AM (#17116367)

I've done both drives. The FTL to Orlando drive is so easy in comparison that, I'm not sure they are comparable at all. Its only 3 hours from FTL to downtown Orlando.

That is like half way from SF to Tahoe on Friday after work.

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