Offsite Dining Question for 'Locals'

[dreamscometrue]

I apologize if this isn't in the right forum...wasn't sure what this should be under. Anyway...

We thought that we'd go eat at an Olive Garden during our next trip since we don't have one near us here in Canada, and DW and DD love it. I found 1 relatively close to our resort (AKL) ...8136W Irlo Bronson Hwy, and another about a mile or so from DD Marketplace....12361 State Road 535. We rarely leave property, and the last time we did was for the Capital One Bowl. No disrespect intended, but we felt like that wasn't the best part of town to be in wandering around trying to get a cab.

Before we think of walking from DD to the State Road Olive Garden or taking a cab from AKL to the Irlo Bronson Hwy location, are both of these locations 'safe' to be strolling around? (We are planning on going for dinner in the evening).

Any thoughts or other suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I have only been to the one near Downtown Disney. I don't know how well you can walk that area, considering the amount of traffic. It is a relatively well lit walk (however somewhat far), but it probably isn't the best idea for walking. If you are set on going I would take the bus to Downtown Disney and take a cab from there to the Olive Garden near DTD.

(I am also going to move this to the off-site forum).

 

[slappy magoo]

When you say "stroll around," are you talking about just the act of getting there, eating and splitting? Or having the opportunity to take a stroll before or after dinner?

I honestly don't know how safe these locations are, but I'm throwing out an edumacated guess, upon which anyone can feel free to school me...

Considering that both of these OGs seem to be on highways, I"m going to guess neither one will feel like "neighborhoods" per se, and therefore you probably won't have any desire to stroll around. If it's just about getting there and eating, my suggestion would be: ask the cab driver "which one would you rather go to?" Any decent cab driver, if asked, will steer a tourist towards the better parts of town, if only because he won't want the hassle of a police inquiry if he winds up being one of the last people to see you alive.

And hopefully he won't be an Eye-Tye who will tell you he'd rather eat rat poison than at an Olive Garden (no disrespect to your choice of cuisine OR Italians; speaking as an Eye-Tye, I've had my share of meals in the OG, but "real" Italians consider it an insult to their cuisine, as they would a Pizza Hut). Take his advice, and then take his card so you can at least try to get the same driver for the ride back.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

I have only been to the one near Downtown Disney. I don't know how well you can walk that area, considering the amount of traffic. It is a relatively well lit walk (however somewhat far), but it probably isn't the best idea for walking. If you are set on going I would take the bus to Downtown Disney and take a cab from there to the Olive Garden near DTD.

(I am also going to move this to the off-site forum).

I agree. We have been to this location as well. It isn't that far from the exit/entrance at Hotel Plaza Blvd, maybe a block or 2 over but I don't think I would want to walk there from DTD. We always have our car and enjoy going off-property for some dinners eek:, OMG, did he just say that?). In your case, cab from DTD is how I would plan this one.

 

[tizzo]

Agree with others. The walk from DTD to the restaurant on 535 is mainly down Hotel Plaza Boulevard, which is pretty brightly lit and lined with hotels, so not much of a crime area. However when you get to the end of the road you've got to cross at least six lanes of traffic (controlled by a signal, but still....) and then there are no sidewalks as far as I can remember once your inside the Crossroads plaza where the Olive Garden (and a bunch of other restaurants) is located.

So I'd probably recommend a cab from DTD to the restaurant. There's a taxi stand there with cabs waiting in line for fares. For the way back - I'm not certain but I'd expect a place the caliber of an Olive Garden, especially situated in the midst of a tourist district, to be willing and able to arrange a cab to take you back. I'd give them a call and see what they say, they most certainly cater to on-property guests and would surely do whatever they could to accommodate those without their own transportation.

 

[NemoRocks78]

Go for the DTD one. No worries about crime or anything around there, it's all tourist places. Take a cab from DTD. And the area where the Capital One Bowl was held IS a really bad area so I definitely feel ya on that. :lol:

 

[dreamscometrue]

Go for the DTD one. No worries about crime or anything around there, it's all tourist places. Take a cab from DTD. And the area where the Capital One Bowl was held IS a really bad area so I definitely feel ya on that. :lol:

Thanks.

So it wasn't just me feeling a little uneasy walking around that part of Orlando?

 

[yensid67]

I apologize if this isn't in the right forum...wasn't sure what this should be under. Anyway...

We thought that we'd go eat at an Olive Garden during our next trip since we don't have one near us here in Canada, and DW and DD love it. I found 1 relatively close to our resort (AKL) ...8136W Irlo Bronson Hwy, and another about a mile or so from DD Marketplace....12361 State Road 535. We rarely leave property, and the last time we did was for the Capital One Bowl. No disrespect intended, but we felt like that wasn't the best part of town to be in wandering around trying to get a cab.

Before we think of walking from DD to the State Road Olive Garden or taking a cab from AKL to the Irlo Bronson Hwy location, are both of these locations 'safe' to be strolling around? (We are planning on going for dinner in the evening).

Any thoughts or other suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks.

Hey Dreamscometrue!

I agree with the posts in that going to Olive Garden on 535 is your best choice! BUT I would highly reccommend that you go to DTD and take a cab just as the one past said! I know for a fact that 535 and Hotel Plaza Blvd is a very busy entrance! I would suggest this only in the safety aspect because you wil be crossing 6 lanes of tarffic! and from being a Cast Member, I know how busy that intersection is at ANY hour of the day!

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Always Helpful,

Will

 

[dreamscometrue]

Thanks for your help everyone. We're going to take a cab during one of our DD days and go to the one on 535.

 

[tizzo]

Hey Dreamscometrue!

I agree with the posts in that going to Olive Garden on 535 is your best choice! BUT I would highly reccommend that you go to DTD and take a cab just as the one past said! I know for a fact that 535 and Hotel Plaza Blvd is a very busy entrance! I would suggest this only in the safety aspect because you wil be crossing 6 lanes of tarffic! and from being a Cast Member, I know how busy that intersection is at ANY hour of the day!

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Always Helpful,

Will

As an aside, that intersection is no picnic by car either. Especially getting out of the plaza is a royal pain.

The timing of the traffic light seems like it hasn't been updated since Crossroads was first cleared out for development. IE it's like they decided on the timing when there was nothing there. At least that's how it was a few months ago.

Which is another reason not to want to cross 535 on foot. If you're leaving the plaza by car, they only give enough time for maybe 4 or 5 cars to get out, and they let pedestrians go at the same time. I've been there plenty of times when a large group is crossing, or people are walking slowly (as tourists are likely to do - they're in unfamiliar situations and they're on vacation for crying out loud), and no cars at all made it through the light. (Right-turn and straight ahead traffic share a lane, and the crosswalk crosses the path of right-turn traffic, so if you want to go straight and the guy in front of you is turning right, you have to wait for the pedestrians).

That leads to impatience, and impatience leads to carelessness or even aggressiveness...

 

[cdunbar]

I don't know if I would walk to there because the traffic is very, very bad. If it were me I'd just grab a cab...:shrug:

 

[rainfully]

Be prepared for a wait! That place can get CRAZY crowded!!

 

[dreamscometrue]

Thanks for all the info everyone. Maybe I'll tell DW and DD that it closed and we should just eat at Wolfgang Puck again.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Be prepared for a wait! That place can get CRAZY crowded!!

Well just like at Disney... it pays to time things right. When we have gone we always plan to get there(or any restaurant for that matter) at about 4-430pm and have an early dinner before it get crowded. We have always had no problem going then and never had a wait.

 

[Cubs Brian]

Many moons ago I use to work at the T.G.I Fridays in the Crossroads Shopping center and we would have a minimum 2hr wait any day from 5:00pm til close. That area gets crazy busy!

 

[TURKEY]

I lived on 192, not far from the Super Target (which has the Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse in front) until July. At that time, both were less crowded in general with fewer tourists and more locals than the Crossroads area. More tourists stay further east on 192. West on 192 is vacation homes.