Mystic Dunes Resort: The good and bad review you need to read
By Brian Miller
Looking at Mystic Dunes on a map will get you quite excited. Disney parks are only a few minutes away and there is so much to do. It’s deceiving.
Mystic Dunes may look perfect for your week’s stay or your few day’s stay. There is a Walmart to get your essentials, plenty of restaurants, gas stations, gift shops, and the highways are easily accessible. If you are going to SeaWorld or Universal Studios, you’re only about 15 miles away. Want to go to Tampa? You’re only about an hour and a half away as well.
On the map.
Yes, everything looks great on the map. Unless you are planning to stay at the resort, spend your time golfing or playing putt-putt, or whatever, you are going to regret this stay.
The main road is 192 and it is absolutely atrocious. This Walmart is a store that should be avoided at all costs. Forget about social distancing and COVID, you can shop for something as simple as a baby bottle and you will still spend a good 30 minutes waiting in line. It is jam-packed with people.
The traffic on 192 from I-4 is unbelievable. You only go through two traffic lights and turn at the Walmart but it will take you 30 minutes or more to drive less than two miles from the I-4 exit. While it is a little better heading the other way off I-4 you can’t reach Mystic Dunes by going that way. You could go another exit past 192 to the toll road and take that one exit and come in a back way to the resort but that too can take time.
This area is notoriously bad for traffic. The I-4 corridor from Orlando to Kissimmee is one of the worst in the state. Personally, I regret staying at this resort given the traffic issues. It may seem like a quick jump to any of the parks but we found out pretty quickly that we needed to leave a lot earlier to take the traffic into account. I have stayed at other resorts in the area even on the other side of I-4 on 192 and it was 100% better. I would recommend the Celebration area.