Worried about driving from Tampa to Port Canaveral Cruiseport - best route?

[tbmrt]

We will be driving from Land O Lakes (near Tampa) on a Thursday in November (not Thanksgiving).  I remember the horrors of route 4 from past trips to Disney, etc.

 

I see other recommended drives on Google Maps, but wonder if I should just bite the bullet and take the Rt 4 route?

 

Suggestions appreciated.

[JohninDC]

Take I-4 for about 60 miles and then get off onto 417 (tolls) toward the airport - run that into 528 to PC.  You will avoid the worst of the I-4 bottlenecks.

[Pyrate13]

I feel the op's pain. Depends on the time of day too. In the times of 'rush hour' the areas around Rt 27 and beyond heading east can be a total zoo, especially around Champions Gate and beyond until you hit the 417. We actually leave in the afternoon on the day before (and we live within a mile of 27 below Haines City) and stay somewhere either in the Orlando area near the airport, or Cocoa. Don't need the stress factor when heading on vaca.