All about the Autotrain

[vacationer1954]

This time next week we'll be boarding the train...

 

[Disneyholic]

Last night I decided to check again to see what the rates would be for our April trip just in case dh decides he does want to try AT. Well, did I ever get a shock!

On the way down, the superliner br is $307 and the family br is $360, pretty much what I had been seeing. But for the way back, the superliner br is $699 and the family br is $855! That has to be the highest number I've seen since I started looking.

Coach seats on the way down are $200 but on the way back they are $490!

Round trip using the family bedroom both ways came to $1,821 after applying the AAA discount.

I'm not even going to consider AT for this trip now. Dh won't hear me mention it to him again!

April is when the SnowBirds are coming home for the summer. They need to get all the train cars down to Sanford to bring them and their cars all home. The lower price going south is to try to fill the train as much as possible for the trip down. The price for a large vehicle on the way down is the same as for a regular size vehicle too because they need to take the train cars for the vehicles whether they are full or not, so no upcharge for size on the way down.

We are going in April, too, but will be taking the AutoTrain down, but driving back. We get a bedroom sleeper car. The cost with AAA discount is $662 on the way down, but would be over $1300 on the way back. Round trip would be over $2000!!!!!! October & November are the opposite for prices, since that is when the SnowBirds are heading south. In Fall we drive down & take the AutoTrain back. Other times of the year are more evened out pricewise.

Just booked our trip down today. Discover card had a special of 2% cashback on purchases made today. I signed up for it last week & got an e-mail reminder yesterday. That was an easy $13.24 bonus.

 

[lpizzuro123]

We have done that also in April - autotrain down and drove home. We once drove home on Palm Sunday weekend and hit a TON of traffic.

Linda

 

[Disneyholic]

We have done that also in April - autotrain down and drove home. We once drove home on Palm Sunday weekend and hit a TON of traffic.

Linda

Yep, you DO have to watch your calendar for Holidays. We went on a cruise in May and it ended on Memorial Day weekend. We stayed in Florida for a few extra days. We are going on a cruise over Thanksgiving this year & are staying till Monday. I will NOT drive home to PA over a holiday or holiday weekend.

Taking the train in the middle of the week is sometimes cheaper, too. If you are a bit flexible with your dates, you should check the days before and after when you wanted to leave to see if there is a price difference.

 

[KSL]

Hi AutoTrain Vets!

Question for you: What do you plan to do on the day you depart for the train home? Is there enough time to go into the parks for a few hours? Or do you just sleep in, pack up, have lunch somewhere and then head to the train? We'll be departing from BLT, so I'm wondering if there's time to hit the MK for a few last rides or shopping before going back for the van & driving to the station. What time to you leave Orlando (how early to you get to the station?)?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!

 

[FigmentChick]

Hi AutoTrain Vets!

Question for you: What do you plan to do on the day you depart for the train home? Is there enough time to go into the parks for a few hours? Or do you just sleep in, pack up, have lunch somewhere and then head to the train? We'll be departing from BLT, so I'm wondering if there's time to hit the MK for a few last rides or shopping before going back for the van & driving to the station. What time to you leave Orlando (how early to you get to the station?)?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!

I'm curious as well. I added an 8th day to our tickets with the thought that we would go to at least two parks on the day we leave (we figure, ride one or two rides and grab some snacks). But what are the thoughts of the vets?

 

[Marshay]

Hi AutoTrain Vets!

Question for you: What do you plan to do on the day you depart for the train home? Is there enough time to go into the parks for a few hours? Or do you just sleep in, pack up, have lunch somewhere and then head to the train? We'll be departing from BLT, so I'm wondering if there's time to hit the MK for a few last rides or shopping before going back for the van & driving to the station. What time to you leave Orlando (how early to you get to the station?)?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!

Yep! We leave a park or DTD at 12-1pm, get gas and lunch to go and drive to Sanford...about 45min to one hour away.

 

[chartle]

Yep! We leave a park or DTD at 12-1pm, get gas and lunch to go and drive to Sanford...about 45min to one hour away.

This would have been our plan if our trip home wasn't canceled. If get lunch to go you can check in early, avoid the rush, get your preferred dinner time and sit and eat while everyone else sits in line waiting to check in.

 

[WDWLODGE]

This would have been our plan if our trip home wasn't canceled. If get lunch to go you can check in early, avoid the rush, get your preferred dinner time and sit and eat while everyone else sits in line waiting to check in.

Last year we had 1 more table service credit. So we went shopping @ DTD until about noon. Then we got our lunch to go from Pollo Campero/Fresh-a-Peel. We checked-in around 1 and ate our lunch while we waited. We wanted to go to Earl of Sandwich but the line was ridiculous.

 

[WDWLODGE]

We have always traveled coach on our previous AT trips. I decided to splurge this year on our return trip and get a family bedroom. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for the family bedroom? Are there any request I should make, like room location?

 

[Marshay]

We have always traveled coach on our previous AT trips. I decided to splurge this year on our return trip and get a family bedroom. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for the family bedroom? Are there any request I should make, like room location?

No, there really aren't that many requests you can make. All of the family bedrooms are located on the 1st floor, away from the bathrooms.

I guess you could ask to be closer/further to the lounge car if you wanted to but we never make a request.

As for suggestions:

pack a small outlet (we have a 3 outlet one we bring that is only about 7" long) b/c for some reason the outlet is only located in the center of the room and it's not enough for all of our electronics to charge (phones, ipads, leapsters, etc).

Don't bother bringing too many snacks or drinks along. In fact, we no longer bring any. There will be about 6-8 small bottles of water in your room. Snacks in the lounge car are raw veggies, cheeses, crackers, free wine (tip the steward though), fruit and snack mix. Bring $1 bills for tips. There are free beverages in the train cars (tea, hot chocolate, coffee, water, ice).

If you bring a suitcase, make sure it is a small, flat one. We use either duffel bags or my kids luggage and it fits under the bed when the bed is pulled out. Our airline-approved carryon does not fit. We bring a collapsible laundry hamper for our pillows, stuffed animals and blankets. Bring your own pillows and blankets to sleep better!

Enjoy your family room! We did both coach and bedroom and greatly prefer the bedroom ... but that doesn't mean we sleep soundly the whole way without waking up. We still do wake up in the night, esp when the train slows down, stops or really bumps. Esp if you are on the top bunk! However, it is much better IMHO to be laying down in the privacy of your own family.

In coach, I always felt like everyone can hear what you are saying, see what you are doing and felt like I was always on alert/on egg shells. We love the privacy that the bedroom offers ... less people overall in the lounge car and in the dining car ... sometimes we keep the door to our room open and sometimes we close it. You can only lock the door from inside so always keep valuables with you. but it's nice to be away from everyone.

It's nice for our family to stretch out in the room. There are two tables, one long sofa and one chair in the room...a small (tiny) closet and two big windows on each end. I was at first surprised by how small the rooms really are ... but the privacy of the room and ability to lay down are what you are paying for. There may be less space overall in the bedroom than coach bc you cannot recline in the family room. What you sit on is a sofa (or chair) that is attached to the wall. That's another reason we like to bring extra pillows to make it a bit more comfortable.

Also, bring tip money for your room steward since he/she prepares your room from sitting to bedroom and back again.

Oh, and last bit of advice when moving from coach to bedroom -- Save up your money!! You may not want to go back to Coach!!

 

[WDWLODGE]

No, there really aren't that many requests you can make. All of the family bedrooms are located on the 1st floor, away from the bathrooms.

I guess you could ask to be closer/further to the lounge car if you wanted to but we never make a request.

As for suggestions:

pack a small outlet (we have a 3 outlet one we bring that is only about 7" long) b/c for some reason the outlet is only located in the center of the room and it's not enough for all of our electronics to charge (phones, ipads, leapsters, etc).

Don't bother bringing too many snacks or drinks along. In fact, we no longer bring any. There will be about 6-8 small bottles of water in your room. Snacks in the lounge car are raw veggies, cheeses, crackers, free wine (tip the steward though), fruit and snack mix. Bring $1 bills for tips. There are free beverages in the train cars (tea, hot chocolate, coffee, water, ice).

If you bring a suitcase, make sure it is a small, flat one. We use either duffel bags or my kids luggage and it fits under the bed when the bed is pulled out. Our airline-approved carryon does not fit. We bring a collapsible laundry hamper for our pillows, stuffed animals and blankets. Bring your own pillows and blankets to sleep better!

Enjoy your family room! We did both coach and bedroom and greatly prefer the bedroom ... but that doesn't mean we sleep soundly the whole way without waking up. We still do wake up in the night, esp when the train slows down, stops or really bumps. Esp if you are on the top bunk! However, it is much better IMHO to be laying down in the privacy of your own family.

In coach, I always felt like everyone can hear what you are saying, see what you are doing and felt like I was always on alert/on egg shells. We love the privacy that the bedroom offers ... less people overall in the lounge car and in the dining car ... sometimes we keep the door to our room open and sometimes we close it. You can only lock the door from inside so always keep valuables with you. but it's nice to be away from everyone.

It's nice for our family to stretch out in the room. There are two tables, one long sofa and one chair in the room...a small (tiny) closet and two big windows on each end. I was at first surprised by how small the rooms really are ... but the privacy of the room and ability to lay down are what you are paying for. There may be less space overall in the bedroom than coach bc you cannot recline in the family room. What you sit on is a sofa (or chair) that is attached to the wall. That's another reason we like to bring extra pillows to make it a bit more comfortable.

Also, bring tip money for your room steward since he/she prepares your room from sitting to bedroom and back again.

Oh, and last bit of advice when moving from coach to bedroom -- Save up your money!! You may not want to go back to Coach!!

Thanks Marsha for the great advice!!!

 

[jlhill4444]

I have gone through pretty much this entire thread. Thank you to everyone for all the information and pictures. I have us booked on the AT on June 18 with a return July 2. We are a family of five and have two roomettes because my youngest dd is under two and she will sleep with me. I have a question about her. Is Amtrak like the airline in that she has to have her birth certificate to prove she is under two? I really don't want to take it on that long of a trip if I can at all avoid it.

We are very excited for our first AT trip.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

No birth certificate is needed. Enjoy your trip.

 

[jlhill4444]

No birth certificate is needed. Enjoy your trip.

Thank you!

 

[lindap1]

anyone know if sleeper cars and coach cars have their own individual lounge cars? Or does the whole train share one?

 

[NJRRK]

anyone know if sleeper cars and coach cars have their own individual lounge cars? Or does the whole train share one?

There are, at least, two lounge cars one for sleepers one for coach. I've been on the situation when there were two coach lounges and one sleeper lounge.

 

[lindap1]

Thanks. When we went in 2011 we never got the chance to check out the lounge car...I think we were just too excited over riding a train to Florida.

 

[jlhill4444]

For anyone that has been in coach recently, are there outlets at each row? I have heard conflicting reports that there are only a few in each car and others have said each row has an outlet. Which is correct?

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

Yes each row has their own outlets on the auto train.