All about the Autotrain

[HoltDisney07]

With the specs below, my Odyssey will not fit. It is 202.9 inches long. If they no longer offer oversize vehicles then they will probably lose a lot of families. Too bad, guess this option is out for us.

They upgraded the carriers at some point. The designations now are either motorcycle or vehicle.

Vehicles are: "Automobiles, vans, SUVs and trucks. Maximum length: 182 inches. Maximum height: 88 inches. Maximum width: 84 inches. Ground clearance: at least 4 inches. No dual wheel vehicles. No gull wing doors. Empty, factory-installed roof racks are okay; temporary racks are not. Luggage/bicycles may not be attached to the roof. Bicycles in bicycle racks may be attached to the back of the vehicle only. Check-in is recommended by 2:00 pm. Vehicles will not be accepted after 3:00 pm."

 

[Sadie22]

With the specs below, my Odyssey will not fit. It is 202.9 inches long. If they no longer offer oversize vehicles then they will probably lose a lot of families. Too bad, guess this option is out for us.

Phone Amtrak and make sure. By those dimensions the vehicle we took last time would be a couple inches too long.

 

[HoltDisney07]

Thanks Sadie! I will call today. I did find on a different message board people talking about this topic. People were saying that they never updated the website specs after the change in categories. One poster had a much larger vehicle (220L) and they had no problems.

Thanks again.

Phone Amtrak and make sure. By those dimensions the vehicle we took last time would be a couple inches too long.

 

[shafke]

With the specs below, my Odyssey will not fit. It is 202.9 inches long. If they no longer offer oversize vehicles then they will probably lose a lot of families. Too bad, guess this option is out for us.

We brought our Odyssey on the train last August. As another poster said they probably have not updated the sizes. The size listed on the web site is the standard size for cars. They need to update this to what the max was for oversize vehicles.

 

[bdcp]

My Honda Pilot has been a couple of times. It's 6 inches longer than the dimensions mentioned above, but is narrower and shorter than their max. I agree that they haven't updated the info since they no longer charge extra for "oversized" vehicles.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

We taken our odyssey on for the last 5 years or so. We are currently booked to leave in 97 sleeps. You will have no problem. We've even traveled with a cargo bag on top. Just needed to sign a waiver for it being up there. The first year we dumped the bag into the car when we gave them the car. We were quite surprised to see many vehicles coming off the train with the carriers still attached. On the return train we left it up.

 

[monorailsilver]

Hi everyone! Please excuse me if my questions have been asked before. I searched just for auto train here and google so I have seen multiple websites. But I get my news/info from either Facebook or the dis....

I live in ct. We are a family of 5. We just drove to and from Florida and got home last night. We drove to my sisters in ft. Myers. We left Friday am at about 6 from my moms about a half hour from the ny line. We had no traffic problems til we hit south of DC on 95. Not exactly sure why but it took forever so when we got off to get gas we stayed on route 1 for a bit. Between VA and the Carolina's the ride killed us. The way down more so because besides the trees to look at in no mans land there were very few cars. The way home there were more cars so while it was painful it won't as bad.

So now we are looking at next April. Actually August because we are going to Disney but we are flying. Back to April....our school vacation week ends on Easter so we all know that means higher airfare. I kept looking this year but the cheapest I found was out of JFK and it left at 6am. I wouldn't of had a happy Dh and 3 kids so we drove instead.

We did the drive down in 2 days and the way home we left Friday afternoon and stopped in a very crowded downtown Disney for dinner and a quick walk. Trust me the 2 hour tease killed me and I can't wait to go back. Anyways, the drive home we did 2 stops.

Ok onto the auto train. My Dh is for it so I don't need to convince him. Mi will still look for flights because if I can find one cheap enough I will take it.

Travelers would be Dh and myself and our kids. They will be 12, 10 & I at the time of travel.

My Dh says no to sitting/sleeping in coach. I would be ok to try it though but I would feel bad for anyone around us that would have to listen to him snore!

If we did coach, from reading quickly here I gather the seats don't fully recline but recline more then a plane and have a foot rest. There are 5 of us so I assume one of us (me) would have to sleep with a stranger. I am ok with that as well.

If we got a room, what do we get. I am trying not to break the bank and if it is going to be a lot more then flying it wouldn't be worth it as we don't need a car when at my sisters. Can we uncomfortably fit all 5 of us in one room? I know it's not going to be for days that we would be in that room and we'd mainly be sleeping. Maybe one or two kids and either Dh or I would roam while the rest sit in the room. I am not concerned with it being small. I am ok with that.

Or do we get 2 rooms? Dh or I in one with the oldest and the other 2 and one of us in another room.

My Dh needs his shower in the am as well. I can live with out it but a quick one would be nice. I guess it helps that I wake with the crows so I don't think me showering at 5-5:30 am there would be a crowd waiting.

Our car, is oversized I guess. It is a dodge caravan so I think it measures at 202" long. How much extra for that?

I have figured out I need to call to make reservations. And early. I think I would book them separate vs RT so it's easier to change if there is a price decrease, right. If I booked one day and then we had snow and a hurricane causing nearly 2 weeks of school to be missed can I change the day to come back or would that be a penalty as well?

I have gathered that we re not confined to our room or coach seat and we can roam in certain areas. That we need to arrive early. That we want a room or coach seats in the middle of the car. Delays can happen but it is better to be able to stand and stretch and use the bathroom then sitting in my car in VA or the Carolina's since those are long states with lots of miles....

I am thinking I can book this next month. I have aaa and I need to sign up for emails. What else can you tell me?

 

[Aanna]

You will not all fit into one room. At most a deluxe bedroom will accommodate 3, and, while you can go to the lounge, your "seats" are your room and you cannot count on getting a spot in the lounge: seating is limited and everyone else on the train wants a chance to sit there, too. There isn't anywhere else to wander on the train.

You might be able to get away with 2 roomettes if your youngest (age 1?) can sleep on the bottom bunk with either you or your husband. This would be your cheapest bedroom option. More expensive options would be to take one roomette and one bedroom (for the private shower and toilet), or 2 adjoining deluxe bedrooms (which would give you the most space but is the priciest).

How much will it cost? You will have to go to the Amtrak site and plug in your dates to find out -- prices change so much based on date. I recommend putting in yourself, your husband, and your two oldest children as passengers to get a ballpark figure of the price. Since you will be getting bedrooms of some sort (which is the biggest cost factor) your 1 year old's rail-fare will be a minimal extra cost. On the final price break-down screen you can see your other children's rail fare and add that amount to the total to account for the baby.

Evidently there is no longer a surcharge for over-sized vehicles.

Hope that helps

 

[monorailsilver]

You will not all fit into one room. At most a deluxe bedroom will accommodate 3, and, while you can go to the lounge, your "seats" are your room and you cannot count on getting a spot in the lounge: seating is limited and everyone else on the train wants a chance to sit there, too. There isn't anywhere else to wander on the train.

You might be able to get away with 2 roomettes if your youngest (age 1?) can sleep on the bottom bunk with either you or your husband. This would be your cheapest bedroom option. More expensive options would be to take one roomette and one bedroom (for the private shower and toilet), or 2 adjoining deluxe bedrooms (which would give you the most space but is the priciest).

How much will it cost? You will have to go to the Amtrak site and plug in your dates to find out -- prices change so much based on date. I recommend putting in yourself, your husband, and your two oldest children as passengers to get a ballpark figure of the price. Since you will be getting bedrooms of some sort (which is the biggest cost factor) your 1 year old's rail-fare will be a minimal extra cost. On the final price break-down screen you can see your other children's rail fare and add that amount to the total to account for the baby.

Evidently there is no longer a surcharge for over-sized vehicles.

Hope that helps

Thanks for the quick reply. Typing on iPad did an auto correct somehow and I thought I retread what I wrote, evidently not! My youngest will be 8, not 1 so it will be Dh, me, 12 dd, 10 ds and 8 dd.

At least my husband is thinking if other options. He has been dead set against flying out of ny since we met nearly 20 years ago. I always flew out if some ny airport due to better prices then Hartford. He told me after I typed this out that someone at his work flew from JFK to west palm for around $200 last week. His next sentence to me was maybe we can take a limo from your moms....um,,,yeah..

I can't plug in dates yet since I will be traveling next April but I have plugged in march dates.

Thank you again.

 

[jad215]

Just checked in! They are still doing the priority off loading testing and we are lucky enough to be #18!

 

[FigmentChick]

For those who are AutoTrain veterans:

I'm looking at directions from Sanford to the Walt Disney World Resort (I'm headed to OKW), and it is telling me to get out Route 417 which is a toll road. From what I can tell, wouldn't it be easier to drive one bloack North to Route 46 and then get on the I-4?

The reason I ask is that I don't seem to be able to make the directions go that way. It's telling me I have to go North on I-4 and then get off and head back South. Weird, but I'll glad take any opinions I can get.

And thanks in advance!


UPDATE: nevermind....I see that the intersection of I-4 and Route 46 is undergoing major construction. Ok, I will just follow the directions I currently have. Ticks me off that I'll have to make sure I have small bills and EZPass doesn't work down there. Oh,well.

 

[shafke]

For those who are AutoTrain veterans:

I'm looking at directions from Sanford to the Walt Disney World Resort (I'm headed to OKW), and it is telling me to get out Route 417 which is a toll road. From what I can tell, wouldn't it be easier to drive one bloack North to Route 46 and then get on the I-4?

The reason I ask is that I don't seem to be able to make the directions go that way. It's telling me I have to go North on I-4 and then get off and head back South. Weird, but I'll glad take any opinions I can get.

And thanks in advance!


UPDATE: nevermind....I see that the intersection of I-4 and Route 46 is undergoing major construction. Ok, I will just follow the directions I currently have. Ticks me off that I'll have to make sure I have small bills and EZPass doesn't work down there. Oh,well.

If it is the same construction they had there last August it is not that bad. A mess but not a significant delay.

 

[FigmentChick]

If it is the same construction they had there last August it is not that bad. A mess but not a significant delay.

From the looks of things, there is no ramp from Rt. 46 to I-4.....it's completely tore up. No biggie....I'm playing around with routes now (yes....I'm sooooo busy at work. ).

However, now I have another question: how do you leave the Sanford station? It looks as though when you pull your car out, you have to make a left on to Persimmon Ave, but I'd like to make a right and head South. Is that possible? (you know, going toward Route 417?)

 

[shafke]

From the looks of things, there is no ramp from Rt. 46 to I-4.....it's completely tore up. No biggie....I'm playing around with routes now (yes....I'm sooooo busy at work. ).

However, now I have another question: how do you leave the Sanford station? It looks as though when you pull your car out, you have to make a left on to Persimmon Ave, but I'd like to make a right and head South. Is that possible? (you know, going toward Route 417?)

The preferred route is to make a left and then another left at Rt 46 but yes, you can make a right. You would make your way down to Rte 46A and then either 417 or I4.
If they are still breaking apart the car carriers you won't be able to make a right however.

 

[Disneyholic]

For those who are AutoTrain veterans:

I'm looking at directions from Sanford to the Walt Disney World Resort (I'm headed to OKW), and it is telling me to get out Route 417 which is a toll road. From what I can tell, wouldn't it be easier to drive one bloack North to Route 46 and then get on the I-4?

The reason I ask is that I don't seem to be able to make the directions go that way. It's telling me I have to go North on I-4 and then get off and head back South. Weird, but I'll glad take any opinions I can get.

And thanks in advance!


UPDATE: nevermind....I see that the intersection of I-4 and Route 46 is undergoing major construction. Ok, I will just follow the directions I currently have. Ticks me off that I'll have to make sure I have small bills and EZPass doesn't work down there. Oh,well.

Yes, just follow the signs.
We just went on the autotrain on April 14th and I don't remember any major construction on I-4 that would make me want to take the toll roads. We followed the signs leaving the station for I-4W and didn't have any problems getting to WDW. (We did take a small detour off the route to find a post office to take care of our IRS tax payment. Nothing like waiting till the last minute to give them our money. LOL)

Actually you would want change not bills unless you want to stop & pay at the toll collector. There are exact change booths that you can use change to pay.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

Definitely take I-4 to WDW. We've been going that way for 10 years and never had any type if problem on I-4. Maybe a slow down for a few but nothing that would want me to take a toll road.

88 sleeps till we board the autotrain for WDW!!

 

[pwdebbie]

Drove I-4 on Monday, April 15, and it was crazy! Decided to take 417 home, Friday, April 26, and it was great! About an hour drive and about $8.00 in tolls. The tolls are all different, one might be $1.50 and another might be .75. At the first toll booth I got a very nice map which made dh much happier to know that I was headed in the right direciton. I don't think I'll do I-4 through Orlando ever again.

 

[FigmentChick]

OK, so varying opinions, but I can take Rt. 46 to I-4....there will just be detour signs?

And, from the satellite pics, I could tell that making the right (towards Rt. 417), I'd have to cross the tracks and that might turn into a problem.

But, it's all good. Thank you so much for the help. Now, if I can just calm myself and tell myself that there will be signage to get me to Disney World. lol

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

When you exit the Sanford station turning to the left should not be a problem bc they clear that track fast. Only when they move a train could the crossing be down. If you tried turning right that track could b blocked by the car carriers. We have never had any problem turning left towards rt 415

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

Yes there will be signage on I-4 for WDW. You can follow the signs for downtown disney resorts. It will take you under the Disney world sign as you enter the property. Very easy.