All about the Autotrain

[dsnycrzy]

Enjoy! That's one of my favorite things about a Disney trip...The AutoTrain! I get grief from coworkers about taking a 19 hour train instead of a 3 hour flight, but I wouldnt' go any other way It's relaxing....there is no delay....you get your meal and you can get up and walk around..not just sit in your seat. It's a long ride, but you're sleeping for most of it. Have fun!

I agree! I love the auto train & catch heck from everyone about that long ride but its the calm before the vacation storm! You run around like crazy preparing for this trip, then I get to relax on the train, read a book, watch a movie, sleep because I can almost guarantee I didn't get much sleep the day before. Once I'm sleep for the night, I wake up, throw that curtain back & look for a palm tree which confirms for me that I'm closer to Disney then home! I love the auto train.

 

[jwboucher]

Enjoy! That's one of my favorite things about a Disney trip...The AutoTrain! I get grief from coworkers about taking a 19 hour train instead of a 3 hour flight, but I wouldnt' go any other way It's relaxing....there is no delay....you get your meal and you can get up and walk around..not just sit in your seat. It's a long ride, but you're sleeping for most of it. Have fun!

That ok... People I work with give me grief for going to Disney every year!!

 

[jwboucher]

On the New Jersey Turnpike heading to the autotrain!!

 

[lindap1]

I got 3 phone calls and 2 emails from Amtrak yesterday telling me about the no smoking on the train effective June 1....lol. They make sure you know...that's for sure At least once a month I've been gettign a phone call or email reminding me of it.

 

[nono]

On the New Jersey Turnpike heading to the autotrain!!

Have fun! Where you going for lunch? When we take the Auto Train, it's either Glory Days or Tokyo One at the shopping center just ahead on the right after the Lorton Station entrance.

 

[jwboucher]

Have fun! Where you going for lunch? When we take the Auto Train, it's either Glory Days or Tokyo One at the shopping center just ahead on the right after the Lorton Station entrance.

Do you walk? We have been on the road since 4;30am... Thinking about a late breakfast

 

[Pooh2]

Do you walk? We have been on the road since 4;30am... Thinking about a late breakfast

It is an easy walk over to the Plaza.

 

[dsnycrzy]

It is an easy walk over to the Plaza.

This sounds like something I'd like to do but where do u leave all of your stuff u take on the train?

 

[chartle]

This sounds like something I'd like to do but where do u leave all of your stuff u take on the train?

how much stuff would you have? we had a small lunch box size cooler and maybe two backpacks but we were also in coach.

 

[nono]

This sounds like something I'd like to do but where do u leave all of your stuff u take on the train?

We are lucky as there are wheels on all our overnight luggage. We've been doing the walk since my kids were 2 -- they love not sitting around the station, and we've always been lucky with the weather. It's about a 20 min walk for us. Hardest part is no sidewalk getting out to the street at the Amtrak station. The first time, we just drove over to the restaurants before we knew it was close enough for a good walk.

 

[dsnycrzy]

Well we usually have a cooler & our backpacks as well but it always seems like a lot bc we have pillows, blankets, laptops,etc. guess ill have to narrow it down.

 

[jwboucher]

Checked in at 12:40...no line at all. We got a 5:00 dinner... Only 5 & 7 dinnertimes tonight.

 

[Henlady]

Just a FYI: you do NOT need to hand off your vehicle to check in for the Auto Train. When you get to the little booth, take the lane/road to your left that goes behind the booth. Park in the parking area, go into the station, check in, get your seating and dining assignments. Go back to your car, drive over to the plaza for a bite to eat or whatever, then when you go back to the station, drive up to the booth, get your number, hand off your vehicle and head into the station to wait for boarding.

We normally do this and it is no problem. That way you don't have to walk / carry all your stuff with you to get some lunch.

 

[jwboucher]

Just a FYI: you do NOT need to hand off your vehicle to check in for the Auto Train. When you get to the little booth, take the lane/road to your left that goes behind the booth. Park in the parking area, go into the station, check in, get your seating and dining assignments. Go back to your car, drive over to the plaza for a bite to eat or whatever, then when you go back to the station, drive up to the booth, get your number, hand off your vehicle and head into the station to wait for boarding.

We normally do this and it is no problem. That way you don't have to walk / carry all your stuff with you to get some lunch.

They told us to pull up to a certain lane and unload.

 

[Henlady]

I should clarify that this is at the Lorton, VA station only.
When you enter the AutoTrain entrance road, you do not stay on the road that goes in front of the booth where you can check your car and get your number, you veer to the left at the "Y" just before the booth and proceed on that section of the road that goes behind the booth, you do not stop at the booth, park in the parking lot and walk from the parking lot, across the area where they take your car and into the station building. There you will check in. Then walk back to your car, leave to eat or whatever and when you come back, you pull up to the booth and they give you the # and tell you to pull ahead and they take your car.

 

[bdcp]

I got 3 phone calls and 2 emails from Amtrak yesterday telling me about the no smoking on the train effective June 1....lol. They make sure you know...that's for sure At least once a month I've been gettign a phone call or email reminding me of it.

We've gotten at least 4 emails since they announced it. We're booked both ways so they send for both ways. I think we got it now. Neither of us smoke, so we really don't care, but I think one email is enough.

 

[Marshay]

I should clarify that this is at the Lorton, VA station only.
When you enter the AutoTrain entrance road, you do not stay on the road that goes in front of the booth where you can check your car and get your number, you veer to the left at the "Y" just before the booth and proceed on that section of the road that goes behind the booth, you do not stop at the booth, park in the parking lot and walk from the parking lot, across the area where they take your car and into the station building. There you will check in. Then walk back to your car, leave to eat or whatever and when you come back, you pull up to the booth and they give you the # and tell you to pull ahead and they take your car.

Thanks for the info. We haven't tried this yet. So you just show ID at the station? Normally they ask me for my Amtrak document folder that they hand us at the booth...

 

[Henlady]

Thanks for the info. We haven't tried this yet. So you just show ID at the station? Normally they ask me for my Amtrak document folder that they hand us at the booth...

I always stopped at the local Amtrak station and turned in our voucher for actual tickets a couple of days before we leave, they provide us with the actual tickets in the folder, so we already have those items when we go into the station to check in.

 

[bdcp]

I always stopped at the local Amtrak station and turned in our voucher for actual tickets a couple of days before we leave, they provide us with the actual tickets in the folder, so we already have those items when we go into the station to check in.

They use e-tickets now. We printed our voucher here at home when we made our online reservations. As far as I know, they no longer hand out actual paper tickets anymore. The booth person has a list and at check in at the station, they'll have your info.

 

[Tallent]

We are booked for a RT in June and coming back in July. It'll be myself, dd 11, her friend who is 11, and ds 8. We are driving to West Palm Beach for a few days to visit with friends before heading back north to WDW for the last part of our trip. I'd gotten a good rate for the family bedroom for us all for the way back, figuring we could go as hard as we wanted and then sleep in a bed on the way back. Lorton Va is only about an hour away from my house. On the way down though we were booked for coach. I was fine for that but then I started thinking today about how I'll have a 3 hour driving trip ahead of me when we get to Sanford. If I don't sleep well in coach, I'm in trouble. So I called amtrak...no family rooms were available but I was able to get 2 roomettes. The girls will have their own room and ds and I will bunk together. Our rooms are right across from each other. I did call the friend's mom before booking to make sure the situation was okay with her (it was). So our trip is about 18 days away and we'll be sleeping prone both ways. Are we supposed to stay in our room the whole time (except for dinner) or is there a lounge car or something where we can be with other people since we're no longer in coach?

Rachel