All about the Autotrain

[shafke]

Just checked prices for our trip next year, late Oct early November, dates are somewhat flexible, but it will be $1000 more than this year...guess we are not doing train unless they come down...

Keep checking... when the Aug fares came out the price coming home was about $500 more than going down. About 3 weeks later the price for the return trip dropped to the same as going.

 

[jwboucher]

Keep checking... when the Aug fares came out the price coming home was about $500 more than going down. About 3 weeks later the price for the return trip dropped to the same as going.

Fare back for our 9/14 trip is still $200 more than way down.

 

[Marshay]

Movie last night was The odd life of Timothy green. Train left Sanford 3:55pm and arrived 8:59am. Service was much better than on Thanksgiving day. Wine flowed again, too. Love that we can now use the lounge car downstairs to spread out and watch movie. We did that both ways and practically had the entire train car to ourselves.

For the first time in 12 trips on the AT, I did not wake up at Service stop in the middle of the night. Best sleep ever!

Checking prices for our July and Nov trips...planning to drive if prices don't come down. I'll keep checking every day.

 

[Sysyphus]

Just thought I'd add our final thoughts, having got home, driving all the way through Saturday/early hours of Sunday to get home before the weather instead of splitting it over two days as originally planned.

We're all glad that we did the auto-train down: it was certainly an experience and I can see why some people do it over and over, but when all is said and done we are flyers, and if we couldn't fly we would probably drive again before we took the train again.

 

[Marshay]

Just wanted to confirm my understanding of the refunds/cancellation policy.

If you cancel prior to 15 days for a sleeper car, you lose 10% or full amount can be applied to a future trip within 1 year. Is this correct?

 

[Marshay]

Just thought I'd add our final thoughts, having got home, driving all the way through Saturday/early hours of Sunday to get home before the weather instead of splitting it over two days as originally planned.

We're all glad that we did the auto-train down: it was certainly an experience and I can see why some people do it over and over, but when all is said and done we are flyers, and if we couldn't fly we would probably drive again before we took the train again.

Glad you had a chance to try the train. At least you now understand all 3 modes of transport -- plane, car and train and can decide what works for you!

 

[mckelvey72]

Just wanted to add for anyone taking the auto train....if you leave Disney early and have a few hours before getting on the train, the Central FL Zoo in Lorton is really nice few hour time waster. Zip lining, train, animals...we really enjoyed it, then left and had lunch and headed for the train.

Not sure if I would ever do the train again....it was nice but I am more of a fly and get there kind of person. But we had a great trip down and back.

 

[Capt_BJ]

the Central FL Zoo in Lorton

me thinks you mean the Central Florida Zoo in SANFORD!!

http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Just wanted to add for anyone taking the auto train....if you leave Disney early and have a few hours before getting on the train, the Central FL Zoo in Lorton is really nice few hour time waster. Zip lining, train, animals...we really enjoyed it, then left and had lunch and headed for the train.

Not sure if I would ever do the train again....it was nice but I am more of a fly and get there kind of person. But we had a great trip down and back.

the Central FL Zoo in Lorton

me thinks you mean the Central Florida Zoo in SANFORD!!

http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/

The Central Florida Zoo is nice and not far from the train in Sanford, but if you go to the space coast and visit Cape Canaveral, check out the Brevard County Zoo which is far better than the Central Florida Zoo.

 

[Capt_BJ]

as an employee of Brevard Zoo .. I agree!

stop by .. I'm one of the folks who drive the choo choo train



but not Brevard County Zoo

just Brevard Zoo ... a not for profit organization .. substantially built and operated by volunteers 'in the beginning' on donated land; and even today receives only a small number of dollars from the county tourist tax fund and continues to rely heavily on volunteers for daily operations.

Recently added: Cayman Blue Iguanas
Opening soon: Meerkats

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

My sister and I planned to take the Auto Train round trip (one roomette each) for our September 2014 trip and I started pricing tickets in October. The round trip price for both of us was $1750! Wowza! It was the price returning to Lorton that was the highest.

On a whim I checked the fares again this past Saturday evening (Dec. 28) and found the round trip fares for each of us in a roomette had dropped to $1297, a $453 difference. The price going down and returning was now identical. If you're planning a September trip but the prices had been stopping you, I suggest you check prices again, but don't wait too long. As of this afternoon, the website indicated there were only 4 more roomettes left at the lower price for the trip to Sanford, so other accommodations for September dates may be selling out as well.

 

[Marshay]

My sister and I planned to take the Auto Train round trip (one roomette each) for our September 2014 trip and I started pricing tickets in October. The round trip price for both of us was $1750! Wowza! It was the price returning to Lorton that was the highest. On a whim I checked the fares again this past Saturday evening (Dec. 28) and found the round trip fares for each of us in a roomette had dropped to $1297, a $453 difference. The price going down and returning was now identical. If you're planning a September trip but the prices had been stopping you, I suggest you check prices again, but don't wait too long. As of this afternoon, the website indicated there were only 4 more roomettes left at the lower price for the trip to Sanford, so other accommodations for September dates may be selling out as well.

Thanks! I'm trying for late October and prices are still very high. Checking daily. If they don't come down, we will drive but I'm really, really hoping they do. Maybe since yours did for Sept, mine will for Oct soon.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Thanks! I'm trying for late October and prices are still very high. Checking daily. If they don't come down, we will drive but I'm really, really hoping they do. Maybe since yours did for Sept, mine will for Oct soon.

Fingers crossed for you. I was actually considering driving or possibly flying, too (bite my tongue; neither my sister or I enjoy the hassle of flying), until I saw the price drop. The lower price we just locked in is $60 more than we paid in 2012, so we knew it was at least in the ballpark of being a more realistic price. I had severe sticker shock the first time I saw $1750 pop up as round trip fare, but we have been SOOOO spoiled by the ease and comfort of traveling by train its hard to consider going to WDW using any other type of transportation.

 

[Marshay]

Fingers crossed for you. I was actually considering driving or possibly flying, too (bite my tongue; neither my sister or I enjoy the hassle of flying), until I saw the price drop. The lower price we just locked in is $60 more than we paid in 2012, so we knew it was at least in the ballpark of being a more realistic price. I had severe sticker shock the first time I saw $1750 pop up as round trip fare, but we have been SOOOO spoiled by the ease and comfort of traveling by train its hard to consider going to WDW using any other type of transportation.

I hear ya on the convenience!

I understand prices going up a little but $400+ each way from what we paid this year is too much for us. Definitely sticker shock here, too!

 

[lindap1]

Call! I just contacted Amtrak about changing the dates for our September trip. I changed our departure date for Sept 6 and returning on Sept 13, PRICES WERE JUST LOWERED for our return trip..sooo....I just save 471..minus the 40 some dollars for a refund since it was paid off ...so we are getting 423.90 refunded to our credit card...so we'll see how they do that (the credit card company that is).

So our original cost for 9/7 returning on 9/13 of 1847.00 just went down to 1376.00!!

 

[monorailsilver]

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year!

Guess what, I am going on the auto train *this* year. I bought tickets last May for this coming April. It seemed so long ago but I had a Disney trip in the summer so I was looking forward to that.

We are headed to Ft. Myers from CT. Last year we drove & while I don't mind driving & our 3 kids were great and my mother slept on & off (she flew home) it was a long drive with some long & boring tree lined states!

I think I have asked questions before & now I have more since the time is getting closer (less then 100 days).

We will drive down in the morning from CT. We plan to leave 5:30-6 to avoid the rush hour traffic thru CT & NY. We will spend Thursday night at my moms & leave from her house on Friday vs our house since she is a 1/2 from the NY line. It will give us an extra hour of sleep.

It should take us about 5 hours but I am planning on 6 just to be safe.

We got rooms..yay!!! I have a roomette & a bedroom for the way down & a family bedroom for the way back. It will be tight I know but most of the time we will be sleeping.

-Pillows & blankets-I should bring at least one for each of us I assume as a just in case.

-is there ice available?

-Should I bring water for us or can I get that on the train?

-Has anyone gone with food allergies? My 10 yo son is allergic to dairy, treenuts, egg whites (he can have them cooked) & peanut (although that one he might be done with come Thursday when we do a food challenge). I am concerned with dinner for him. I see there is salmon & he does like fish. I see there is some kind of breaded chicken & he is a nugget boy at heart! I saw I need to call at least 72 hours in advance

-we can check in once we get there but we don't have to check in our car right then, correct?

-my dh wants to do the priority off loading, is it worth it. He says yes so I don't know why I am asking. But maybe has anyone done this.

-Has anyone ever booked the bedroom suite (I am assuming this is available on the AT). I know if we like the train in 2015, our school vacation is Easter week as well & our kids will be bigger & that might be better for us, more money but better. I can always shut the door to the kids in one side & lock it too!!!

-do kids really mingle? I mean if I brought games or if other kids brought games would they really play with one another. I am sure they would play a game so much better with kids they don't know & wouldn't argue then if they were just with their siblings.

-can I let my kids go for a walk with out me or my dh? I know they won't get lost plus my 12 yo has a phone. My kids will be 12 (3 weeks shy of 13), 10 & 8.

-will I get motion sick? Or will it feel similar to a car & I will just pass out. Do I need ear plugs? My husband snores & that wakes me & I am a fairly light sleeper for the most part. I think back to when I was in the hospital post childbirth & the nurse would creep in my room & I would immediately wake. She barely made any noise.

-breakfast-what time & what is available.

-Showers-do I need to bring towels? On the way there one room will have a shower. On the way back we will use the shared shower.

-we do have a luggage hard top carrier for our car. DH & I plan on taking it off & shoving it in the car. Yes I will be the one sweating & swearing at my dh because I am short. We can fold down the backs of the van seats & it fit. Yes we tried.

I would skip taking it but we are going to the beach & I have a beach cart, umbrellas, a few extra chairs, toys & boogie boards to bring & they all go on top. We may have to empty it first. I do plan on bringing gloves because it will be bug filled & a sheet to lay it on in the car.

And I just looked at the train online. A roomette for a family of 4 (that is all that is available on our days) was $1100+ and then add the car to that. Yikes!! I paid just under $1900 for us 5 RT. I just wanted to see if it went down, I guess not.

I am sure that there is something else but I forgot. Since it is about 15° out right now, I am thinking warmth.

 

[lindap1]

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year!

Guess what, I am going on the auto train *this* year. I bought tickets last May for this coming April. It seemed so long ago but I had a Disney trip in the summer so I was looking forward to that.

We are headed to Ft. Myers from CT. Last year we drove & while I don't mind driving & our 3 kids were great and my mother slept on & off (she flew home) it was a long drive with some long & boring tree lined states!

I think I have asked questions before & now I have more since the time is getting closer (less then 100 days).

We will drive down in the morning from CT. We plan to leave 5:30-6 to avoid the rush hour traffic thru CT & NY. We will spend Thursday night at my moms & leave from her house on Friday vs our house since she is a 1/2 from the NY line. It will give us an extra hour of sleep.

It should take us about 5 hours but I am planning on 6 just to be safe.

We got rooms..yay!!! I have a roomette & a bedroom for the way down & a family bedroom for the way back. It will be tight I know but most of the time we will be sleeping.

-Pillows & blankets-I should bring at least one for each of us I assume as a just in case.

-is there ice available?

-Should I bring water for us or can I get that on the train?

-Has anyone gone with food allergies? My 10 yo son is allergic to dairy, treenuts, egg whites (he can have them cooked) & peanut (although that one he might be done with come Thursday when we do a food challenge). I am concerned with dinner for him. I see there is salmon & he does like fish. I see there is some kind of breaded chicken & he is a nugget boy at heart! I saw I need to call at least 72 hours in advance

-we can check in once we get there but we don't have to check in our car right then, correct?

-my dh wants to do the priority off loading, is it worth it. He says yes so I don't know why I am asking. But maybe has anyone done this.

-Has anyone ever booked the bedroom suite (I am assuming this is available on the AT). I know if we like the train in 2015, our school vacation is Easter week as well & our kids will be bigger & that might be better for us, more money but better. I can always shut the door to the kids in one side & lock it too!!!

-do kids really mingle? I mean if I brought games or if other kids brought games would they really play with one another. I am sure they would play a game so much better with kids they don't know & wouldn't argue then if they were just with their siblings.

-can I let my kids go for a walk with out me or my dh? I know they won't get lost plus my 12 yo has a phone. My kids will be 12 (3 weeks shy of 13), 10 & 8.

-will I get motion sick? Or will it feel similar to a car & I will just pass out. Do I need ear plugs? My husband snores & that wakes me & I am a fairly light sleeper for the most part. I think back to when I was in the hospital post childbirth & the nurse would creep in my room & I would immediately wake. She barely made any noise.

-breakfast-what time & what is available.

-Showers-do I need to bring towels? On the way there one room will have a shower. On the way back we will use the shared shower.

-we do have a luggage hard top carrier for our car. DH & I plan on taking it off & shoving it in the car. Yes I will be the one sweating & swearing at my dh because I am short. We can fold down the backs of the van seats & it fit. Yes we tried.

I would skip taking it but we are going to the beach & I have a beach cart, umbrellas, a few extra chairs, toys & boogie boards to bring & they all go on top. We may have to empty it first. I do plan on bringing gloves because it will be bug filled & a sheet to lay it on in the car.

And I just looked at the train online. A roomette for a family of 4 (that is all that is available on our days) was $1100+ and then add the car to that. Yikes!! I paid just under $1900 for us 5 RT. I just wanted to see if it went down, I guess not.

I am sure that there is something else but I forgot. Since it is about 15° out right now, I am thinking warmth.

The auto train is awesome...THIS year will be our third time riding it! I always take and extra pillow because the train ones are pretty flat (to me). The last time we went...last november...we got a family bedroom and it was perfect for 3 people...the downsize is that you don't have your own bathroom like you do in the deluxe roomettes and the family rooms are downstairs which is fine. You can move around on the train..ie...to the lounge car and they have a car where you can go and get snacks and watch a movie, but we haven't done that just because of the movie choices. The family rooms have shared restroom with the rest of the car that has no restroom and there are showers available downstairs (towels and washclothes are available). Water is always available in the sleeping cars and I'm assuming for the coach cars also. Also, available is ice, coffee and hot chocolate...their usually available upstairs in the middle of the cars. Meals on the train usually have 3 dining time options 5, 7 and 9. How many they have depends on how many passengers there are and they do have what they call chew chew chewies ( chicken nuggets)..the desserts are awesome. Breakfast consist of cereal, bagels, fruit, juices, milk, coffee and such...no hot meals for breakfast. When you arrive at the train depot you can check yourselves in and leave with your car as long as you are back to hand over your car by 2 p.m....if your late they will not accept your car! Sleeping cars and coach cars have separate dining cars. Once you hand over your car at the booth..you cannot go back to it to get something so make sure you have everything with you that you will need onboard.

 

[monorailsilver]

The auto train is awesome...THIS year will be our third time riding it! I always take and extra pillow because the train ones are pretty flat (to me). The last time we went...last november...we got a family bedroom and it was perfect for 3 people...the downsize is that you don't have your own bathroom like you do in the deluxe roomettes and the family rooms are downstairs which is fine. You can move around on the train..ie...to the lounge car and they have a car where you can go and get snacks and watch a movie, but we haven't done that just because of the movie choices. The family rooms have shared restroom with the rest of the car that has no restroom and there are showers available downstairs (towels and washclothes are available). Water is always available in the sleeping cars and I'm assuming for the coach cars also. Also, available is ice, coffee and hot chocolate...their usually available upstairs in the middle of the cars. Meals on the train usually have 3 dining time options 5, 7 and 9. How many they have depends on how many passengers there are and they do have what they call chew chew chewies ( chicken nuggets)..the desserts are awesome. Breakfast consist of cereal, bagels, fruit, juices, milk, coffee and such...no hot meals for breakfast. When you arrive at the train depot you can check yourselves in and leave with your car as long as you are back to hand over your car by 2 p.m....if your late they will not accept your car! Sleeping cars and coach cars have separate dining cars. Once you hand over your car at the booth..you cannot go back to it to get something so make sure you have everything with you that you will need onboard.

Thanks!

I knew about taking what we need before leaving our car. I am packing light this time. I do great packing for our Disney trips, although we took 1 medium & 2 small suitcases for us 5 over the summer. That was 1 more then I wanted but oh well.

Last year when we drove my kids snuck a whole bunch of stuffed animals in the car. I told them 2, my dh & I finishing packing the car & I didn't realize those little sh!#s put a whole garbage bag in. Needles to say they stayed in the bag the entire time at my sisters. But that took up a lot of space & I know I can pack so much lighter this time. I really didn't need 4 shoes-just my keens & flip flops (but I will bring old keens for getting into the water at Sanibel).

I figure one suitcase for the 5 of us & hopefully that will hold our toiletries too. Really it should. And then I can stuff pillows in another one or a bag with blankets.

On the way there we have the bedroom & a roomette for the 5 of us. They are both upstairs so one has the bathroom & the other does not.

On the way home we are going to squeeze into a family bedroom downstairs minus the bathroom.

Our kids are still fairly tiny size wise so it should be OK...and they have electronics and headphones.

I am interested in the bedroom suite. It says it is available on the superline-is that what the autotrain is? It just looks like it is 2 bedrooms side by side but there is a way to open it between both. It says it sleeps 4-6 plus it has 2 bathrooms. If we like the train I am going to try to book that one next year.

This 15° temp that is outside is making me want some warmth.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

I am interested in the bedroom suite. It says it is available on the superline-is that what the autotrain is? It just looks like it is 2 bedrooms side by side but there is a way to open it between both. It says it sleeps 4-6 plus it has 2 bathrooms. If we like the train I am going to try to book that one next year.

Yes, the Auto Train is a Superliner, but it's floor plan is a little different from other Superliners.

Here is some information from Amtrak (http://amtrakagentsupport.com/fam-3d-tours-diagrams.htm) showing the floor plans and descriptions for the sleeper rooms that will give you an idea of the configuration. Note: The Auto Train has a sleeper car that offers all bedrooms on the upper level, unlike the floor plan below that shows half bedrooms and half roomettes.

The suite is two bedrooms with a common door that opens between rooms.

Bedroom - upper level


Five (5) rooms per Superliner Sleeping Car
Identified by room numbers A, B, C, D, E
Superliner Bedrooms Suite - Suite 1 - (B and C) Suite 2 - (D and E)

The Superliner Bedroom Suite is made up of two Superliner Bedrooms opened up and combined together. The Suite is designed for four passengers (but can accommodate up to six). Bookings online can not exceed the 4-passenger limit) Amtrak agent assistance is required to exceed the maximum occupancy for individual rooms or suites. The suite offers two private, self-enclosed toilets and showers in the cabin.

Family Bedroom - Lower Level


One (1) room per Superliner Sleeping Car
Always Identified by room number "15"

Roomette - Lower Level


Four (4) rooms per Superliner Sleeping Car
Identified by room numbers 11, 12, 13, 14

Accessible Room - Lower Level


One (1) room per Superliner Sleeping Car
Always Identified by room letter "H"
Not available for online sales.
Amtrak Agent assistance is required to secure this room.

The rooms colored in pink on the lower level floor plans are three restrooms and the shower room.

Hope this helps.

 

[monorailsilver]

Thanks Tink!

I have seen the floor plans. Our roomette & room are as close to one another as we can get (that might be a bad thing...) & I know the family bedroom is downstairs.

I just wanted to be sure that if we book for 2015 that they have that Bedroom Suite available to book.

Less then 100 days, I think less then 95 days. The negative 5 this am is making me think warm thoughts...