Amtrak.... questions

[robin09]

Hi guys...

Need some advice here Debating if I should take Amtrak down to Orlando, or just keep searching for a flight with southwest. Closest airport to me is Albany in New York, which is a 2 hour drive. Either way, I will have a 2 hour drive because that is where Amtrak is! Anyway, I digress.. I will be going down in August... How far is Amtrak from Disney? I know Magical express won't pick me, Dh and DD there .

DD has adhd and aspergers... but I'm thinking it will be fun to use Amtrak... a long ride though....any thoughts?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There are many threads on this topic:

http://www.disboards.com/search.php?searchid=2891818

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've been using Amtrak for years, I do not like to fly. We're 45 minutes from our nearest train station and its around 27 hours to Kissimmee. We have one train from Ohio to DC which we use reserved coach and at DC we switch trains and use a roomette to Kissimmee. Roomette runs around 150.00 more, sleeps 2, includes all meals, coffee, juice, water, room has a toilet. Its a small room but private and cozy, and the meals in the dining car are great. We board in DC around 4pm and arrive in Kissimmee around 10:30am, refreshed and ready for WDW. We always detrain in Kissimmee, Orlando station is always packed, everyone gets off there and on, Kissimmee is closer to WDW, cab fare is about 38.00, and takes about 20 minutes. Usually only about 10 people get off here compared to about 50 -60 in Orlando. Cabs are always waiting and boarding there with only 10 people makes it alot easier, since standing out in the hot Florida sun can be brutal. We left last October from WDW and had to board at the Orlando station, hurricane Wilma closed Kissimmee and points south and the cab fare from Pop to Orlando station was 68.00, alot pricier than the usual 38.00 to Kissimmee.

Either way, you'll get to WDW and have fun. Even using Amtrak and sleeping in a reserved coach seat is not bad for one night, we've done it. seats recline, leg and foot rest, bring a blanket, the AC can get down right cold in the night. We brink food and drinks and stuff to do, read and play with. Its a very plesant ride, comfortable but some other passenger may get antsy, cell phones, etc. All DVD players and electronic devices, you must use headphones. Sit back, relax and watch the countryside roll on by. Alittle heads up, the train seldom runs on time, so be prepared to be late, we've been on time and up to 4 hours late but we always got there.

 

[robin09]

Hi Pepe,

It's good to hear about Amtrak. I'm still undecided here. I'm in the Western part of the Catskills in NY. About 3 hours from NYC. I think I might just do Amtrak or the Autotrain. Thing about Autotrain is it will be a 10 hour drive to get there. But we will be refreshed when we arrive in Sanford. I just inquired about rates and it will run $608 (roundtrip) as kids are free right now.

Still so undecided! . Last year we did fly Southwest, but roundtrip for the 3 of us was only 325. I HAte to fly also, but not crazy about driving... so maybe Amtrak will be the best of both worlds! I'd love to hear more about the train and kids!

 

[bookmama]

we went in 2004 took the train. my mother hates to fly. It took us 22 hrs from philly. The train let us off in tampa and then they put us on a shuttle to orlando. It was a really small station I would advise that if you're considering taking the train set up a van transport to pick you up before you leave home. The guy we used was very nice, when my mother comes back home I will pm you with the phone number.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Hi Pepe,

It's good to hear about Amtrak. I'm still undecided here. I'm in the Western part of the Catskills in NY. About 3 hours from NYC. I think I might just do Amtrak or the Autotrain. Thing about Autotrain is it will be a 10 hour drive to get there. But we will be refreshed when we arrive in Sanford. I just inquired about rates and it will run $608 (roundtrip) as kids are free right now.

Still so undecided! . Last year we did fly Southwest, but roundtrip for the 3 of us was only 325. I HAte to fly also, but not crazy about driving... so maybe Amtrak will be the best of both worlds! I'd love to hear more about the train and kids!

Our tickets, we usually go in the fall, run for my wife and I, round trip, 450.00.

We have a ton of reward points from previous trips and apply them for the roomette from DC to Kissimmee. Long ago, long ago, we did the autotrain but its a 11 hour drive for us. Disney was still a one park thrill back then and we didn't know what WDW was so we opted for the train and car. After that trip and driving a few times, we discovered you do not need a car in WDW. Since then, we have driven, flown but lately used Amtrak, not Autotrain, because once on property, we use Disney transportation exclusively. Even when we used to drive there, our car just sat in the lot, never used. Putting it on the train is a big expense and really not needed. Other posters will only drive on property to save time, but we have never had an issue with any means of transport at Disney, just remember, its a vacation and to be patient, you'll see it all and do it all, and you can always come back.

The regular Amtrak and Autotrain coach cars are alike if I remember right. Comfy, roomy, high back and 2 per side. Club car shows movies, has sandwiches, pizzas and drinks and the dining car has full meals. Both are quite pricey, but included when using a sleeper. When we go coach, we pack our own food and drink and eat right in our seats. Some cars have a receptacle for each pair of seats but most cars have none, so be prepared with batteries for electronic devices. We have a small DVD player we take, I play gameboy, with headphones, we take puzzle books and novels and my wife starts her vacation diary. I print out the train schedule and like following the route, town by town watching out the window, keeping time of our trip.

Getting into Florida and seeing the trees and dirt change, then the palm and orange trees still makes us giddy and we're in our mid 50's. Arriving in Kissimmee in the am, and after being in the train for 12 hours in the A/C and detraining and having the Florida heat blast you is priceless. Just the smell of Florida is grand and the 20 minute cab ride to WDW, gets the butterflies going and we've been there over 33 times.

Hope some or any of this info helps, I always check the Amtrak web site for promotions and sales, its always changing. Hope you do the train but either way, have a safe and enjoyable experience in WDW.

 

[robin714]

I don't fly at all, so I am taking the Amtrak Autotrain in November with DD (12) and my Dh & DSwill be flying down the next day when I arrive. I get in at 8:30 am (which is know to be late) but DH doesn't get in till 12 noon so I'll have plenty of time to drive to the airport and pick him up. I am just as excited about doing this as going to Disney. I have always driven before. But since I knew a year in advance I was going I booked our tickets in janruary for the Family Bedroom (which holds 4 people so should have plenty of room for the 2 of us) and our Van RT for 1047.00. With the gas prices so high, that's what actually convnced me to take the train.

 

[vermonter]

Hello,
We are taking the train in July to Disney (maybe same train as you-we pick it up in Rutland, VT, but it then goes down to Albany)-we got a discount using our triple A membership. If you have the triple A agents book you, it costs a fee, but if you book yourself, you can get the discount on your own without a fee (I think it was 5%). Then I booked my package thru the triple A agent, and saved money off our resort fee. I more than saved the $44.00 triple A annual fee. In fact, the only reason I joined triple A was to get the discounts for our disney trip. We have one change in NY Penn at 3:15 p.m., and then take the #97 and arrive the next day in Kissimmee, FL at 1:32 p.m. I figure we will all be rested and ready to go! Planning on taking some snacks. I'll let ya know when we get back if it goes well (taking three kids)