Auto train question...

[allaboutthemouse]

Does anyone know if the autotrain gets delayed a lot? We are going on a cruise/wdw trip in november and are considering the autotrain...i was thinking of leaving saturday afternoon on the train and getting there sunday morning w/disney cruise departing that day...should i not do this? is it not enough time to get to the port? the train gets in at 9:30, but i know it takes maybe 2 hours to get your car off and then travel to port...has anyone been delayed longer than a couple hours on the autotrain? we could go fri to saturday morning, but then i am paying for a hotel night...please advise..thanks!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We did that a few years ago but we used regular Amtrak.....we sure didn't want to miss the cruise, when the set sail time comes, it goes....

We opted to leave a day early on the train and spent the night at the CBR, that way we would make the cruise and we used the Disney Cruise Line bus to take us to the port and back.....really easy, and a load off our minds in plotting and planning and time schedule.....at the CBR ( Caribbean Beach Resort) we set out our luggage, they picked it up and delivered it to the port.....really a nice pleasant bus ride to the port...we go thru check in and enter the ship and our luggage is delivered to our stateroom....no fuss, no muss......

For us it beats getting off the train and trying to arrange transport to the port, either a rental car (which will just sit in the port lot and be paid for) or a car service to go and pick up and return to the train station.....really a car is not needed and you pay to haul it on the Auto Train ( unless you're going to drive around Florida).....

 

[chartle]

Does anyone know if the autotrain gets delayed a lot? We are going on a cruise/wdw trip in november and are considering the autotrain...i was thinking of leaving saturday afternoon on the train and getting there sunday morning w/disney cruise departing that day...should i not do this? is it not enough time to get to the port? the train gets in at 9:30, but i know it takes maybe 2 hours to get your car off and then travel to port...has anyone been delayed longer than a couple hours on the autotrain? we could go fri to saturday morning, but then i am paying for a hotel night...please advise..thanks!

There can always be delays. We got in at 8:30 but the train didn't unload until 9:00 ish when the car unloader crews get in. But then again our trip back on Saturday was cancelled due to a Tropical Storm. The reason why our train was cancelled was because the train coming down that morning was 11 hours late. Trains did start running until th middle of the next week.

The good news is that on the weekends there are not many delays due to freight traffic because its a weekend.

I'm sure others will post how they were delayed X number of hours but there is no statistic that I have seen on On time Arrival.

 

[bdcp]

We've taken the autotrain 3 times with a 4th trip this Oct. We always go to arrive the day before a cruise. We leave VA two days before the cruise. I would never leave the day before. Although the worst we've been delayed is 3 or so hours, some trains have been delayed 12 hours if the weather is bad or there's a blocked track due to an accident. I would never go with the plan to arrive the day of the cruise.

Whether it gets delayed "a lot" or not is a moot point and has no impact on whether your train will be delayed. You cannot make a decision based on that.

 

[POOHsie]

Took the Autotrain last Fall. We were delayed in Richmond for 2 hours because of other train backups. It seemed like that evening we hauled buggy (faster than normal) and actually got to Sanford a bit early.

Still, IMO, you are cutting it too close. Even if the train is on-time, what about a pouring rain? A catastrophic highway accident blocking your route. A flat tire on your car? Or a simple fender-bender where you have to wait awhile for police to write a report. You must have a sensible Plan B. Otherwise, bye-bye cruise and all that money you pre-paid. Personally, I wouldn't do it.

Plan to arrive the day before, for true peace of mind.

 

[WDWLODGE]

We just booked our first auto train trip yesterday for October. I am another one that thinks it is too risky to arrive the morning of the cruise. Why take the chance of missing the cruise.

 

[NJBILL]

While the delays on the Auto-Train are less than regular Amtrak, they do occur. The tracks are owned by CMX, not Amtrak, and CMX has the right of way. By November, most of the Tropical weather threat is gone,however an early winter snowfall COULD impact your trip.

We always allow an extra day when taking the train. Three years ago we were on the train for 36 hours due to a tropical storm...not fun.

You can go to www.amtrak.com to see the on-time performance of the autotrain or any train.

 

[Capt_BJ]

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...ode=perf&pagename=am/Layout&cid=1241245666320

last 12 months on time performance was 93%

 

[bdcp]

CSX owns the tracks. Not CMX, whatever that is.

 

[cemeb4dk]

not an auto train user, but when we did our cruise we got there a day early and stayed at a hotel right by the port that let us park our car for free, then they had a shuttle to the port. Shuttle was about 5 minutes long. AQfter you add up the parking fees the room was very cheap.