Auto Train to College Program w/24hr at MK & SWW(new!SWW '14 rope drop/sci fi brkfst)

[Henlady]

OK, if they have the chicken picatta in Sept, I am definitely having that!! Good idea on taking the storage container.

atwmommy, if you can get seating in the lower level of the train, take it. It is much quieter "down" there. There is no one walking thru the car as the only access from car to car is on the 2nd level, and in the lower level you're closer to the restrooms. There is a door that closes and separates the seating area from the entrance/foyer of the car and the restrooms. You could call Amtrak now to see if they can switch your seating to the lower level.
Have a great trip.

 

[atwmommy]

Thanks Henlady for the tip. I called today and they wanted to charge me more to move to LL seats. WTH? Staying put for now, will ask again at check in. She did comment on my amazing rate!

 

[Henlady]

Thanks Henlady for the tip. I called today and they wanted to charge me more to move to LL seats. WTH? Staying put for now, will ask again at check in. She did comment on my amazing rate!

Sorry to hear about the extra charge. I have heard that from time to time that can happen. Hopefully they will be able to accommodate you when you check in. Next time, just request lower level when you book and you should avoid the extra charge. Good luck.

 

[postalcop]

so happy I saw your trip report! getting me excited for my DIS cruise next month..
myself and 2 children are taking Amtrak . and have a roomette. although I think our room may be just a hair bigger since we have a toilet in the room.lol
I did see your pics of the rooms , but was just wondering how many bags fit in each roomette. since there will be 3 of us in that room...
thanks

 

[poison ivy]

OK, if they have the chicken picatta in Sept, I am definitely having that!! Good idea on taking the storage container.

atwmommy, if you can get seating in the lower level of the train, take it. It is much quieter "down" there. There is no one walking thru the car as the only access from car to car is on the 2nd level, and in the lower level you're closer to the restrooms. There is a door that closes and separates the seating area from the entrance/foyer of the car and the restrooms. You could call Amtrak now to see if they can switch your seating to the lower level.
Have a great trip.

Highly recommend bringing a small container or two. Easy to carry and store.

Great points on the lower level coach area. Now that you mention it, I can see why these are reserved ahead of time.

Kris, is the one I photographed similar to all the lower level coach seats? With one side facing opposite the other? I love the feel of privacy it gives with limited seating and the closed door. How was travelling w/motion etc. compared to the upper level?

so happy I saw your trip report! getting me excited for my DIS cruise next month..
myself and 2 children are taking Amtrak . and have a roomette. although I think our room may be just a hair bigger since we have a toilet in the room.lol
I did see your pics of the rooms , but was just wondering how many bags fit in each roomette. since there will be 3 of us in that room...
thanks

Hi and welcome!!! I'm not sure if you booked the Auto Train or a regular Amtrak w/sleeper car but if you have sleeping for 3 plus a bathroom, it is definitely a larger room.

In our roomette for 2, we fit a small wheelie suitcase; hung a large tote with snacks etc. on a hanger; hung my purse on a small wall hook and easily fit one large backpack and one soft cooler on the other side.

We didn't need as much as we thought but it was good to have all the same.

These photos show the majority of storage we had and how it was neatly arranged in our one roomette. This space will remain unaffected when the bunks are down too. We probably could also have placed a few things like blankets or pillows in the upper bunk while it was closed during the day if we needed to. Hope it helps!

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 - Thursday May 23, 2013

Good Morning Sanford, FL! & Welcome to Walt Disney World!

Our plans for the day:

Exit the Auto Train
Drive from Sanford, FL to WDW
Check-in at the Pop Century for 4-nts
And wing it for the rest of the day!

One thing we knew for sure – this was going to be an early night.
We had a MONSTER 24hr DAY planned at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow!!!

So let’s wrap this up and get to main part of our trip!

Here’s a photo tour of what it’s like leaving the Auto Train and retrieving your vehicle in Sanford, FL.

At one point Charles offered to remove some of our bags ahead of time to assist with getting off the train. He really was awesome!!



We had to use this little step to get off. (they have portable ramps onboard too) You can see one in that downstairs storage section of the coach photos.



The Sanford Station was hopping inside and out!





The number assigned to each vehicle is written on your ticket sleeve. However, we were warned this does not correlate in any way to the order they are offloaded.



Some shots of the different types of vehicles transported with us. A yellow magnet on the drivers side has your number on it.







We only had one motorcycle onboard but twice they pulled this long rack by tractor out of an entire section of car carrier.





Finally, Iron Man’s truck arrives! We were one of the last group still waiting at this point.



The back seat was packed to lug all of Mark's crap down there! (give or take a few bags)



Iron Man’s entertainment center consists of an old TV and cheap stand. That’s right! There is a pattern here. He’s got his dads old truck, an ancient tv and a bunch of used household stuff. He knows there’s no free lunch and that he gets to rough it waaay better than any of us did!



We finally hit the road at 11:45 am. I know this is late in comparison to the norm, but our train ran about an hour behind schedule and we were one of the last vehicles driven out. So keep this in mind if you are trying to make plans that day.
We kept things open, unscheduled and stress free!

Sanford’s station wasn’t the best set up compared to Lorton. A very narrow road leads in and out with traffic amid heavy construction vehicles. Hopefully this is just temporary. But plan accordingly if travelling to and from this location.









Iron Man set his GPS to stealth to commemorate Star Wars. Too funny! Notice our ETA is around 12:45 pm. So allow an hours’ drive to Disney.



We’re on I-4 around noon. Not ideal.



I believe this is a theme park called Holy Land. Our friend Cass visited 6 yrs ago. We were curious if it’s still in operation.



Almost there



Someone’s travelling in style! Great idea!



Welcome to the Pop Century Resort!! We arrived at 12:45pm. GPS was pretty accurate.



This guy says it all! Love it!!





Up next: hangin at the POP.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 - Hangin' at the POP

continued.........

We have arrived!

POP Century Resort - May 23-27, 2013 (4 nts)
Standard Disney Dining Plan for 3

Let me start by saying the POP is a great value resort. We never hesitate to book here. We love that Disney provides this option and always find it to be a much better deal than staying off property.

It was close to 1pm when we walked in. Iron Man doesn’t get very far. He’s ready for the DVC cruise we’re on in Sept.



It's the Thurs before Memorial Day and everything is really quiet.
We booked a preferred location. The CM gave us our choice of buildings with rooms ready. We picked the 60's.



I also asked her if she had a park map for the 24 hr party tomorrow and was told they hadn't arrived yet, but stop back later.

The POP has this clever set up where they walk the guests thru the gift shop to get to the food court.

Yeah, we were drawn right into that party!









I of course stop here for an impulse buy!



Until I walk around the display and see these! There's at least half I want so I grab a mystery box and head to the counter.



Who do I run into? Iron Man holding a mystery box of his own!

I tell him "dude, what are you doing? We can't spend 30 bucks on these - you have to put yours back. This one's the winner."

Mark tells me. "hey man, mine's definitely Darth Vader. Put yours back."

To which I firmly reply "They all have a picture of Vader on the box. It"s a trick. put yours back. It's gonna be a dog."

Mark's not budging. "I'm not stupid. I know this one's Vader and I'm buying it. It comes with the lightsaber. Yours probably stinks."

This goes back and forth for several rounds and I reluctantly cave. I place my lowly box on top of the heap in defeat.



And here's the champ emerging to reveal what's inside box #1:







Amazing. What are the odds? and I'll never know what could have been had I chose box #2.



OK now we're on our way. JQ once again demonstrates how to easily transport luggage for a small army at a value resort by borrowing these convenient dollies from bell services. Why so many bags? Because too many choices make it impossible to decide!



Let's check this place out. It's hard to explain, but the POP has a cool, fun feel to it. It may be from our initial impression when it first opened, but this has always stayed with us. Heck! What's not to love? being surrounded by all this funky nostalgia!










We were in the back section of our building Room # 4239 with a great view of Art of Animation and fireworks!















Yes! The rooms are pretty much no frills with just the basics. But given what we paid plus the fact that we get to be on property with Disney's staff and Disney's amenities it's really an excellent deal.


Next up: The Dining Plan!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[heaven2dc]

How interesting how they unload the cars and esp how long the train is! I'm enjoying reading about each turn of event (makes me feel like I'm on the journey with you!). POP Century looks so cool to stay at - the whole resort has such a nostalgic feel

 

[poison ivy]

Day 2 - Wrap up

Winging it around the world

Part I - A Discourse on the Dining Plan

It's Thursday afternoon before Memorial Day Weekend. We've just arrived, checked in, bought a Star Wars souvenir, filled a couple drink mugs and settled into our room.

Life is good!!!

Next up - Food

Now that we're on the subject of food, I'd like to take a minute to discuss the highly coveted yet strangely convoluted Disney Dining Plan!!

We had 3 adults on the standard plan for 4 nights. That's 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack per person/per night on the front half of our stay. (good thru Mon. 5/27/13)

The rest of the trip (Tues thru Sat) would be out of pocket. We rented pts for a studio at Saratoga Springs for 5 nts. and didn't want to involve the owner in having to pre-purchase a mealplan on our behalf. (a DVC rule)

The minute we decide to buy a dining plan, the strategic battle of how to maximize the credits begins!

Math is a vital weapon and the rules of engagement are a constant moving target with Disney!

It's always a tug of war with this thing!!

JQ and I prefer to sit down and have dinner at one of the many exceptional restaurants on property whenever possible - and include places we've never been. This makes a deluxe plan for 2 on the front ½ of a split stay ideal. (our visits typically average 4 nights)

But this was a 9 day trip, which is a whole different ballgame. Once you expand the length of stay and group size beyond 2 - money really starts to talk - especially when it comes to dining!

The difference between a std meal plan vs deluxe is roughly $40/person per nt.
That's $120.00/nt for 3 = $480.00 for 4nts.

So what exactly were we getting for $480.00? Up to and including: 36 appetizers + 24 additional TS credits to replace all 12 CS credits, + 12 more snacks.

And herein lies the dilemma. You can see where $480.00 might be considered a bargain for all that additional food. Especially at Disney!

But we're talking about only 5 days here!?! This was way too much food and way too much to justify spending on food for only half the trip. That deluxe plan would have "owned" us at 36 TS credits.

So we opted for 12 TS /12 CS /12 snacks to manage over the next 5 days - which is a lot more than it seems.

We knew tomorrow was a 24hr MK day - and we'd want to sit down a few times. So I booked the Plaza for lunch and Liberty Tree for a late dinner as soon as Disney announced this special event.

We knew we'd need double to try two signature restaurants - Citricos and Monsieur Paul
We also knew Monday was Marks College Program check-in day and he'd be gone.

Decisions...............decisions...........always decisions................riding on the Disney dining plan!

Let the games begin!

The best advise I can offer anyone battling the logistics of the Disney dining plan is resign yourself to not let it confine you! And believe me - it can!! Venturing outside the box, helps keep everyone in our group in a great mood.

Here's what works best for us.

1. forget the meal plan.
2. list the restaurants you want without exception.
3. rank them in order of importance
4. check availability
5. book

Then scour the menus, do a mini-calc on pricing and tentatively commit the TS credits.

Whatever CS and snack credits we have left we get to go. This time we'll leave the food w/Mark at his College Program apt.

Of course this is just a suggestion and simply my opinion - so please take it for what it's worth - which is about .02 cents.

Thanks for listening!

christine

next up: Day 2 - wrap - Winging it on the West Side

 

[Johnny Quest]

I like the Pop Century because it's a nice nostalgic throwback. When you're there it feels like it's been around forever and you're experiencing a piece of Americana.

Hey that guy pulling your bags could use a bellhop!

 

[heaven2dc]

Interesting concept on the DP! It is always something that is hard to decide when we have visited WDW. One one of our trips where I was solo for 4 days then my DD & DGS joined me on the last four days, I ate mostly at McDonald's at Epcot or DTD lol (that was one of my poor trips ) On the last trip with 3 of my DS's, I paid for the DP because it was the first visit for the youngest 2 and they were so happy not having to look at prices and just order their food. I think your idea of giving your son the left over CS and snacks was perfect for leaving him some extra food when you left - kudos to great parenting!

 

[poison ivy]

Great update!

Thanks for reading!! Glad you're here!!

How interesting how they unload the cars and esp how long the train is! I'm enjoying reading about each turn of event (makes me feel like I'm on the journey with you!). POP Century looks so cool to stay at - the whole resort has such a nostalgic feel

Thanks so much for reading along. POP is great for the price. Usually under 100.00/night if you book it at the right time. It's big and pretty spread out and if you don't mind a little walk you can get an even cheaper room.

I like the Pop Century because it's a nice nostalgic throwback. When you're there it feels like it's been around forever and you're experiencing a piece of Americana.

Hey that guy pulling your bags could use a bellhop!

he's got a bell hop! Her names Dollie! She's lugging all the bags!!

Interesting concept on the DP! It is always something that is hard to decide when we have visited WDW. One one of our trips where I was solo for 4 days then my DD & DGS joined me on the last four days, I ate mostly at McDonald's at Epcot or DTD lol (that was one of my poor trips ) On the last trip with 3 of my DS's, I paid for the DP because it was the first visit for the youngest 2 and they were so happy not having to look at prices and just order their food. I think your idea of giving your son the left over CS and snacks was perfect for leaving him some extra food when you left - kudos to great parenting!

Your story about eating solo on a dime reminds me of us. We've done many the visit on an invisible budget down there. Camped for years at Ft Wilderness with the kids and cooked our own food or shopped and cooked in a DVC unit. It's always been great no matter how we worked it. We just love the place.

I get the mealplan for the men in my family too. My needs are the complete opposite from theirs. They like to eat and put on a few pounds and I like to take the opportunity to walk, tone up and get a little exercise. I always tell people it's cheaper and way more fun than a gym membership!

What a beautiful family you have. We have 2 DD's 30 and 28 and 2 grandkids 3 and 2 all in San Diego. And Iron Man of course.

Glad to have you here.

 

[poison ivy]

Moving onward and upward:

Day 2 – wrap up

Winging it on the West Side

We are heading to Downtown Disney The men in my family tend to prioritize entertainment and food and since Disney offers tons of food combined with loads of entertainment they are in their glory down here!







The plan was to visit the AMC Downtown Disney 24 with Dine-In Theatres and check out what's playing on the "Fork and Screen".





JQ was hoping to catch Iron Man 3 or Star Trek 2 and be served like a king at his seat while watching a first-run action flick on the big screen. (a personal goal of his!) Mark was debating a movie vs. Disney Quest depending.

Here were the options: It was around 4pm when we walked in.



Everyone immediately agreed against either movie in 3-D. So Iron Man 3 was out and the next Star Trek showing wasn't until 7pm. Too late for dinner and a movie with a 6am park opening to hit in the morning.

Defeated once again!

Before we leave, we ask if we could see one of the theatres. They were gracious enough to escort us back and we were quick not to disturb.







Looks great and we can't wait to go!

On the way out, I took a few menu photos of what they serve. Their menu is pages long and you can dine in their lobby or theatres. Here's a sample to get an idea. (add in everything you'd normally expect too; - chicken/burgers/salads/wings etc.)









Well that was a bust. Remember, we're winging it here!

We walk over to where we thought the DTD ticket booth was to swap our paper AP's for the new plastic MyMagic+ compatible versions.



I guess we haven't been here in a while. Apparently it's moved! Who knew?

So we walk

DTD was quiet and peaceful late Thursday afternoon. The calm before the holiday weekend storm I presume. We try to take advantage of these "off-peak within peak" times. They're rare.

You'll notice we're in the food and entertainment district - of course! And not the shopping areas!! I love how this sectionis now. Just beautiful. And with so much potential. Can't wait for the unveiling of the expansion.





I don't know how much the pontoon boats are, but it's on JQ's Disney bucket list! Wouldn't it be great if we could pick up our group in one of these at the treehouse dock in Sept?



So Here's the Ticket Booth!!

This photo is particularly telling because I know these two characters so well. They're both in mega motion in this shot. It's a common ailment they share as father and son whenever they're close to the action.




Ok, let's wrap up our second day. Tomorrow is BIG!!!

We exchange our AP’s (only JQ and I have them) Iron Man is on his own, but decides to take advantage of the Disney Quest free pass that came with our room, and waves goodbye.

We decide to use some CS credits at Wolfgang Puck Express. For anyone who isn't familiar, this is a great option for quick service. There are two WP Express locations in DTD. The main one (which has an extensive menu and serves B,L,D) is a stand alone restaurant at the Marketplace next to the Christmas Shop.

We tend to go there often. Check it out!!!

But since we were Westside - we visited the smaller one tucked inside their two other restaurants on property. The Café and The Dining Room,





It has a very limited menu in comparison. The sandwiches are made to order at the other venue vs. premade here in a to go case - so keep that in mind. The soups, pizzas and classic menu items are all prepared and served the same at both locations.



Our choices:

Rotisserie Chicken - delicious!!



Margherita Pizza - this is a great pizza you can get as CS on the dining plan!!! Highly recommend!



All desserts are conveniently packaged to go here. We grabbed a carrot cake (which is the same one they serve in the main restaurant - so good!!) and a yogurt parfait for tomorrow's all nighter.



We head back to the POP and I take a final shot of the bridge connecting to the Art of Animation Resort before we prep for tomorrow.



Next up: Three adults take on a Monster 24-hr bash at the Magic Kingdom!!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

loving your report so far - really detailed which is great. Can't wait to see how your 24hr experience was

We did the auto-train once when I was younger. Going down we just did coach and to be honest, it was pretty awful. Now, granted we were a family so perhaps solos or couples would be fine - but we could just not get any sleep in the seats and it just didn't work for us.

For the way back we switched to a cabin - I think it was a family one but this was years ago so options may have been different to what they have now. It was much, much better BUT at that point it came in, price wise, more than flying - so given how long the ride takes we found it just wasn't a great option for us. Cool to do once but not sure if we will ever do again. Maybe try it once when my kids are a bit older if they are really into trains, etc.

 

[poison ivy]

loving your report so far - really detailed which is great. Can't wait to see how your 24hr experience was

We did the auto-train once when I was younger. Going down we just did coach and to be honest, it was pretty awful. Now, granted we were a family so perhaps solos or couples would be fine - but we could just not get any sleep in the seats and it just didn't work for us.

For the way back we switched to a cabin - I think it was a family one but this was years ago so options may have been different to what they have now. It was much, much better BUT at that point it came in, price wise, more than flying - so given how long the ride takes we found it just wasn't a great option for us. Cool to do once but not sure if we will ever do again. Maybe try it once when my kids are a bit older if they are really into trains, etc.

Welcome!! and thanks for checking in.

I think the price compared to flying is a big factor. Always has been with us too. But airfare seems to be more and more these days with all the hidden fees. So I'll always be checking this option for future plans.

this worked out really well for us this time - and we will book it for Mark's return in Jan. I already see where autos are more and the coach fare is higher for that month but it's a necessary expense given the age of his truck.

Interesting to hear your experience when you were younger. I can see where the coach seats with their limited recline would be harder on kids and teens to get comfortable. I was thinking I'd need the equivalent of a long bubble coat or body pillow to maximize support. Being able to stretch out to sleep in the roomette was nice.

Glad you're curious about our 24hr day. I'm anxious to share it!!

 

[leslie826]

Enjoying your TR! I grew up in Philly, but now live in Northern Va, so your pics from 95 are very familiar! We live about 15 minutes from the auto train and will be taking it for the first time next month. I definitely agree with you about the DDP. I have always been a die-hard fan until I crunched the numbers. Turns out it doesn't work in our favor.

 

[Henlady]

Thanks for the pics of the "Dine In" at the AMC theatre, I was wondering how they would manage eating space while watching the movie. Very nice set up. Will definitely have to try that sometime.
Whenever we do a "budget" trip to WDW, we stay at POP. It is a very decent resort especially if you aren't spending much time in the room. I actually like POP's food court offerings better than all the other resorts.

 

[poison ivy]

Enjoying your TR! I grew up in Philly, but now live in Northern Va, so your pics from 95 are very familiar! We live about 15 minutes from the auto train and will be taking it for the first time next month. I definitely agree with you about the DDP. I have always been a die-hard fan until I crunched the numbers. Turns out it doesn't work in our favor.

Hi and welcome! Hope you have a great trip next month. So many Diser's are from the Northeast it feels like we're all neighbors. I agree with you on the numbers with the mealplan. I'll post a tally at the end of this report to recap our food expenses half on / half off the ddp.

Thanks for the pics of the "Dine In" at the AMC theatre, I was wondering how they would manage eating space while watching the movie. Very nice set up. Will definitely have to try that sometime.
Whenever we do a "budget" trip to WDW, we stay at POP. It is a very decent resort especially if you aren't spending much time in the room. I actually like POP's food court offerings better than all the other resorts.

I know. we were so curious about that dine-in theatre. The pictures are pretty blurred unfortunately - but if you squint, you can see people sitting up or reclining back very comfortably. We'll get there too.

The POP has completely revived it's menu recently. I'll post some pictures of our day at the food court. stay tuned.

 

[poison ivy]

Day 3 – May 24. 2013

A Monster 24-hrs at the Magic Kingdom!

Part I

Only once in Disney’s history have they have offered to keep the Magic Kingdom open for 24hrs straight!

Leap Day –- February 29, 2012

Until Now

A special announcement was made in April to commemorate a kickoff celebration of their “monstrous summer” for 2013 -

The Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World would be open for 24hrs on May 24, 2013!!

What great timing!!

I’'d love to believe there was a method to Mark’'s madness in choosing that Memorial Day CP start date -– but he picked it way before this.

I'’d also love to believe it was fate that we had to travel down a few days earlier due to rail fares -– and maybe it was.

But seriously, what were the odds? We’'re never this lucky!

Two of us were psyched! JQ - not so much. After seeing a few videos from Leap Day last year he wasn'’t feeling the love over the prospect of being in a park for 24hrs. Looked like a bunch of kids lying around everywhere. No thanks.

I told him: "“you don’t get it”." “"The company has only done this once before in its’ entire history”." “"I’'ve been going since the 70’s"”
“"We already have AP’s, and we'’re already gonna be down there”. “I'’m going”"

His response: “"ok, I'’m in.”"

I told Mark he’'d need a ticket and since he was in the College Program the following week, we weren'’t buying him more than one day. He decided on a park hopper, so he could make a Stars Wars action figure at the Studios too.

(He didn'’t think he'’d get another chance. He had plans to visit universal on Sunday and would probably be working the following weekend -– which was the last opportunity)

So Mark called and scheduled a “D-Tech Me” time for 4pm at the Studios on Sat. May 24.

I called and reserved The Plaza for lunch at 11am and Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner at 8pm.

That was all the pre-planning we did!

Fast forward to Thurs. night 5/23.

We’re back at the POP and we have to map out a strategy for the next day.

Several hurdles are discussed: here are JQ’s replies.

1) what time do we get up? "3:30 am"
2) what time should we leave here? "4:30 am latest"
3) do we drive? "yes"
4) where can we get coffee that early? "IDK - we don'’t have a coffee maker in our room."
5) will we be let back into the park when we return from the Studios? "Hopefully –- we have that 8:00 pm ADR at Liberty Tree to haggle with."
6) how do we survive all day and night without getting tired, bored or injuring ourselves? "IDK - we have to come up with something"
7) are we too old for this? "YES"

I revisit the front desk hoping they received brochures for the MK party. They did! Great!!





We pour over it. I’'m looking for coffee and all the times. I see a breakfast announcement at Casey’s and Cosmic Rays -– 2am to 6am. That'’s the next day. No good.

We look at the Quick Service “special hours” section and see only 1 place open at 6am - Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. I ask James, “"do you know where this is?"” He says, “no, we’ll figure it out.”

Great! Cross that off the list. Only thing left to do - plan a strategy.

We look over the brochure again and all I see are tons of characters, rides, shows, and dining times listed all night long.

I offer my opinion:– "“the only way we survive without getting bored and tired is to make it a “24” mission. In honor of the spirit of the all-nighter, we should hit all the major headliners in increments of 24.”"

That’s 24 characters, 24 attractions, 24 food and beverage items and 24 entertainment/other experiences.

Everyone agrees to go for it.

Do we succeed?

stay tuned............