Autotrain: Coach with 1 yo and 5 yo: Crazy?!

[Marshay]

We are contemplating the Autotrain for our return trip from WDW. We are two adults, a 1 year old and a 5 year old. We would get four seats, so the toddler can sleep on her own chair, allowing one parent to still get up as needed.

Would we be crazy to get four coach seats on the Autotrain with two young children? Getting a family room is not an option due to cost.

We are only considering the train for the return trip, b/c we don't know if we'd like it or not but want to give it a try. This way we still have an adventure, after our Disney vacation is over ... and we don't have to be cramped in our SUV.

I've read the old threads on the AT in the Sticky list but it seems like mostly parents with older kids or no kids use the train.

What's your opinion?

Thanks!

 

[Kim&Chris]

We've done the AT a few times, so please bear in mind that this is my own personal opinion.... I think the AT is tough for the little ones. Sleeping in the coach area is pretty difficult. Lots of noise; people snoring, people moving around the cars OR going from car to car (which means the car doors opening and closing throughout the night), babies crying, people talking, etc. It's not easy, and with little kids, I think you might regret that choice.

We weren't really able to sleep well until we got a sleeper car (plus, that was the only way I could convince my DH to do the auto train again!).

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but I just wanted to give you one side of the 'story'.

 

[Marshay]

We've done the AT a few times, so please bear in mind that this is my own personal opinion.... I think the AT is tough for the little ones. Sleeping in the coach area is pretty difficult. Lots of noise; people snoring, people moving around the cars OR going from car to car (which means the car doors opening and closing throughout the night), babies crying, people talking, etc. It's not easy, and with little kids, I think you might regret that choice.

We weren't really able to sleep well until we got a sleeper car (plus, that was the only way I could convince my DH to do the auto train again!).

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but I just wanted to give you one side of the 'story'.

This is exactly what we need to know. We are all heavy sleepers but I don't know how it would be on a train. The whole snoring thing may drive me crazy. That's a good point. We sleep through thunder storms and the kids sleep through each other crying, so maybe the noise wouldn't be so bad? Hmmm, maybe wishful thinking...

I'm hoping we'll be so worn out from our incredible vacation that we'll sleep ... but part of taking the train is so DH and I are more rested to go back to work the next full day.

Anything else to add?

 

[Hannathy]

Not the auto train but I took the train from Milwaukee to Philadelphia so roughly the same amount of time and I went by myself with a 1 yr old and a 6 yr old and we had coach seats. The kids esp. the 1 yr old had absolutely no trouble sleeping. I think he slept better because the train was like one night long rocking. the motion really does lull you to sleep. My kids have made this trip more times than I can remember driving and they really like the train better. You can get up and walk around and go get a snack and just move in general instead of being in a car seat or seat belt sitting all the time. From the sounds of it your kids won't have any trouble sleeping. I truly didn't find it very noisy at all.

 

[Marshay]

Not the auto train but I took the train from Milwaukee to Philadelphia so roughly the same amount of time and I went by myself with a 1 yr old and a 6 yr old and we had coach seats. The kids esp. the 1 yr old had absolutely no trouble sleeping. I think he slept better because the train was like one night long rocking. the motion really does lull you to sleep. My kids have made this trip more times than I can remember driving and they really like the train better. You can get up and walk around and go get a snack and just move in general instead of being in a car seat or seat belt sitting all the time. From the sounds of it your kids won't have any trouble sleeping. I truly didn't find it very noisy at all.

Hey, thanks for the response! I'm glad to know that the kids can make it on the train and sleep. I guess for us, it'll just be a thing we need to try.

The whole "being able to get up and walk around" thing just sounds so much better than being cooped up in our SUV for 12 hours (driving).

But I am worried about the sleeping part ...