Brightline from Fort Lauderdale to Orlado

[voelker06]

We are headed to Disney World after our cruise returns to Port Everglades. Has anyone taken Brightline to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale?
Thanks for any advice!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I did in ‘22. It was a nice way to travel. We came off a HAL cruise and rideshared to the Brightline terminal. Everything was really chill, nothing like the stress of air travel. I found the trains clean, the station was really nice (in CA where I am, if there even is a station, it’s the sort of place you clutch your bags to your person at all times and don’t even think about needing to use a restroom, this place was indoors, clean bathrooms, clean waiting area, not open to the public unless they had train tickets). There is security but it’s super quick as they don’t confiscate liquids or nonsense like that. We checked our suitcases as we didn’t want to deal with them on board. When we arrived in Orlando we did have a little bit of a wait to retrieve them but it wasn’t bad. 10/10 would do again. Note- they drop at Terminal C.

 

[Joanna71985]

Not yet, but I will be in a couple of weeks

 

[voelker06]

I did in ‘22. It was a nice way to travel. We came off a HAL cruise and rideshared to the Brightline terminal. Everything was really chill, nothing like the stress of air travel. I found the trains clean, the station was really nice (in CA where I am, if there even is a station, it’s the sort of place you clutch your bags to your person at all times and don’t even think about needing to use a restroom, this place was indoors, clean bathrooms, clean waiting area, not open to the public unless they had train tickets). There is security but it’s super quick as they don’t confiscate liquids or nonsense like that. We checked our suitcases as we didn’t want to deal with them on board. When we arrived in Orlando we did have a little bit of a wait to retrieve them but it wasn’t bad. 10/10 would do again. Note- they drop at Terminal C.

Thank you so much, that is exactly what I was wanting to hear!!

 

[RuntheMouse]

My DH took it from Miami to MCO this past fall. It was his first train experience and he loved it. It was comfortable, clean and a great way to travel. He had a premium ticket and enjoyed the lounge before his departure. He says he would definitely do it again!

 

[OKW Lover]

Before deciding about the train think about the cost. How many in your party? How much would it cost to rent a car, including gas & tolls? If it's one or two people, then a train might be cheaper. If you've got 3 or more though you might find it's less expensive to just get a car.

 

[hrhdhd]

I've done it several times. It's great.

The train arrives at the Brightline station in Orlando, which is south of Terminal C of MCO. There's no need to go to Terminal C if using a rideshare. Just catch your ride outside the train station.

 

[princesscinderella]

Sign up on the brightline website for emails I get sent coupon codes all the time for half price fares and sales. I have taken the train from MCO to the Ft. Lauderdale station and it was a nice ride and some beautiful scenery through some of the coastal cities. If you are going south on the train the seats don’t flip based on the forward direction of the train so you will be sitting backwards unless you are in the 4 seat grouping that have chairs that face each other. I know some people can get motion sickness due to this. Coming from Ft. L to MCO it’s not an issue however unless you are in a 4 seat group.

 

[holula]

I just rode it from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale and had a great experience. The stations and the trains are really nice. Definitely sign up for their emails as I got a premium fare for $89.

 

[OKW Lover]

Definitely sign up for their emails as I got a premium fare for $89.

Round trip?

 

[hrhdhd]

If you are going south on the train the seats don’t flip based on the forward direction of the train so you will be sitting backwards unless you are in the 4 seat grouping that have chairs that face each other. I know some people can get motion sickness due to this. Coming from Ft. L to MCO it’s not an issue however unless you are in a 4 seat group.

This is not exactly true. There are forward-facing seats in each car that are not at the tables; you can check the seat selection map and it'll show you the direction of the train so you can pick a forward-facing seat if you like.

 

[holula]

Round trip?

One way, considering it included food, drink (including alcohol), checked bag and a $10 Uber credit I thought it was pretty reasonable.

 

[Xalthon]

Our family of 4 took the Brightline from Miami to Orlando after a cruise last year. It was great! We definitely would do it again if we were considering piggy-backing a southern FL cruise and WDW.

The fare for our departure was highly discounted, so it was fairly cost effective as well. If I recall, other departures that day were much more expensive.

 

[meliscan]

I did the Brightlight from Ft lauderdale to MCO and loved it. So much less stress than driving. So even if the cost is a little more than renting a car the pure relaxation of sitting on the train was worth it. We did it for work and we were able to work those hours on the train so when we got to Orlando we could have dinner and go to bed instead of staying up late to work. We did the premium ticket and the lounge and service were outstanding. They kept feeding us and the lounge at the station was lovely. It was so easy disembarking at MCO as well.

 

[jasonriv]

What’s the luggage situation on Brightline? Don’t need to reserve space ahead of time or is there plenty of storage available?

 

[Karalee402]

What’s the luggage situation on Brightline? Don’t need to reserve space ahead of time or is there plenty of storage available?

You can check bags ahead of time (some tickets include a bag, the savers don't) at certain stations or bring carry-ons aboard with you. You'll definitely want to check what the specific rules are for the station you're departing from.

 

[hrhdhd]

What’s the luggage situation on Brightline? Don’t need to reserve space ahead of time or is there plenty of storage available?

You are allowed to carry on two bags. You can put larger bags in the luggage storage area at the end of each coach and smaller bags above your head.

 

[jujubiee4]

Is the rental car area nearby in Terminal C? I requested to pick the car up in Terminal C. Do i need
to cross the street to go inside or is it all connected. thanks

 

[Family Loves Disney]

We are headed to Disney World after our cruise returns to Port Everglades. Has anyone taken Brightline to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale?
Thanks for any advice!

We took the Brightline from MCO to Ft Lauderdale for our cruise and had a very pleasant experience. Cannot say the same from Ft Lauderdale to MCO. The MCO employees were awesome and went above and beyond. Whereas, the Ft Lauderdale employees were rude. I needed to check my bags and the Ft Lauderdale employee acted like I was bothering him. Then I paid for Premium and could not even get into the Premium lounge. When I asked for help, nobody offer to help. Then once on the train, my son and I were told to move by the train attendant so a family could sit together. Granted, I was sick and did not want to move and was put off by how I was treated at the Fort Lauderdale terminal and refused to move. Overall, I will not be using Brightline again.

 

[Jim Libasci]

We're wondering how much it costs and about how long it takes. It looks like it's about a 3 hour drive from Orlando. We'd be driving from Waukegan, Il and we usually stop in Orlando for a day or two before a cruise. it looks like about 1/2 day drive longer.