specifics on autotrain

[ten822]

I've seen some threads about the train but none answered my questions. Are pillows and blankets provided in sleeper cars? How are the community bathrooms? Better or worse than airplanes? Also, does anyone have pictures of the family bedroom to share? That is what we booked! Thanks!

 

[kaffinito]

Pillows and blankets are provided for the sleeper cars. Your car attendant will come by to introduce themselves and then find out what time you are leaving your car for dinner. usually they will make your seats into beds at that time. If you need an extra blanket or pillow, they usually have them very handy.

Towels are provided for the shower room as well as some soap. The community bathrooms are better laid out than the privates ones in the rooms - can't remember which room has them. The room bathroom is very small and difficult to use - if you get my drift.

Here's a hint, if you need space for four people to sleep, you can book the roomettes, and request them to be right across from each other. That's how I do it, and the kids are right across from me on the train.

I love taking the Autotrain BTW.

 

[Gillian]

Sorry to bump this up, but I can't find the answers to a few questions. I hope someone can help!
1. Is there a limit to the bag size you can bring in coach? I was thinking of shoving 4 fleece blankets and pillows in a duffle bag. Once emptied it will be flat but I think it has an insert in the bottom so can't be crushed/folded.
2. do they still have towels?
3. do they give you any pillows or blankets in coach?

I'm not overly worried about any of it, just would prefer not to have to repack when we get there.

Thank you!

 

[MdMommy]

1. Is there a limit to the bag size you can bring in coach? I was thinking of shoving 4 fleece blankets and pillows in a duffle bag. Once emptied it will be flat but I think it has an insert in the bottom so can't be crushed/folded.
2. do they still have towels?
3. do they give you any pillows or blankets in coach?
Thank you!

I don't know if there is a limit on the size of bags, but we have ridden coach on the auto train several times and we take full size pillows and blankets in those extra large ziploc bags and never had a problem.

I didn't see any towels, but I wasn't really looking for them either. I don't believe there are any showers in the coach cars, so I don't think they would have a reason to provide towels.

They have pillows and blankets in coach, but they are those really small kind. I find it much more comfortable to bring my regular size pillows and blankets.

 

[Gillian]

Thank you! I'm going to assume that with 4 people they will be a little flexible about how you pack your things. The kids have seats but will only be carrying little bags.

I am no longer worried about towels. We're leaving soon and it's time to start letting things go, right? We might visit Aquatica when we get in because it will be too early to check in at our timeshare. I know they have showers there and I know we'll need our own towels.

This is such a weird trip for us - no Disney, taking the train for the first time, staying in a timeshare.

 

[Henlady]

There are no cloth towels in the Coach bathrooms, only paper towels. I always pack a wash cloth and hand towel to use to wash up in the morning, much better than the paper towels provided. The shower facilities are only in the sleeper areas.

 

[chartle]

The kids have seats but will only be carrying little bags.

I you mean the kids have car seats, I don't know how that would work? There are no seat belts and if you put them in there car seat they wouldn't be able to recline.

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

Just wanted to add that the pillow and blanket provided is VERY VERY VERY small. We wish we had brought our own along ... as it seemed the 'regulars' on the train knew exactly what to bring. MANY travelers had carried on their own comforters and full size pillows.

I don't recall any towels.

 

[Gillian]

No I mean they have regular seats. I don't know if there's any space under them or around them.

They're too big for car seats (and strollers and diaper bags -- yay!).

ETA blankets are packed, pillows next. Thank you!

 

[chartle]

No I mean they have regular seats. I don't know if there's any space under them or around them.

They're too big for car seats (and strollers and diaper bags -- yay!).

There is a really big shelf area above the seats like you find on tour buses but as wide as the two seats. We had a full train and the bin area wasn't full at all. Not at all like the overhead bins on a plane.

 

[bdcp]

There are no cloth towels in the Coach bathrooms, only paper towels. I always pack a wash cloth and hand towel to use to wash up in the morning, much better than the paper towels provided. The shower facilities are only in the sleeper areas.

I thought I saw showers in the coach car down where the bathrooms are. But we've had a roomette so maybe that's what I''m remembering. We'll be in a bedroom this next trip so we'll have our own bathroom.

 

[chartle]

I thought I saw showers in the coach car down where the bathrooms are. But we've had a roomette so maybe that's what I''m remembering. We'll be in a bedroom this next trip so we'll have our own bathroom.

No showers in steerage a I mean coach.

 

[bicker]

Folks were very very very upset about the movie on-board last night. Evidently Amtrak selected film that would appeal to children instead of their mostly senior citizen clientele and there were a lot of irate passengers last night.

 

[chartle]

Folks were very very very upset about the movie on-board last night. Evidently Amtrak selected film that would appeal to children instead of their mostly senior citizen clientele and there were a lot of irate passengers last night.

OK what movie? You can't leave people hanging.

 

[Maryrn11168]

Still waiting for the movie

 

[bicker]

Sorry... very very very busy. I'm lucky if I have enough time to shave in the morning these days.

I don't recall what the movie was... The Last somethingorother. It went hand-in-hand (i.e., same complaints) with the southbound movie, which was Yogi Bear.

 

[bdcp]

Folks were very very very upset about the movie on-board last night. Evidently Amtrak selected film that would appeal to children instead of their mostly senior citizen clientele and there were a lot of irate passengers last night.

Yes, because that is the most important thing about taking the train.

In three round trips (4th this fall) we have never even attempted to watch the movie in the lounge. Some people (particularly seniors) stake out a booth and sit there for just about the entire trip, even sitting up all night playing cards etc. We take the movie WE want to watch on our laptops.

BTW, I have never heard of issues with the movies being shown on any board that discusses the autotrain. Where did you "hear" this?

BTW, they have to show family friendly movies as it is shown in an open lounge. They always show family friendly movies, usually kid friendly ones at that, regardless of when the trip is taking place or who is onboard.

 

[bicker]

Yes, because that is the most important thing about taking the train.

You'd have thought that, but I suppose I do see this from their perspective as well: Most of the time, most passengers are folks who have all the time in the world (given that it takes so much longer) and so they have developed a proprietary attitude and established a level of comfort about how well the train serves their interests, both in terms of getting there and making the journey enjoyable. The fact that there was, effectively, no entertainment provided for senior citizens was offensive to them.

I think we might have a hard time understanding their perspective because we wouldn't subject ourselves to accepting/expecting the entertainment provided to me by any transportation mechanism. We take onto ourselves the obligation of ensuring that we bring with us our own entertainment. I used TiVo Desktop to place-shift some of the television we recorded over the last week, so if we wanted to we could plug in, turn on, and enjoy. I think the older generation is much less comfortable with that concept.

(As an aside: The self-centered cretin sitting in front of us had one of those handheld portables. He insisted on watching several television shows, well into the evening, without headphones. I was going to say something to him, but he looked like he would rip apart anyone who challenged him on it, so none of us passengers complained, and none of the conductors who passed through the car during the evening say Word One to him.)

In three round trips (4th this fall) we have never even attempted to watch the movie in the lounge. Some people (particularly seniors) stake out a booth and sit there for just about the entire trip, even sitting up all night playing cards etc.

Yes. In a way, I think we can think of the train as the poor man's cruise ship: There are a lot of elements of cruise ship service that older folks, especially, appreciate, and hold an unfounded, proprietary interest in. Abridge those things, and they get irate.

As time has gone on, at least with cruise ships, many of these things have gone by the wayside, and you should hear some of the old-timers beat their chests with indignation that their preferences are no longer valued as highly as they were when they better reflected the more profitable customers.

I hope I age much more gracefully and peacefully than that.

BTW, I have never heard of issues with the movies being shown on any board that discusses the autotrain. Where did you "hear" this?

From the conductors. Evidently, they've been getting dumped on trip after trip since the kiddie movies replaced the movie (one of which they said was replaced solely because it had the 'f' word in it once).

BTW, they have to show family friendly movies as it is shown in an open lounge. They always show family friendly movies, usually kid friendly ones at that, regardless of when the trip is taking place or who is onboard.

Evidently that was not the case, according to the conductors on board our trains, vis a vis, the aforementioned 'f' word.

 

[chartle]

I don't recall what the movie was... The Last somethingorother. It went hand-in-hand (i.e., same complaints) with the southbound movie, which was Yogi Bear.

Maybe "The Last Airbender"

 

[bicker]

I seem to remember something about dragons... dunno.