Taking Amtrak on to Orlando with a 2.5 yr old?

[Selket]

We are considering another trip to WDW sometime later this year and there is DH and myself and 2 children - one will be about 7 yrs old and the other one a bit older than 2.5. Dh would like to fly but flying makes me nervous. He'd rather not drive again. The train leaves our city about 4:30 p.m. and arrives in Orlando the next morning at 11:30 - no changing trains. Anyone try this with a young child and how did it go? I'm just wondering if he'd be able to sleep. We'd probably plan the arrival day as down time (not a park day). I don't want to arrive miserable and make everyone else on the train miserable. The younger DS usually sleeps very well in his crib and is typical otherswise! (the sleeping cars are too expensive for us to consider otherwise that would be perfect)

Any thoughts? I'm anxious not to fly!

 

[mcnuss]

I have never taken Amtrak further than Boston-Washington, DC, but from my experience, I would say that this is not a good plan. The Amtrak trains are not very comfortable (in fact, other than the new Acela, they are pretty icky). The lavs are nasty. The seats are pretty shot for the most part. I doubt either of your kids would sleep unless you got a sleeper.

I know you're nervous to fly, but think of the 100s upon 100s of flights that take off and land safely every single day - compared to the 100s upon 100s of people killed or injured in car accidents over the same time span - and it bodes pretty well for air travel. I'd fly!

 

[justhat]

I often take Amtrak from DC to NJ and for those 3 hours it's not bad. But taking it all the way to Orlando is something else. The seats don't recline much so unless your kids are able to sleep well in an upright position, they probably wouldn't sleep much during the trip, leaving you all exhausted by the time you get there. With a sleeper car I'm sure you'd be okay, but I know what you mean about the expense. We're looking at sending my grandmother-in-law to NJ from New Orleans on Amtrak since she won't fly either, and the price for her and my 16 yo brother-in-law (we don't want to send her alone) is more than it would cost them to fly to NJ and will take 2-3 days. I'm not a huge fan of flying either, so I often look for another option, but with a trip that long and 2 young kids, I would go for the plane.

 

[DC7800]

Amtrak trains on the Boston-New York-D.C.-Richmond Northeast Corridor really do not compare to long-distance trains outside of the corridor. The coaches are newer and seat fewer passengers per car, meaning more leg room, and with leg rests recline much more comfortably. If you take blankets and pillow(s) from home, your children should be small enough to sufficiently stretch out. For the adults, if you can sleep in a recliner, you should have few problems in coach.

Corridor trains have only "Sandwich, snack, & beverage" service; long-distance trains carry a dining car in addition to a full lounge. The diner food is generally regarded as quite good, and excellent considering the restaurant is moving 79 mph. Sleepers are very, very nice, of course, but one night in coach is not a bad trip at all and so far superior to airline coach any comparison would be ludicrous.

 

[dsnycrzy]

Everytime I've gone to WDW I've taken the train. This is my first year taking to sleper car and I'm not even sure about a $300 addition to my already $300 fare (that's for myself, DS-8, DD11 and DD2. We have always done coach and it was fine. We bring coloring books, gameboys, uno, they each have a walkman and this year for christmas the each got that "Video Now" player with pleanty of cd things to keep them busy. Me, I take a book, some magazines and my cd player. I usually pack a cooler with box juices and sandwiches and snack because my kids are picky eaters. I bring a flannel sheet (blankets are too bulky for me to lug around) for each of us and they give you little pillows. I've never done the sleeper thing but they are really expensive. I can't see me looking aroung for a reasonable hotel for $40-$60 a night and then spending $300 for a tiny train bed a night. (and the $300 is if I didn't put the baby on but put her as a lap child. With her on it went from $300 to $1200 for a deluxe room because it would be 4 people. I pay $1200 for my hotel for 2 weeks in FL. I wouldn't dare give amtrak all that money). The 2.5 year old will be fine if you bring his favorite toys and books. There is a lounge area that he can stretch out a little more in to color of whatever.
As for the bathrooms, yes it does get yucky with all those people and no one policing them. I take gloves (like from the clinic or hospital) and one of those lysol wipes or whatever. A 20second wipe of the sink and I'm sure no one sits on the toilets anyway,I put a couple of paper towels on the floor if it's wet and wipe it with my foot back and forth. Then with the glove on, I throw everything, glove included in the trash wash my hands with hot water and the use that wipe or the purell and that's it. 2 minutes tops. we brush our teeth, wash or faces and that's it.
hope this helps you. Think about this. Your son will see a whole lot more horse and cows and stuff on the train them he'll see on a plane

 

[Selket]

An interesting range of responses! LOL! I did take a very long Amtrak trip as a young teenager going across the country and back and down the Cali coast so I know how that was. Sleeping on the train is one of those things...either it works or doesn't! I would take the plane but the anxiety over flying can ruin a trip - even after I'm there I have to fly back. Someone at my workplace was on the 9/11 plane that crashed into the Pentagon and she had her family with her (2 little girls about the ages of my kids and DH) and I just can't imagine. My last plane trip was pre-9/11 and I was nervous enough then (I colored my son's entire coloring book there and back - LOL!). Frankly though I'm less concerned about terrorists than just the plane breaking down, etc. Rational brain knows flying is safer but the panic part won't listen

So I guess the train is doable but arrival day would be recovery time (which it is anyway if we drive...even worse if we drive!).

Thanks for the input!

 

[GaryWT]

We have flown as a family about 4 times before and after 9/11 and would fly again but, we just booked amtrak to Orlando from Boston in April. We were planning a trip and the $$ of air was as much as a week long stay. The price of the train for 5 was $630 round trip. It will take us 28 hours but we are looking at it as a new family adventure. Boston to NY, change trains and NY to Orlando. It was explained to us that the trains to Orlando are nicer and more comfortable than the other train, lets hope it is. The sleeper was adding to much $$. We have 5 reserved coach seats for the entire trip. All we are hoping for is that it is a positive adventure.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have taking the train from Dedham,Ma to Orlando the last 4 - 6 years. I dont like to fly. Its not the greatest ride, but its the only way i can make it there. Just make sure you have like books, cd, tapes, etc for the kids. I also bring a small roll suit case with like box snacks, wheat thins, popcorn,crackers, etc cause i am a picky eater. you can get like hot dogs, pizza ,muffins, tonic,tea coffee, etc at the little lounge area. we have had dinner and breakfast in the cafe part of the train, it was actually decent but a litte pricy. also we have gone in Oct,June and August. We always make sure we wear long pants, we pack our over night stuff to. The train AC gets really really chilly. So we have like long sleeve jerseys,pants and either sweatshirt or jackets. The last 2 trips i actually brought a little blanket. One year we bought a blanket for i think 10.00 on the train. they give you little tiny pillows. oh yeah last summer i actually brought a travel pillow, you blow it up. it worked really well for me. its actually almost 2 days, so we just arrive at hotel , check in ,settle the luggage and shower. We usually eat and or swim and then go downtown disney. just relax the first day cause you will be tired. let us know when you get back how it was. oh yeah, take like the wet wipes they come in very handy.lol..

 

[melee]

Hi Selket,
About 5 years ago, I travelled Amtrak from Boston to S. Bend IN alone with our 3 kids aged 7, 4 and 2/12. It was about a 24 hour trip. We changed from a corridor train to a nicer train in Washington DC. The kids slept fine in the reclining seats. I took pictures of them all sacked out. I put our 2 year old in his pajamas at bed time and did as many of his bedtime rituals as possible. He slept in the seat next to me. The girls slept in sweatsuits. We brought travel pillows and fleece throws from home. I didn't really sleep at all because I felt the sole responsibility for watching the kids in a strange, semi-public place and couldn't have all three of them within touching range. I think your arrival day of relaxation is a great idea. The kids won't need it, but you and your husband probably will! For dining, I packed a collapsible cooler with Lunchables (out of the box to take up less cooler space). I flattened the boxes and brought them along, too. It sounds silly, but the boxes are part of the meal entertainment for my kids. I also packed lots of other stuff, like juice boxes, small yoghurts, crackers, etc. We ate supper in the snack car and breakfast in the dining car.
Our train on the outbound trip was a double decker. On the way back it was a single. I highly recommend being upstairs if possible. There's less foot traffic and no drafts when the doors open. I had no problem with bathroom cleanliness on the way to S. Bend. I asked for and received permission to use the handicapped restroom because I had to take all three kids in with me. On the single decker train returning to Boston,the bathrooms were truly disgusting and almost unusable by the end of the trip. I wish I had brought some disinfecting wipes. all I had were diaper wipes.
All in all, the train was a great experience for the kids and would have been even better if Daddy had been along for the ride!
Enjoy your trip.