Taking the train from Kansas City to DL - advice?

[hanutedmansionmomma]

I'm considering the pros/cons for taking the train vs driving from KS to DL. Looks like we'd pay about $500 more to take the train and save about 16 hours on the road. We'd save and hotel and food 4 nites, and get sleeper car which includes meals. And the best part, I think, we wouldn't be worn out from driving 24 hours. We've never taken a train before. I haven't yet figured out how we'd get around once we're there...

Has anyone taken Amtrak to DL? Train anywhere? Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[Carmatts]

The Anaheim train station is located at Anaheim Stadium, only 2-3 miles from DL.
From there you can take the Art bus to DLR. rideart.org is their web address
I'm sure there are other shuttles and/or taxi's you can take from the station as well.
I do not have any experience on Amtrak, so I couldn't help you on what their experience is like.

 

[FlameGirl]

Amtrak is fun but stops being fun pretty quick. Every time I've looked into taking a train somewhere, I've always ended up just paying the extra $$ to fly.

Are you opposed to flying? Amtrak really isn't cheap when you get right down to it. Compared to driving I guess it would be.

 

[disneydreamerbelle]

I had some family take it from Vancouver to Anaheim. They said it was horrible. By the end of the trip the bathrooms were dirty and out of toilet paper in quite a few. They didn't sleep well because of all the stops and announcements. It smelled by the end. Then someone stepped out in front of the train coming into LA and they couldn't catch the connection into Anaheim because of the investigation. They ended up with a $150 cab ride from the LA station into Anaheim at 1:00AM just to get there - otherwise it was going to be 4-6 hours before they would have the train going again.

They said they would never recommend it. Good luck though whatever you choose. Disneyland is worth it no matter how you get there.

 

[EKW]

I haven't done the Amtrak, but I flew from KCI to John Wayne. Have you checked the prices on Southwest? I think the last time I looked they were about $99 from there.

When I was a kid my family took Amtrak from Omaha to Denver. We didn't have a sleeping berth and it was overnight. It was not comfy, but I had a good time. Mind you, that's less than half the distance you'd be traveling. And, we had delays due to an accident on the tracks.

Do you remember Charles Gusewelle...he used to write for the Star...(maybe he still does...)? He wrote often about his daughter's adventures with Amtrak between St. Louis and KC. He said that any time there was a freight train they moved the passenger train off the main line to let it pass...so it took 8 or 10 hours for her to get home...instead of the 3 hour drive.

Personally, I'd much rather fly. Check it out...one time I thought my boys and I would take the train to Wichita to see a friend, and they wanted over $500 for the tickets! Flying cost us about $200 less than that!

 

[hambirg]

I have taken Amtrak once, from Seattle to ND. It was beautiful. . .of course we traveled through the Cascades, the Rockies and the Badlands. It was cheaper than flying, but ND is expensive to fly into. . .and we would have had to fly into Bismark which is still about 200 miles from where we were going. I don't know if your situation from Kansas is the same. We didn't have a sleeper, but sleeping in the reclining seats wasn't bad.

I would say fly if you can find reasonable air fare. I know it would cost us more to take the train from here (Tacoma) than it would to fly into Anaheim. I still would like to take the train some day, as you get to see so much more scenery.

ETA- always keep checking the promos on Amtrak as well. Right now they have kids fares 50% off if traveling to DL for D23 Expo.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

Amtrak is fun but stops being fun pretty quick. Every time I've looked into taking a train somewhere, I've always ended up just paying the extra $$ to fly.

Are you opposed to flying? Amtrak really isn't cheap when you get right down to it. Compared to driving I guess it would be.

OP here...yeah, I've been opposed to flying for a few years now. Maybe it's time to get back on a plane! Flew for a while, then had an interesting experience on one flight, shall we say. We have really enjoyed driving, it's nice to have control over stops/starts, stop and sightsee if we want, etc. The only real downside is time it takes.

Thanks everyone for the reports. I forgot I had heard about stinky stoppy trains before. Must have blocked it out.

Will look into flights and meds perhaps

 

[nunzia]

I had some family take it from Vancouver to Anaheim. They said it was horrible. By the end of the trip the bathrooms were dirty and out of toilet paper in quite a few. They didn't sleep well because of all the stops and announcements. It smelled by the end. Then someone stepped out in front of the train coming into LA and they couldn't catch the connection into Anaheim because of the investigation. They ended up with a $150 cab ride from the LA station into Anaheim at 1:00AM just to get there - otherwise it was going to be 4-6 hours before they would have the train going again.

They said they would never recommend it. Good luck though whatever you choose. Disneyland is worth it no matter how you get there.

Wow..I take the train all the time. When it's just myself or myself and DH I spring for a roomette and love it. I'll be heading out in 7 days for the Expo..by train The route from KC will probably be the Southwest Chief..it is easier to get off in Fullerton instead of going all the way into LA and then getting on another train to Anaheim. Fullerton is very close to the park as well. The scenery is great in many places and having a roomette just makes it better. Yes, the bathrooms can get groddy, but even in coach I see the attendants do their best to keep them as pleasant as possible. The only bathroom issues we've had on roomettes was a pressure problem that had to do with altitude chnages and again, it was kept as decent as possible.
I took a cab from the Anaheim station to Union Station in LA and it was $75, not $150. Yes, there are sometimes delays but at least you are on a train and can wander around when that happens, and not be stuck in a postage stamp sized seat with your knees in your face like on a plane.
Anyway..I say give a try and then you'll know if you like train travel or not..

PS..HATE to fly and the meds don't help at all..just make me yawn while hating every second

 

[KCmike]

Hey Neighbor!!!!

We have taken the train from KC to Chicago one time and it was fun but it stopped frequently and added alot of time vs. us just driving up there. I agree with above poster that the train was fun at first but the novelty soon wore off. The prices for amtrak are usually just as high or higher than flying. Southwest has amazing deals out of KC and they usually offer non stop flying from our hub. Last time I checked, Southwest was offering a non stop flight at several times each day for as little as $89-$94 each way. You could then take the supershuttle out to the resort.

When are you thinking of going, where are you staying?
Have you been to Disneyland before?

 

[FlameGirl]

OP here...yeah, I've been opposed to flying for a few years now. Maybe it's time to get back on a plane! Flew for a while, then had an interesting experience on one flight, shall we say. We have really enjoyed driving, it's nice to have control over stops/starts, stop and sightsee if we want, etc. The only real downside is time it takes.

Thanks everyone for the reports. I forgot I had heard about stinky stoppy trains before. Must have blocked it out.

Will look into flights and meds perhaps

I hate flying too. HATE it. A Xanax, 30 minutes before boarding, can change your life.

Good luck.

 

[Magix]

I took the train in April 2010 from Fullerton to Chicago (through Kansas City). I was by myself, but sprang for the private room. If you are travelling with more than 2 people, keep in mind that the room is extremely small. They may say it sleeps 4, but I fail to see how that's possible. It could sleep 3, but you'd be very close! There is nothing but a couch-type seating area (which later becomes your bed, when it's pulled out) and a single chair with a small folding table in between. The toilet/shower is extremely tiny and your sink/mirror is in the main part of the room. When the bed is pulled out, you have to climb over the end of the bed to get past the sink area (and have to basically sit or crouch on the bed to use the sink). There is no room for luggage, so if you have more than 1 bag (total) in the room with you, you'll encounter problems. Bear in mind, also, that I don't think they ever clean the floors of the rooms (at least, that's how it appeared). Dining was fine, you are seated with other passengers at a 4 person table, which I actually found fairly entertaining. Food was decent, no worse than an airplane. Temperatures in the train cars varied widely. My part of the car was fairly hot, while the other end of the car was freezing cold. I actually managed to sleep okay, but I'm able to get back to sleep quickly after being awakened (by stops - which are minimal overnight). Although, there was one overnight stop, where I was convinced the train engineer had a personal grudge against the city, because he blew his horn all the way through the town at something like 2:00am (which I'm sure kept the citizens awake, just like it did me).

But, seriously, the trip took something like 42 hours. And after the first 24, I was ready to flip my lid! There's only so much you can do to entertain yourself when you're stuck in a less than comfortable box. My iPod helped, but not quite enough.

I only took the train, so that I could fulfill my childhood dream of riding the "Silver Streak" train to Chicago. That part of it was fun. But, that's all that was fun about it. I'm so glad I had booked a plane trip home!! If you can possibly take a plane and stand it, do so. The train is just not worth the cost.

 

[SeattleTink]

I hate flying too. HATE it. A Xanax, 30 minutes before boarding, can change your life.

Good luck.

LOL!

I was going to suggest this very thing.

My DH hates to fly...I mean won't get on a plane or even think about getting on a plane...sweaty palms and panic attack and the whole nine yards...hates it!

His life changed once he went to the Doctor and got a prescription for Xanax. He takes a pill 30 minutes before boarding and he is good to go. It has been a life saver/changer.

I highly recommend drugs.

 

[miry]

My son and I will be taking Amtrak from new mexico in december and have rented a roomette. I'm lookin forward to trying the train. We have no problems with flying we just want to try the train. It's a couple of miles from the anaheim train station to our hotel so we are going to take a cab and then use the ART system to get around the area. I have several friends who take the train to california on a regular basis and haven't heard anything negative from any of them. In fact several of them have encouraged us to try the train. For us it's about an 18 hour ride. I sure hope it's not as bad as it sounds on this board.

 

[Gisele]

Yes, it will take longer by train, in comparison to plane or car. That is a given. That said, I had chosen to ride Amtrak this year, and back in 2008 as well, because what Amtrak is not in comparison to planes is waiting to board, dealing with airport security, having to take your shoes off, belt off, and god knows what all else these days off. Then there are those new machines that can see right down to your bvd's. No thank you to that, unless it is an International flight, or I am traveling to the other side of America (I live in Ca) and maybe even then, I will still take the train. It is also not having to wait for your luggage at the airport on one of those conveyor belt type machines that go around and around,although that can momentarily look entertaining. Also Amtrak does not experience air turbulence. And the toiety is larger than those on the plane. Also, you can sit pretty much anywhere that you would like to, so in the event that someone begins to get on your last nerve, unlike assigned seating on planes, or being stuck in your seat otherwise, you will not be such on the train. Also, there will be no need for air sickness bags, nor Dramamine, nor Valium etc and so on. Also, Amtrak has far better edible fare than peanuts. Yes, food is not free on the train, but anything complimentary on planes has already been paid for by the passenger to begin with. So nothing is free anyway.
The bus.... please... I would need to be drugged up for that trip. And would only travel by this method if I could not afford the train. It goes back to when I needed to travel from Manteca (Don't ask) back to civilization (Sonoma County) although some might beg to differ. Anyway, while on my bus travels, I managed to learn a new language, not all of it good either. See a baby born, another one almost born, someone tried to stow away a chicken in their duffel bag (Again, don't ask) some weirdo was staring at me, and I ended up eating stale chips from one of the bus stops. And no way, was I going to be using the bus privy, not after seeing the line of people that looked like they came straight out of central casting using that toitey.
Ah.... then there is the car.... expensive gasoline, tires blow, engines become overheated, so do the people in said car. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
And if that is not enough, you might just end up feeling like you are in a scene from that classic 70's movie Duel it starred Dennis Weaver..... check it out.... if you have not seen it. It ain't pretty.... so there you have it.... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Which would be fine, if Clint was traveling with you. But he probably ain't. I love Clint, and I can squint with the best of them at this point in my life. What does that have to do with the train? Not really anything, I suppose, I just thought that I would add that part. OK OK, in all fairness to buses, they can be a real life saver, when you really do need to travel from point a to b, and there is no such thing as a plane or train, not yet anyway. They can really save your bacon.
I am planning on riding Amtrak on my next visit to the land too. If you have AAA, you will receive a 10 Percent discount. It comes out to a nice savings. One just needs to book 3 days in advance. And make sure that you have your itinerary totally printed out, for I did not remember the train departure from Anaheim to LA correctly, and well lets just say I love that Denny's is open 24 hours a day.

 

[nunzia]

My son and I will be taking Amtrak from new mexico in december and have rented a roomette. I'm lookin forward to trying the train. We have no problems with flying we just want to try the train. It's a couple of miles from the anaheim train station to our hotel so we are going to take a cab and then use the ART system to get around the area. I have several friends who take the train to california on a regular basis and haven't heard anything negative from any of them. In fact several of them have encouraged us to try the train. For us it's about an 18 hour ride. I sure hope it's not as bad as it sounds on this board.

If you are leaving from Alb (which is what I do) consider getting off in FULLERTON..very close to the park also, and it will save you HOURS of going all the way into LA then getting a train to Anaheim. We arrive in Fullerton at about 6:40 AM..ther are cabs waiting and voila! we are there..super easy and the Fullerton train station is very nice.
On LD trains you do end up with assigned seats, but can always go to viewing car or snack bar or ask to be moved if need be. I LOVE my little roomette, esp when alone..forced relaxation time! perfect.

Maybe I need to get a different prescription..higher dose? I get Xanax and like I said, doesn't help at all, just makes me yawn, but not go to sleep.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

OP again! Now I'm getting swayed back to trainland. And watching a movie called Duel??!

Hello back atcha KC Mike! We considered DL after our summer trip to WDW this year. 108 degrees isn't that much fun, turns out. We've never been to CA either, so I thought we could kill a couple birds with that new adventure and DL on top.

The train would take less time overall because we'd still be moving while we sleep 2 nites - would definitely go the roomette route. Driving, well, we have to stop and get a hotel. I never understood how folks drive all night. Maybe there's a pill for that...again with the pills!!

 

[twopeasonepod]

Whoops edited to add the part about packing and created a double-post!

 

[twopeasonepod]

I definitely vote for flying, since you would have more time at the parks . But if drugs/white knuckling aren't an option, I have done the train before (but different route -- the Cascades) and it was fine. My friend and I just wanted to try it so her son could check it out. It's not perfect, but it's probably better than driving and spending money on hotels, IMO. Also, the whole unpacking and repacking thing would drive me bananas.

 

[FlameGirl]

Re: the Xanax dosage....hmmm. Maybe try 1-1/2 pills. And to be clear, it doesn't make me sleep, per say. It makes me go from white knuckling it, to a dreamy and comfortable state where I swear if they announced the plane was going down, I'd say "oh yeah? Ok then".

PM me if you are interested in dosage.

 

[Gisele]

Duel is definitely a good movie to watch.


Oh my goodness.... now that would be quite the dreamy like state of mind. I might have to look into that pill. If if is better than Valium, then sounds good. For I like Valium, but still if X is better then sign me up, please. Then beam me up Mr. Scot!