Amtrak

[kevinob]

Hello all,

I have been lurking in here for years, but I finally have a question. I am planning a 08/08 trip, using Amtrak, to Kissimmee. I live in Pennsylvania. First, has anyone recently used Amtrak, and could describe the level of service, comfort etc....... and secondly, what will it cost me to get from the station in Kissimmee to Disney. I rode the train to disney in 1976, but i'm sure alot has changed. thanks in advance.

[hoop de do]

First off - :welcome: Quit lurking and start posting, we love the company.
Our family has used the AutoTrain from Lorton, VA to Sanford, Fl several times. I am not familiar with just the train ride. The AutoTrain was very nice (food,snacks,lounge car, etc.) and we like having our own car in WDW. AMTRAK has a web site regarding the train and pricing. Hope I helped you a little and don't forget to ask questions or post anytime.
:thumbsup:

[dizne4me]

Our family of 5 used Amtrak from Wilm., DE to Kissimmee. They had a very attractive offer going on at the time (roundtrip for all 5 of us was $350.) - we rode coach. The seats are really comfortable - but the ride is soooooo long and there were several times we would stop on the tracks for anywhere from 30 minutes on up to 3 hours of waiting for CSX trains to pass (something about it being CSX tracks that Amtrak borrows from them). Personally, I would not do the train again...but there were plenty of people who just really "knew" how to ride the train - they would have a bucket of KFC, and snacks, a little cooler of sodas and juices (some of them had beer) and some people even brought those little black and white tvs with antenna- so everyone played "Wheel of Fortune" on the train. We also got off in Kissimmee (alot people don't realize they are closer to Disney in Kiss. instead of Orlando). We used Hertz (either them or Budget - which ever has a small office in the Kissimmee airport(it's just a small airport mostly private jets and charters). They picked us up from the train station in Kissimmee and even returned us to the train station when we had to leave. It was the best service and car we ever used. I hope you have a good trip.

[wedoada]

We used Amtrak for our last trip in Oct 06 from New Hampshire to Orlando.

The seats were comfy and the staff was great. Meals were pre-packaged microwave stuff and pretty expensive but still fine. We brought snack stuff with us on the trip home to save a little $$.

The train from Washington DC south was VERY full but still comfortable. Tho only complaint we has was that we were near the bar car and so the bathroom got overused by the bar patrons and could have been cleaned a little more frequently because of that.

We would travel by Amtrak again !

This was with me (a wheelchair user) my wife and two kids...8yo son and 2yo daughter. Long trip.

[Sylvia]

Hello all,

I have been lurking in here for years, but I finally have a question. I am planning a 08/08 trip, using Amtrak, to Kissimmee. I live in Pennsylvania. First, has anyone recently used Amtrak, and could describe the level of service, comfort etc....... and secondly, what will it cost me to get from the station in Kissimmee to Disney. I rode the train to disney in 1976, but i'm sure alot has changed. thanks in advance.

I've taken AMTRAK from Philadelphia to Orlando many times, both solo and with family and friends.

My first suggestion would be to go to the Orlando Station ILO Kissimmee. A few years ago, back when Kissimmee was the "Official WDW AMTRAK Station", we decided to get off there. But we ran into problems; the station wasn't open, there was no taxi stand, and the only phone we could find didn't have a phone book. We had to call information to find out the telephone number for a local cab company.

The Orlando Station is a full-service station. It stays open during the day, with a waiting area, an open ticket office, information, vending machines, and rest room facilities. There are always taxis at the station and there is a shuttle service (in conjunction with AMTRAK) similar to the service from the airport (multiple stops at various hotels/resorts). If you want to splurge, you can also make a reservation with Happy Limo (a sponsor of this site) for round trip service.

Another advantage - the Orlando station handles checked baggage.

I'm a little fuzzy on the prices, but if I remember correctly, a taxi will be approximately $50 one way, plus tip, the shuttle with multiple stops will be approximately $40 round trip, plus tip, and Happy Limo will be approximately $100 round trip, plus tip. The actual fares may be a little higher than those listed, but not by much.

As for AMTRAK, I've traveled by coach and also by sleeper.

I've traveled several times by coach. The seat reclines and has a leg rest, and is comfortable. The only problem is, if the train is full, the car can be a little noisy. If you're the type of person who can sleep anywhere, you won't have a problem. If you're a AAA member, you can get a 10% discount on the coach fare.

I prefer sleeper, simply because I like having my own personal "space"; the compartment has rest room facilities (sink, toilet, etc.) plus towels/washcloths/soap, the door can be locked, and you'll have privacy. When you're ready to turn in for the night, the attendant will prepare your bed. Fares for sleepers include the basic round trip coach fare, plus costs for sleeping accommodations. Sleepers are first class accommodations, so all meals in the dining car are included in the fare.

If you check the AMTRAK website, you can find out the actual fares.

Hope this helps.

[King Triton]

Have a good trip!

The one thing you can count on, unfortunately, is that your train will run late. Amtrak's not known for staying on schedule, especially in the east. As disne4me posted, the main problem is that Amtrak does not own the tracks they use. Therefore, in many areas, they must yield to freight trains...and as I'm sure you've seen, some of them are quite long. You can poke around on the amtrak.com site and look at train status for your train for past trips...I think they keep about a week there, but it might be longer.

[JustCallMeSquishy]

IMHO I would fly. I did DC to Kissimmee roundtrip. NEVER AGAIN!! We were 3 hours late on the arrival and 5 hours late on the way home. The a/c broke down. It was miserably hot...

It is just way to long to sit in a seat for me. Over 24 hours...