Silver Meteor or Silver Palm

[BillVas]

I have taken both trains many years ago, but do not remember which had the better scenery. I may go with the train that leaves WAS at 3:05 pm so that I can arrive in Orlando Florida at 11:00 am. Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????

Bill

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have taken both trains many years ago, but do not remember which had the better scenery. I may go with the train that leaves WAS at 3:05 pm so that I can arrive in Orlando Florida at 11:00 am. Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????Bill

You've made a little verbal slip. You said Silver Palm when you meant to say Silver Star.

There used to be a Silver Palm, but no more. That said, I do not know the answer to your question.

 

[GG-1]

Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????Bill

Aloha

Some ?7 years ago I flew into Orlando hours before a meeting. I used a limo service to be sure of the schedule. Cost was only slightly higher than taxi. On the return they took me to the train station via a hobby shop.

What a world wind trip, to LA for daughters wedding on Sunday, flew overnight for meetings on Mon-Wed, Enjoy parks through ? return to LA via the Sunset Limited (on Time!)

While on Disney Grounds I was able to get where I needed as the transportation system was great, but forget about getting any ware ,else unless you cab or rent a car.

 

[AlanB]

I'd probably give a very slight edge to the Silver Star over the Meteor, however frankly both trains pass the most scenic areas at night.

The Star however is the longer run too, whereas the Meteor is the shorter more direct run.

 

[colobok]

I'd probably give a very slight edge to the Silver Star over the Meteor, however frankly both trains pass the most scenic areas at night.
The Star however is the longer run too, whereas the Meteor is the shorter more direct run.

Are there any scenic areas on the route? I was riding both trans from Florida to Charleston and Raleigh and the whole route was very boring - only woods.

 

[socalsteve]

I have taken both trains many years ago, but do not remember which had the better scenery. I may go with the train that leaves WAS at 3:05 pm so that I can arrive in Orlando Florida at 11:00 am. Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????Bill

When my family and I took the Sunset Limited to Orlando a few years ago (only 2 hours late!) there was a shuttle bus service that would take you to hotels by Disney World or International Drive. If you're going to be on Disney property the whole week, there's no need for a car. If you want to go elsewhere (say, Sea World or Kennedy Space Center) you'll want one, but you can probably rent one for a day or two at your hotel.

 

[had8ley]

I'd probably give a very slight edge to the Silver Star over the Meteor, however frankly both trains pass the most scenic areas at night.
The Star however is the longer run too, whereas the Meteor is the shorter more direct run.

Are there any scenic areas on the route? I was riding both trans from Florida to Charleston and Raleigh and the whole route was very boring - only woods.

I used to love riding the hind end from Winter Park to Jax~ the orange groves added a lot of flavor to the track that was as straight as an arrow.

 

[AlanB]

I'd probably give a very slight edge to the Silver Star over the Meteor, however frankly both trains pass the most scenic areas at night.
The Star however is the longer run too, whereas the Meteor is the shorter more direct run.

Are there any scenic areas on the route? I was riding both trans from Florida to Charleston and Raleigh and the whole route was very boring - only woods.

Well that depends on one's definition of scenic. If only tall mountains, rivers, and gorges cut it for you; then no you won't find anything scenic on those trains. But if you like vistas over major rivers, forests, and such, then it is pretty scenic.

 

[rmgreenesq]

Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????Bill

I'm headed down to the House of Mouse in 2009 on Amtrak. I'm planning on hiring a cab to take me to the airport. I'm then going to get on Disney's Magical Express. I understand that the airport transfer is free when staying on Disney property and the cab ride would be cheaper to the airport than to Disney World.

Rick

 

[GG-1]

Also has anyone taken a cab or limo to Disney World rather than keeping a rental car sitting for a week????Bill

I'm headed down to the House of Mouse in 2009 on Amtrak. I'm planning on hiring a cab to take me to the airport. I'm then going to get on the airport Disney's Magical Express. I understand that the transfer is free when staying on Disney property and the cab ride would be cheaper to the airport than to Disney World.

Rick

Aloha

I Got curious, so did a search on Orlando Limo, must have found over a hundred, the fare from either the airport or train station was the same.

 

[battalion51]

I'm then going to get on Disney's Magical Express. I understand that the airport transfer is free when staying on Disney property and the cab ride would be cheaper to the airport than to Disney World.

::Shakes head::

::Runs from room screaming::

From a Guests angle DME is the greatest thing to happen to Disney since the Fast Pass.

From a Cast Member angle, DME is the worst thing to happen to Disney, well within the past three years.

 

[rmgreenesq]

::Shakes head::
::Runs from room screaming::

From a Guests angle DME is the greatest thing to happen to Disney since the Fast Pass.

From a Cast Member angle, DME is the worst thing to happen to Disney, well within the past three years.

Bat51.. come on back in the room. What's wrong with the Magical Express? I'm staying on WDW property, and I've paid for the transfer. If I'm paying a cab by the mile and WDW is further south from the train station than the airprot, why should I not use the Disney Bus?

Is there anything I'm missing?

Rick

 

[battalion51]

No no, you're not missing anything, like I said it's great for guests.

Here's why it's terrible for Cast Members. It has created guest expectations and issues that were not present before. We as Dispatchers now have to deal with lost luggage issues, missed bus issues, coordinating luggage delivery, and Bellmen make less money. For guests it's a great service, but it's one of those things that management implemented it before really talking to Cast Members to determine feasability, and how it should work.

 

[rmgreenesq]

No no, you're not missing anything, like I said it's great for guests.
Here's why it's terrible for Cast Members. It has created guest expectations and issues that were not present before. We as Dispatchers now have to deal with lost luggage issues, missed bus issues, coordinating luggage delivery, and Bellmen make less money. For guests it's a great service, but it's one of those things that management implemented it before really talking to Cast Members to determine feasability, and how it should work.

As a former theme park line employee (Knotts Berry Farm 1988 to 1992) and frequent visitor to the Orlando, Florida area, I understand exactly why Diz Management implemented the bus ride. They want to keep the guest away from the rental car counter. Becasue if the guest rents a car, he or she may (gasp!) stay in a non-Diz hotel, eat in a non-Diz restrauant, or step foot on a non-Diz theme park. The bus ride is designed to ensure that Disney gets every last dollar.

I usually go to Orlando for business and not to visit the house of mouse. I've been to Orlando a half a dozen times, and this will be my first time staying on property. I'm looking forward to a magical time.

Rick

 

[battalion51]

You hit the nail on the head!

Have a magical day!

 

[GG-1]

I usually go to Orlando for business and not to visit the house of mouse. I've been to Orlando a half a dozen times, and this will be my first time staying on property. I'm looking forward to a magical time.
Rick

Aloha

I have had the pleasure of 3 visits

• first for one day
  
• second stayed off property
  
• third stayed at the contempory
  

Best was on property, have a "magical time"

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I usually go to Orlando for business and not to visit the house of mouse

Yes, Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, etc., are interesting (and very expensive) places to visit. But they are NOT "Florida". The State of Florida is SOOOO much more than Disney! We have tens of thousands of lakes, many many natural springs, which are breatakingly beautiful, wildlife galore, including deer the size of gerrnan shepherds (no joke - "Key Deer" in the lower Florida Keys), endless hundreds and hundreds of miles of beaches, an underwater park where you can glass-bottom boat view or snorkel or SCUBA, the Florida Keys, which are beautiful beyond description (many have tried and simply run out of words), Kennedy Space Center, Daytona Beach, circus museums, rail museums, many rivers, the Everglades, Edison's Ft. Myers home, Hemingway's Key West home, Miami beach, the historic and wonderful Columbia Restuarant in Ybor City, Tampa, incredible sunsets and sunrises.... . . . . . . . .

and while, yes, it's hot in the summer, "What's a snow shovel?"

For those of us who live here (I am in the Orlando area) - most of us can't afford the theme parks anyway, but with the natural wonders and beauty of this State, we rarely even have the desire to visit a theme park. Give me the Florida Keys any day. This is a very big State - Key West to Pensacola is more than 800 miles and almost a 13 hour drive. Disney may be IN Florida, but Disney isn't Florida.

 

[battalion51]

But if you look at it from an economic impact point of view, the tourism business is HUGE. The tourism business is what drives a lot of Florida's economy, especially Central Florida. Disney alone employees approximately 60,000 people at its Orlando location alone. This doesn't account for the numerous hotels, restaurants, gas stations, outlet malls, airline support people, bus/cab drivers, and numerous others who have jobs primarily because of the tourists in Central Florida. Between the three major theme park companies and the support people to go with them I'd estimate that 100,000-120,000 (if not more) are employed because of the theme parks. The theme parks go away you cripple Central Florida and the State of Florida's economy.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

the tourism business is HUGE

Sure it is, and I think I enumerated quite a large number of the reasons for that, but Florida Tourism is NOT solely Disney, and for Disney, except from Disney's point of view. You WORK there. Florida is not simply an accident of where Disney happens to be located. Tourism should be considered for the natural wonders of the ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA, of which the man-made "wonders" of Disney should perhaps be one small facet, not the primary reason for traveling to Florida. If you come to Florida, visit Disney, and leave, thank you for the trickle-down $$$, but you have no clue what Florida is.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

For what its worth, the Silver Meteor and Silver Star have substantially different On-Time-Performance ratings, at least since I started my record keeping 2 weeks ago. While the sample size is small, it almost seems statistically significant, but I must discard that as a certainty, because things such as track work could be the cause for it. Also, my statistics professor would come charging up from my university and behead me if I called anything with a biased small sample size from an unusual time of the year sufficient for declaring statistical significance.

Irrespective of this, I will give you the statistics I have for this, which start as of December 20th. The soulth bound Star runs an average (mean) time of 20.28 minutes late, 1.08% of schedule, with a median time of about an hour. Its latest south-bound run as of January 1st put it 1 hour and 44 minutes late (12/27), and its best performance was 45 minutes early, on Christmas. Soulthbound the Silver Meteor on mean average runs early(!) by 10.85 minutes or -0.66% (0.0066) of its schedule. Its best time was 45 minutes early, once again on christmas, and its worst time was a mere 28 minutes late on the 23rd.

Northbound, the difference is more substantial. The Silver Star runs an average of 50.33 minutes late, 4.66% of its schedule, with a median of 1h 40m late. Its best performance was 26 minutes early on Christmas (Christmas, for the trains I am watching- and I will make a post detailing this stuff shortly- ran an overall negative average, the only day to come even close to doing so.) and its only other early time was yesterday, 19 minutes. The worst performance was 3 hours and 3 minutes late on the 30th of december. The Silver Meteor does much better. Mean of 0.6 minutes late (that is 36 seconds) and a median of 9 minutes early. Worst late time was an hour and 15 late, and the best, which was not on christmas but on the 30th of Dec, was 58 minutes early.