Dr. Jones and the Spitting Camel - Link to Alaska Cruise TR 9/18

[Native NYer]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Well, I'll talk about it at the end but for me it just really depends on the length of the trip. we did it in Cali as a surprise and for 2 nights here, 2 nights there it was a pita, but...it was worth it.

In FL b/c we did 3 nights, 5 nights, 4 nights so we were at each place long enough for me to feel ok moving and unpacking. I'm not really sure who I mean by WE though as I'm the sole unpacker.

Everyone else seemed good with it. The lag time between rooms being ready and bags arriving can be a pain, we had a variety of experiences, some good and some not as good. It does, or can, mean a down day to do the move and impacts overall park time. But you can't predict that part at all. Since we knew we were unpacking right away we could be sloppy about the packing so it really wasn't that bad. it also did ensure we took down time, which is not a bad thing. Our luggage carts looked like the Clampetts though!

If I'd had been at the same place for 11 nights, it might have gotten old. Would I do 3 again? Probably not but on the flip side we got to have really really different experiences each time which was great. I am glad we did it the way we did, for this trip. But to just move to a different room in the same resort for one night? THAT would make me crabby.

Sigh. No 2011 trip in the works. I'd like to do F&W but we are talking about June 2012 for Peepfest and Evan's 13th and I can't see doing both that close. But you never know!

I'd also like a cruise....and and and

Different resort experiences is the one reason I do like a split. But we did move to a different room at BLT, so it was just a pain.

Next week is our 11 month mark for our anticipated 2011 check in day at BLT. So far, the plan is to do 10 nights at BLT. I really want to try the GF, so who knows.

After the tr, you can start a ptr for 2012.

Do you want to do a Disney cruise? I haven't done DCL, but love love love RCL.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by Native NYer

Different resort experiences is the one reason I do like a split. But we did move to a different room at BLT, so it was just a pain.

Next week is our 11 month mark for our anticipated 2011 check in day at BLT. So far, the plan is to do 10 nights at BLT. I really want to try the GF, so who knows.

After the tr, you can start a ptr for 2012.

Do you want to do a Disney cruise? I haven't done DCL, but love love love RCL.

I would love to try a Disney cruise. However Jeff's response to the kids cruise free promotion released today was....I think I've had enough of vacation with kids for a while.



I owe him an adult only trip and a cruise is NOT his idea of that!

Are you going to book at the 11 month out window since it's your home resort?

[eandesmom]

Departure Day

What is there to say about departure day? In reality I think for most of us it’s a crazy, semi-stressful day that is full of all the things you’d planned to do before that day and a million things that didn’t even occur to you, somehow trying to cram them all in before you head to the airport. For me, it doesn’t seem to matter all that much if it’s a crazy early am flight or a late night flight, that day of flurry is still….flurryish!

On my “in two weeks” post for this day, here was the plan.

In two weeks I will be……

• Checking in for our flight, paying luggage fees for 3 bags (carrying on 3) and printing boarding passes
• Finishing up last minute packing and laundry
• Putting DME tags on our three bags
• Putting changes of clothes for the next day and swim gear for all in the non-checked bags or carry ons.
• Checking carry ons for liquids, confirming last minute toiletries and medicines are packed.
• Getting a much needed haircut and possibly a manicure if I didn’t already
• Picking up any last minute supplies, most likely reading material for me!
• Triple checking travel docs
• Taking my cats over to my dad’s.
• Making sure I have a (relatively) clean house to come home to
• Possibly giving Eric some benadryl
• Loading up the van
• Driving by my dad’s to pick him up so he can then drive the van back (we avoid paying for two weeks of parking this way)
• Driving to the airport
• Checking in
  

Surprisingly, my day really wasn’t all that far off from this. It went more like this, starting a couple days before

Sunday
Packed myself and the E’s. Did all laundry. Put DME tags on the bags (replaced the bent ones from last year). Packed the carryon’s and got all the travel docs organizes. Finished up my binder and at the 11th hour made a duplicate one for Sandie. I also got a manicure and pedicure. It was a busy busy day! Couldn’t do any of it the day before as I was at my brother’s 40th birthday party.

Monday night
Eric was invited to a sleepover and Evan had one over here which kept both boys nice and busy and out of my hair, it was lovely!

I dropped of Eric and then ran one of the cats over to my folks. I realized that with only one cat carrier, I’d have to make 2 trips!

I checked us in for our flight, and paid the luggage fees for 3 bags (carrying on 3) Of course this was done BEFORE we got K&T’s bags to see if they had the right stuff, how big the bags were, etc. I printed out our boarding passes and put them in my carry on purse for easy access

I was thrilled to find out I actually could check in online. In fact there was a big “WHOO HOO” and my arms pumped up in the air. Jeff looked at me like I was crazy but it meant a good hour saved in travel time to be safe, it just wasn’t something we’d risk. In the past we’ve had issues with it as it was a code share flight, booked via Delta but flying on Alaska.

That’s really all I did the night before. With K&T at their mom’s, Eric at a friends and Evan busy with his friend, Jeff and I had a nice quiet night to ourselves. It was bizarre actually.

Tuesday - D Day
I picked up Eric from his sleepover and went to get the last minute items on my list. There were three things on the last minute pick up list that day. Cat food and litter for the “visit” to my dad’s, coffee for the trip and Melatonin to drug everyone for the red eye.

I then finished cleaning the house, packed up any food that would spoil to go to my dad’s.

I did check the carry ons for liquids, confirming last minute toiletries and medicines are packed. This one was more a matter of redistribution. Of weighing suitcases and moving stuff around so we didn’t go over the weight limit. It would have been good for me to remember this part on the way home.

Sadly, after that I had to go into work for a 1.5 hour meeting and Jeff headed off to get K&T and run his own errands. He’d taken the day off but had been a yardwork maniac all morning. The E’s had been invited to a playdate so I dropped them off and went to my meeting. Which started, and ran late. I had one time for the haircut in outlook, another in my mind. I went with what outlook said and realized that I’d need to pick the kids up from the playdate (it had a hard stop time) dump them at home then run back to the haircut, hoping I wouldn't be too late.

I wasn’t.

For the time I had in outlook.
Which wasn’t the correct time. The one in my head had been.
I was 20 minutes late.
Girl at the front desk was like

“I don’t know if we can get you in….”

(silently having a panic attack, hair REALLY needing a cut)

“…I”ll go check”

You do that.

Thankfully my hairstylist could see me. The blessing of beyond boring super straight hair in a blunt cut is…it’s fast. So she was able to do it and my brows (as she was washing my hair I said, I suppose this means no brows right? Which was honestly just as stressful as the hair, I turn into Andy Rooney…no joke) and she said…Oh we can squish it in.

WHEW!

I love my hairstylist!

I really wouldn’t have cut it that close but she’d been on vacation herself and it was her first day back.

Needless to say, that got me running a little late. So, back home I went, got Evan and his cat and took him over to my folks. I think it was about 5pm at this point. Plan was to leave them both there, let Melvin (the cat) acclimate and then my mom, who was going to drive us to the airport would just meet us at dinner with Evan.

Went back home, dealt with last minute suitcase reorg’s for the big kids (yes you do want access to your swimsuit and you may want a change of clothes…we don’t know when we will get our bags)

Jeff loaded up the van and with that, we were off!

Not to the airport but to our favorite local Mexican restaurant. There was NO way I was cooking right before we left! Our flight wasn’t until 10:45 so we had lots of time.

We got to the restaurant about 7, my mom and Evan actually beat us there! Can I tell you how good that first margarita tasted? YUM! Nothing like the first official drink of vacation. I thought I did a FB photo of that yummy concoction, the best margarita in the world (or at least Jeff and I think so) but apparently...not. Pretty sure I did update my status to note it though.

We had a nice dinner and then swung by my mom’s house to drop off her car so she could drive us to the airport. Well actually Jeff drove there, she just drove back and upon leaving her house the darn gas light went on. So of course, we had to make a slight detour.

Once at the airport it was check in time! And of course Jeff decided that we should check T’s bag as well so it became a bit of a confused check in. We were trying to add in one bag, check our 3 and me sneakily sticking the ME tags on while the E’s weren’t looking.

The tags of course said Wilderness Lodge and the E’s thought we were going to POP for the first 3 nights! It was some bad, sloppy tag putting on let me tell you!

Mission accomplished we went through security and then went in search of really important things.

The big kids wanted coffee but we said No Way Jose. Decaf or Nothing. Taylor didn’t belive us that he could get a decaf mocha but oddly enough, we were right.



These guys were ready to go






this one didn’t want his picture taken



and with that, plus some gum for the E’s…. it was time to head to the gate





and board
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The
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Dreaded
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Red
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Eye

Would the kids sleep?

Would there be screaming babies?

Would I be reliving the night from H-E- double toothpicks from 2004?


Would our room be ready when we arrived?


Next. The dreaded red eye

[glennbo123]

Oh man, what a day!

I have trouble sleeping on planes, so Red Eye's don't work real well for me. I can see how they got their name.

But at least you're on your way!

[KatMark]

I'm exhuasted reading about departure day. I HATE flying so it is a tension filled day for me and we only have a 2-1/2 hour flight. Can't wait to read about the arrival.

[cdotla]

A bit late...but jumping on board. At least you haven't arrived at the World yet - that's my favorite part!

Hope the flight goes ok....

And thank goodness your hairdresser could fit you in...nothing like a nice blowout to start off the vacation on the right foot!

[tinacaplan]

Another great update. I can't wait to be going through all that hassle myself. But we have a relatively short flight. Can't wait to hear how everyone did with the red eye.

[that's nice]

I guess I am behind already! I don't know what I just read.. my head is spinning!!!!

I can't believe the amount of changes you had before the trip even started!!!

Off to read the next update! (I'm cheating and using the links! )

EDIT:: I've never took a redeye and I'm not sure that I would like it. I mean I can't sleep on planes as it is. I'm scared that if I shut my eyes I will never open them again. LOL

You were sure busy on your departure day. If I tried to fit all that in, I would never of made the flight! LOL

[rentayenta]

We did our first and last red-eye on our trip to WDW last May and can I say never again? Never again! I hope you fared better than we did. I felt like a zombie the next day. Can't wait to read all about it.

[Millie12591]

Great post Cynthia! I love departure day or at least the day before and the day of. It's always so hectic and exciting!!!
Yours sounds like what most departure day's sound like.
Although.....no more putting off hair, pedi's and brows until the last second.

[MAGICFOR2]

RED EYE? I took one to Atlantis and spent most of my first day of vacation napping and feeling crappy! I'm considering it for our cruise flight to Miami, but going an extra night early so we can arrive on the ship rested! I'm glad to see you're off! Hope you have a good first day!

[Charleston Princess]

What a whirlwind of days leading up to arriving at the airport!!! Glad you were able to get your haircut and sneak the ME tags on the bags without the kids seeing them.

Is that a skateboard on T's back??? I can't imagine lugging that to the World, but then I guess I am not a 17-year-old boy.

[DisMomAmy]

Wow... I've never departed for a trip at night... I am usually doing all the running around the night before our a.m. departure. And basically have unlimited time to get everything done (unless I want to sleep...).

Very stressfull... But it sounds like you made it all work & with time for dinner!

Can't wait to hear how the flight went!

[Native NYer]

You had a busy busy few days leading up to departure day. But it's always like that! A margarita before a long flight sounds perfect

Can't wait to hear how your flight went.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

I would love to try a Disney cruise. However Jeff's response to the kids cruise free promotion released today was....I think I've had enough of vacation with kids for a while.



I owe him an adult only trip and a cruise is NOT his idea of that!

Are you going to book at the 11 month out window since it's your home resort?

I'd like to try DCL, but the lack of a casino is somewhat of a drawback. I want to do a med cruise, but prefer RCL's itinerary.

Where would you and Jeff like to go for an adult only trip?

Yes, I'm booking BLT at the 11 month window, which is next week. I'm considering adding on two nights at either the GF, WL, Poly, or AKL. We'll see...

[mickeysmyboy]

Oh my goodness! you were right about it being a flurry before you left! I bet you were so relieved to finally get on the plane!

I remember your FB post about the margarita because I remember being jealous There is no way I could get DH to eat mexican before flying! Things might get ugly

The big kids wanted coffee! Really!? Did they think you'd say yes?!

Hope the flight went well! That's a long flight! I hope it wasn't another night from h-e double toothpicks!!