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

[eandesmom]

Sounds good to me! Hows this?:

Enjoy it while you can.

Dan seems to get abused most....

Good Gracious. I did not realize I had not checked in since before I left.
all caught up now.
Great idea to have the "wake up " breakfast to get going after a red eye.
Can't wait for more.

Ooh! Looks like you started a TR...going to pop over.

I think breakfast after a red eye is the only way to go! If you go to sleep it defeats the whole purpose and it definitely worked better than a big meal in the middle of the day as in the am we were still sort of with it and it energized us versus slowing us down.

And welcome back!

 

[vamassey1]

He isn't on my TR either, even though I included some German lessons especially for him...

He's not on mine either.

 

[KathyRN137]

Ahh, a very nice view after all!

Looking forward to finding out if the bionic hearing could pick up any pool noise!!


Kathy

 

[eandesmom]

He's not on mine either.

is right

Ahh, a very nice view after all!

Looking forward to finding out if the bionic hearing could pick up any pool noise!!


Kathy

Ah, the bionic hearing....

 

[norybell]

Love your view (and usually I hate pool views)!

It was a beautiful view. I can't imagine not using the balcony but it was suprising how few people were out every time we were on it. Guess they were just escaping the heat and staying in their rooms, or everyone was at the parks. Just seemed odd that we rarely saw anyone on their balcony and supposedly the hotel was full.

I have always wondered about this. In all my trips to WDW, I've so rarely seen other people on the balconies. What's up with that?

 

[eandesmom]

Love your view (and usually I hate pool views)!



I have always wondered about this. In all my trips to WDW, I've so rarely seen other people on the balconies. What's up with that?

I have no idea! This was our first time at a WDW deluxe so I didn't have much to compare it to at WDW, (though when we travel, if there is a balcony we are on it quite a bit), but the same thing was true at the YC. What a waste! I can tell you we really really missed the balcony at the Hard Rock.

 

[Native NYer]

Great room view!
You got a lot done on your first day. Arriving early is the way to go. That's our plan for next August.

 

[jenjolt]

What a lovely view!!! I'm so glad you got the connecting rooms you wanted and a gorgeous view!!!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Sanaa!! I enjoyed my meal there, so I'm hoping you guys did too!!!!!

 

[eandesmom]

Great room view!
You got a lot done on your first day. Arriving early is the way to go. That's our plan for next August.

It is absolutely the way to go! I think I will be a permanent fixture on that red eye. And sadly, for me, it's better. Early morning flights and I don't get along so well.

What a lovely view!!! I'm so glad you got the connecting rooms you wanted and a gorgeous view!!!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Sanaa!! I enjoyed my meal there, so I'm hoping you guys did too!!!!!

Apparently if it's only 2 adults with 4 kids and all immediate family it really is guaranteed so the parents can be together. Or so they say. We were pretty confident in it for WL, less so about our chances at YC since there were more adults.

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

I'm happy for you that you were content with your rooms. It is such a pain to switch rooms once you have hauled all of your stuff in. I am a total unpacker too. I hate digging through your suitcase all day long and then in 2 days all of your clothes are upside down & wrinkled. Of course, my husband & son have no problem wearing wrinkled clothes.

Your pictures of the WL make me homesick to be at WDW. There is something about that resort that is so peaceful and really "feels" like vacation to me (even though we've never stayed there).

It seems like your kids got over not staying at POP pretty quickly!

 

[eandesmom]

When I left you it was 6:30, I was on our lovely balcony enjoying a coconut rum and coke in my refillable mug thanks to the miracles of bubble wrap, plastic bottles and shamelessly copying the great idea to pack liquor from Mary Ellen. I needed that drink.

We had hoped to be at the bus stop at 6:30.

We were not

Why not?

Well we generally run on a “girls first” philosophy in our house. Which meant with 2 rooms, 2 showers, K and I were first. K&T were “sharing” a room, the E’s and Jeff and I in the other. So we left K&T to get ready and worried about ourselves and the boys.

Both K&T got ready.

And then laid down.

As we were getting ready, we’d peek over there. K still had her hair in a towel, I couldn’t tell if makeup had been done yet. Both were on the bed.

“Don’t lay down” we kept popping in to say.

"Don’t worry, we aren’t falling asleep" we heard back more than once

Yet every time we looked, one or both was in fact laying down.

Taylor's eyes were closed....K just sitting on the bed like a zombie with her hair in a towel.

Meanwhile the E's tried to run the WL out of water with their showers. Which, granted, is not a problem unique to WL, vacation, or anything, pretty normal but still annoying. FINISH UP! We'd yell at the door. Other people still need to get in! Since they started locking the door it's a lot hard to know if they've heard us.

Once the boys were out it was Jeff's turn and at that point, after repeated assurances that K&T were, in fact, ready (despite said towel on head) I went to the balcony with my book and a drink. Pick your battles I say. So by the time everyone was clean and ready and sufficiently roused to move out of the room, it was closer to 7. We hustled down to the bus stop not knowing how long we’d have to wait.

I started doing the math in my head.

It’s 7pm.

Dinner is at 8:55

We will need to get from AK to AKL, a minimum of 30 minutes, at the bus stop by 8:25

It's probably 20 minutes to AK from when we get on bus. I didn’t really know that but was guessing based on how long it took from FW.

Should we try to do AK and then go to Sanaa?

Is it worth it?

Is everyone too tired?

Depending on when the bus comes we could still make our 7:35 at Tusker.
​

What to do?
What to do?
What to do?
Jeff and I huddled and chatted about the options, revisiting and going back and forth and back and forth.

I’ll be honest.
At that point, having seen K&T on the bed we were leaning towards Tusker.
We asked the kids.

AK or BUST!
Ok, they didn’t actually say those words but the bottom line was we had some serious jonesing for a couple of EMH rides. EE and Dinosaur to be exact.

Will we have enough time to ride those 2?
Possibly
​

The bus pulled up at about 7:10.

We get on our first WL bus ride of the trip. We stop at the GF. Which annoyed me to no end. I’m not sure why I didn’t know this, but I didn’t. I know the Epcot resorts share a bus but for some reason had never paid attention to the rest of the deluxes, assuming somehow they didn’t.
For a planner I dropped the ball. Not that it really mattered. I mean short of taking a cab, it was how we were getting there and I was not planning on paying cab fare to get to a park. And not, as I’d learn, that it always shared with the GF, it varied by park but more often than not, it shared.

You know how you get on the bus?

Well how I get on a bus.

Like I’m being rocked to sleep…………

If head bobbing was a game, the E’s would have won.
And down, and up and wake yourself up with the bob as you feel yourself falling…and then the eyes drift closed and down…and up…and drooping down down down until I thought Eric might fall over onto his head.

Oy Vey.

We arrived at….7:35. Or So. Time enough that if we booked it across the park to Tusker, I bet they’d let us in.

I confess.

Jeff and I were leaning towards Tusker.

We asked the kids.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
We want to go to Sanaa!
We want to ride Dinosaur (ok that was K, I’m not sure anyone else cared but I like it too)
We want to ride EE! (everyone BUT K)
It will wake us up!

Okay………………………………………………………………
If you guys are sure………………………………………

​

We hustled to bag check.

Mom, I have to go to the bathroom.
Sigh.
I have to go too.
Seriously?

Ok…everyone go. NOW!
Mom!
What.

There is a Kennel here!

Can we go look?

Uh. No.
Why not?
Dude, lets get IN the park or we may as well just go get on the bus to dinner now!
​

Finally, we were in. I knew better than to ask the crew for a picture but oh, did I sigh as we passed the PP guy. We were on a mission. Such a fast mission, booking it across the park that I couldn’t grab the camera! We were running…..back in time…. to the Cretaceous era! Eric did NOT want to go on Dinosaur, it was the one ride he’s pretty against. The rest of us wanted to go. Somehow, and I’m not really sure how other than we promised him K would have to go on EE if he went (which I really wasn’t sure Jeff could pull off but at that exact moment, I wasn’t going there) he went on. And really didn’t complain too much until right before. It’s a jerky silly ride and I have no idea why but Kendall and I just love it. Like silly grin/it’s a blast and a half kind of love it. Eric didn’t seem to hate it nearly as much as before. Oh the difference 18 months makes when you are that age!

It was….8pm and even with no wait, the pre-show and ride itself had eaten up more time than we'd expected. Did we have time to ride EE? It would depend on just how long that wait was. Last year at EMH it had been basically nothing so we had high hopes. We had 25 minutes. We were cutting it close. WAY close. We got there, it was now 8:05…the wait was…….

15 minutes.

Do we chance it? Do we risk missing dinner? I had NO idea how late Sanaa was open but guessed that we were one of, if not the last set of ressies and did NOT want to be stranded at that hour with a hungry family.

We stood there and deliberated.

Should we risk it?

Should we?

Should we?

 

[burly]

Yes! Risk is worth the reward!

 

[englishrose47]

I say you went for it !!!!!

 

[All7OfUs]

I"m going for:



You risked it.

It IS vacation after all. It WAS EMH. And There's always Tusker or even Roaring Forks.

 

[natebenma]

You made it to AK!!! Very impressive!!! You're at Everest. The Yeti is a mere 15 minutes... plus 8. Go for it!!!

(Hope you make it to Saana)

Backtracking on comments:

I use the balcony in my room wherever we stay, but I am there from 5 to 6 in the morning, so nobody sees me.

OCD on the bags and packing. I don't Ziploc clothes, but use a bunch of them for lotions or other small things I want to keep together. I think I have some cross-contamination issues, because I do wash the bags when I get home and put them in a special drawer I use for my travel stuff.

One more things about bags, my very favorite Disney tip of all time, and appropriate for the current location of this trip report:

I bring a Ziploc X-Large bag to AK for Kali River Rapids. We change into flip flops for this park and while in line, we toss shoes and socks, backpack, cell phones and anything else we don't want to get wet into the big bag.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Wow! What a nail biter of an update! Between wondering if K and T were actually going to stay awake to getting to the AK without a million stops and then wondering if you are going to ride Everest before going to Sanaa, I am on the edge of my seat! I am going to guess you took the chance and rode it. Fifteen minutes, after all, is a great wait time!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Go for it! Go for it! Go for it!

I hope you got to ride EE!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I am impressed that everyone rallied enough to get ready and over to AK!! Dinosaur is a fun ride although I have to admit that it still scares the you know what out of me at the end even though I know what is coming!

I was surprised at the bus sharing at WL. That escaped my planning too when I went. You'd think the deluxes could have "exclusive" buses!

I'm going to guess that you went for it! Can't wait to find out. And wondering if you got K to ride.

 

[Lady Lallie]

I'm caught up! Phew. You were an updating machine while I was gone.

I'm impressed that you managed to get everyone over to AK. I would have given up and gone to sleep.

 

[Native NYer]

I'm going to guess that you risked it, went on EE, and made it in time for dinner at Sanaa.