She Said - He Said Day 12 & the Long Journey Home

[nicster]

Cast:
She (nicster) – 10 years old at WDW. Real world age? Between 50 & death…
He (DH) – 11 years old at WDW. Ditto on real world age.

October 1 and 2:

THE PLAN: Wolfgang Puck – Animal Kingdom Lodge – Earl of Sandwich – Orlando – DFW - Sacramento

The best laid plans kind of a day. Okay, the original plan was to do to Kouzzina at 8:40am. We had table ressies at that time. We still had a couple of TS’s left and want to use at least one of them. So on the previous night we are getting to the room around 11:30 and we’re still finalizing the packing. So we’re in bed at 1 or so in the morning. On our bus ride back from PI, I start thinking about this. How are we going to get to the Boardwalk at 8:40? If it was later, we could catch a bus to DHS and then take a boat. But not at this time of the morning. We’d have to take a taxi. And what time are we going to have to get up in the morning to get ready to go and have all of our bags taken and checked or stored? 4 or 5 AM? Because you know, we’d never make it back before 11 to check out with an 8:40 reservation.

So when we get back the previous night, we discuss it and decide to skip the ressie. It would have made the day a nightmare, especially considering what is coming up (which, of course, we didn’t know).

I was disappointed that we couldn’t do the Kouzzina breakfast, but it was totally impractical.

So we figure that since we’ve never been to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we’ll head over there after breakfast. So we catch the bus to DTD and have breakfast at Wolfgang Puck’s Express. We both get the breakfast pizza. We could easily have split it. It is so much food, and wonderful. Clearly, by far, the best breakfast we’ve had this trip.

Applewood Smoked Bacon Pizza - Scrambled eggs, bacon, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses are baked then drizzled with Wolfgang's very own Ranch dressing. Yummm! We ordered two, not realizing how large a breakfast pizza is, we each only ate half. –*note to self; split the breakfast pizza. Because we will be having that again!

So after that, we head out to the buses to catch one to AKL. They’re painting the bus stop, so we hang out away from the fumes. 20 minutes goes by, still no bus. Another couple who has been waiting with us goes and talks to a bus driver and complains. “He’ll radio it in”. Another 20 minutes goes by and still no bus. I go and talk to a bus driver. “He’ll radio it in”. But as I’m walking back to the bus stop, he pulls up along side of me and points to a van. Says the bus stop coordinator is there and I should talk to them. So I do, kindly of course. A few minutes later a bus shows up. A full 45 minute wait. Grrrr. Messed us up big time.

The wait was so annoying, partly because we were at the ‘every minute counts’ part of the trip. The couple that was also waiting had come from the hotel that we could see from the DTD bus stop. I am wondering which one that is?? After the long wait for AKL bus I am having second thoughts about ever staying at AKL (granted it was a fantasy, but that is what I do).

So we’re at AKL (2nd stop) and wander around. We look for the restaurants, go outside to see the Savannah view for guests, and see giraffes and wildebeests and some others. Pretty cool. But now, we’re way behind schedule since ME is picking us up at 1:30. And we wanted to go back to DTD to get some Earl sandwiches for the plane…we still have some Counter Services left.

Oh my… The view from the Savannah viewing area was outstanding! The way the giraffes seem to walk in slow motion, seeing the wildebeests grazing in the shade. And the ostriches, and those birds with the crown-like thing on top of their heads (I shoulda taken notes). Anyway, I was blown away, too bad we didn’t get much time at all to observe them.

So out to the AKL bus stop. One bus driver has the whole area blocked off attempting to deal with a couple of wheelchairs. She was really struggling with them. 4 or 5 buses stack up waiting for this one. They all move through, and of course, no DTD bus.

Finally one shows up and we’re on our way. By the time we get to DTD, I’m starting to panic a bit. I hate having time pressures. I head in to Earl of Sandwich, and the line is really long. No way we’re going to get thru that in time. So back to the bus stop to wait for a CBR bus. We wait and wait and wait. It finally shows up about 20 minutes later. We probably could have gotten the sandwiches. <sigh>

So we’re on our way back to CBR. Of course, since we are in a time crunch, the bus has to stop at Typhoon Lagoon. I keep watching the time and figure we can get off at the first stop if it is Martinique and walk to the Custom House. We get to the resort, and I’ve clearly forgotten how long of a walk that would be, so we just stay on the bus. It finally pulls up at 1:30 at Barbados, so we get off and start heading to Custom House. We’re about 50 yards away, and we see the ME bus leaving. At 1:32. What a pain.

So we head over, speak to the CMs and one says not to worry, another bus will be around in 30 minutes. Really? Why do we have to leave the resort 3 hours early? Hmmm. *Note for future reference.

This whole bus fiasco this day from DTD is really leaving a bad taste in the mouth.

Anyway, we get our non-check-in bags and wait. Stupid me, a bus comes to unload new guests and I go get in line to get on. Dooooh. It’s not like resort buses. They don’t go both ways. So back to waiting. At about 5 or so after the hour, our bus arrives, we get on without issue and we’re on the way to the airport.

I really hated for our last moments at our beloved WDW to be so hectic, but it was what it was. The man who got our carry-ons out of storage was very kind & would not accept the tip that I offered him. That is the first time a tip was refused the whole time we were there. Meanwhile, Richard went & picked up some waters & some snacks that we were glad we had, as it was a loooong time before we got to eat again.

We get through security and soon we’re on the plane to Dallas/Fort Worth. We leave on schedule. Finally things are starting to go our way. But not for long.
continued

[nicster]

A short while before we hit Dallas (we’re scheduled to arrive at 6:30), the pilot comes on with an announcement. There is a band of thunderstorms over the airport and planes are not being allowed in or out. So we’ll be circling out there to the east of the airport for a while.

So we do some gentle circles. Since it is on our side of the plane, Nicci looks out the window and says it’s just like being on Peter Pan. I say, “Are we going to Never Never Land”? She starts cracking up. What’d I say? Get it…never never land…we’re never going to land. I’m clearly not that clever. But we laugh and just bear with it all.

He is a genius even when he doesn’t know it!

I’m starting to get a little concerned since I have to work on Friday. Anyways, after a while, the pilot comes back on. Well, we still can’t land at DFW and we’re running out of fuel, so we’re going to head to Austin. Running out of fuel? Good one!

Okay, any pilots out there, hearing the phrase “running out of fuel” is not good for me, or any of us I am sure. Going forward, how about we just say ‘we need to pick up more sandwiches’ or the bathrooms will be sanitized, I would be WAY more comfortable with that one!

Anyway, maybe we’ll have to spend the night at Austin. That would be cool. When we lived in Texas, I had no idea, but my dad and his family come from the Austin area. My dad was born in Georgetown and my grandmother was born in beautiful downtown Corn Hill, population 500. Can you say Hee Haw? So if we get put off the plane, I’m renting a car and going to see these places I’ve never been to.

No such luck. We sit on the tarmac waiting to be re-fueled. No extra drinks, no snacks, nothing. Just sitting on the tarmac with a bunch of other planes all waiting to re-fuel. We landed there about 7:30 PM and our connecting flight is 8:00 PM, and according to AA it is on time. No way we’ll make that. So I suggest to Nicci to call AA and get us re-booked. She does, and our connection has been delayed to 8:30, but we’re still not going to make that time either. We haven’t even been re-fueled yet. So we get the last two seats on a 12:10 PM flight on Friday.

Again with the genius! I had that aha moment when I hung up the phone after talking to American Airlines that that is what cell phones are for. Making the call ahead of everyone else heading into Dallas and getting set up with plan ‘B’.

Finally we are re-fueled and headed back to DFW…a 39 minute flight, according to the pilot. But, before we get there, he tells us that planes are stacked up over the airport, so we get to do a little more circling. We’re finally on the ground at 9:40 PM. I run to one of the boards on the off chance that our flight is still there. Nope. But there is a scheduled 5:00 PM Sacramento flight leaving at 10:10. So I run down to that gate to see if we can get on it. There is a line of about 30 people already trying to get on. I talk to one of the gate personnel and she says that it’s already full and no way we’ll get on it.

Okay then. We need to get some food since we haven’t eaten since breakfast, and then find a place to stay. I’ve already called the boss and explained the situation. I’ll take Friday off and work Monday instead. See, I HAVE to work Saturday as I’m on rollout duty and we have a big rollout to get done. Okay, no biggee.

Smartest thing we did though was to call AA when we were on the ground in Austin and re-book. Most folks were trying to go that at the gate, and that was proving to be a big nightmare.

I would suggest to all you flyers out there, program in the phone number for the airline reservation desk, so you have it ‘just in case’.

We find a Friday’s open….due to the plane delays, they decided to stay open late. Have a great meal, and then go to look for a place to stay.

Who said ‘hunger is the best sauce?’ I wouldn’t have called it a great meal, but it really hit the spot for two VERY hungry people.

We try the Hyatt since it’s on property. $200 a night. Thanks, but no thanks. We call a couple of places, but since it is so late, there is no shuttle service. I’m too cheap to pay for a taxi. We finally get the Ramada who will send a shuttle. After 20 minutes or so, a Ramada shuttle shows up, but I think it’s for a different Ramada, but we talk our way on. We check in, and hit the room. Way musty smelling room, but at this point, I just want some sleep. I’m out in, oooh, about 15 seconds.

I was the one calling the hotels from the kiosk that they have in the airport, as Richard can’t make out what they are saying with all the ambient noise in the airport. On my second try I realized that the hotels have a ‘stuck at the airport’ rate. I guess I never considered that before, but after being asked if that was the case, it seemed that there was a different rate schedule for that. (another *note to self).

The room rate included a breakfast in the morning, better than anything at the resort, get shuttled to the airport, thru security without issue and finally on our final leg. Now, the challenge is going to be to find our checked bag. Undoubtedly it is already in Sacramento. Just got to find it. I start wandering the airport looking for an AA booth. End up back at check-in and explain what happened. They say go check to see if it is in the bags over there near the end of the check in area. Sure enough, there it is. Pretty painless.

Fortunately, the things that were packed in our carry-on bags were what we needed for the unplanned layover in Dallas. We even had a fresh shirt for Richard because he had bought & worn a Disney shirt on our trip. Another thing I have always tried to do just in case we get bumped or have to spend an extra night… so glad it worked out so well.

Our DS picks us up and we’re home about 3:00 PM Sac time.

Our trip is finally over, officially. How sad.

We are already talking about how to do an even better WDW vacation next time. We will talk about that in our upcoming summary.

[faline]

Wow! The end of your trip was certainly filled with frustrations! All the delays and changes are part of what I call "adventrues in travel". Nothing you can do to change it other than go with the flow!

Glad you finally made it home safely!

[stitchaholic]

sorry to hear about your travel issues,it makes me that much happier that faline had suggested that i check flights out of NH,i got a direct flight to and from MCO, we had similar adventures last year, so i can sympathize

[vizsla]

Thanks for the report.

[KylesMom]

Time goes so quickly that last day! I'm sorry you had so many snafu's - culminating with getting home a day later than you planned.

Notwithstanding the travel issues, you two really had a great trip. Thanks for taking the time to share with us all!

[Phantod]

The last day wasn't a big problem. We do treat these as adventures. We laugh a lot while they are going on. Nothing you can do about it. And work is very understanding, and we can afford an extra day in a hotel if we have to.

So, no big deal. I used to travel so much with work that I just came to expect these things to occur.

And of course, it makes our trip report that much more interesting (I think).

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the Report!

[ChipDale]

Reading all of your reports just reinforces why we always get a rental car at WDW regardless of which resort we stay in. Glad you made it home safely after all of the flight problems! Thanks so much for sharing.