Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/40418
Toy Story – The Musical, where Woody and Buzz Lightyear duke it out for the attention of their young owner, Andy. Gigantic props and rear-projection screens make us feel as if we're part of the toy box world. We must look like three weary plastic soldiers as we trudge back to our room for the night. There will be no nightcap at a Route 66 bar for Dan or me, nor a kids' club visit for Thomas. (Similar to the Disney Dream, which we sailed on in Febru- ary, the Wonder has an entertainment section with nightclubs, lounges and bars, and super- vised Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab inter- active play areas for kids.) THOUGH WE'VE BEEN NOSHING A LOT ON THIS cruise, Day 6 will be remembered as the day that we ate and ate – and ate. For starters, the huge buffet breakfast at the tropical-themed Parrot Cay has, to its credit, fruit, granola and yogurt, but it's the eggs Benedict, bacon and sausages that win us over. Our shore excur- sion to Ketchikan (14,000+ pop.), our last and most southern port of call, isn't until this afternoon, so we roam the decks, taking in the view of the quaint waterfront town. After topping up on pasta salad and grilled chicken at the Beach Blanket Buffet, we waddledown the gangway for a bus ride to, of all things, a crab feast in a historic lodge, followed by a fl ight in one of the world's most famous bush planes, a deHavilland Beaver. "How much do you weigh?" asks a tour organizer on the bus. Dan winks at me as I struggle to give an honest answer in front of the other passengers. "Oh, you better add fi ve pounds to that," I call after her, considering what I've been doing for the past week. Our weights are recorded to determine who will sit where on the seven-person planes (heavies at the front, lightweights in the back). But what's a few more pounds, I think, as we sit down at a long table in George Inlet Lodge. For decades, the converted cannery bunkhouse has served fi shermen and travel- lers, including those here today cracking open Dungeness crab shells and dipping the meat into clarifi ed butter. Thomas spends more time cracking than eating; he's so proud when he cracks a leg all by himself. Full yet again, we stroll down to the dock where the fl oat planes await. The 20-minute fl ight over the Tongass National Forest takes us over lakes, valleys, inlets and islands, and up to snow-capped mountains where the shadow of our plane looks like a bug scuttling across a white canvas. We land back in Ketchikan with just enough time to browse Creek Street, a boardwalk on wooden pilings over Ketchikan Creek, lined with res- taurants, curio shops and an art gallery. Back onboard, it's almost time to get ready for dinner. It's semi-formal night, so there's a dress to iron and ties to fi nd. I hear they're serving lobster. Oh, just another day on a Disney Alaska cruise, I think, as I pat my expanding waistline. And oh, what work I have to do when I return. Though I wouldn't change a single morsel. AMA MEMBERS SAVE MORE Before you go: Sail the Disney Wonder round trip Seattle to Alaska between May 28 and September 3, 2012. From US$3,228 for a family of four with two children under 12. Price based on the May 28, 2012, departure. 1-866-989-6594; AMATravel.ca/Cruise. While you're there: Catch some deals in Ketchikan. Save 15% on Alaska Wilderness Charters & Guiding tour packages, 10% on packages from Rainbird Deluxe Tours, 10% on Southwest Alaskan Air Tours and 5% on Southeast Aviation Wildlife Tours. AMARewards.ca/SearchForDiscounts WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 201 1 45