Are We There Yet?

The appropriate response.

You know that saying, "There are no bad questions"? Well, there are, and this is one of them! WE ARE NOT THERE YET!!!

—Viridi, Kid Icarus: Uprising

Stock Phrase in comedy, usually repeated ad nauseam, usually by children or childish characters, much to the annoyance of the other passengers. The stock response is a "We'll get there when we get there!" in an annoyed voice, or "Don't make me turn this car around!" when the driver is getting fed up.

Occasionally said when the character has fallen asleep and is being woken up. It still prompts exasperation because the character only needed to look about.

Goes without saying that this is Truth in Television. If the characters are instead waiting for something, but not actually going anywhere, the phrase may become "Is it time yet?! Is it time yet?!" or "How about now?"

Not to be confused with the film of the same name, later adapted for television.

Here is a compilation with a lot of examples.

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Examples:

Advertising

• A car advertisement in Brazil featured a man and a boy on a road trip. The boy kept asking the question's Brazilian equivalent "Já chegamos?" (Have we already arrived?) until they finally arrived. The boy threw a small tantrum when the answer was yes.
• A British radio commercial for a product we can't recall has a kid asking this with growing impatience before a GPS device shuts him up by telling that the destination is still several hundred miles away. Of note, the kid has a very shrill voice, the commercial most commonly airs on mornings and a lot of people use radio alarm clocks. Do the math.
• This happens in a commercial for Universal Orlando's The Simpsons Ride, where Bart and Lisa keep on asking "Are We There Yet?" over and over. Years earlier, the Simpsons advertised Ramada Inns, where they did the same thing.
• An ad for Pokémon Stadium 2 features a variant where a kid is standing in a game shop repeatedly asking the clerk "Is it here yet?"
• Subverted in an advertisement for the Wheel of Fortune mobile app in which a girl keeps saying "Are we there yet?" Her parents keep saying "No" because they assume it's this trope... until the father, who's playing the game on his phone, realizes she's been looking over his shoulder and is trying to give him the answer to the current puzzle.

Are we there yet?

Anime & Manga

• Dragon Ball Super: In Episode 17, Goku keeps bugging Bulma about if Whis has arrived yet. When Whis does come, Goku asks him to take him to his planet and he promises to do that after he finishes eating. Goku then keeps bugging him if he is done, before Whis has even taken a bite.
• Natsu of Fairy Tail will often feebly asks "Are... we still... not... there... yet...?" whenever on any kind of transport, but in his case it's because he suffers from extreme motion sickness and can't wait to get out. He's once so out of it that he keeps asking even after they've arrived at their destination.
• Said by Sora in the manga adaptation of Kingdom Hearts II. Even a 15-year-old with a legendary key-shaped sword can't be patient with train rides that are over two hours long.
• In the Warrior Cats manga about Ravenpaw, Barley asks him this at the end of the first volume when they're on their way to Highstones. Ravenpaw assures him that they're almost there.

Are we there yet?

Comedy

• Comedian Tim Hawkins lists this as one of the "Stupid Questions" (regardless of the statement that stupid questions don't exist), pointing out in exasperation that the car hasn't stopped and sarcastically telling his son that he plans to get to the place and continue traveling.

Are we there yet?

Comic Books

• Fantastic Four: As the "big kid" of the team, you can count on Johnny for this. The first issue of Mark Waid's run, is just one example.
• Marvel Zombies: In Marvel Zombies 2, after the zombified heroes ate just about everything in the universe, they decide to go back to Earth to find a way to make more food to satisfy their endless hunger. Along their journey, Spider-Man starts asking "So are we there yet?" while everyone else says "No." He continues asking until they finally get there, much to everyone's annoyance.
• Spider-Man: During the Civil War tie-in issues of The Amazing Spider-Man (J. Michael Straczynski), Iron Man realises that Spidey is feeling really out of it when he doesn't take the opportunity to do this.
• The Flash and Nightwing one-shot opens with Wally West asking this. Given Dick is driving a guy with Super-Speed, it makes sense he'd bore easily.
• The Smurfs: The series did this first in the comic book story The Astro Smurf, when they were carting Astro Smurf and his spaceship to the inside of an inactive volcano, which became a constant running gag.
  Smurf #1: Is it really that much further, Papa Smurf?
  Papa Smurf: Not far now.
  Smurf #2: Is it really that much further, Papa Smurf?
  Papa Smurf: Not far now.
  Smurf #3: Is it really that much further, Papa Smurf?
  Papa Smurf: YES, IT IS!!!
• Issue 26 of The Ren & Stimpy Show comic book had a story with this title in which Ren has to drive Stimpy and Sven to Six Flags Over Jello.
• Batman: Arkham Series: The prequel comics for each installment, one of which is also shown as the trope picture, has The Joker saying this to one of the characters, presumably to annoy them.
  • The first prequel comic, detailing the events leading up to Batman: Arkham Asylum, he says it to Batman as he's driving him back to Arkham Asylum. Batman answers by punching him in the face without taking his eyes off the wheel.
  • The second prequel comic, detailing the events of Batman: Arkham City, has him saying this to the security guard pushing his wheelchair, although the guard takes it in stride, most likely because he and his friends are planning to torture the Joker as revenge for the amount of people he killed during the takeover.
• The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis: Homer asks this to Leela while they're on their way to an ice planet:
  Leela: [annoyed] For the last time Homer, no!

Are we there yet?

Comic Strips

• Calvin and Hobbes: Calvin always does this before the camping trips from Hell.
• Likewise in FoxTrot, though when they do arrive the kids immediately switch to asking, "Can we go home yet?"
• In Prickly City, Carmen is following Kevin through the tunnel he's digging and finally asks this. Kevin asks whether it's The Family Circus and threatens to turn the tunnel around.
• A Father's Day card shows Moses, having just led the Hebrews through the Red Sea, turning to his son and saying "No, we are not there yet!"

Are we there yet?

Fan Works

• This is the catchphrase of Final Fantasy Legacy's child alchemist Mika Gilchrist, who uses it knowingly to get a rise out of the adults, and to blow off some steam when under severe stress.
• In An Entry with a Bang!, when the pirate alliance is on its way to C-Earth, one of the pirate captains calls the guy leading the way after every FTL jump to ask this question.
• Examples from the Calvinverse:
  • Calvin asks Chill this several times in Calvin and Hobbes III: Double Trouble.
  • Socrates asks this in Retro Chill while the group is traveling to Rupert's ship.
  • Calvin asks "When are we going to be there?" several times in the Calvin & Hobbes: The Series episode "Camping Trip Part 1".
• Chapter 20 of Paper Luigi X opens with Blooey giving out one of these.
• Dear Order:
  Dear Order,
  
  I have a question for you regarding the end of summer and my return to Hogwarts.
  
  Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
  
  I think you get the idea.
  
  Are we there yet?
  
  Love, Harry
  
  P.S. Are we there yet?
• In Sixteen Years Harry is forced to fly Sirius's old motorcycle to Hogwarts and the eleven-year-old he's traveling with keeps asking this.
• In chapter 11, of The Undesirables, Princess Luna and a ponified Sonata Dusk are riding on a train.
  Sonata: [whining] Luna, I know you told me not to say it again, but are we there yet?
  Luna: [groans] For the very last time, Sonata, no. No, we are not there yet! [she bangs her head against the window] Though we cannot arrive soon enough...
• In Nitimur in Vetitum Harry asks this several times after being captured and dragged off by Viera Wood-Warders.
• In What Everyone Didn't Know Sirius asks this while Harry is sneaking him and James to Snape's potions lab.
• X-Men: The Early Years: In "Midnight Meetings", the team is heading towards an archeological dig...
  Bobby: Are we there yet?
  All: NO!
  Hank: Robert, we are heading towards an archeological dig. Does it look like were anywhere near the dig to you? Trust me no one wants to get there as badly as I do.
• In Walk the Walk Tony asks this numerous times during a helicarrier trip to the UK.
• The entire premise of Are We There Yet?
• Master Potter of Kamar-Taj:
  Harry: Are we there yet?
  Matt: No...
  Harry: Are we there yet?
  Matt: No...
  Harry: Are we there yet?
  Matt: Yes...
  Harry: Really?
  Matt: No! Are you always this irritating?
• In Heroes Assemble! Tony asks this during a quinjet trip to the Azores.
  Leaning his head backwards over the top of the couch, Tony eyed Harry in the pilot's seat (and wasn't that something else to give him a bad case of nerves).
  "Are we there yet?" he asked, only to have Pepper poke him hard in the ribs.
  "Child," she muttered.
• Us and Them:
  • Chapter 23 has Rufus flying AVALANCHE out to Corel to intercept a WEAPON bearing down on it. Shortly after takeoff, Barret demands to know how much longer. Rufus informs him that if he's not satisfied with their progress there are parachutes in the back.
  • The short story "Family Road Trip" has Aeris and Seph and the kids on a trip to Cid's daughter's birthday party. Keter asks the question, and Sephiroth uses a Sleep materia on him. Aeris starts giving him the Silent Treatment for that.
• In With this Ring... (Green Lantern): John Stewart has to restrain himself from constantly asking: "Are were there yet?" during their journey to Zamaron. It's a long, boring trip, even for a Ring-wielder, and it doesn't help Hal and Katma are ignoring him while chatting between themselves via their Power Rings' mental link.
  <Jordan,> said John, <are you ever gonna stop thinkin' at my woman, and start thinkin' with me? It gets boring out here. I keep wantin' to yell, "Are we there yet?">
  Hal grinned. <I'll give you a hint, John. We're not.>

Are we there yet?

Films — Animation

• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths: Done by the Flash as an Orphaned Punchline. More than 15 times, as stated by Green Lantern, who was not amused.
• Shrek 2: Donkey, on the way to Far Far Away.
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Shrek: No.
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Fiona: Not yet.
  Donkey: Hey, are we there yet?
  Fiona: No.
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Shrek: No!
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Shrek: Yes.
  Donkey: Really?
  Shrek: NO!
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Fiona: No!
  Donkey: Are we there yet?
  Shrek: NO WE ARE NOT!
  Donkey: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Shrek and Fiona: NO!!!
  • Eventually, Donkey causes Shrek to get in on it:
  [after Donkey annoys Shrek with his mouth]
  Shrek: UGH! ARE WE THERE YET?!
  Fiona: Yes!
  Donkey: Finally!
• The Incredibles. You've got a superhero family in full coordinated costumes in a camper suspended under a rocket platform, and Dash still has to say it because he is a kid and not an adult in a kid's body. Mr. Incredible returns the stock response.
  Mr. Incredible: We get there when we get there!
• An American Tail:
  • Fievel asks "Are we there yet?" as the ship they're on crosses the Atlantic for America.
  • He asks it again in the sequel Fievel Goes West when they're traveling by train to the Wild West.
• In Brother Bear, when a V-shaped flock of geese fly by:
  Goose 1: Are we there yet?
  Goose 2: Don't make me turn this formation around.
• Blanko asks this twice in Space Jam, in one case following a Dope Slap.
• Aladdin: The Return of Jafar has an example near the beginning of the film when Genie!Jafar, still in his lamp, asks Iago if they have exited the Cave of Wonders. It is implied he asked more times before the scene as an annoyed Iago responds "'Are we out yet? Are we out yet?' Yes, we're out!"

Are we there yet?

Films — Live-Action

• The family comedy Are We There Yet?, as you would expect. Summary: Family road trip results in hijinks. Followed by an In Name Only series which seems to follow the plot of its sequel Are We Done Yet? more.
• In Avatar, Jake, coming out of cryo, asks a med tech "Are we there yet?" The tech assures him "Yeah, we're there, sunshine."
  • In the sequel, Jake's family have to move to another tribe to escape being hunted by the RDA. His youngest child Tuk falls asleep during the flight to their new home, and when she wakes up the first thing she says is "Are we there yet?"
• Avengers: Infinity War: On the way to Nidavellir, Thor responds to a rather bored "I am Groot" with "You'll know when we're close."
• The background of the opening credits of Carpool is, rather than music, the typical morning carpool conversation. Naturally, the kids start up a chant of "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" When the driver yells at them to "stop saying that", they change the chant to "When will we get there? When will we get there? When will we get there?"
• Galaxy Quest (shuttle ride): Sir Alexander Dane. This example is particularly notable because it is a rare case of this phrase being invoked sarcastically as a response to an annoyance, rather than being the annoyance itself. Basically, Dane was getting annoyed at being holed up in the cramped shuttle with Guy, who wouldn't stop whining about his perceived role as a Red Shirt.
• The Mummy Returns: Done intentionally by Alex to annoy the kidnappers.
• In Spice World, a plane is seen in the sky, with a voiceover of Clifford saying where they are going, and one of the girls says "are we there yet?". The same phrase is heard on the return journey.
• In Star Trek Beyond, as Jaylah leads Scotty on an extended trek to the Franklin, he gripes this. She warns him to not keep saying it, but fortunately they are just about there.
• TRON: "Elementary physics: a beam of energy can be diverted. Are we there yet, mommy?"
• The World's End has the protagonists all sitting in a car arguing with Gary's spotty knowledge of classical literature up until Andy asks "Are we there yet?" in a bored tone to remind everyone they were supposed to be going somewhere.

Are we there yet?

Literature

• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: When the robbers are hiding in oil jars, they hear Morgiana approach, thinking she is the robber chief, and one of them asks "is it time?". She replies in a deep voice "Not now, soon." All the robbers do this in turn.
• There is a book called Are We There Yet, followed up by Don't Make Me Pull this Vehicle Over! a Chicken Soup for the Soul-like series.
• A scene in Darth Vader and Son, a non-canon Star Wars picture book, depicts little Luke Skywalker asking this of Darth Vader as they fly through space.
• In Amelia Bedelia Road Trip!, one of the Young Amelia Bedelia books, when Amelia tries to take charge of the planning of the trip she's told that this is the parents' job and it's the kid's job to ask "Are we there yet?" Later, when she does this, she is told yes, because the trip is an adventure road trip to nowhere in particular, so anywhere they go is there.
• In Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy, Junie B. asks her dad "Are we there yet? Why aren't we there?" as they travel to the barbershop for her dad to get a haircut. It's kind of justified in this case, though, as Junie B. is confused because they're not going to their normal barber shop, but instead a beauty shop that was recommended to her father by one of his friends.
• In the first Odd Thomas novel, Odd mentions that he's at least grateful that the corpse he's lugging around won't ask "are we there yet?"
• One of Bran's POV chapters start with these very words. He has more excuse than most since he is currently following an undead Ranger through revenant and Walker haunted woods north of the Wall.
• The children's picture book Are We There, Yeti? is a wordplay on this, with the children asking this of their bus driver, who is an actual yeti. The author and illustrator dedicated the book "To Mom and Dad, who always answered patiently 'Not yet!'"
• In the children's picture book When Grandma Saved Christmas, it's the Daddy mouse that asks this after the mouse children Bubble and Squeak^Note"Bubble and squeak" is a traditional British dish made with leftover vegetables and sometimes meat, named because of the noises made during cooking. chatter away constantly on a car trip.
• Nina Tanleven: In The Ghost Wore Gray, Nine teasingly asks her father this when they're less than a block from home. His irked response is "Did I tell you I found a kennel that takes kids?" She asks it again more seriously four hours later, having gotten sick of riding by that point, and gets a reasonable response that they're "About an hour and a half" away.
• Roys Bedoys:
  • In "Let's Go on a Road Trip, Roys Bedoys!", Roys is impatient in the car and asks several times whether they're at the dinosaur theme park yet.
  • In "It's Christmas, Roys Bedoys!", Roys asks, "Are we there yet?" when driving to his grandparents' house.

Are we there yet?

Live-Action TV

• Individual examples would be pointless — let's just say that in its 30+ seasons, more than one frustrated racer has asked this on The Amazing Race.
• Barney & Friends: Baby Bop asks this in both Barney's Adventure Bus and the live show Barney's Big Surprise. The trope name is also the title of a Season 3 episode.
• In the Season 5 episode "Spiral" of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Scoobies are on the run from Glory in a stolen RV, and while they're on the road, Anya decides after some inquiries that it is traditional — and, indeed, required — that someone ask this. So she does. The response she gets is that they don't even know they are going. So a bit later she asks, "Do we know where we're going yet?"
• One episode of Crash & Bernstein had Crash say this while playing a motorcycle game.
• Doctor Who:
  • Amy asks this in "The Time of Angels" while inside a maze.
  • A child asks this in "Smile", but as he's on a colony spaceship with no windows and has just woken up from suspended animation, the question is entirely appropriate.
• Donkey Hodie: Purple Panda asks this in "Mountain Climb Time" during their hike to Mount Really High Up. Donkey Hodie responds that they aren't there, but are closer to getting there. This causes Panda to tell her that he agrees with what Grampy told them about the hike being really difficult.
• Trombley in Generation Kill asks this while waiting to invade Iraq.
• In the Johnny and the Sprites short "Waiting for the Stars", Johnny sings A trip can seem a whole lot longer / If the moment you begin it / You're asking "are we there yet?" every other minute. Ginger then comments "I hate that!"
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 had a variation with Crow continually asking Mike if it was 11:30 yet. "So when will it be 11:30 again, Mike?"
• One episode of Power Rangers Zeo features Rito Revolto annoying Rita and Zedd with the question. Rita even threatens to throw Rito from the mobile base. While one can't tell exactly how many times Rito asked the question, as he probably started before the scene, he apparently asked too many times, as the last time he asked before Rita's threat resulted in Zedd's Big "NO!". And it didn't take long after Rita's threat before he asked again.
• In one episode of QI Stephen Fry asked "What ruins more than 300,000 British car journeys per year?" Jo Brand got the klaxon for asking, "Is it kids in the back shouting, 'Are we nearly there yet?'" The correct answer is "being steered wrong by GPS or sat-nav systems."
• In Rome, one of Timon's children jokingly says this on their way to Jerusalem from Rome, while they're still in the city.
• British Tropers of a certain age may remember Timmy Mallett's early morning childrens' TV show the Wide Awake Club (Later Wacaday). Mallett encouraged children to continually whine "Arrrre wwweeeeee neeeaaarrrrly thereeeee yeeeet?" as a great way to annoy adults and fellow travellers. It works.
• In The Wrong Door, this is one of the catchphrases of the most annoying creature ever created.

Are we there yet?

Music

• To the tune of "Frère Jacques":
  Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
  No we're not! No we're not!
  Keep your hands on your side. Keep your hands on your side.
  Mum, I'm sick. Mum, I'm sick.
  
  Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
  Not far now! Not far now!
  How long till we get there? How long till we get there?
  Who did THAT?! Who did THAT?!

And so on for four hundred kilometres...

• The children's channel Noggin had a summer song called "Are We There Yet?" And it was about a vacation, of course.
• Joe Scruggs also has a song by this title.
• Sandy Tobias Offenheim had a children's song called "Are We There Yet?"
• There's a VeggieTales song called "Are We There Yet?", about Junior's worries during a road trip, from feeling antsy to needing to use the toilet.
• In the "Weird Al" Yankovic song, "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota", as soon as the family heads off to see the titular twine ball, the kids start jumping around in the backseat saying, "Are we there yet?"

Are we there yet?

Pinballs

• Said word-for-word in White Water right before reaching Wet Willie's Ranch.

Are we there yet?

Theatre

• In the children's play How to Eat Like a Child, the sequence on "How to Ride in a Car" includes one child who only says, repeatedly, "Ask if you're almost there yet!"

Are we there yet?

Theme Parks

• In the original version of Journey into Imagination at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Figment, upon being told that they must store the ideas that they have collected in the Dream Port, asks Dreamfinder "Are we almost there?" The response is not a stock one:
  Dreamfinder: Oh the Dream Port is never far away when you use your imagination!
• Universal Studios: The Simpsons Ride has Bart and Lisa do this in one of the pre-ride clips at the early stages of the queue line. In response to this, Homer sarcastically says that they are here and this is the thing that they are waiting for, at the middle of the line. It doesn't work.

Are we there yet?

Video Games

• It's a title for a puzzle game, Are We There Yet? but not seemingly used in-game.
• Final Fantasy:
  • Final Fantasy VII: Barret, while he, Cloud and Tifa are climbing the stairs to Shinra Tower. At one point, he gets fed up with how long it's taken so far, and says he's going back down, at which point Tifa points out it'll be just as far down as it was up.
  Barret: This sucks! I wanna go back!
  Tifa: You wanna go down all those stairs you just climbed?
  • In Final Fantasy X, you're given the option to rent a Chocobo for use along Mi'hen Highroad, or walk, where walking also causes encounters with enemies. The choice is apparently lost on Tidus, who asks this if a Chocobo isn't rented, despite him being the one who decided to not rent a Chocobo, as he is the player character.
• Mr. Little from Cave Story will utter this phrase when you keep him in your inventory.
• In Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, Data-Sora asks this after hitting layer 20 of Olympus Coliseum (in a possible third [or higher-numbered] playthrough of the world).
• In Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pit asks this several times while climbing the Lightning Chariot Master's tower, much to Viridi's annoyance. In his defense, it's a very long level, to the point where the tower-climbing part of the chapter has a loading screen (the only other Land Battle segments where such screens occur are those with Boss Rushes).
  Viridi: I have some good news for the both of us. The Chariot Master is just ahead. So you can finally stop asking me if we're there yet!
• This was the name of an '80s edutainment game about a family of four and their quest to visit two (usually obscure) tourist attractions in each of the 50 states.
• The boy and girl in Big City Adventure 2: Sydney ask this so often during the 15-hour plane trip that their parents and grandparents finally shout "NO!"
• In the old DOS-era game Quarantine, one of your passengers will start asking "Are we there?" as soon as he or she gets in your taxi. If you check the map en-route, the dialog box will show them asking "Are we there?" ad nauseam. Thankfully this was before the days of voice acting in games...
• Davidson's edutainment game Math for the Real World has an entire song named after and based on this trope included on it. The general idea of the trope, though, is played a lot more obviously in the variation of the same song featured in Math Blaster Jr./Ages 4-6, which does include audio of some kids pestering the driver/singer over whether they're...well, there yet.
• Baldur's Gate III: A child in Rivington complains to his parents about the boring view of Baldur's Gate, whining about how they're just looking at the city instead of going in. Talking to his parents reveals that they're not tourists, but refugees; they told their son that they were on vacation to hide that they no longer have a home.

Are we there yet?

Web Animation

• This exchange between Asmodai and Azrael of the Dark Angels in If the Emperor Had a Text-to-Speech Device:
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: Technically, no.
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: Almost.
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: We're... right above the planet.
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: Stop that.
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: No.
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: Asmodai!
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: Stop!
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: NO!
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET?
  Azrael: NO!!
  Asmodai: ARE WE THERE YET??
  Azrael: FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR REFERENCES!
• In the Homestar Runner cartoon "Jibblies 2", Homestar saves his friends from the Rocoulm (the monster in the Horrible Painting in Strong Mad's Closet that's given everyone else "the jibblies") by offering to be his house guest "for all eternity". The cartoon ends with Homestar pestering the Rocoulm with questions like "So, is it eternity yet?"
• The beginning of "The Fairy Fountain" is nearly a full minute of nothing but Silver Quill asking "Are we there yet?", to the annoyance of Dr. Wolf and Commander Firebrand.

Are we there yet?

Webcomics

• One strip of Looking for Group includes the Smurf-related joke.
• Also happens in Darths & Droids.
• The Order of the Stick:
  • Yet another Smurfs Shout-Out is done by the Demon-Roaches in "The Light at the End of the Tunnel."
    Demon-roach: Is it much further, Papa Roach?
  • Used to emphasize Elan's childlike mentality in "This is Your Life."
• Paul Southworth (of Ugly Hill) did a guest strip for Unshelved where a gag summary of The Road consists of this... only with the variation that it's "Are we dead yet?"
• The "are we dead yet" gag was also used in this strip of Irregular Webcomic!, along with a link to this page.
• Parodied in the Pokey the Penguin strip "Pokey in Ancient Scotland":
  Small Child: POKEY ARE WE THERE YET?
  Pokey: YES!
• Happens in Arthur, King of Time and Space, with the gag being that the youngest character there is the one that's fed up answering.
• This strip of Cwen's Quest.
• This strip of Bob and George.
• Said by Dhur, the resident Idiot Hero of MeatShield.
• An early strip of Wapsi Square features this kind of situation in a car full of adults, complete with the "Don't make me stop this van" response. The purpose was probably to emphasize the childishness of the interactions between Owen and Shelly.
• In Faux Pas, waking Amber after they reach the zoo inspires her to ask this. Answer: YES. In chorus.
• In Second Empire, it is said by Dalek General Pturdd for the whole space trip from Skaro to Ziragalen. "Daleks are nothing if not patient..." clearly doesn't apply to him.
• When Poppy O'Possum's daughter Lily starts asking more difficult questions Poppy tells her that she misses the times when Lily would just ask "Are we there yet?" to which Lily immediately responds:
  Lily: So are we the-
  Poppy: YES.
• Our Little Adventure:
  • Rocky and Lenny sometimes say this.
  • Angelika the Chaotic Neutral sorceress pulls this while temporarily traveling with a mostly Lawful party. They're just delighted to have her around.
• Played with a twist in this strip of Loading Artist.

Are we there yet?

Websites

• This pilot on Not Always Working heads off the question.
  Pilot: And to all the children onboard this flight: on behalf of your parents, we are nearly there and we will be nearly there for the remainder of the flight. Thank you.

Are we there yet?

Web Videos

• Dragon Ball Z Abridged:
  • Vegeta is constantly annoyed when Nappa does this routine (for an entire year) on their way to Earth. Then, when they finally reach Earth and begin waiting for Goku... "Is he here yet? Is he here yet? Is he here yet?"
  • The outtakes for the series contain two separate unused examples which play with an increasingly intense build-up of "are we there yet" and "no":
    Nappa: Are we there yet?
    Vegeta: NO! SHUT THE FUCK UP, NAPPA!
    Nappa: Kay.
    [Beat]
    Nappa: Hey, Vegeta?
    Vegeta: What?
    Nappa: Are we there yet?
    
    [...]
    Nappa: Are we there yet?
    Vegeta: No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
    [Beat]
    Vegeta: [suddenly calm] No, Nappa, we are not there yet.
• In 1KidsEntertainment's Death Note: The Abridged Series:
  Rem: Is Misa saved yet?
  Light: ... It's going to take time.
  Rem: Oh okay... is she saved yet?
  Light: No!
  Rem: Okay, I understand... How about now?
  Light: I hereby relinquish ownership of this Death Note, now shoo! Get out of here!
• Linus Tech Tips:
  • In the Techquickie episode "Is PS/2 or USB Better for Keyboards and Mice?", Linus says that USB keyboards and mice work with the computer "polling" the peripheral. In Layman's Terms, that means the computer is asking the keyboard what it's doing numerous times per second, which Linus compares to a kid asking "Are we there yet?" on a road trip.
  • Parodied in "This was all a waste of money," which is about YouTube's support of HDR leaving much to be desired. The Couch Gag says "HDR we there yet?"
• Bree does this in the lonelygirl15 episode "Swimming!"
• Ultra Fast Pony uses it twice.
  • As the ponies are approaching the castle in the Everfree Forest:
    Pinkie: Are we there yet?
    Twilight: No, we're not there!
    Rainbow Dash: Look guys, we're here.
    Twilight: It's just a coincidence. We're not really here.
  • As they're climbing the mountain to face the dragon:
    Rarity: Are we there yet?
    Twilight: No!
    Rarity: How about now?
    Twilight: Yes!

Are we there yet?

Western Animation

• The Smurfs did this a few times in their Animated Adaptation as well. Sometimes, though, Papa Smurf would go, "Let's not smurf this again" or "Oh, smurf up!"
• The Simpsons:
  • Bart and Lisa spent most of a long car trip continuously asking "Are we there yet?" and Homer countering just as continuously "Just a little further." when the family travels to Detroit to visit Homer's long lost half brother in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?".
    Marge: Bart, Lisa, if you don't behave, we'll turn this car around and go home.
    Homer: But, Marge, I wanna see my brother.
    Marge: Oh, for God's sake, Homer, it's an empty threat.
    Homer: Oh.
  • Also done in "The Man Who Came To Be Dinner", where they do so solely to annoy Homer, even during pitstops, bathroom breaks, and eventually recording themselves saying it and having it play on a loop so they can continue to bug him after they've fallen asleep.
  • Homer, of course in "Homer and Apu":
    Homer: Are we in India yet?
    Apu: No.
    Homer: Are we in India yet?
    Apu: No.
    Homer: Are we in India yet?
    Apu: No... Wait... Now we are.
  • They also subverted it when the family was forced to hike through an African jungle in "Simpson Safari":
    Bart and Lisa: Are we insane yet? Are we insane yet? Are we insane yet?
    Homer: I already told you, yes.
  • Still another example is between Bart and Homer when they're lost in the woods in "The Call of the Simpsons".
  • For The Simpsons Movie, Burger King had a selection of Simpsons watches as toys for their Kid's Meals. One of the watches consisted of Bart and Lisa doing this to a very notably annoyed Homer while he's driving.
    Bart and Lisa: Are we there yet?
    Homer: No.
    Bart and Lisa: Are we there yet?
    Homer: No.
  • In "Old Money", the family drags Grandpa to a safari park, and at one point he sarcastically asks "Are we in Africa yet?"
  • Inverted in "Lisa's Belly". Bart and Lisa are bored at a water park, and repeatedly ask Homer "Can we leave yet? Can we leave yet?"
• Family Guy
  • Chris Griffin, of course.
    Chris: Are we there yet?
    Lois: No.
    Chris: Are we there yet?
    Lois: No.
    Chris: Are we there yet?
    Lois: Yes, Chris. We're here.
    Chris: LIAR!!!
  • In a Flashback Twist from another episode, a slave on a ship heading for America keeps whining "Are we there yet?" to the captain.
    Captain: Damn it! I swear to God I will turn this ship around.
    Slaves: That works. Okay. That'll teach us a lesson. Yeah, that's even better.
    Captain: All right, if that's what you... waaait a minute.
• American Dad! has fun with this, too.
  Stan Are we there yet?
  Francine No.
  Stan Are we there yet?
  Francine No.
  Stan Are we there yet?
  Francine Stan, you're driving.
• Animaniacs did a whole musical number on this.
  Are we there yet?
  I'm tired.
  I'm hungry.
  How far?
  My nose is snotty
  Need to move my body
  Gotta use the potty
  Better stop the car.
• José Carioca keeps asking this on his way to the World Cup. The truck driver he's hitched a ride with is nice enough to keep taking him there, but not enough to put up with the constant questioning, so he gags and ties up Joe for the rest of the trip.
• In one episode of Bobby's World, Bobby and family are moving. Within five seconds of their departure, Bobby asks "Are we there yet?" and to his surprise, the answer is yes (they were only moving across the street).
• Justice League Unlimited gives us Green Arrow, with the "Are we dead yet" variant, while on a motorcycle with Black Canary. Given that they are on a railroad track, it sounds more like "A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-are we-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e de-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ead ye-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-et?". Eventually, Black Canary responds, "Look, if we die, I promise I'll let you know."
• Teen Titans, "Car Trouble" - Having just finished his pride-and-joy Cool Car, Cyborg immediately takes the team out for a spin. Raven doesn't see what the fuss is about. "Are we there yet?" "NO!"
• Used in more than one episode of Caillou, though Caillou usually (though not always) refrains from asking more than once.
• The title card for the Danny Phantom two-part episode "Reality Trip" features the phrase "Are we there yet?"
• In The Legend of Korra, the introduction of Tenzin and his family has his daughter Ikki saying this over, and over, and over...
  Tenzin: (as his son gums his head) Yes, Ikki. As I've been telling you for the last fifteen minutes, We are. Finally. Here.
• Arthur:
  • The teaser of "Baby Steps" reveals that when D.W. Read goes on a car trip with her family, it's a constant litany of "Are we there yet?" and when she bakes cookies with them, it's "Are they done yet?"
  • Arthur asks this to his father in "Arthur's Family Vacation" during a road trip.
  • Exaggerated in The Rhythm and Roots of Arthur. There's an entire song by D.W. about how bored she is during a car ride, and "Are we there yet?" is the final line of the chorus.
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  • The episode "Sleepless in Ponyville" has Rarity doing this while heading for the first campsite, though we only hear the last one.
    Applejack: The last thousand times you asked that, the answer was "no". This time, it's actually "yes".
  • "Princess Twilight Sparkle – Part 2": Asked by Spike while he and Twilight venture in the Everfree Forest. To which Twilight answers that she has no idea where "there" is and they are lost.
  • In "The Mean 6", Pinkie Pie's clone complains that the trek through the forest is boring with these words. Twilight's clone then points out they have no idea where "there" is supposed to be.
• Franklin:
  • The show has a variant when Mr. Turtle whines "This car trip is sooooooo long! When will we get there?!" and Mrs. Turtle comments that it's Franklin's job to say that.
  • Harriet gives an exasperated one straight in the Franklin's Magic Christmas special when she gets bored of the especially long car-ride to her and Franklin's grandparents on Faraway Farm. Later, a "We there yet?" is her way of revealing that she sneaked along on Franklin's secret attempt to ride a horse to Woodland.
  • In Franklin and the Green Knight, Snail sighs and asks this after he and Franklin go on a long journey to find a magic cherry tree which supposedly contains blossoms that can bring spring. Fortunately, the answer is yes.
• In "Doc to the Rescue" on Doc McStuffins, Stuffy asks this as he and Lambie travel with Doc to a neighboring house to help a toy stuck in a tree. The first two times he asks the question, the answer from Lambie is "no." The third time, the answer is "yes." The fourth time, Stuffy starts to ask the question, only to stop when he realizes he got a "yes" to the last one.
• In Sofia the First: The Floating Palace, James asks this right around the beginning of the special. The answer is "yes" because the floating palace has in fact arrived at Merroway Cove.
• An episode of Jay Jay the Jet Plane has this title and premise.
• The opening of the "When Are We Gonna Get There?" song from PB&J Otter opens with Flick asking this question and then the group singing a song asking about just when they're going to get where they're going.
• The "Next of Shin" episode of King of the Hill features Hank and his friends driving to Las Vegas in order to track down Hank's father Cotton, who has abandoned his pregnant wife. Upon reaching the unmistakable neon and bright lights, Bill of course asks "Are we there yet?"
• "My Dinner With Rataxes" from Babar opens with Babar and Celeste's kids whining this.
• In LEGO Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles: Clash of the Skywalkers, Emperor Palpatine asks this several times of one of his red guards as his shuttle travels through hyperspace.
• Dragon Tales:
  • In "Making It Fun," Zak gripes "Are we there yet?" after the gang spends a really long time painting a path for a race and starts to get bored. Cassie gets the group back on track by having them all take a "fun break" playing on bouncy mushrooms.
  • In "The Forest of Darkness," Ord, scared of the dark, asks the question as the group searches the Forest of Darkness for Half-Moon Rock. Zak asks him if he sees it yet and he admits that he doesn't, so Zak replies that they aren't there yet.
• In "Itty Bitty Water" from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, the Cat moans this after the group has traveled across a long desert to reach a stream. Fortunately, the answer is yes. They've reached the stream.
• In "Tiger Family Trip" from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Daniel asks this about halfway through his family's road trip to see Grandpere and then as the trip is almost over, he starts getting squirmy and asks "Are we there yet? Are we?" And this is just in the book version. In the television special, he does it several times throughout.
• In a Kaeloo episode where Kaeloo forces Stumpy, who has acrophobia, to take an airplane trip, he asks her this question right after the plane takes off.
• The Johnny Bravo Season 2 episode "Ape is Enough" has the following exchange:
  [while on a boat traveling to the South Seas]
  Johnny: Are we there yet?
  Pops: [sounding annoyed] No.
  Johnny: Are we there yet?
  Pops: [more annoyed] No!
  Johnny: Are we there yet?
  Pops: SHUT UP!
• In the Jackie Chan Adventures episode, "Viva Las Jackies", both Jade and Ratso ask this when traveling to Nevada in the quest for finding the Noble Tiger. To be fair, both were on a car with a very grumpy old man and a spell that made everything stinky.
• In "Noisy Neighbor" from Llama Llama, Llama Llama asks this of Mama Llama during the walk to the house whose yard he and his friends are cleaning, despite it being just across the street. Although this is not obvious at first, a scene a bit later actually shows them waving to each other on opposite sides of the street.
• In "Michelle" from Beat Bugs, Buzz asks this as Michelle (actually Kumi in a French disguise) supposedly leads the group to her castle, though because she's young and hasn't quite mastered the English language yet, it comes out "Is we there yet?"
• The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: During the first song in "Scared Silly", Sundae repeatedly asks "Are we there yet?" while the group is on their way to their campsite.
• Disenchantment: In the season 4 opener, a group of ogres are taking a captive Elfo to their city. Naturally, he's annoying them by asking this question, until one ogre snaps and tells him if he says it one more time, he'll eat him. So Elfo changes to "are you annoyed yet?", and taunts the ogre how he therefore didn't ask it, then uses the ogre's irritation to escape his cage.

Are we there yet?

Real Life

• The software version of this is called polling. While there is generally no-one around to bother, it is typically considered a resource wasteful method and is only appropriate when it would be more expensive to set up a fancier event system.

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I have some exciting news for the both of us. This is the end of the page. So you can FINALLY stop asking me if we're there yet!