Expedition Everest

accommodate - u'kâmu`deyt (v) make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose

In Walt Disney World, it’s what they do.

On our honeymoon in 1999, I was introduced to the scooter rental. After minor knee surgery that should have healed quicker, our trip would have been a bit less fun without those wheels. (Tip of the hat to Laura for the suggestion and the wedding gift of Disney Bucks that covered it) And a bonus! At the Mouse, a wheelchair or scooter would go to a separate line. This avoided an hour wait in line sometimes which was waaaay cool, but I worried about dirty looks. When I was more mobile and in other amusement parks I found it rough to go through a line, get to a ride I couldn’t navigate, discover there’s no easy way to go back, and contend with those dirty looks. Holding up other folks while Bobby helped me balance or pick up my brace was less than optimal – and embarrassing. I came to appreciate Disney’s special boarding areas for water rides most. The balance thing again. The raft guys just let me “go again” if it wasn’t crowded to save time getting me in and out.

In 2001 we visited Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim. As Bobby said,” They don’t know how to do Disney here”. But Disneyland is an old park. It wasn’t built to handle the number of rental strollers, wheelchairs and scooters they rent much less the one I brought with me. Heck, people on foot were complaining about the narrow passageways and stairs. But they’re a classic; they do the best they can. However, California Adventure opened just 4 months before our trip. Repeatedly employees told us all attraction lines are accessible - there are no special lines - wheelchairs go in the same lines as everybody else -only to find out there were stairs, there was a separate line around the corner and I had to back my scooter down the hill. Through the people. We weren’t popular. Sheesh! Some of those ‘cast members’ should never have passed the audition. I guess the expanded opportunity for actors in Southern California has diluted the talent pool. But I digress.

Our next trip in 2003 took us back to Orlando and our love affair with the Mouse. By then I had my own scooter, of necessity and never had to wonder if the battery was fully charged. And the room, ahhhh the room. Disney introduced me to roll-in showers the first trip. Every time we go I want to put in my change of address.

This trip was different.

Oh, the Mouse hasn’t gone down hill. I have. Increased weakness on my right side has made it tougher to navigate stepping down into or over the side of the attractions I love to see. Even with my Bobby there to look me in the eye and convince me I am safe, there are a lot I just can’t maneuver in anymore. On our last trip to an amusement park in the fall, I got my brace stuck in a roller coaster. It wasn’t pretty.

Before embarking on our Disney trip I had little time, but managed to check out the accessible section of their website. Wow! What a lot of information. I weeded through it and gleaned a page of pertinent info to print – adding it to my handy vacation packet. Two things had caught my eye. One of them was in today’s destination - Animal Kingdom.

Expedition Everest

With angst I approached their new roller coaster Expetition Everest. I sidled up to the cast member in front and asked him if there was a seat I could try out before I got in the line. Suuuuuure! Go right along that wall and Melissa will help you. Sure enough Melissa was there alongside one of the cars for the ride on the ground. She explained: You can ride your scooter right up to the top. After your ride, one of the cast members will take it to the exit for you. She answered all my questions. There would be 11 seconds to board. No, I wouldn’t have to step down into it. Yes, the bar moves if you put your hand on it. Yes, Bobby can go in first then help me get my foot over the . . . Oh, would you like to open the door on the side instead and walk in?

::blink blink::

She stepped to the rear of the car and pulled hard on a latch. See, now both of you can just walk in.

::blink blink::

I sat in that car and cried. I was trying to make her understand what she was giving me. Melissa comforted me as I tried to express the years of frustration as my roller coaster riding days diminished. For once I was gaining mobility but the emotion just kept leaking out my eyes. She excused herself for just a moment and came back with a pad and pen, asking my name and address. I hesitated, but gave it – surely my information was safe with this goddess of rollercoasters. She then handed me a special pass to ride Expedition Everest at any time of day and skip all lines. Better than a Fast Pass! I told her no, save that for the kids with cancer and - Nope you’re special.

I cried some more while Bobby kept saying,” You’re going on a roller coaster, Boo”. The three of us talked for a while until I stopped shaking. Then we were off to Expedition Everest with a promise to scream her name from the top so she could hear us before we disappeared into the mountain.

Melissa Rocks!

I had boarded with ease and was yelling that with Bobby as the coaster inched up the outside of the mountain. The kids in front of us joined in.

Melissa Rocks!

Our ride had begun but was short lived. Something was wrong with the track and the ride had stopped. The track lurched with a terrible screech of metal. Suddenly! The shadow of the creature itself danced on the wall of the cave. As our train began to move backward into the darkness, I could see the mangled track where the Yeti had ripped it from the mountain. Now what? Hanging vertical like a bat waiting for the sun to go down, I knew what was coming.

It was sweet.

In total darkness we plummeted twisting and writhing within the bowels of the Himalayas. Strobe lights flashed in the night to capture the horrified expressions on our faces (available in the gift shop for $18). Because the whole thing takes place inside the mountain I have no idea if we were upside down or inside out but IT. WAS. GRAND. Then the sky opened up and the Yeti reached down for us, howling and swinging from more twisted tracks. I knew we were doomed.

I was crying and shaking with laughter when we pulled into the station, but managed to get out and hobble over to Trey who was waiting with my scooter. My whole body tingled - heart thumping, ears buzzing, wild eyes leaking, YEAH! Oh, yeah. I could barely turn the key. When we got down to the gift shop, Melissa was there. I held her like a kindred spirit thanking her for her part in the explosion in my heart. Finally I let her go.

The rest of Animal Kingdom was nice.

We rode Expedition Everest 7 times, the last time as it's final two guests. The cast members had become our friends and although Melissa had gone home, Trey presented us with a small card signed by everyone declaring it a certified magical moment. It and the picture of us on that first horrifying drop (priceless at $18) are framed and I look at it daily to remember the exhilaration of screaming into the face of that giant animatronic Yeti.

It was after the extended hours and we were the last to leave the park . I turned to say goodbye to my Everest.

accommodate - u'kâmu`deyt (v) make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose

In Walt Disney World, it’s what they do.

The Mouse

Where do I start? We stayed at Disney All Star Movies Resort. It was less expensive than just about any other hotel off the Disney property at $89 per night. Go figure. When we pulled up I could see there were several different sections. 101 Dalmatians. Fantasia. Toy Story. And please no – The Mighty Ducks. Guess where we stayed? The room was basic, no frills, but 'ya couldn't beat the price. Our weather was grey the first day, but when we left I remembered to take some pictures outside our hotel room. I worried about those hockey masks.

We decided to see two Kingdoms this time. First was Epcot.

In the World Showcase I picked up two new canes in China. Now this may not seem like a big deal, but they’re great. Buying and transporting canes while you’re walking about is, well, cumbersome. But The Mouse delivers your stuff to your hotel so you can enjoy the rest of your Disney day. Way cool. Lunch was in Mexico in the middle of a cactus garden. Such unusual shapes . It was interesting to see the local birds navigating the thorns to hunt for bugs and stray crumbs. Like all food areas in Disney, our restaurant was a hangout for the local birds. We even saw a large bird apartment complex full of Purple Martins (yes Martins). They are natural predators for mosquitoes and other pests.

In Morocco, Canada and England there was excellent music to enjoy while we took a break. The Canadian band played Celtic Rock complete with bagpipes. Bobby and I caught the whole show and they were quite good. England’s group was called The British Invasion. The word Invasion was very small and the font was the same as The Beatles. They had the clothes, the haircuts, and were pretty good in the sound department. In other performing arts, France brought us a talented street actor. His Comedia was very reminiscent of Harpo Marx. He used a whistle to punctuate his gestures which I remember Harpo doing – as well as my friend Mark Jaster. Very effective and funny. He had excellent control over the audience - especially the 9 year old who was his unwitting accomplice. The entire crowd was into the performance as he pranced about gesturing and demanding the kid catch is ball from over there. No over THERE!

Last time we were here, Test Track kept breaking down. We finally made it this time and had such a good time. We had picked up Fast Passes earlier. It's a sort of appointment to come back later and get in a shorter line - but spreads the biggest crush lines out. Before we knew it we were off to the obstacle course and the final speed test. Wheee! I can’t praise Disney enough for their progress in accessible amusement parks and other hospitality standards. They had a test car for me to practice getting in an out. More about that later.

This year our one night of fine dining was at L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante in Italy. I believe the waiter was truly pleased when I ordered the lamb. It’s so easy to order pasta. When I’m given an opportunity to taste another type of dish in a more upscale restaurant, I relish it. The lamb was like a nice handspun yarn as opposed to the sturdy acrylic I use for charity work. Tasty. We both ordered dessert, a rare indulgence for us. Chocolate Mouse for Bobby and Tiramisu for me. They were almost to pretty to eat. Almost.

That night Bobby and I watched the fireworks on a bridge over a canal in Italy.

It was like stepping back in time.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

So. Bobby came home from work and says to me,” Wanna go to Disney World?” Three days later we’re on the road.

We always leave the night before. You see, if we wait until morning, we won’t get out until three in the afternoon because we’re piddling around with laundry, checking one more thing on the computer or worse yet constructing my famous vacation printout booklet. Page-by-page it takes us through any predetermined destinations with maps and pertinent info. On the front page is a list of our hotels, complete with confirmation#, phone#, type of bed/accessible shower, person I spoke with at the property, Room# (if assigned). I’ve dealt with enough fouled up reservations when it comes to accessible rooms to know what I need for ammunition. Staying in an accessible room takes the three P’s. Planning. Patience. Persistence. Bobby usually just sits quietly and lets me do my thing. I have learned the right way to handle things to get what I need. At times we get a better or free room. Sometimes it is at another property. It does pay to stick with the same chain and join their rewards club. We stayed three nights free this trip because of nights slept in the fall. My Silver Elite (woo hoo) status actually helped three situations on this trip when our room was “given away” prior to 6PM.

The most memorable was Bud. I thought he was going to pee himself covering up his mistake. He changed his story three times. Two people in wheelchairs are already in the rooms with roll-in showers. I have my confirmation number xxx for a King bed accessible room with a roll in shower, can you see it where you are? Well someone requested one roll in shower but they want adjoining rooms with it. I’m a Silver Elite member. Find me a Marriott property with a roll in shower and call me back. We’re about an hour away from Charleston yet. (Five minutes later) I just caught the housekeeper coming out of the room (5:30PM,) the other folks hadn’t actually checked into it yet. Your room is ready. Yeah. Right. Still, when we got there Bud recommended a lovely local restaurant and gave us a discount coupon.

Our second snafu got us free water with our cookie (usually for the Gold Club) and even though we were using our points for the room, our points were still credited to our account. Sweet.

Third up was an upgrade to a better hotel. The clerk saw my guaranteed reservation and quickly said he could find me another room - without my asking. What a guy.

I think I'm on some kind of list now.