This would have everything to do with Laura’s previous post…

The three of us on the Test Track ride, Jon’s centre with his head down. It’s not a fair picture, because at that moment you’ve been told that it’s a barrier test and instead of braking your car accelerates at the wall (which turns out to be a pair of doors which fly open and you head outside at high speed). Jon’s the only sane one in the picture.

[In the past few months, some people have been noticing changes in Jon’s posts. A few people—I won’t mention any names— *coughKernercough* have suggested that Laura and I might be polishing. Nuh-uh. But something is going on.

Back in September, Jon’s teacher began to teach him composition and editing. Glaring editorial concerns are now being massaged in a second draft, and sometimes that is what we’re posting. Moreover, Jon is absorbing the lessons, so the level of his pieces is changing too. So here, I presented both the first draft, entirely done by Jon, and the second and final draft, worked on by him and his teacher. —P]

I went in a taxi to go to the airport. Next I went on an airplane. I was flying to Florida. I was watching the iPod touch on the plane. On the iPod touch there was some wall-e trailers And Wonder Pets episodes. The episodes I saw was save the swan. The airplace landed after we flew to Florida. I was leaving Toronto on Saturday January 5/08. In Florida I went to Disney World. I was going to Epcot. I went on a lot of rides. The rides I went on were Finding Nemo, Soarin’, and Test Track. I enjoyed the rides. I was going back to the hotel to see the Local on the 8s on the Wether Channel. Then it was time to go back to Toronto. On the plane I got sick. I got the flu. I’m feeling better now.

Jon

My Trip to Disney World

On December 29/07 my family and I went in a taxi to go to the airport. We went on an airplane. We were flying to Florida. I watched the iPod touch on the plane. On the iPod touch there wer some wall-e trailers and Wonder Pets episodes. The episode I saw was Save the Swan. We were on the airplane for three hours. Then we went to the hotel and we unpacked. Next we went to Disney World and went to Epcot. I went on lots of rides. The rides I went on were Finding Nemo, Soarin’, and Test Track. I enjoyed all the rides. Then we went back to the hotel to see the Local on the 8s on the Weather Channel. I had a lot of fun. Then it was time to go back to Toronto. On the plane I got sick. I got the flu. I’m feeling better now.

Jon

After the success of the original mission two years ago, Grandpa and Grandma once again assembled Team Cookie in Florida for an assault on Walt Disney World Resort. Early on, we even got a break, due to (we think) a convention cancellation, we were upgraded from the budget hotels to the moderate-level Coronado Springs resort.


Our section of the resort had a lovely cactus-strewn desert theme.

We had a great time, despite some obstacles.


It was a little colder than the Mexican theme suggests.

The weather was cold: the temperature dropped below freezing two nights in a row and the daytime temperatures most days didn’t make it to 10°C, with a constant cold wind. We had packed warm clothes, but when you’re confined to a wheelchair, not moving much, in outdoor lineups, the warm clothes just don’t do the job.


Mist on the water in front of the main resort building, which, as David Barker says, looks like a Taco Bell.

The parks were hugely crowded. Our pet theory is that the resorts were fully booked and there was nowhere else to go—not the pool, nor any other outdoor distraction they fill their resorts with. So you might as well go to the park.

Jon got the flu (it was going around the parks), and was more or less bed-ridden for two of our days there, poor guy.


Jon semi-comatose with fever by the pool on our last day—our warmest day there (note long pants). At least he got to go on the pool waterslide the first day there.

There were some major high points too:



Cirque de Soleil’s La Nouba: it’s a permanent show at Downtown Disney, in a huge building shaped like a circus tent. A wonderous show, featuring some of incredibly beautiful moments. (Here’s the trailer from their site (but it can’t capture the subtlety).) Grandma and Auntie Pam hung out with Jon at the hotel while we went.

Tokyo Dining: A Japanese restaurant at Epcot run by the Mitsukoshi Corporation of Japan. Good sushi, excellent service, and despite being fairly new to enjoying sushi, the place Jon seemed most comfortable in during our entire stay. Or maybe he just liked the way the sushi kitchen changed colour…



Laura’s return to the professional golf circuit: Okay, I exaggerate. But after 30 years of avoiding golf, Laura was persuaded to join Patti, David and I for a game of pitch and putt while we stayed at Mom and Dad’s place. Laura’s disdain for golf hides the fact that she has solid fundamentals. We played nine holes; on the last one, Laura landed her tee shot on the green while no one else even got near it.

Expedition Everest: Auntie Pam offered to chat with Jon while we braved the line and the ride. Turns out we got assigned the front car of the tea train to hell. And got swiped at first by the Yeti.

Jon’s delight with the Finding Nemo ride, especially the entrance: The entrance features a few rocks with the title, a wave generator that occasionally splashes visitors and three animatronic Finding Nemo seagulls, sporadically hollering the only thing they ever say. See for yourself.

Thanks for a wonderful vacation, Grandma and Grandpa!


Jon on his very favourite ride, the Disney shuttle bus!

Jan. 8/08

I had a great time at Disney World. I went to Epcot on a Disney bus. At Epcot I went on lots of rides. I went on the Finding Nemo ride three times. Then I went on Soarin’. And Test Track. Then I went back to the hotel to watch the Weather Channel. I saw the Local on the 8s.

Jon

(Yes, we went to Disney over the holidays! A post on our trip is forthcoming.—L)