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!