January 23 - Getting Around Disney World

There are four main theme parks at Disney world in Orlando and I’m sure that getting around might well be confusing for someone on a first visit. Lyle and I were fortunate in that our son took on the role of guide as we ventured to each park and made our way through the various attractions. He used his phone to navigate and steer us in the appropriate direction. I was surprised to see just how many people were using hand held devices for the same purpose.

I’m not sure if all the devices were mobile phones but I suspect this was a possibility. The best part of this technology was that we were able to book fast passes to attractions, locate different rides and even find out the wait time in line-ups for these. We were also able to text back and forth so that we could find each other when we were separated. The worst part was that many people walked around without watching where they were going. Many a time Lyle had to quickly steer me out of the path of someone who was meandering along looking down at a small screen instead of watching out for other pedestrian traffic.

One of the thrills of Disney World is meeting up with some of the popular Disney characters – Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy and the like. Unfortunately with the large crowds of tourists, the logistics have changed and this isn’t the same as it was in years gone by. When our children were young we took them to Disneyland and it wasn’t unusual to bump into Disney characters and to have photos taken with them. Nowadays, the characters are restricted to specific locations and the casual air of being in a Magic Kingdom is fast disappearing.

We were lucky. On our day in Hollywood Studios, our son treated us to dinner at the Hollywood and Vine Restaurant. The buffet meal was great and in addition, some of the Disney characters came to the restaurant tables to pose for pictures with the patrons. I have included two with this post. In the first one Daisy and I are smiling at the camera. In the second one I am standing beside Goofy. In case you are wondering which of us is which, I am the one on the right hand side holding my white cane!

Sue with Daisy

Sue with Goofy

January 19 - Disney’s Wild Animal Park

Lyle and I had a great time in Florida. Of course, the highlight of the week for us was the day of the half marathon. Would you believe that some runners participated in runs on each of the four days – 5 km on Thursday, 10 km on Friday, the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. We enjoyed being spectators on the one day but I’m not sure how we would have managed getting up so early for four days in a row.

Apart from all this, we spent several days visiting the theme parks in Disney World. My favourite was once again Wild Animal Park. We had been here once before a few years ago and I was keen to return. There are two live shows in the park – Nemo and The Lion King. Both are exceptionally well done and once again our party of four was treated to front row seating. This is especially significant for me. I have partial sight and although I see nothing from a few rows back in the audience, I do catch glimpses of the action when I am close to it. The staff at this park were very attentive to my white cane and it made the experience much more enjoyable.

However, the best part of the day was the Safari ride. For this, we all clambered aboard a safari style truck that motored its way through a fairly extensive wild animal park. We had been told that the animals were more active in the early morning and so that was the time we arrived. Because I don’t see anything at a distance I was prepared to enjoy this as simply a ride outdoors in the fresh morning air.  

For the first part of the ride, Lyle told me of the various animals he could see – giraffes, elephants, monkeys, flamingoes, and others. When the guide stopped the truck to say that a rhinoceros was crossing the road in front of us, I sat up a little straighter. Maybe I would be able to see something after all.

Yes, the rhino crossed the road and walked beside the truck on my side. It was amazing! I could see him almost perfectly. He was huge and absolutely beautiful. I was only sorry that the moment passed by all too quickly. This was totally amazing for me! Because we were so close, it was way better than seeing the animals in cages in a traditional style zoo.

I wish I had a picture to show you with this post, but unfortunately not. You will just have to take my word that it was all a very, very exciting and totally unexpected sight. It was a wonderful day at the park!

January 15 - Blind Athletes

Last weekend our son and daughter-in-law participated in a half marathon run in Disney World, and so, Lyle and I flew down to Orlando to watch the big event – and a big event it surely was! There were over 27,000 runners, and I am sure that the number of spectators was even greater.

On the day of the run, we set our alarm for 3:30 – yes, that was A.M. By 4:30 we were in the thick of a massive traffic jam on the road leading into Epcot where the run was to begin. I keep saying “run” because it wasn’t actually a race. Each runner competed solely to achieve a personal best time.

Lyle and I were standing in the parking lot when the national anthem was sung and a blast of fireworks lit up the predawn sky. It would have been nearly impossible to find our kids at this point so we made our way via the monorail to the five-mile point in Magic Kingdom. The air was alive with energy, excitement and enthusiasm. The air was also quite brisk and I was wishing that I had on an extra sweater.

The wheelchair athletes and time qualifying runners were first along the track. Our son had told us what he and Laura would be wearing and so when they came along in front of us, Lyle was able to pick them out of the crowd. I was happy enough with this, but even more so when we moved to the twenty-kilometer mark and saw them still running. The noise generated by the spectators – bands playing along the route, individuals with bells and clappers, and of course rousing cheers from onlookers – was contagious. I even forgot to be quite so cold!

Now, I have titled this post “Blind Athletes” and you might be wondering why. After the run, our son told us that he had spotted two blind athletes running with guides. He noticed the first of these as a runner passed him around the five-kilometer mark. He noticed the runner particularly because there were three runners abreast with the outside ones wearing yellow vests with the word “Guide” printed on the back. Later in the race, Jon passed a similar team of three and looked back to see another blind runner between two guides.

My hat goes off to these two athletes and to their guides. What confidence to run amidst such a confusing crowd. I found the noise and the milling about of the vast number of people distracting to me as a spectator.  How much more so would it have been to be running on the track.

I have great admiration for anyone who chooses to run a half marathon but especially for those who have the added challenge of visual impairment. I need to remind myself that it isn’t a competition for me. My own personal best is achieved in other ways and so it is for each of us. We need to set our own goals and run or march to our own drummer. 

In the picture below, there are about 14 runners as they come to the last mile. Our son is the one in the red t-shirt. They are all still running quite strongly. 

Jonathan running in the half-marathon