Roller Coasters R US

If you asked me ten years ago if I liked roller coasters, I would've said loud and clear, "NO!"

If you asked me last year, last month, or ten days ago, my answer would've been the same. I hate them. They give me a headache. I can't walk a straight line for hours later. And can't eat for longer.

Last year, my eldest had the wonderful opportunity to go to Disney World. Our phone calls were filled with chatter of "OH, MOM! You'd love Space Mountain! Oh Mom, you'd love Splash Mountain! Oh Mom! You've got to ride the Rocking Roller Coaster!"

Seriously, I sincerely thought my eldest had lost her mind while riding her new found love. I hated roller coasters. How could I have a child that now seemed to live and breathe by them?

Fast forward to this year. Last week, for example. A huge family gathering in all places -- Disney World.

First Day -- Splash Mountain. We rode it at least 4 times, if not 5. But we'd been on the Flume at Busch Gardens. And where water is involved, could it really be called a roller coaster? It was an easy mountain to conquer and wet my interest. Could I handle all the mountains Disney had to offer?

Next was Thunder Mountain. A rickety train ride. I went once. Survived, but didn't care for being bounced about. Still, It wasn't anything too hard to handle, stomach wise. The rest of my family gleefully rode at least three times. While I waited to take pictures as their car cruised past my vantage spot.

Space Mountain -- a roller coaster in the dark, mostly. The beginning was set up under internal stars. I was amazed and wished that all planetariums offered similar experiences. Almost, until as we started swooping and turning among the supporting scaffolding. Then I realized that having the lights on would've been an improvement. Still, I survived. Two of my three children road Space Mountain at least three times. Maybe four. I lost count.

The final mountain to conquer with Everest. Some say it's the worst. It is the biggest. And we found out, it's the best. We hit Animal Kingdom with a plan. Ride the ride, do the rest of the park. The bus dropped us off. We spun the admission turnstill with tornado force. To Asia... to Everest. We were met with a minor twenty minute wait. After all it takes twenty minutes to walk through the grand people moving, crowd controlling maze. (If there is one thing Disney does well -- it's move people.)

Sitting next to me was my thrilled youngest daughter. (Over the previous three days she discovered she LOVES roller coasters.) Her smile couldn't have been bigger if I had handed her a hundred pink clad Barbies.

"Are you ready for this?"

"YES!" she screamed.

As the cars started, our trekking expert waved us on our journey, and I wished I shared the little one's enthusiasm. My eldest had warned me, "It goes backwards." When we stopped, I closed my eyes. The linkage of cars rocketed to the rear. My stomach wasn't in total agreement, but remained intact. Once heading forward again, the ride thrust us around step curves and down hills, under the watchful charms of the Yeti. And then it was over.

"Is that it?" I asked. "That all?"

The answer was the squeals and screams and delight of my children. "Can we go again?"

My answer: FAST PASS.

We conquered Everest four times. In the process I discovered if I kept my eyes open, my brain and stomach were in much better shape at the end. We bought t-shirts for the whole family boldly announcing our accomplishment; my accomplishment.

The next day was MGM. That night I wondered if I could do the Rocking Roller Coaster. My eldest, our family Disney coaster expert, said, "It turns you over a few times."

"Really? How many times?" I'd never been turned over on any amusement ride.

My husband chimed in, "Three times to be exact."

And to make this blog story short -- I did it, twice. The first time it was a bit unsettling. The second was a joy. And who knew Arrowsmith had more than one song?

Thank you, my oldest one... I guess you can teach this old dog new tricks.