15-Jenna K: My Decade Long Grudge Against a Disney Employee

Being the youngest in my family, I always felt left out when I was growing up and one of my parents took my brother on a ride while the other one waited outside with me because I wasn’t tall enough. Although not technically a rollercoaster, the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland was one of the first fast paced, thrill type rides that I ever went on. I loved the ride from the very first time I experienced it, but getting to that point was a long and frustrating process. Many people can probably relate to the feeling of being little and trying to make themselves seem taller so they can make it past the height requirement of the ride they are trying to get on. The Kellis family always used the old fashioned strategy of going to the nearest bathroom and stuffing mine and my brother’s shoes with toilet paper and napkins to give us the few extra inches we needed to meet the requirement. Time and time again, this method of cheating the system worked like a charm, until I tried to get on to the Indiana Jones ride. We started out the mission just like we had countless times before, we thought we were experts at defying the Disney cast members by this point. My mom took me into the bathroom and we stuffed as much napkins and toilet paper as we possibly could into my little Skechers, and then my dad carried me all the way to the ride so I wouldn’t flatten them on the way there. When we finally arrived to the lady standing next to the height requirement, my dad gently set me down and I confidently walked the last remaining feet to her and stood under the bar with my head held high (literally). My head just barely touched the top of the bar, but it was enough. I had the biggest grin on my face and my family was so excited that I was finally tall enough (even if my success was built on a toilet paper pile of lies). We enjoyed a few seconds of happiness until the evil Disney cast member put her hand on the top of my head and gently pressed down. It wasn’t much force, but it was enough to make me sink down, completely crushing the strategically placed napkins and toilet paper in my shoes. “She’s not tall enough,” the lady said to my parents. For the first time ever, someone saw through our lies. My heart was even more crushed than the napkins in my shoes. I sat with my mom and cried while my dad and brother went on the ride, just like I was used to doing many times in the past. Luckily, we went back using the same method later that day and a different Cast Member checked my height and I made it through to the ride. Indiana Jones has since become one of my favorite rides at Disneyland, but every time I go on it I remember this story. It’s been over 10 years, but I will never forgive that lady. word count: 521