Let me tell you about the time I met Joe Rohde, or, “How to be a tongue tied idiot and still not piss off a Disney icon.”

A typical interaction between Joe Rohde and me.

I’ve actually spoken to him twice. And I was thinking of those times this week when I read that he had been awarded the Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements by the Themed Entertainment Association. He was feted for his work as executive designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom (which, in my humble opinion, is the most perfectly themed park anywhere) and other projects he’s had a hand in during his 30 years with Disney.

I was glad to read of the honor. We don’t have Walt, Roy, Roy Jr. or any wildly creative type as the face of the company anymore. We have suits. So when someone as colorful as Joe Rohde comes along, it’s really noticeable.

Being a Mousejunkie, I think of Joe Rohde as someone who is carrying on Walt’s vision in the most altruistic sense. I have no idea if that’s the case or not – it’s just the impression I get. Each time I’ve had a chance to see him address a room full of people about upcoming projects, he exudes an infectious intensity and enthusiasm. He appears to really love whatever he’s working on at the moment, and it seems to fully occupy his imagination and his heart. He comes across as completely committed, and he communicates that in a truly exciting way.

So as I walked bleary-eyed through the Animal Kingdom Lodge early one morning a few years ago, I was a bit surprised to see him coming my way. We had arrived the night before quite late and we were up early. I awoke with an urgent need for coffee. Knowing I was just doors away from a media hospitality suite that no doubt contained the bean of life, I was up and out the door in minutes. As I set out on my quest I saw him – the awesome/crazy facial hair, the busy Hawaiian shirt, those great earrings and that seemingly ever-present mischievous half-smile. He was an instantly recognizable face and the closest thing to an icon Disney had outside of any family members at that time.

This was the opening of Expedition Everest, and at this point he was just starting to show up on Disney-related TV specials. I recognized him, I realized who he was, but I couldn’t remember his name at that moment. I was a little star -struck, but I felt the need to say hello. Which is strange for me, because normally I’d just keep my mouth shut and stare like a weirdo. But that collection of oversized earrings dangling from his head acted as a blinding beacon to my inner Disney geek lurking just below the surface.

I summoned up a bit of courage and as we passed by one another in the hall, I blurted out this intelligent greeting: “Hey, you’re that guy I see on the Travel Channel.”

And then to myself: “You idiot.”

Rohde, whose official Imagineering title is Executive Designer and Vice President, Creative, is thankfully a man who is patient with bleary-eyed guests who say dumb things.

“Why yes, I am!” he answered with a big smile, which also held an undeniable yet very kind touch of “now let me get to where I’m going” in it.

And that was the entire sum of my interaction with a man who was responsible for overseeing the creation of an entire Disney theme park. Thankfully there would be other opportunities to speak to him. But for now I was pretty focused on feeling stupid and getting to the coffee.

The next time I had a chance to speak to him I did better. But only slightly so.

It was a few days later at the official opening of Expedition Everest. It was an after-hours thing, so there weren’t too many people there. He was just standing by himself in that little bench area that looks directly at the drop coming out of the mountain. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so I turned on my recorder and asked him if I could get a few questions for my article. He enthusiastically agreed, and we spoke for a few minutes. He came across as incredibly smart and creative. No shocker there, I guess.

But then came the typical “me” moment.

“So what did you think of it?” he asked, referring of course to the Imagineering masterpiece looming up into the sky in front of us.

First, a little background: I don’t ride roller coasters. In fact, I don’t really like amusement park rides. But since this is Walt Disney World and not some parking lot carnival, that’s not a problem. Disney’s attractions, as we all know, go way beyond “a ride.” Still, I don’t ride coller coasters. My friends know this. People who have read my books probably know it. It’s become a thing. Every time I go to Walt Disney World people post good-natured digs on my Facebook page about not riding Everest. One of these trips I’m going to just walk up and get in line and do it. It just hasn’t happened yet. I’m not really a big baby – there is a reason – but that’s a story for another time.

Back to my moment of awkwardness: There I was, standing face-to-face with Joe Rohde. He had spent years on this project. He traveled to the real Everest to conduct research and gather information. It was a massive undertaking, and it was a privilege to be there on the night it was opening. We were in the shadow of his baby. (Well, it was at night so there was no shadow, but think of it metaphorically.) And he had come right out and asked me what I thought of it.

I had only one option. I lied.

“Oh, it’s great!” I enthused. “Really, really… Great. You know… Great. Really.”

Awkward.

Strike two for me and Joe Rohde. Still, he was really nice, and it really was fun to get a chance to talk to him one-on-one privately. For the rest of that trip it was as if I couldn’t go somewhere and not see him. Every night we went to dinner he showed up with his friends and/or family.

And you know what? I left him alone and kept my mouth shut.

So congratulations to Joe Rohde on this week’s award – and Joe, if you ever see this, I promise I’ll have something much better to say should we ever meet again. Maybe.

Have you ever met a Disney celebrity? What did you say?