Here’s a really neat shot I got at night of the pyramid that dominates the Mexico Pavilion in the World Showcase at EPCOT. I took the photo on March 5, 2017, as I walked back to the transportation center after watching Dennis DeYoung of Styx in the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 at Walt Disney World.
Here are two shots I got of a huge ray that camped next to our table at the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT. It’s a really big creature as you can see as it flipped away. I got the shot March 5, 2017, during our visit to Walt Disney World. If go to the Coral Reef, get a table next to the glass – it’s a tremendous dining experience.
Here is a shot I got of a huge ray that camped next to our table at the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT. It’s a really big creature. Here it is looking at us. I got the shot March 5, 2017, during our visit to Walt Disney World. If go to the Coral Reef, get a table next to the glass – it’s a tremendous dining experience.
It’s pretty cool to see a shark cruise past your table at the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT. We truly enjoyed the dining experience during our visit to Walt Disney World. I got the shot on March 5, 2017. If go to the Coral Reef, get a table next to the glass – it’s a tremendous dining experience.
Here’s the first photo I’ve posted from the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT. It was one of the few restaurants we hadn’t visited at Walt Disney World and we had our first dinner there on March 5, 2017. Here’s a shot of a small ray swimming past our table. If go to the Coral Reef, get a table next to the glass – it’s a tremendous dining experience.
Some call it the “EPCOT ball” or just the ball, but here’s yet another shot I got of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. It was the evening of March 3, 2017, and I was headed back to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside when I took advantage of the color projected onto the sphere. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
What is this? Look close. It’s a car on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride at the Magic Kingdom. We were waiting to be called for our table at dinner at the Be Our Guest Restaurant on March 4, 2017, when I tried to get a shot of the riders. It was too far away and too dark – but the slow shutter speed gives it motion and you can also see the red slashes created by the auto-focus laser. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Guests gaze a big “snake” in a tree as they listen to the wisecracking patter of a Cast Member on the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom. I got the shot on March 4, 2017, during a long weekend at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World has done away with the traditional opening of the Magic Kingdom with Mickey arriving with friends on the Walt Disney World Railroad arriving at the Main Street U.S.A. station. On March 4, 2017, I got this shot of the covered train station as it undergoes rebuilding. We were at WDW for a long weekend when I snapped the photo.
A beautiful evening was ahead as we headed into the Magic Kingdom on March 4, 2017. The setting sun cast long shadows as we walked from the bus terminal to the park. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend when I snapped this photo.
Here’s a photo that combines three great elements you see during a visit to Walt Disney World: the monorail, the sun and the iconic Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. I got the shot March 5, 2017, while waiting for Debbie and Allison to arrive.
Here’s something that’s long gone and you won’t see again: The Studio Backlot Tour ride. It was at Disney’s Hollywood Studios but is now being part of the huge refurbishment that’s expanding the Star Wars experience. However, in 2003 you could have seen this replica of a World War II P-40 fighter plane on the tour. Allison and I were visiting for our annual father-daughter trip to Walt Disney World that year.
Today, March 17, 2017, is the nationwide opening of Disney’s new “Beauty and the Beast” movie. Well, we always enjoy Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here’s a shot I got during the show on March 6, 2017, while we were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Walt Disney World offers mini-shows at the entrances to parks at opening time. Here’s a Cast Member entertaining folks who just went through security and were headed to the ticket kiosks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I got the shot March 4, 2017, on the second day of along weekend when we stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
Walt Disney World needs more of these! Here is a video monitor at a bus stop in Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. It shows the time and the time the next bus will arrive to take you to one of seven resorts/attractions. Cool, for those of us who need to know when the transportation will arrive. I got the shot on March 3, 2017.
Walt Disney World doesn’t want you to stop to take a photo of entrances such as this one (you see it if you use Exit 62 off Interstate 4 as we frequently do). They even put up a sign – you can see it at left. Still, there’s no reason you can’t photograph it! We were on our way to stay for a long weekend at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
I was alone to shoot targets on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on March 4, 2017. Debbie and Allison were on the other side (and I still couldn’t beat Allison). Here’s the view as we headed into the shooting galleries. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
I noted on yesterday’s blog posts what a good photographer our daughter Allison has become and here’s another example: She was testing a new lens when she got this nice shot during a nighttime ride on the Living with the Land ride at EPCOT. She got this shot March 3, 2017. We were back for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival during the trip to Walt Disney World.
Our daughter Allison is a very good photographer. Here’s another of her shots of the fireworks during IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth on March 4, 2017, at EPCOT. Allison got the shot while we were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Here’s another view of the fireworks during IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth on March 3, 2017, at EPCOT. Allison got the shot while we were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
An empty bus at Walt Disney World is always a photo for me. They’re rare (especially in the middle of the day or at night). I was alone, well there was a driver, when I this shot on March 4, 2017, as I returned to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. Neat. Lots of room to stretch out after going through parks.
Here’s a closer look at the empty “Writer’s Stop” coffee shop next to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant. The other day I posted several photos of our former favorite “quiet” spot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that now looks out onto a construction site. The shop was closed in order to make way for the new Star Wars area. I got this shot March 6, 2017, during a long weekend at Walt Disney World.
Here is a photo showing how the “Writer’s Stop” coffee shop next to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant has gone from our favorite “quiet” spot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to a construction site. In order to make way for the new Star Wars area, Walt Disney World closed the “Stop” and you can see today’s construction in this photo taken March 6, 2017.
Here is a photo showing the construction area near the former “Writer’s Stop” coffee shop next to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The photo was taken March 4, 2017.
The setting sun’s wonderful light provides the soft illumination to the flag at the entrance to at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. I got the shot on March 3, 2017, on the first day of our multi-day stay.
Look close. For some of us, this appears to be a “pay phone.” You millennials haven’t seen many, if any – it’s a phone into which you put coins to make a call. I thought I had found one off Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on March 6, 2017. However, a closer look shows it’s a “courtesy phone” for Disney guests. We were at WDW for a long weekend when I got the shot with my iPhone.
The 2017 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival began March 1 and there are a bunch of impressive bonsai to view. Here’s a 40-year-old bougainvillea that’s been in “training” for 10 years, according to the plaque. I got this shot March 5, 2017, at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. The plant is on display near the Japan Pavilion.
No, this isn’t a scene from “Apocalypse Now” or practice for a fire department. It is the fireworks during IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth on March 3, 2017, at EPCOT. Allison got the shot while we were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Here’s a shot of our boat coming into the greenhouse during a nighttime ride on the Living with the Land ride at EPCOT. I got this shot March 3, 2017. We were back for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. in the trip to Walt Disney World.
I’m posting a final photo I took of Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
I post three things each day: a movie review or film suggestion; a Disney photo; and then another photo. However, today, like yesterday, I’m posting a photo I took of Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
What a great short-set concert! Deb, Allison and I caught Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. DeYoung is the second performer of the 2017 series for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
Here’s another shot I got of Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. DeYoung was the second performer of the 2017 series for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
What a great short-set concert! Deb, Allison and I caught Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. DeYoung is the second performer of the 2017 series for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
Deb and I decided to miss the 9 p.m. fireworks on March 4, 2017, at the Magic Kingdom and hit the bus depot back to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside resort. Still, we did get to see some of the fireworks, as they are visible from the bus depot. We were back at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
A nighttime visit to any one of the parks at Walt Disney World brings different opportunities for photographs – especially in range of colors and, with slow camera shutter speeds, the blur of motion. Here’s a neat one I got March 3, 2017, as I was leaving EPCOT. Not only does it have the monorail, but also color and motion – the front of the train is focus, but the rest isn’t. We’re back for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Yay! We’re back at Walt Disney World for a four-day trip. I got this shot on our first nighttime ride on the Living with the Land ride at EPCOT. You get a better look at the construction of the dome for the greenhouse at The Land during a nighttime ride (the dark spot in the upper left is the canopy of our boat). I got this shot March 3, 2017. We’re back for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. PS: You can see the big bristling Dragon Fruit growing in the foreground.
I’m dipping into my photos from our current visit to Walt Disney World for today’s “Drive Time” photo. Here’s the exhaust of a WDW bus – you can see the heat rippling as the setting sun’s rays hit the back of the vehicle. I got the shot March 3, 2016, early in the evening of our first day at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside resort.
We return to Walt Disney World today! And we have new Passholder magnets to prove it. Deb and I just renewed our Silver Passes and just in time for our multi-day stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
“Hidden Mickeys” are fun at Walt Disney World. Some are difficult to spot; others, not so much. Here’s a very easy one: it’s in a tank on the tour of Living with the Land. I like the greenhouse part of the tour at the The Land and the Living with the Land ride is a favorite “little” adventure. We were on a weekend trip to Walt Disney World when I got this shot at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
Here’s the sight we most hate to see: the Mickey Mouse-shaped power line guide as we leave Walt Disney World. Oh, boo! Seeing the electrical Mickey means another trip has come to an end – even just a day trip. Still, we also like to SEE it as we arrive! I got this shot as we left from a weekend trip on Feb. 5, 2017.
Yay! We’re back at Walt Disney World! Deb and I were back yesterday (Feb. 4) for the first time in 2017 (our last visit was in November 2016). Allison, who was here two weeks ago, joined us for lunch at The Boathouse. Here’s a shot of an Amphicar coming back to the dock. Amphicars launch from right next to the restaurant.
We just got back from a weekend visit to Walt Disney World and now we’re headed back next month! We got this box in the mail on Feb. 9, 2017, and it’s our bands for the trip. We all have passes and we’ll be staying for a long weekend at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, where we stayed last summer.
OK, I’ve posted photos of the Torii gate at the Japan Pavilion at the World Showcase at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. Here’s another one and it’s very similar to others I’ve posted (can’t change the gate). Still, I like the image and the Torii gate is beautiful. I got the shot on Feb. 5, 2017, while we were on a weekend visit.
What’s this? You don’t see any iconic imagery of Walt Disney World in this photo, but it was taken at one of the most iconic Disney rides: Space Mountain. It is of the video monitors as you exit the ride and see yourself on a screen (that used to be really high-tech). We were at the Magic Kingdom on Feb. 4, 2017, when I got this shot trying to get a picture of one of us on the screen.
I’ve gotten a few nice photographs of birds at Walt Disney World and here’s one today that I got at Disney Springs on Feb. 4, 2017. We were at Disney Springs to open our recent weekend trip and I was sitting near a stage near the lake and took shots of birds gliding overhead. Here’s one of a hawk.
Although not an iconic image such as Cinderella Castle, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover is one of my favorite places to take photographs. Here’s one I got the evening of Feb. 4, 2017, as we were at Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. We were on a weekend visit to Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World provides a bunch of “Hidden Mickeys” – that is, designs of its iconic mascot embedded everywhere but not immediately obvious to the eye. Well, the sky provides this unintentional Hidden Mickey in this photograph I got Feb. 4, 2017. We were leaving the Magic Kingdom on the Resort Monorail to head to dinner when I got this shot. The two clouds and setting sun make for a neat photo.
Here’s another iconic sight at Walt Disney World: the Resort Monorail. In this photo taken Feb. 4, 2017, the train is arriving at the Magic Kingdom station. The other stations on the Resort Monorail line are at the Contemporary Resort, the transportation center, the Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
It’s kinda lame, but here’s my look at our first trip on an accordion-style bus at Walt Disney World! This type of vehicle has been running for at least a couple of years with the Walt Disney World Bus Service, but I got my first ride on one on Feb. 4, 2017. This shot shows what the pass-through looks like as you walk towards it. We were headed to the Magic Kingdom from Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort on this ride.
It’s kinda lame, but here’s my look at our first trip on an accordion-style bus at Walt Disney World! This type of vehicle has been running for at least a couple of years with the Walt Disney World Bus Service, but I got my first ride on one on Feb. 4, 2017. This shot shows a close-up of the accordion. We were headed to the Magic Kingdom from Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort on this ride.
The iconic Hall of Presidents attraction is closed at Magic Kingdom until June 29 for refurbishment – including the addition of our latest: President Donald Trump. Allison got this shot at Walt Disney World on Jan. 21, 2017, during a day trip to the park. The attraction closed Jan. 17.
Although it makes for a lame photograph, the available space sign at the parking garages at Disney Springs are a big help. Of course the technology is nothing new, but since parking is usually tough on Walt Disney World property, they really help when you know if there’s a spot for you on any given row. I this unremarkable shot of the huge parking aid on Feb. 4, 2017, as we arrived at Disney Springs for lunch.
Look close and you’ll see a smile on this performer during Finding Nemo – The Musical. I got the shot while visiting the Animal Kingdom park on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance at Walt Disney World.
I’m revisiting some of our 2016 trips to Walt Disney World, and here’s a really neat one I neglected to post last year. It is of the torii gate across from the entrance to the Japan Pavilion at EPCOT. I got this shot Feb. 5, 2016, while we were on a multi-day trip. As I noted in an earlier photo, a torii gate is a traditional entrance to a sacred place. This photo is highlighted by the setting sun and the bonsai-shaped bush and decorative light fixture.
With the new year, here’s my first posting of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. I got this one on Aug. 19, 2016, at the end of a multi-day trip to Walt Disney World. It is a sight that is always fun and interesting.
We’ll be back to Walt Disney World in 2017, but I’m having to dip into my digital vault of past visits for blog photos. One truly neat stage shows (even better than “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage”) is the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show.
Two performers were face-to-face at the top of the acrobats’ performance at the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, while we were at Walt Disney World.
You’ll get a bunch of great photos at the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. So, here’s another of mine. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance at Walt Disney World.
Before we get back to Walt Disney World for the first time in 2017, I’m posting some shots from past visits. Here’s another one of “The Lion King” character “Rafiki” at Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom. I got this shot Feb. 7, 2016, while we were on the ride during a long weekend visit.
A performer kicks up his heels during the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show at Walt Disney World.
I’ve posted photos of the cast member I call “The Fire Dude” from the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. So, here’s another. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance at Walt Disney World. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show.
As we haven’t been back to Walt Disney World in 2017, I’m posting from my digital vault of past visits. One truly neat stage shows (even better than “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage”) is the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show.
I’m continuing a dig in the digital vault and like some other photos I got at the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance at Walt Disney World. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show.
As I dip into the digital vault, I see photos that we won’t be taking again. Here you have one of the Main Street Electrical Parade, which ended its run at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World this past October. Allison got this neat shot (with a reflection on the wet pavement of Main Street, U.S.A.) on Feb. 6, 2016.
Because of the darkness of rides, a lot of colorful photos can be blurred. Of course I try to use the blurs to effect and here’s one I got while riding one of the slow-moving cars in “Spaceship Earth” sphere at the front of EPCOT. I grabbed this shot on Feb. 9, 2015, during our trip to Walt Disney World.
We really like the update to the Soarin’ ride at EPCOT. I don’t sneak any photos while the ride is going, but here’s one I got as we waited in line on Oct. 1, 2016. We were on a day trip to Walt Disney World.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Whew! 2017 has arrived … and not a moment too soon. The new year needs to be celebrated with fireworks and I’m posting some past photos of fireworks that Allison got in 2015. She got this one at the fireworks show on Oct. 16, 2015, during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
There was fire at the stage in this photo by Allison a performance at the Hollywood Studios special Villains night in August 8, 2014. We were at Walt Disney World for a multi-day visit when she got the photo. Note that you can see the since-dismantled sorcerer’s hat in the background. The hat used to be a main symbol of the park, but no longer dominates the center of it.
Before we get back for our first trip of 2017 to Walt Disney World, I’m dipping into the digital vault for photos for my blog. Here’s a shot of entertainers at the Italy Pavilion and Allison got this shot during a visit to EPCOT on Jan. 3, 2015.
I like detail photos, even if they are bland. Here’s one: it shows the link between two boats on the Living with the Land ride. I got it at The Land pavilion at EPCOT on Oct. 1, 2016. This one is my favorite “little” ride at Walt Disney World.
Allison was taking photographs one way, I was focusing on the other. You can see her camera lens in the bottom left part of this image. I took it while we were on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover as it made its way through Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. I got this shot Feb. 7, 2016, while we were on the ride during a long weekend visit to Walt Disney World.
Somehow, it’s not odd to see a Chevy truck on the plain during a ride on the Kilimanjaro Safaris at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015.
I like photos of the trains on the various monorail tracks at Walt Disney World. However, today I’m showing a view from one of the trains as we prepared to leave the station at the Contemporary Resort. We were getting off the Resort Monorail (or waiting for it to start again … I cannot recall) when I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Even when the performers are faced away from you during the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park, you’re not visually out of action. Here’s a nice view as the performers move away from our seats (also note the hat on the gentleman walking in the door in the far background). We were there on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance while during a weekend trip at Walt Disney World.
I’ve been posting some old photos taken on our previous trips since we won’t be back at Walt Disney World for a few weeks. Here’s another of a spinning performer at the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015.
This photo shows the contrast of dark and light from inside the Harambe Theatre. You can see the flashlight of an usher headed toward the open doors to the theater (too bad Disney had to use Old English spelling of “theater” rather than the American English spelling that I just used correctly). The theater (not theatre) is the home of the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, while we were at Walt Disney World.
The performer closest to my Nikon has a big smile on his face during the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance. It’s definitely impossible to get a bad photo at this show at Walt Disney World.
Here’s another photo of hippopotami (Latin plural) that I originally wrote that don’t look hungry, hungry! A couple of guests frame the shot of these sedate mammals at the Animal Kingdom park on Feb. 8, 2015, at Walt Disney World. We were on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride when I snapped the photo.
Here’s another shot of a rhinoceros I took on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015.
Guests get up close to animals on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park. Here’s a guest looking as we pass a giraffe. We were at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015, when I got this shot.
It was a light morning on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park when I took this photo. It shows looking ahead over the shoulder of a guest to the driver in the front. We were at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015, when I got this shot.
Look close. You’ll find a light partially concealed in bushes along the route of the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park. There are nighttime tours there now, but we’re not very impressed with them. We were at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015, when I got this shot.
We’d always like to have perfect weather at Walt Disney World. However, perfections is just not possible with weather. Here’s a shot Allison got on Aug. 16, 2015, of a storm cloud coming in over the Magic Kingdom. Allison and Debbie were at Walt Disney World on a long weekend when she got this shot.
Rain, rain go away … but when it doesn’t, we can make a nice photo of it. Allison got this shot showing rain while riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover on Aug. 16, 2015, at the Magic Kingdom. Allison and Debbie were at Walt Disney World on a long weekend when she got this shot.
The lights inside the iconic Prince Charming Regal Carousel make a nice contrast to a cloudy sky! Allison got this shot on Aug. 16, 2015, at the Magic Kingdom. Allison and Debbie were at Walt Disney World on a long weekend when she took the photo.
Hey! We’re back at Walt Disney World for the first time in 2017 today as a family! Well, Stephen is missing, but three-fourths of our family is here! So, don’t burn the house down! Here’s a shot Allison got from the Liberty Square Riverboat on Aug. 16, 2015, at the Magic Kingdom. It’s a cabin on Tom Sawyer Island at Frontierland.
Here’s a shot showing some of the old-style mahogony Chris Craft boats at our new-favorite restaurant The Boathouse at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World! We really enjoy The Boathouse. In another nautical theme, Amphicars launch from right next to the restaurant.
Well, after last year’s tragedy of an alligator killing a toddler at Walt Disney World, the permanent signage keeping guests from potentially hazardous wildlife have evolved. After a quickie series of signs, here’s what the final rock bed and rope fence looks like at the lake at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort. I got this shot as we left from a weekend trip on Feb. 5, 2017.
One technique in photography is using the contrast of light and darkness. You’ll find opportunities for such photographs just about everywhere at Walt Disney World. I got this shot at the beginning of the Spaceship Earth ride at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
Not only can you get great light-dark contrast photos at Walt Disney World, but rides offer you the chance to experiment with blurring your photos. Here’s a shot of a couple of animatronics on the Spaceship Earth ride at EPCOT. The overall darkness and spotlight on the animatronics slowed down the shutter speed on my Nikon and caused the blur. I got the shot on Feb. 5, 2017.
I’m continuing to post photos from the Living with the Land ride on my blog. Well, today’s another one: Here is a look at Papyrus. I like the greenhouse part of the tour at the The Land and the Living with the Land ride is a favorite “little” adventure. We were on a day trip to Walt Disney World when I got this shot at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
Here’s a shot of Horsetail and it’s among the edible plants being grown and shown during the Living with the Land ride. I like the greenhouse part of the tour at the The Land and the Living with the Land ride is a favorite “little” adventure. We were on a day trip to Walt Disney World when I got this shot at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
It’s the bare season in February for some trees at Walt Disney World. Here’s one example from EPCOT. I got this shot on Feb. 5, 2017, as we walked from the World Showcase to Spaceship Earth during a weekend visit.
It was early in the day at the beginning of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts on Feb. 5, 2017, when I got this shot. It’s not much, but it shows one of the bands performing near the centerpiece fountain at EPCOT and a couple of the podiums for living statutes (the “statues” hadn’t arrived for their shift when I got the photo). The festival, which was in its debut year, has ended for 2017 at Walt Disney World.
We were at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts on Feb. 5, 2017, when I got this shot. It’s from the bridge leading to the France Pavilion. Look close and you can see the Torii gate at the Japan Pavilion. We were at Walt Disney World for a weekend visit.
OK, so I’ve posted this view before, but I do like the look across the water to Disney’s BoardWalk from the Stormalong Bay pool area shared by Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and the Beach Club Resort. I got the shot on Feb. 5, 2017, during our weekend visit to Walt Disney World.
You’ll have to look closely, but there’s steam rising off the main pool at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort in this photo. We on a weekend visit to Walt Disney World when I got this shot just after dawn on an extremely humid morning on Feb. 5, 2017. We’ll be back this coming weekend for a multi-day stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
The bandleader was checking his watch during this early performance at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts on Feb. 5, 2017. The festival is just one of many at EPCOT and we’ll be back at Walt Disney World this coming week for the first weekend of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. We’ll be doing a multi-day stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
Today (March 1, 2017) is the first day of this year’s EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. I got this shot during last year’s festival on April 26 at Walt Disney World. Later this week, we’ll begin doing a multi-day stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
Here’s a quiet spot near the France Pavilion at EPCOT. It isn’t always so quiet and you can always get a glimpse of the monorail. I got this shot Feb. 5, 2017, during a weekend visit to Walt Disney World. We’ll be back this weekend for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
It’s not a great photo, but I like the movement and the color of the lights in this walkway at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. I got the shot on March 5, 2017, on the first day of our multi-day stay.
There are all kinds of drivers on the nation’s interstate highways. Bad. Good. Fast. Slow. Dangerous. Really dangerous. The kind we like are the Disney fans! Look close, you’ll see the Mickey on this vehicle. We were on Interstate 75 on March 3, 2017, on our way to Walt Disney World when encountered this kindred spirit.
You can see Spaceship Earth as your bus approaches EPCOT! We were at Walt Disney World on the first evening of a long weekend on March 3, 2017, when I got this shot. We were traveling from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside to the park. You can see the first hint of color on Spaceship Earth since dusk was approaching.
Here’s the view coming out of the shooting gallery on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I got the shot (no pun intended) on March 4, 2017. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Look above The Land and below the elongated cloud: You’ll find a star. Although it’s bright and very visible, you wouldn’t have mistaken it for the moon. I got the shot on the evening of March 3, 2017, as we headed to ride Soarin’ and Living with the Land. We were beginning a long weekend at Walt Disney World when I got this shot.
Look close … you’ll see the tail feathers of a bird in its nest at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. I got the shot at breakfast on March 4, 2017. Debbie and I enjoyed watching the bird work on the nest – possibly feeding its young that we couldn’t see. The photo’s a little cloudy because I shot it through the dining room window that was due for a cleaning. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Here’s one of the satellite pools at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. Such pools at a variety of resorts don’t have the amenities of their bigger, signature pools at resorts, but they’re much quieter and give you respite from a busy Disney schedule. I got this shot March 4, 2017, during a long weekend at Walt Disney World. PS: I wanted to show this photo, but I had to Photoshop the edge of my thumb out of the upper right corner of the image. I don’t like posting altered images, but I’ll make an exception for this mundane shot, since I wanted to keep the cloud in and not have to crop it out along with my finger.
OK, so I’m almost never high scorer at the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I did win this encounter – since no one was sitting in competition next to me! I got the shot (no pun intended) on March 4, 2017. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Forget the fans or the snacks, I’m focusing on the ice here near the entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It wasn’t even 10 on a balmy morning, but the ice was enticing! I got the shot March 4, 2017, as I waited for Debbie and Allison to get through security. I cruised in through the “no-bag” gate and didn’t get selected for a pass through the metal detector. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Here’s yet another photo of the monorail at Walt Disney World. I got this shot at EPCOT on March 5, 2017, while waiting for Debbie and Allison to arrive.
I haven’t posted a photo of “Leave a Legacy” at EPCOT in a while, so here’s one! I got this shot with the blooming plant on March 5, 2017during a long weekend at Walt Disney World.
The setting sun’s rays cast a warm glow on the China Pavilion across the World Showcase lagoon in this photo I got March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. We headed to hear Dennis DeYoung of Styx fame in the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 when I snapped it. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
You can even see wonderful sights in a door’s reflection at EPCOT. I got this shot showing a beautiful tabebuia tree on March 5, 2017 at Walt Disney World.
For some reason, I like this shot I got from one of the bridges leading to Tomorrowland . I like it because of the color and the contrast of the increasingly angry sky above. I took this photo March 4, 2017, at the Magic Kingdom. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Here’s another scene from the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom that I got on March 4, 2017. It shows lions having a feast, but there’s no blood. Why? Because it’s a ride at an amusement park – not a wildlife documentary. Anyway, the patter of your boat’s “captain” is the real show. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Here’s a look at the art deco-type design of the sign for the now-named Hyperion Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The theater used to be home to Walt Disney World’s “American Idol” attraction, but that is now closed. I got this shot March 4, 2017.
I just can’t resist posting photos of the monorail. Here’s another I got near the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT on March 5, 2017. We were having dinner before heading over to hear Dennis DeYoung of Styx fame in the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
The view across the World Showcase Lagoon from the Japan Pavilion is always serene and here’s an example. I got it as we went to see the concert by Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. DeYoung was the second performer of the 2017 series for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend when I got this shot near sunset.
Here’s the colorful lighting just before the concert by Dennis DeYoung (frontman and heart and soul of “Styx”) at the Garden Rocks Concert Series 2017 on March 5, 2017, at EPCOT. He was tremendous. DeYoung was the second performer of the 2017 series for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Each set by DeYoung was 30 minutes and he did three of them each of the two nights he was Walt Disney World.
Here’s a nice evening shot of a sunset while walking over the bridges to the France Pavilion at EPCOT. However, look closely – and you can click on the photo for a bigger image – and you’ll see the texture in the glass of this light. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend when I got the shot on March 5, 2017.
Most of my photos of Spaceship Earth are taken either head-on as we walked into EPCOT or from the other side walking back from the World Showcase. Both views offer little obstruction of the sphere. However, I got this one from the west side of Spaceship Earth and there’s a tree that adds an interesting point of focus. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend when I got the shot on March 5, 2017.
I’m posted yet another scene from the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom that I got on March 4, 2017. It shows a group climbing a pole to get away from some hyenas. As I’ve noted in other posts about the Jungle Cruise, the patter of your boat’s “captain” is the real show. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Here’s the stage of the #INCREDIBLESSuperDanceParty area at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom that I got on March 4, 2017. Characters interact (dance) with guests at the stage between Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Space Mountain. We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend and the beginning of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival when I got the shot.
This blur of motion is fish swimming in an aquaculture tank at EPCOT. You can see these tanks of fish at The Land during the Living with the Land. I got this shot March 3, 2017, during a long weekend trip to Walt Disney World.
Although there is so much to see at Walt Disney World, the least-acknowledged moment is when your bus arrives to pick you up. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to a park or back to your resort, the sight of an arriving bus is quite welcome. I got this shot of a bus leaving the EPCOT transportation area bound for Port Orleans’ French Quarter on the night of March 3, 2017. Port Orleans is made up of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and the French Quarter.
As a graduate of the University of Florida, I was pleased when I found out March 3, 2017, that by the luck of the draw we’d be on the “Alligator Bayou” for our stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. Although it would be nice for the alligator design to have a few more teeth! We were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
I’ve photographed the interesting shapes of the decorations above the lower level of The Land at EPCOT before, and it’s time to post another. Here’s a shot showing the designs of the shades over lights. We were at Walt Disney World on March 3, 2017, when I got the shot.
This front of clouds looked worse on March 6, 2017, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We were leaving Walt Disney World that day after having lunch at Hollywood Brown Derby. Although it looked ready to pour at any moment, it didn’t rain a drop on us by the time we left the park at 2 p.m.
Here’s one part of the drawn caricatures of celebrities on the walls of Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We were leaving Walt Disney World on March 6, 2017, when we had lunch there and I got this shot. The drawings are a signature design of the restaurant and its famous original derby-shaped building.
Outside of Mickey Mouse, here’s the most iconic image you’ll photograph at Walt Disney World … it’s the Cinderella Castle as seen from Main Street, U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom. I got this shot on my iPhone on March 4, 2017, so that I could post it to Facebook.
Here’s the end of the ride at Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. We were at Walt Disney World on Feb. 5, 2017, for a weekend visit when I got this shot.
I enjoy the landscapes and skyscapes (“skyscapes?”) you see at Walt Disney World. Here’s one looking that blends both, looking across the water to Disney’s Boardwalk from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort on Feb. 5, 2017.
You’ll spot all kinds of edible things growing during the Living with the Land ride. Here’s a beautiful little pineapple (at least it was little when I got this shot). We really enjoy the greenhouse part of the tour at the The Land and the Living with the Land ride is a favorite “little” adventure. We were on a day trip to Walt Disney World when I got this shot at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
You’ll find plenty of interesting shapes during the ride called Living with the Land. The most interesting in this shot is the cactus. We really enjoy the greenhouse part of the tour at the The Land and the Living with the Land ride is a favorite “little” adventure. We were on a day trip to Walt Disney World when I got this shot at EPCOT on Feb. 5, 2017.
