Just Back from WDW!!! (Including Last Tour to Endor) (Updated 8/26)

[ukcatfan]

We just got home a little bit ago from a week long trip to the World! It was a tenth anniversary trip for my wife and I and we had no kids with us!!! We had a blast, but really started missing our girls so we are glad to be home. It was not really a photography related trip, but I did still manage to take a few (hundred ;)). I will get some photos up soon, but I wanted to at least share a little amusing camera story from the trip.

Last night we went to the Last Tour to Endor party that was part of Star Wars Celebration V. It was AWESOME!!!!! I had a bunch of people comment on liking my red camera. On guy said to me, "Is that a REAL Sith camera?!?!" I explained what it was and that it is also available in storm trooper white and the guy was practically drooling. There might be a surge in Star Wars fans buying Pentax DSLRs this week! :thumbsup2

Here are a couple to tide you over :)

Partying Storm Trooper!!!
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3301-DIS.jpg

One of the cutest things we have ever seen!!!!!!!!
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2771-DIS.jpg

[ChiSoxKeith]

Tsk tsk....

Partying speeder-bike trooper.

Hope you had fun on the last tour to endor!

[ukcatfan]

Tsk tsk....

Partying speeder-bike trooper.

Hope you had fun on the last tour to endor!

Thank you! It was great!!! The Star Wars/Indiana Jones stunt show was incredible. It looks like there are some You Tube videos of it up already.

[MICKEY88]

I had a bunch of people comment on liking my red camera. On guy said to me, "Is that a REAL Sith camera?!?!" I explained what it was and that it is also available in storm trooper white and the guy was practically drooling. There might be a surge in Star Wars fans buying Pentax DSLRs this week! :thumbsup2
[/IMG]

that might just happen, but for those of us who prefer the dark side of the force, Sony's DArth VAder black is way cool..:thumbsup2:cool1::cool1::thumbsup2

[ukcatfan]

Alright, I can finally get back to this. It has been a crazy week with relatives in town and getting ready for school that started yesterday. On a side note, our oldest DD just started her senior year!!! I feel old :scared1:

Since I never seem to complete trip reports, I am going to take this a little different. I think I am going to do shots from various things and maybe throw in a few stories here and there. :thumbsup2

I will start with some shots around the hotel. We stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. It was our first time to ever stay there. We really liked it! It was great for our plans of coming and going often and actually having some relaxation. Our room was on the corner of the fourth floor hall right beside the entrance to the concierge section. Our patio faced the back side with France, Morocco, Japan, and American Adventure on the landscape. We could not have asked for a better view!!!

From the balcony:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2618.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2642.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2641.jpg

Picture from the room we really liked:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3031.jpg

Around the resort:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3033.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3034.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3037.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3046.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3047.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3055.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3058.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3059.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP3061.jpg

Up next... haven't decided yet ;)

[mom2rtk]

Hey ukcatfan! I can't wait to see the photos from Endor!

I feel for you with your daughter as a senior this year. My son just started his senior year too and it's really hitting us now. College is now imminent, and not just something off in the future. I'm terrified! :scared1:

[ukcatfan]

Hey ukcatfan! I can't wait to see the photos from Endor!


All of these I am posting are straight from the camera JPGs. To do the Endor night justice I am going to have to hit the RAW files and do some cropping from when I was using the 50mm f/1.4. Hopefully by this weekend I will have time.

[Master Mason]

All of these I am posting are straight from the camera JPGs. To do the Endor night justice I am going to have to hit the RAW files and do some cropping from when I was using the 50mm f/1.4. Hopefully by this weekend I will have time.



Congrats on the 10 years.

I love Star Wars, but I'm ever so glad that they are doing something to upgrade star tours, It was bad from the first day and has been bad for 20 years now.


If they don't get it right this time they they should bring back journey to inner space which was a much much better ride.

[ukcatfan]

Congrats on the 10 years.

I love Star Wars, but I'm ever so glad that they are doing something to upgrade star tours, It was bad from the first day and has been bad for 20 years now.


If they don't get it right this time they they should bring back journey to inner space which was a much much better ride.

Thank you!

The rumors going around that night are that it is practically a complete makeover. People were saying that the Ewok village and AT-AT are going as well. The ride vehicle is supposed to be completely replaced to upgrade to current technology. I think they will do a good job, but only time will tell.

[Mr.MouseFan]

That elephant is pretty popular here in NJ. Around here we call her Lucy. She's got a bandage on her tail at the moment, but hopefully it will be fixed soon.

It's pretty cool that they have a model of her there at WDW. Though, I think that model is probably of "Old Dumbo", Lucy's sister. "Old Dumbo" was built in Cape May, NJ but was torn down. There was another elephant at Coney Island in New York that was destroyed by fire. Lucy is the sole surviving elephant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_the_Elephant

[ukcatfan]

I am going to stick to the resort theme today and share my Illuminations shots taken from my balcony. My wife had a no tripod rule on the vacation, so these are not as good as they could have been as all are handheld. It was absolutely incredible being able to watch it from the balcony of the room!

These are also some shots where a little RAW processing and cropping might be needed, but here are the JPGs anyway :thumbsup2

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2661.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2687.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2695.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2707.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2715.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2725.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2733.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2743.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2746.jpg

I hope you enjoyed! :goodvibes

[Groucho]

Thank you! It was great!!! The Star Wars/Indiana Jones stunt show was incredible. It looks like there are some You Tube videos of it up already.
I am jealous! I had a great time at SWW and figured that Last Tour wouldn't be any big deal, but the YouTube videos certainly proved me wrong. (Though the Hyperspace Hoopla seemed a little less - well, Hoopla-ish, but maybe it was just the so-so video that Orlando Attractions posted.) The Raiders of the Lost Jedi was amazing, and I'm sure that it would have been even better (much better) in person!

Oh well - I did just pick up the enormous hardcover Making of Star Wars book so I'm getting my fix through that. :)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b309/kmhobs/WDW%20Aug%202010/IMGP2641.jpg
Nice hidden Mickey. :thumbsup2 Nice view from Beach Club, too! Did you do the walk from BC to DHS?

My son starts kindergarten in a couple weeks... but I felt old before that anyway. :)