Discovering A Whole New World of Disney-An October 2013 Photo Safari **Updated 2/20

[DaveinFallsChurch]

You are too right about the bad guys!! There is a silly fascination with them. But my favorite "bad guy" will always be Wreck It Ralph.

I really need to get Landon over to Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and Tom Sawyer Island. Somehow I always forget about them. But they look so awesome! That's great that you discovered where to get a good on-ride shot too for BTMMR - especially considering that's about the only thrill ride that doesn't take one for you!

Good Ol' Mission Space. I like the orange side (is that the "thrill" side?). However, it doesn't affect my stomach, just my head. It makes me so woozy and dizzy and I just feel off kilter for a while after that no-gravity sensation! Crazy! Landon loved it though. Made me feel old...the first thrill ride to affect me!

Love the vibrancy of the items in Mexico too! Sombreros may be somewhat silly, but I think they always look pretty good in pictures! So festive and fun!

Love Ralph! "You're a bad guy but this does not mean you're a bad guy"

I think it's easy to miss out on the Tree House and TSI because it's not ride-centric. We've been guilty of skipping TSI on many occasions but when we do go the kids absolutely eat it up. It's also not crowded on the Island probably because most people are focused on the rides.

I’m back in the real world – I’ve spent most of the last week entertaining kids on “snow break”. I can’t take anymore days off school!

Good move taking the green version of MS. DH and I did the orange once and never again. We both felt kinda ill the rest of the day.

Yea for finally riding Spaceship Earth! I just love that ride. It’s relaxing and I’m also a huge history buff so the whole theme is cool.

How have you never ridden the Donald boat ride with your kids?? Mine never let me skip it. I have to say, I’m not a huge fan of it. I liked the older version of it better. This one seems like they just threw Donald in for themeing – which I suppose they did.

Christine

I hear ya on the snow days. We're up to 9 this year. I've had to take some days off from work to stay home with the kids. Today would be the 5th day in a row of cabin fever.

Sadly we won't be back in Epcot until June 2015 since we won't have an opportunity during our short weekend trip in October.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Okay, folks. We’re down to the last two updates!

I was really able to stop and smell the roses this trip thanks to being solo. One of the most pleasurable experiences I’ve had was spending some quality time in Main Street. When visiting with the family I think the only time we’ve actually spent anywhere along Main Street was when we’re looking for souvenirs at the Emporium. That and when we’re speed walking up the street at rope drop to get to Enchanted Tales with Belle. Or for the trip before that was to get to Rapunzel’s meet and greet. Or Dumbo before that. On my last full day Orlando I decided to spend the entire day in the park after racking up enough CME credits at the conference. Naturally, I spent a good chunk of the day in the MK and I spent at least an hour doing nothing but walking around Main Street and soaking in the atmosphere. Aaaaand of course I couldn’t help but take a gander through the Emporium.



I completely fell in love with the fall and Halloween decorations of Main Street. On a sunny day, the fall light perfectly reflects offs the fall colors.



The decorations actually start from the entrance!


The pumpkin scarecrows of the Main Street Citizens are my favorite part of these decorations. I spent a good chunk of time circling the flag pole hub and enjoying the details that went into creating these awesome decorations.













I went up the train station platform to soak in the view.





And of course, I can never pass up opportunities to take pictures of the balloons.







Continued in the next and final post

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Oops. It looks like I missed a reply. Sorry Andy!

Too busy tweaking camera settings to pay attention to the instructions?

Hey, La Cava is right over there...

You know me too well - yeah I was too busy fumbling around with my camera that I totally missed hearing the instructions.

I need to try a drink from that place!

 

[afwdwfan]

Great pictures of Main Street. I really want to get there sometime to see it all decked out in the fall decorations.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

great pics! Love the ones from the Train Station looking out at everything!

Excited for the next update but sad to hear it is the last

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

That in a nutshell is the beauty of solo Dave. No where you HAVE to be provides wonderful opportunities to just "be".

So many little gems in and around Main Street, it's so easy to just get lost in its splendour for hours.

 

[khertz]

Beautiful Main Street photos! The colors on the one from the train station are so crisp and rich! I absolutely love how the decorate for fall, but I really wish they would extend it more out into the rest of the park. They do such an amazing job with Main Street, they should really give the rest of the lands the same attention!

 

[jkc0325]

Can't believe this trip report is almost over. I really do feel it's my favorite trip report ever!!! Besides the fact that your pictures are amazing, I think it's because, being a solo trip, you were really able to capture the essence of the parks, shows, parades, etc in a way that you can't when traveling with a group. I honestly feel like I experienced them all while cruising through your pictures.

Thanks so much for sharing them with all of us!

Jen

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Great pictures of Main Street. I really want to get there sometime to see it all decked out in the fall decorations.

I think their fall colors really pop more than any other seasonal decorations they put up. Love it!

great pics! Love the ones from the Train Station looking out at everything!

Excited for the next update but sad to hear it is the last

I had never paid attention to the MS and Castle view from the platform before. Stood there for a few minutes enjoying the view.

That in a nutshell is the beauty of solo Dave. No where you HAVE to be provides wonderful opportunities to just "be".

So many little gems in and around Main Street, it's so easy to just get lost in its splendour for hours.

Couldn't agree more Rob! Only if I could have squeezed out a Dapper Dans performance - it would have been perfect!

Beautiful Main Street photos! The colors on the one from the train station are so crisp and rich! I absolutely love how the decorate for fall, but I really wish they would extend it more out into the rest of the park. They do such an amazing job with Main Street, they should really give the rest of the lands the same attention!

Thanks! You're right, I bet Frontierland and Liberty Square would look really good in some fall colors!

Can't believe this trip report is almost over. I really do feel it's my favorite trip report ever!!! Besides the fact that your pictures are amazing, I think it's because, being a solo trip, you were really able to capture the essence of the parks, shows, parades, etc in a way that you can't when traveling with a group. I honestly feel like I experienced them all while cruising through your pictures.

Thanks so much for sharing them with all of us!

Jen

Thank you so much Jen and following the TR! Hoping that my next one can be as entertaining.

 

[MEK]

I think I need to do my next CME in Orlando - before my AP runs out!

It really is fun to stop and smell the roses when you are alone. I remember taking my first solo trip (when my kids where younger) and feeling like I'd died and gone to heaven.

The balloons on Main Street are pretty irresistible, aren't they? I am a balloon addict myself. I can't pass a bunch of balloons without getting my camera out.

 

[saintstickets]

Fantastic pics and great TR!! We were at WDW last October for the first time for MNSSHP and F&W. Loved it so much we're going back this October!

 

[chattadisser]

Isn’t it wonderful to be able to walk around and notice all the details when you’re by yourself? Amazing the things you miss when you are doing a head count all the time to make sure everyone is accounted for.

I’ve only spent one afternoon alone in the MK a couple of years ago but it was one of the best afternoons ever. I could people watch, take as many pictures as I wanted and have a Dole Whip – without sharing it!

The colors in your pictures are just spectacular! Do you do any post-production editing like Photoshop or Lightroom? I have Photoshop but I haven’t played with it too much to really know how to work it.

I think we would all be mad that this TR is ending if we didn’t know that there is another one on the way!

Christine

 

[JulieODC]

Beautiful Main St. pictures!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I think I need to do my next CME in Orlando - before my AP runs out!

It really is fun to stop and smell the roses when you are alone. I remember taking my first solo trip (when my kids where younger) and feeling like I'd died and gone to heaven.

The balloons on Main Street are pretty irresistible, aren't they? I am a balloon addict myself. I can't pass a bunch of balloons without getting my camera out.

Not sure when my next opportunity will come (if at all) for a solo trip to WDW. But I do have not one but two conferences taking place in San Diego in 2015 and you can bet there will be solo (side)trips to Disneyland on both occasions!

Fantastic pics and great TR!! We were at WDW last October for the first time for MNSSHP and F&W. Loved it so much we're going back this October!

Thanks! I loved visiting October so much especially MNSSHP. So much so that we are taking a short family trip for Halloween mainly just to have the kids get a chance to attend a couple of parties.

The colors in your pictures are just spectacular! Do you do any post-production editing like Photoshop or Lightroom? I have Photoshop but I haven’t played with it too much to really know how to work it.

I think we would all be mad that this TR is ending if we didn’t know that there is another one on the way!

Christine

Thanks Christine!

Yes, I do post-process my pictures through Lightroom. I actually have both Lightroom and Photoshop through Adobe's relatively new Creative Cloud system where I pay $9.99 per month and have unlimited access to both software instead of shelling out the massive amount for Photoshop.

I rarely have to go to Photoshop and most of the time Lightroom works well for what I want to achieve with adjustment of white balance and exposures. Plus the workflow is so much easier for Lightroom especially when I'm trying to process a few hundred pictures.

Beautiful Main St. pictures!!

Thank you! My last update is the second half of my Main Street adventures and should be coming up in a couple of days so stay tuned!

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Dave! I'm finally catching up and whoa, you are almost wrapping this one up. I was worried that I was missing your new TR but I'm glad to see that you'll finish this one first.

You said it rained a bit for your January trip but was it cold too? I suppose "cold" is relative considering your winter weather at home. Anyhoo.... glad to hear you had a good time and converted your brother.

Thanks to Rachelle for that trivia about Prince Adam. I never knew his name. I liked your The Prince title. Pretty much the same thing with The Professor on Gilligan's Island. What no name? (I know he has a name but they never use it.)

Wow! Your photos of the Jungle Parade at AK make it seem so much better than I remember it! All those details that I missed while sitting there in the blazing sun make me wish I'd paid attention. I had to chuckle at your statement about all the grand marshals.... I was thinking that as the 5 GM cars rolled by. What, did they ask an entire group of folks that were waiting in line for the Character Landing if they wanted some real fun?

How perfect was that photo at MK Town Square of the drummer with the hole in the drum and the view of the Halloween decorations straight through the middle? AWESOME!

Your photo from the train platform looking up Main Street is the perfect 'Americana' shot!

Although this TR has been awesome and what so many people were excited to see given your list, I'm looking forward to the next TR as well after your grand finale!

 

[teekathepony]

I love taking your good ole' time around Main St., looking at everything and appreciating everything. It's one of my favourite things to do. Amazing pictures of everything, I love soaking in all the decorations via your photos.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Hi Dave! I'm finally catching up and whoa, you are almost wrapping this one up. I was worried that I was missing your new TR but I'm glad to see that you'll finish this one first.

You said it rained a bit for your January trip but was it cold too? I suppose "cold" is relative considering your winter weather at home. Anyhoo.... glad to hear you had a good time and converted your brother.

Thanks to Rachelle for that trivia about Prince Adam. I never knew his name. I liked your The Prince title. Pretty much the same thing with The Professor on Gilligan's Island. What no name? (I know he has a name but they never use it.)

Wow! Your photos of the Jungle Parade at AK make it seem so much better than I remember it! All those details that I missed while sitting there in the blazing sun make me wish I'd paid attention. I had to chuckle at your statement about all the grand marshals.... I was thinking that as the 5 GM cars rolled by. What, did they ask an entire group of folks that were waiting in line for the Character Landing if they wanted some real fun?

How perfect was that photo at MK Town Square of the drummer with the hole in the drum and the view of the Halloween decorations straight through the middle? AWESOME!

Your photo from the train platform looking up Main Street is the perfect 'Americana' shot!

Although this TR has been awesome and what so many people were excited to see given your list, I'm looking forward to the next TR as well after your grand finale!

Hi Brenda, nope you haven't missed out on my new trip report yet. I just don't have the attention span to adequately maintain two TRs.

The temperature during our first full park day was pretty chilly for Florida standards. Went as low as mid 40s during the middle of the day. All the Floridians pulled out their parkas. Fortunately the temps kept climbing for the rest of the trip.

Sad that the Jungle Parade will be ending in June and I won't have an opportunity to be a grand marshal on that parade.

I love taking your good ole' time around Main St., looking at everything and appreciating everything. It's one of my favourite things to do. Amazing pictures of everything, I love soaking in all the decorations via your photos.

It was so much fun walking around Main Street. And as you will see in the next update, I got to meet a lot of the citizen of MS as well!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Rounding out the second half of my time in Main Street!

After getting my fill of balloon pictures I walked into Crystal Arts because I saw from outside that the glass blowing demonstration was in progress. It was interesting to watch the actual process and the amount of focus and patience required.





After a few minutes of burning out my retinas, I took a look around the crystals in the shop. Saw a lot of familiar glass work that I had previously saw in other shops across Disney. As I was about to leave I happened to look down the side entrance to the new Starbucks and bakery. I remembered that photographing the outfits of the CMs in Starbucks was on my list so snapped a few pictures before heading out. I do like their outfits. Wish our local Starbucks did something like that but then it would feel really out of place.



I walked down the next alley way. You know, the one that dead ends into the backstage entrance and also has those music and piano lesson windows completely equipped with accompanying sounds? There were a couple of tables at the end of the alley so I just plopped myself down and just stared down the alley watching the people walking past through Main Street. It was an oasis. No body was coming into this alley. So serene yet you can still hear all of the sounds of Main Street. After resting my feet for a few minutes I got up and headed back out to the street.

The Citizens of Main Street were out and about mingling and talking with the guests. I was standing by the flag pole enjoying the scenery when Miss Victoria came up and introduced herself. We talked quite a bit. I told her I was in town for a conference and she asked if I was learning a lot. I looked at her and said “Right now, not sooo much since I’m here instead of there” to which she busted out into laughter. She then introduced me to Miss Hildegard, her sister apparently, who she was very proud of for leading the women's suffrage movement here in Main Street USA. The three of us chatted for quite a bit. In fact even when other guests came by for pictures with them, they would come back to me to continue our conversations. I had so much fun. For the first half of conversation they were assuming I was a professional photographer - I did have my giant telephoto zoom lens on. When they heard what my day job was, we talked about that a little bit. Before we parted I asked if they wouldn't mind me taking a picture of them and they happily obliged.



After the sisters, I met Fire Chief Smokey Miller. I had another pleasant conversation as well with him telling me the time he came visited Virginia and talking about the virtues of the Pirates and Pals Cruise which I have us signed up for in January. I think what I really like about talking with the Citizens is that they feel so real and grounded in my reality. True that their characters are based from a period from the turn of the century but they’re still from planet earth. Not Neverland. Not from a magical and mystical land. I think that’s why the conversations feels so natural. Of course I couldn't pass by an opportunity to take a nice portrait of the guy. This is one of my favorite pictures from the entire trip. His personality just beams through and out of the photo.



After saying bye to the Chief, it was around this time I started wondering when the Trolley Show would make its way down. I had never seen it before in person and really wanted to catch it. (See how much I neglected all of the wonderful things Main Street has to offer?) The Times Guide said 12pm but I didn’t know which part of Main Street. I asked a CM walking by and she told me apologetically that it was over already. But I said it’s only 11:55am and the times guide said it was at noon. She told me they already went through. So I gave up and decided to walk through the Emporium again when I started hearing the Trolley bells accompanied by singing! I ran back out and sure enough there they were. Teaches me to believe everything a CM says!

I followed them down Main Street at all three stops. Absolutely LOVED this! It’s like a continuation of the rope drop opening ceremony. The dancing, the costumes and colors, and the music all meshed so well. Their last stop was at the train station.





























And I think the Trolley Show is a very fitting way to finish the last update for this trip report.

I'll post some parting thoughts in a couple of days to close this out!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

great update Dave! Absolutely love your pictures of the Trolley Show - really shows the energy they perform with. Agree with you about the photo of the Fire Chief.

Glad you got to take that pause down the alley and smell the roses, as it were.

 

[Credit Man]

Great update. The Trolly show pics are perfect.