Back to the West 2014

[mom2rtk]

It will be an interesting shooting experience. On one hand, if you go with the traditional long shutter speed, the castle may well end up looking muddy coloured. If you go with a shorter shutter speed, the fireworks will not look so pretty.
My solution?

Shoot the fireworks show TWICE!! Which probably means either:
a) Staying longer
b) Going back to DLR for another trip.


Decisions, decisions! Bwa ha ha ha ha!







Yes, it definitely is nice to know that someone else in the world has ALSO done all of those mistakes!!!

We'll start a "been there/done that" club!

I probably won't get to shoot DF twice. We'll be investing time one night to get a good spot, then on another night for the Halloween fireworks. I think that's all I can probably take for one trip.

There will be some scenes during the shows that it will be still for a while and it should be no problem getting those shots. I can understand what you meant of not wanting to stake out spots during a trip in which you can use that time for something else. I am trying to plan my trip as much as I can for the WDW trip but I am still willing to stake out if I have too.

It helps to know that some of the castle projections stay the same for a while. But man, I can barely get my timing right without that wrinkle. Nothing like adding an extra layer of challenge!

Catching up!! Love the POR pictures. I have to ever step foot on the grounds there and you took some grea pictures. The room looks fabulous!

Great shots of Marie too! Katie is getting so old!

I love love love the parade photos! You can never take or post too many.

The room really was fabulous. I've wanted to stay there for so long and am glad we finally did. You really should stay there one day.

And it's funny but I see Katie every day and it's not really until I see her in my photos like this that I notice how much older she looks. Claire really is looking so much older in your photos too!

Also the BOG shots are really good. I am super impressed.

Thanks. It was fun to have a camera so good in low light for that situation.

How did you get so many FP scheduled??? Lucky!!

As much as we LOVE DL, I do miss FP+. Scheduling was much better than trekking across the park to grab a FP.

Your shots are amazing! I am so excited for you to see PTN and the new fireworks. They blew me away. Loved them!

Thanks Wendy! I'm so excited to finally see PTN and DF in person! I've heard such good things.

Loving all the pictures...finally got caught back up. That is a crazy long jungle cruise line for FP's!

Thanks Jen. It's funny but in that photo of the long JC FP return line, you'll notice that you can't see anyone in the standby line! Just crazy.

I love your castle photos.

What awesome pixie dust with the cinnamon rolls

Thanks Petals. I think it's hard to take a bad photo of the castle. And the cinnamon rolls were pure sugary pixedust!

 

[mom2rtk]

Saturday June 6, 2015 Continued:

Well, the fun wasn't over yet. We still had some fun ahead of us. This day was mostly about tiding us over on things we can't do when we go to Disneyland, so our next stop was Philharmagic. I love that show and look forward to it on every trip. And I have to take this same photo on every trip:

IMG_8382 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

We had considered getting a fastpass for Peter Pan, but really wanted to see the new standby queue I had heard so much about. So we headed there next. It was late enough we were hoping to avoid a long line. It was midnight and the park was emptying out, but the wait was still about 20 minutes. Not bad with the queue to entertain us, but still long for so late.

IMG_8389 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8391 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


IMG_8399 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8423 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

And here's what I was after in that ride that night...... my first usable pics from Peter Pan. This is what the 6D can do with a fast lens. I was very happy with a couple of these shots. I still missed a few I wanted, but there's always next time.

IMG_8444 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8451 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8466 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8475 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8481 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I have to admit, we were planning to stay until 2, but I was running out of steam already. I'm just not a night owl, and the heat really makes it worse. I knew we wanted to ride the People Mover so we headed over toward Tomorrowland...... not without a quick stop at the Teacups though.

IMG_8500 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

The big disappointment of the night came when we got to the People Mover. This is Katie's favorite ride and while she loves Disneyland, I never heard the end of how awful it is that they got rid of their People Mover. So it was one of the day's priorities. But when we got there and saw the entrance blocked, I knew we were in trouble. It was open for EMH on our last trip, but I found out the hard way that's not the case any more. Sigh. Katie took it pretty well. But I blame myself. We could have done it earlier in the evening but it never occurred to me it would be closed by the time we got there.

Next up...... Space Mountain. I can take or leave it, but Katie wanted to do it. And we still had an "anytime" fastpass that came from a very sweet friend. The line stays long even during EMH, so we were happy to have fast access.

IMG_8513 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Can you ever have too many photos of the castle? Things were pretty torn up around the hub, but the castle still looked great..... especially when you can frame your shot to miss all those scrims.

IMG_8520 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

We continued to run out of steam, but I told Katie I could keep going and she should just pick a ride, any ride. She went for POTC:

IMG_8552 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8554 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8567 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8578 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8589 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8598 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8612 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


We were both running out of steam by then, so headed for Main Street. I snapped photos of some of the windows in the shops and we dragged ourselves to the exit. It was a long hot day, but a great one.

IMG_8641 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8646 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8648 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[YodasMom]

It really can be a zoo waiting for parades and fireworks. And from what I've been reading it's been even worse than before since the new 60th stuff rolled out. I'm really hoping it settles down a little before we get there (a girl can dream, right? )

Can you do me one more favor while you're there? If you think of it when you're in the shops, can you see if they have any 60th anniversary scrapbooks (either 12x12 or 8x8)? I always buy an album on our trips, but am starting to think they're cutting back as the hobby dies even more. They used to sell albums on the Disneystore.com site but there haven't been any there all year. Very disappointing.

I would love to pick one up when we go, but am curious if I even have that to look forward to.

And if you don't think of it, don't worry. I'll see when we get there.

Hi Janet,
For some reason, I didn't receive any recent e-mails with your WDW and recent reports and posts in August, so I missed this one. Then, today, I received one!!! So, I didn't see your request for me to check in the stores for the 60th albums. They did have regular photo albums, I think around the 8 x 11" size, but I didn't see any scrapbooks. If I had, I would have purchased one. That doesn't mean that they don't have them and may have been out when I was there. There were other things that they were out of, too. I would certainly suggest asking when you're there this fall. If they do have them, let me know and I will order by phone.

You asked me to also comment on PTN, DF and the 60th WOC show. PTN is a totally awesome parade and well-worth viewing. As I mentioned, I don't wait long for spots for parades since it always backfires with people moving in the way near the time of the parade, so I got a spot maybe a half hour ahead and not in the best area (near train station). If you have the time and want to get a good spot, I'm sure you will get some awesome photos.

Disneyland Forever is also an amazing fireworks / light show! Very frustrating, though, because you don't have long after the parade to find a spot and then everyone is hoisting their kids on their shoulders, completely blocking the castle. I know people want their young children to see but it blocks the view for other children and adults. I saw the show twice, once went to the Matterhorn area because cast members kept us moving over there and wouldn't let us stop anywhere else. Didn't like that area, though they project some images off the Mt. Second time, we were on Main Street and mainly focused on the images projected onto the buildings due to castle being blocked as noted above. The images are fairly easy to photograph on the buildings.

WOC 60th show, was much better, in my opinion, than the usual WOC show. I'm not a fan of the regular show since it's focused mainly on the Disney films. This was a combination of honoring Walt in addition to the movies, etc. Well worth watching. Again, I couldn't see that well and would have had to have been twice my height to see over the people with kids on their shoulders.

Having traveled to DLR partly to attend the D23 Expo for 3 days, I just couldn't spend hours waiting for the Park parades and night-time light shows since I spent at least 4 hours each morning at Expo waiting in lines to get into that. Waiting that amount of time at DLR for parades, etc just wasn't something I could do.

Your WDW photos are gorgeous as usual! Looks like a really nice brief stop at the World!!! And, yes I, too, am a fan of Port Orleans Resorts, though I usually stay at the French Quarter since it's smaller, easier to get around, and and quieter. I love being able to take a shower and then run to get a Diet Coke at the FF place while my hair dries! Also, love having access to the boat to DTD, etc.

 

[mvf-m11c]

What an amazing night at the MK for going on all those rides. The PP queue looks interesting. I am impressed with your photos from PP and show with a FF body and a fast glass provides those kind of shots. You will have to check out the new version of PP which the ride experience is nice.

Sorry to hear about the PeopleMover that night. It is still a shame when DL took PeopleMover out back in the mid 90's and replaced it with Rocket Rods. The PeopleMover is one of my favorite old rides at DL and this is where I enjoy riding it at the MK every time I go to the park.

Nice pics from PotC. I did wrote on your thread that when I compare both DL and MK PotC, it feels more brighter than darker at the MK version during the town scene. Every time I see your pics, it wants me to get a FF body. But first, I need to get the glass before that.

 

[petals]

another great update with fabulous photos

 

[PrincessInOz]

What great pictures from Peter Pan and Pirates. You're making me wish I had the funds to upgrade to the 6D!!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Love your photos of the PP queue and your on-ride photos came out spectacular!

So sad about PeopleMover being closed..we made the same mistake recently thinking it would be open during EMH when it wasn't.

Long but fun day for you all!

 

[ArwenMarie]

You did good at the end there for two people running out of steam!

I love Philharmagic too. I haven't done Peter Pan yet through the new queue, only FP.

Bummer about the Peoplemover. Next time!

What a great day, you guys rocked it out

 

[kclark9830]

I just love all of your trip reports, and I love seeing how your daughter (your family, really) has grown over the years! I love, love, love your pics of the Peter Pan ride!

 

[mom2rtk]

Hi Janet,
For some reason, I didn't receive any recent e-mails with your WDW and recent reports and posts in August, so I missed this one. Then, today, I received one!!! So, I didn't see your request for me to check in the stores for the 60th albums. They did have regular photo albums, I think around the 8 x 11" size, but I didn't see any scrapbooks. If I had, I would have purchased one. That doesn't mean that they don't have them and may have been out when I was there. There were other things that they were out of, too. I would certainly suggest asking when you're there this fall. If they do have them, let me know and I will order by phone.

You asked me to also comment on PTN, DF and the 60th WOC show. PTN is a totally awesome parade and well-worth viewing. As I mentioned, I don't wait long for spots for parades since it always backfires with people moving in the way near the time of the parade, so I got a spot maybe a half hour ahead and not in the best area (near train station). If you have the time and want to get a good spot, I'm sure you will get some awesome photos.

Disneyland Forever is also an amazing fireworks / light show! Very frustrating, though, because you don't have long after the parade to find a spot and then everyone is hoisting their kids on their shoulders, completely blocking the castle. I know people want their young children to see but it blocks the view for other children and adults. I saw the show twice, once went to the Matterhorn area because cast members kept us moving over there and wouldn't let us stop anywhere else. Didn't like that area, though they project some images off the Mt. Second time, we were on Main Street and mainly focused on the images projected onto the buildings due to castle being blocked as noted above. The images are fairly easy to photograph on the buildings.

WOC 60th show, was much better, in my opinion, than the usual WOC show. I'm not a fan of the regular show since it's focused mainly on the Disney films. This was a combination of honoring Walt in addition to the movies, etc. Well worth watching. Again, I couldn't see that well and would have had to have been twice my height to see over the people with kids on their shoulders.

Having traveled to DLR partly to attend the D23 Expo for 3 days, I just couldn't spend hours waiting for the Park parades and night-time light shows since I spent at least 4 hours each morning at Expo waiting in lines to get into that. Waiting that amount of time at DLR for parades, etc just wasn't something I could do.

Your WDW photos are gorgeous as usual! Looks like a really nice brief stop at the World!!! And, yes I, too, am a fan of Port Orleans Resorts, though I usually stay at the French Quarter since it's smaller, easier to get around, and and quieter. I love being able to take a shower and then run to get a Diet Coke at the FF place while my hair dries! Also, love having access to the boat to DTD, etc.

Yeah, I've had issue with my email alerts on a lot of threads too. I've seen the comment from some other posters too. I like the new board software, but this does seem to be one area where it's not as good.

Thanks so much for your feedback on the photo albums. Alas, I'm trying to adjust my brain to the new normal, in that there won't be anymore Disney parks scrapbooks. Sigh. At least now I won't get my hopes up or waste time in the parks looking for something that isn't there. I'll ask when I'm there, but I won't get my hopes up.

I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to invest time in staking out a spot for the parade or FW after waiting in line so much at D23. Even this hard core spot saver would probably pass on it in those circumstances. I still don't have a plan for viewing PTN and DF. I might end up splitting it up and doing them on different nights. Unless someone has an idea on a spot that would give me a good view of both. I think the problem is I really want to get a good spot by the castle for DF but the parade won't come in front of me there. Still mulling this over........

Glad to hear you liked the 60th version of WOC! I'm looking forward to that as well. Although I still have not seen the regular WOC so can't compare for myself.

Thanks for the kind words on the photos. We really packed a lot of fun into our short stop. And thanks for the confirmation on POFQ. That's high on my list for our next WDW trip. I would love the small size.

What an amazing night at the MK for going on all those rides. The PP queue looks interesting. I am impressed with your photos from PP and show with a FF body and a fast glass provides those kind of shots. You will have to check out the new version of PP which the ride experience is nice.

Sorry to hear about the PeopleMover that night. It is still a shame when DL took PeopleMover out back in the mid 90's and replaced it with Rocket Rods. The PeopleMover is one of my favorite old rides at DL and this is where I enjoy riding it at the MK every time I go to the park.

Nice pics from PotC. I did wrote on your thread that when I compare both DL and MK PotC, it feels more brighter than darker at the MK version during the town scene. Every time I see your pics, it wants me to get a FF body. But first, I need to get the glass before that.

I honestly wasn't expecting much out of my PP shots but was pleasantly surprised! I have the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 but decided to go as light as possible on our MK day and just bring the nifty 50. I hadn't done great with the Sigma at DLR on PP, so didn't expect much with the 1.8 lens. I think the difference is that my camera was still very new to me on our DLR trip, and I wasn't as aggressive with the ISO. I shot PP at 25K ISO and am very happy with what I got.

Yeah, I totally blew the People Mover. I guess we'll have to go back.

I'm feeling for your frustration with making your decision about a FF camera. As I have said, very smart to be focusing on some glass right now that can make the transition if you go. Are you any closer to committing on your next lens? Did you decide for sure to go with the f/4?

 

[mom2rtk]

another great update with fabulous photos

Thanks Petals! I'll finish up our summer trip and hopefully get back to the DL stuff very soon.

What great pictures from Peter Pan and Pirates. You're making me wish I had the funds to upgrade to the 6D!!!

Thanks PiO...... but wait a minute...... don't you guys have a 5D?

Love your photos of the PP queue and your on-ride photos came out spectacular!

So sad about PeopleMover being closed..we made the same mistake recently thinking it would be open during EMH when it wasn't.

Long but fun day for you all!

LOL, glad I'm not alone in making that mistake. Good thing Katie is so forgiving. It was indeed a long day, but a great one!

You did good at the end there for two people running out of steam!

I love Philharmagic too. I haven't done Peter Pan yet through the new queue, only FP.

Bummer about the Peoplemover. Next time!

What a great day, you guys rocked it out

Thanks ArwenMarie. What is it about Philharmagic? It just never fails to make me happy, even late at night when I'm dead tired!

The PP queue is worth trying sometime. I wouldn't pass up FP for it, but worth trying sometime.

I actually feel like we got our money's worth out of our one day tickets. I don't think there's any way I could feel that way about a one day ticket at any of the other parks right now though.

I just love all of your trip reports, and I love seeing how your daughter (your family, really) has grown over the years! I love, love, love your pics of the Peter Pan ride!

Thanks so much for reading along. And thanks for the kind words.

 

[mom2rtk]

Sunday June 7, 2015:

We slept in the next morning as best we could. It's really just not in my DNA. I snapped a few more photos around the resort on my way to get some breakfast to bring back to the room.

IMG_8657 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8668 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8683 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8699 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Around 11 we headed for the dock to catch a boat to DTD. Staying in a Royal Room was one of the reasons we chose this resort, but the ability to take a boat to DTD in the midst of the construction was high on the list as well. The line didn't look long, but it moved slower than molasses. We waited in the hot sun for 30-40 minutes before finally getting on a boat. I'll admit it..... I just don't do well in the heat. Maybe it's fair complexion, but I just don't tolerate it well. It was nice to finally get moving on the water. Our primary destination was Katie's favorite place to eat..... Earl of Sandwich.

Then we were off to get one of my favorite Disney treats..... custom hand dipped pretzel rods. I had plans of eating one on the spot and buying a bunch to bring home with me. I was disappointed to find out Disneyland doesn't sell the custom ones (I like them dipped in dark chocolate). So we were finally back at WDW and I was ready to make up for lost time...... until I found out they don't do them any more either. Really? So disappointing. I just always seem to be out of step with the rest of the world in what I want. Katie got a chocolate dipped strawberry, but I left with all that cash I was planning to drop on pretzel rods.

IMG_8712 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Even in the midst of DTD, Katie needed a few minutes to be a teenager while Drew and I shopped:

IMG_8713 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Another favorite stop is the pin store:
IMG_8715 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Thankfully the teen will still do some fun staged photo ops:

IMG_8720 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8722 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

If it wasn't so hot out, I probably would have had to ride one of these:

IMG_8741 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8750 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Time to head back and escape the heat:

IMG_8777 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Drew and Katie went out to swim that afternoon but I wanted to hibernate in the A/C. We had an early ADR at Chef Mickey. I have to say it really was convenient to have a car for situations like this. I really had no idea how close POR was to the Contemporary. I think Siri estimated it at 11 minutes.

IMG_8812 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8813 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


I thought it was funny that I (the crazed Disney fan) was willing to pas on Chef Mickey on this trip, but Drew and Katie thought I had lost my mind. It really didn't take much to twist my arm. The food is mediocre, but it's so awesome to meet Mickey and company with the monorail flying through overhed.

IMG_8816 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8820 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8827 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8832 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8835 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8840 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8844 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Just for grins, I kept trying to slow down our character interactions so I might catch a photo of Katie with one of them with the monorail going by behind us. And look....... that's exactly what happened when she took my photo with Mickey:

IMG_8850 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8865 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

The plan had been to kill time shopping in the monorail resorts before watching Wishes from the TTC. But everyone was tired, and we had more time than we expected, so headed back to the resort to rest for a bit.

IMG_8894 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[mom2rtk]

Sunday June 7, 2015 Continued:

Drew's not the fireworks fan that I am, and there was sports on TV that night (either Stanley Cup or NBA finals) and he didn't get the appeal of watching Wishes from the TTC, so he stayed in the room and Katie and I ventured out to watch the show. We had always talked about doing this but never had. We watched from the Poly beach in 2013, but my understanding was that the view there has been diminished by the presence of the new Bungalows. So we decided to try the TTC.

I didn't realize the spot I needed to be was not accessible to me since it was in the area the crowds would exit off the ferry. I explained to the attendant what I wanted to do and he said he couldn't let me in there yet but would soon. Great. Until the ferry arrived and a bunch of people got off and stood right where I asked about going. A little bit later he let me in and I was able to just squeeze into the last spot at the railing that would work. From there it was smooth sailing. It wasn't a charming spot to be, but it was very low stress with just about 15 or 20 people grouped in that corner watching. It actually worked out well to have over head lighting as that made it a lot easier to set my camera up. And this time I remembered to bring my neutral density filter, so I was able to shoot some even longer exposures.

IMG_8949 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8950 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8962 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8972 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8973 by mom2rtk, on Flickr


The best benefit of shooting from the TTC is that we were probably back in our room before most of the crowds in the MK were even through the exit turnstiles.

 

[mom2rtk]

Monday June 8, 2015:

Departure Day. Usually so sad. And I was sad. But honestly I was ready to get away from the oppressive heat and humidity. Sure it's hot in the Midwest in June, but it's not as bad.

IMG_8980 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8983 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8989 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

But we weren't flying out until later in the evening and had a little more Disney ground to cover. Because we usually don't have a car, we had never been to the Epcot area resorts. Time to remedy that. First stop? Beach Club to try the Cape May character breakfast!

IMG_8993 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_8996 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9002 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9007 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9014 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Cape May just seemed like the perfect way to end our beach/Disney vacation!

IMG_9021 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9030 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9036 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9046 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[mom2rtk]

Monday June 8, 2015 Continued:

Time for our first visit to the Boardwalk:

IMG_9061 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9067 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9073 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9093 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9100 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9115 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9136 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9141 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9174 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9183 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

IMG_9185 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

After some shopping and photography around the Boardwalk, we still had a decent amount of time before heading for the airport. So we made the tactical mistake of agreeing to go back to DTD to get Katie a sandwich to go from her favorite spot. I knew the parking there was a hassle, but why not find out first hand? And yes, I can absolutely agree it's a huge hassle.

IMG_9220 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I have to admit I wasn't sorry to leave DTD or the Florida heat behind. But I was sorry to leave WDW behind. It was great to squeeze so much fun into so little time. Since we flew into Ft. Myers, I missed this photo op on the way in so was happy to do it now:

IMG_9227 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

We got in before dark and I enjoyed picking out local landmarks from the sky as we got near home. First the side by side Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums:

IMG_9249 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Then the Kansas City skyline:

IMG_9262 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[mvf-m11c]

I'm feeling for your frustration with making your decision about a FF camera. As I have said, very smart to be focusing on some glass right now that can make the transition if you go. Are you any closer to committing on your next lens? Did you decide for sure to go with the f/4?

Even though I want to get a FF over a lens but I still have a lot to learn with my DSLR first before I go on over to FF. It might be awhile until I go to FF but first glass is important and a telephoto lens would be a start since I have those other glasses for the parks. As of now, I am planning on getting the f/4 before my WDW trip. The problem is that it isn't on-sale and I don't want to take a chance with places like eBay and craigslist. I have seen it on B&H for a USED for $1,100 without the tax which is pricey for a USED. At least I can return it if I am not satisfy with it.


A lot of nice pictures during your trip. It will be very interesting to see what Disney Springs will be like in the near future. It has been ages since I have ate at Chef Mickey's which is a very nice character breakfast.

Your pictures of Wishes from the T&TC are very nice and thank you for the info on where to watch from that spot for Wishes. This is something that I wanted to do during my trip next month which will be fun if I can't go in the park that day during MNSSHP or regular park day. The way the spot you took from the T&TC, I would have to use a telephoto lens at that spot for Wishes. Those long exposure shots of Wishes that night are very nice and clear with your telephoto lens. I would also assume that you used a ND filter as well?

Very nice updates.

 

[YodasMom]

Thanks so much for your feedback on the photo albums. Alas, I'm trying to adjust my brain to the new normal, in that there won't be anymore Disney parks scrapbooks. Sigh. At least now I won't get my hopes up or waste time in the parks looking for something that isn't there. I'll ask when I'm there, but I won't get my hopes up.

I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to invest time in staking out a spot for the parade or FW after waiting in line so much at D23. Even this hard core spot saver would probably pass on it in those circumstances. I still don't have a plan for viewing PTN and DF. I might end up splitting it up and doing them on different nights. Unless someone has an idea on a spot that would give me a good view of both. I think the problem is I really want to get a good spot by the castle for DF but the parade won't come in front of me there. Still mulling this over........

Janet, good luck with trying to find a scrapbook and let me know if one appears. I don't know if they ever had one for the 60th. You can get the 60th photo album online at the Disney Store, though.

The problem we had with trying to get near the castle for DF was that the CMs wouldn't let us get close and ushered us back to the Matterhorn after PTN. We tried to move over to the castle from further down the street, and they were really aggressive. So, the next night, we went back just for DF and stayed in a store during the parade, then moved out to the street for DF, but we still couldn't get close enough and that's when the kids went up on the shoulders in front of us, so I stood sideways and looked at the storefronts! Very frustrating. I think that's partly why MK has opened up the hub in front of the castle. I don't like the looks as much but I'm sure it works better for events near the castle.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Great trip with only one park day in there! You guys did a ton of stuff.

I love that Cape May breakfast, I think their swimming outfits are so darn cute.

Nice pictures of the Boardwalk/BC area. I love it over there (one of my favorite trips was when we stayed at BC), but I always feel like there should be more stuff on the Boardwalk side.

 

[mom2rtk]

Even though I want to get a FF over a lens but I still have a lot to learn with my DSLR first before I go on over to FF. It might be awhile until I go to FF but first glass is important and a telephoto lens would be a start since I have those other glasses for the parks. As of now, I am planning on getting the f/4 before my WDW trip. The problem is that it isn't on-sale and I don't want to take a chance with places like eBay and craigslist. I have seen it on B&H for a USED for $1,100 without the tax which is pricey for a USED. At least I can return it if I am not satisfy with it.


A lot of nice pictures during your trip. It will be very interesting to see what Disney Springs will be like in the near future. It has been ages since I have ate at Chef Mickey's which is a very nice character breakfast.

Your pictures of Wishes from the T&TC are very nice and thank you for the info on where to watch from that spot for Wishes. This is something that I wanted to do during my trip next month which will be fun if I can't go in the park that day during MNSSHP or regular park day. The way the spot you took from the T&TC, I would have to use a telephoto lens at that spot for Wishes. Those long exposure shots of Wishes that night are very nice and clear with your telephoto lens. I would also assume that you used a ND filter as well?

Very nice updates.

Does Nikon have a store for buying refurbished stuff like Canon does?

I think half the battle is settling on what you want. I hope the rest of it falls in place now and you get a good price on what you want.

Let me know if you have any other questions on shooting Wishes from the TTC. I would also love to shoot the Halloween or Christmas fireworks from there too so I could get all those perimeter bursts. That will have to stay on my "to do" list a little longer though.

It looks like I shot Wishes at 78mm. But I did make a pretty severe crop. I like to shoot a little wide for fireworks than crop instead of taking a chance on cutting off any of the bursts.

And yes, I did use my ND filter that night on Wishes. I'm glad I did. It really allowed me to have a much longer shutter speed.

Janet, good luck with trying to find a scrapbook and let me know if one appears. I don't know if they ever had one for the 60th. You can get the 60th photo album online at the Disney Store, though.

The problem we had with trying to get near the castle for DF was that the CMs wouldn't let us get close and ushered us back to the Matterhorn after PTN. We tried to move over to the castle from further down the street, and they were really aggressive. So, the next night, we went back just for DF and stayed in a store during the parade, then moved out to the street for DF, but we still couldn't get close enough and that's when the kids went up on the shoulders in front of us, so I stood sideways and looked at the storefronts! Very frustrating. I think that's partly why MK has opened up the hub in front of the castle. I don't like the looks as much but I'm sure it works better for events near the castle.

I'm also thinking there were no 60th scrapbooks. At this point I would be happy to settle for a 2015 book, but those appear to be long gone. Sigh. I just don't put photos in regular photo albums any more, so I'll have to pass on those.

I'm thinking of just investing a ton of time and staking out a spot near the castle one night, then moving to catch the late PTN or even doing PTN on another night. Do any of you think that's even doable or how early I'd have to be there? I know I won't be happy just taking my chances out on Main Street.

Great trip with only one park day in there! You guys did a ton of stuff.

I love that Cape May breakfast, I think their swimming outfits are so darn cute.

Nice pictures of the Boardwalk/BC area. I love it over there (one of my favorite trips was when we stayed at BC), but I always feel like there should be more stuff on the Boardwalk side.

Thanks ArwenMarie! I enjoyed our tour of the Boardwalk area but like you felt it would be nice if there was a little more there. I got the feeling it might be more of a place for nightlife as opposed to daytime visits.

And I agree the Cape May breakfast is really cute. It got a thumbs up from all 3 of us.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Does Nikon have a store for buying refurbished stuff like Canon does?

I think half the battle is settling on what you want. I hope the rest of it falls in place now and you get a good price on what you want.

Let me know if you have any other questions on shooting Wishes from the TTC. I would also love to shoot the Halloween or Christmas fireworks from there too so I could get all those perimeter bursts. That will have to stay on my "to do" list a little longer though.

It looks like I shot Wishes at 78mm. But I did make a pretty severe crop. I like to shoot a little wide for fireworks than crop instead of taking a chance on cutting off any of the bursts.

And yes, I did use my ND filter that night on Wishes. I'm glad I did. It really allowed me to have a much longer shutter speed.

There is. https://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Store/Refurbished-Cameras.page I don't buy refurbished items where there can be some problems with the lenses. I don't like to do things like that but I have consider that since it could save hundreds of dollars.

I have been going back and forward with other people including online of which telephoto lens to get. I have been looking at cheap lens and good lens like the 2.8. But after trying the 2.8 last month, I wasn't ready to buy that yet unless I do sport photography. I looked at the cheap 70-300 4.5-5.6 which is an okay lens but it doesn't have the sharpness like the f/4. Like you said is what I want and this is a good lens between a good and professional lens.

I will PM you if I do have any questions on shooting Wishes from the TTC. It might be some time soon since my trip is getting closer. I plan on seeing both Wishes and HalloWishes during the trip in which I might watch both fireworks from outside of the park instead of inside which I have done plenty of times and I could get clear shots without any people in front of me (just like you were able to get in the area at the Ferry dock). I was also thinking of trying at the Poly beach which is another ideal spot as well. Plus the upper level of the Contemporary is another option as well. There are a lot of ways to watch the fireworks and get those burst shots.

Makes sense with the cropping. I would also guess that you shot portrait instead of landscape. If I do get the f/4 which is a long lens, my tripod could move during the shots. When I get the f/4, I am considering getting a lens ring so I won't have to turn my tripod head to portrait side where I can turn the lens with the ring. Do you have a ring for your telephoto lens or you just put your body on the tripod and set it up portrait way? There is a lot of questions that I am asking since I want to make good use of my time for Wishes.

ND filters are very nice for long exposure shots of the fireworks. I am thinking of getting a 6 stop ND filter for the telephoto lens which would be perfect for the trip.