Best way to get a photo on main street with no one / low crowds?

[CampbellzSoup]

Does anyone know what would be the best way to get a clean main street / castle photo with your family?

A breakfast?
One of the early morning packages?

Can someone share their advise please

 

[sharonabe]

Does anyone know what would be the best way to get a clean main street / castle photo with your family?

A breakfast?
One of the early morning packages?

Can someone share their advise please

Getting an early, morning shot has become more difficult since they started letting everyone onto Main St.

A PPO breakfast ADR MIGHT work, but there are probably 100 other people doing the same thing, so it's still not going to be "clean," and you would have to do it very quickly.

Be AT THE GATES by 7:00 so you're at the very front of the line when they let you in and rush your family ahead of everyone else and you MIGHT get a clean shot.

A completely different option is to wait at the end of the day. Stay up at the hub and wait for the crowds to leave. This could take a while. The difficulty here will be how long the photographers stay around. I would start chatting with one to see how long they can stay or if they know who is the last one out.

 

[mom2rtk]

We had this shot taken at 8:03 AM on a 9 AM opening this summer (on a very high crowd day). We were heading to BOG but everyone had been let in at that point. I highly recommend getting fairly close to the castle, as that increases your odds of less people. Then just be patient. Photopass took several for us and those all had people almost directly behind us in the shot. This was taken when I had them use my camera. The more shots, the more likely that people will move on through and out of your shot. The shots we had taken farther down on Main Street were packed with people behind us.

IMG_8256 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[CampbellzSoup]

We had this shot taken at 8:03 AM on a 9 AM opening this summer (on a very high crowd day). We were heading to BOG but everyone had been let in at that point. I highly recommend getting fairly close to the castle, as that increases your odds of less people. Then just be patient. Photopass took several for us and those all had people almost directly behind us in the shot. This was taken when I had them use my camera. The more shots, the more likely that people will move on through and out of your shot. The shots we had taken farther down on Main Street were packed with people behind us.

IMG_8256 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Omg your daughter is beautiful!!!!
(Takes after her mama)

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Getting an early, morning shot has become more difficult since they started letting everyone onto Main St.

A PPO breakfast ADR MIGHT work, but there are probably 100 other people doing the same thing, so it's still not going to be "clean," and you would have to do it very quickly.

Be AT THE GATES by 7:00 so you're at the very front of the line when they let you in and rush your family ahead of everyone else and you MIGHT get a clean shot.

A completely different option is to wait at the end of the day. Stay up at the hub and wait for the crowds to leave. This could take a while. The difficulty here will be how long the photographers stay around. I would start chatting with one to see how long they can stay or if they know who is the last one out.

How long do you think it takes for everyone to clear out...they let everyone on main street now even without an ADR?

 

[NYCANC]

We were the last ones out after MK After Hours last week. We got the last photographer picture around 11:40ish. There was someone else who wanted their picture taken but the CM with the photographer told them we were the last ones for the day.
We walked out an hour after official close at 12am. But this was an After Hours night so not as many people as a regular closing.

 

[Robo]

they let everyone on main street now even without an ADR?

Yup.

 

[Robo]

How long do you think it takes for everyone to clear out...

At least an hour.
And, even then, there will still be some folks hanging around (after all, YOU still are.)

Regardless, day or night, finding someone with decent Photoshop skills will be able to clean up
a "moderately empty" background.
This will be enormously made easier if the photo was taken using a tripod,
and 3-5 different shots are taken (each fired a few seconds apart) so that the
backgrounds can be mixed and matched for "lack of guests."

 

[yulilin3]

like others have said it is practically impossible to get an empty main street picture....but it is virtually possible. If you have memory maker/photopass entitlements you can head to Disney Springs and get tons of backgrounds for free
https://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2018/05/disney-springs-photopass-studio/

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

EMM or DAH event.

 

[Dug720]

One of the first tours of the day. I have some nearly empty ones from when I did the 2nd KTTK tour of the day.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

like others have said it is practically impossible to get an empty main street picture....but it is virtually possible. If you have memory maker/photopass entitlements you can head to Disney Springs and get tons of backgrounds for free
https://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2018/05/disney-springs-photopass-studio/

Did not know that!!! Thank you!
We did a photo shoot there a little over a year ago (with MM - so FREE!) at Christmas time. I thought it was only a Christmas promotion!
Sparkle on!!!

 

[RebelHawk]

For Disneyland one of your most expensive options is the Adventures By Disney Back Stage Magic tour. You get in the parks an hour before it opens and have main street and the castle all to yourself.

 

[disneymoon0606 2.0]

I don’t remember if the area is similar to Disneyland, but in CA there are benches/railing along the water just in front of the castle. We were able to get a great photo with very few people in the background in the middle of the day.

 

[Dug720]

This was at the Hub before my morning KTTK tour in September. (I went there first before stopping on Main Street)

And this was Main Street just moments later.

 

[mom2rtk]

Omg your daughter is beautiful!!!!
(Takes after her mama)

You're very sweet. Thanks @CampbellzSoup! I hope you get the shot you're after!

 

[Tomh]

I'll just second what Robo said. A number of shots from a tripod mounted camera, and a bit of photoshop skill to mix the backgrounds together, and you should have your empty park. Those shots still need to be taken early in the day, without masses of people around, but it is certainly doable.

 

[mom2rtk]

The tripod thing is a great idea, but most casual guests won't have a tripod with them. Even though I had one with me that day, I wouldn't have been comfortable setting it up in the park and stepping in front of it, leaving my gear exposed to a bump from someone else. And Photopass won't have tripods out early in the day. Those only come out in the evening.

 

[Robo]

The tripod thing is a great idea, but most casual guests won't have a tripod with them. Even though I had one with me that day, I wouldn't have been comfortable setting it up in the park and stepping in front of it, leaving my gear exposed to a bump from someone else. And Photopass won't have tripods out early in the day. Those only come out in the evening.

Tripod shots just make it easier.

Just 3-4 extra shots, handheld, can supply enough Photoshop coverage.

And, even they are not "necessary."
They just make the cleanup easier.

 

[mom2rtk]

Tripod shots just make it easier.

Just 3-4 extra shots, handheld, can supply enough Photoshop coverage.

And, even they are not "necessary."
They just make the cleanup easier.

View attachment 378443 View attachment 378444

Robo, you rock! I wish I had your Photoshop skills!