Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #3!- HOLIDAYS BEGIN 11/12/13!!

[Shih-Tzu]

I didn't realize when I booked my trip today that I will be there during the transition from "regular" to "Holiday"
I have seen WDW holiday decorations, etc. Can't wait to see these ones.

 

[figment_jii]

And I'll ask this again since it didn't get answered before (Sherry I know you tried to help draw attention to the question, thank you!) Any suggestions for fireworks and night-time photography without using a tri-pod, using a DSLR?

Without a tripod, you are really going to have a hard time getting those shots with the nice long trailing bursts without to much shake/blur. There are many schools of thought, but I generally pick the longest shutter speed that I can hold the camera steady (or mostly steady) and let the camera select the ISO and aperture. If I'm not moving (i.e., not a ride), I can generally get by with 1/60th or 1/30th shutter speeds. Those speeds work okay for the fireworks themselves, but it's tough if you're trying to get photos of Tinkerbell.

This example is with 1/60th and camera selected ISO and aperture. When reduced in size (e.g., to 500 pixels), it's hard to see the shake. If you view it at full size you'll see more of the shake, plus the "noise" from the ISO.

For some nighttime things you can try using stationary objects in lieu of a tripod. Trash cans, railings, sign posts, etc. can all be used to help reduce or eliminate motion.

In the end, I would practice to see what works best for you. Go outside at night and take photos. Good luck!

P.S. Sherry E...does this count for this week's theme?

 

[egritz]

Yeah, I know i'm probably not going to get really great fireworks pictures, I'm actually considering not even trying and just enjoy the show.
I def want to try and get the castle at night, BUT if I fail miserably, does anyone know if the stock photo's with the photopass+ during Christmas time have winter pictures of DL included? I wouldn't mind using DL's stock photos in lieu of my own for my photo-book backgrounds.

 

[Sherry E]

DBL101 and I'm mikey --

Fantastic photos and another entry for each of you into the random draw!

​

I know.... I know...... I'll blame you for not getting all these castle pictures out here sooner!

Actually, I doubt it's coincidence that my rising level of excitement comes about the time I feel my son is getting settled into college life. I am breathing a huge sigh of relief and starting to focus on some other things now that all seems to be ok with him.

And of course it doesn't hurt that we're into double digits this week, so it's starting to seem a bit closer.

Janet --

I think that getting into double digits is a huge milestone in the trip planning process! Triple digits just seems so far away.

I'm glad that you can rest easy about your son now, and start to shift focus!

Hopefully some of the remaining themes will be of interest to you. They may not have the 'wow' appeal of the Winter castle and IASW Holiday, but they focus on different aspects of the season so they may be relevant.

Cinderella's castle is GORGEOUS at night all lit up. One thing I don't understand about the DL castle is why the lights are turned off and on. Am I correct that it is only lit up certain parts of the night? I would think they would have the lights off during the day, then a lighting ceremony when it gets dark and then the lights stay on all night.

czmom --

The Winter Castle lights go on and off as part of the Enchantment Lighting ceremony, as Jamie mentioned, and then after a certain point the icicle lights stay on for the rest of the evening. The key is to get your PhotoPass and other group shots in front of the Castle when the icicle lights are on. I had unfortunate timing and once arrived at the Castle just as the lights turned off, and so the background of my PhotoPass picture was on the dull side. But when the icicles are on, it's fantastic!

They do the lighting ceremony a few times a night. After the last one (I want to say 8pm maybe) the lights do stay on for the remainder of the night. There will be the times in the times guide.

Jamie --

I can never recall what time it is that the lights turn on and stay on for the night. Is it really as early as 8 p.m.? I got my group picture in front of the Castle with the lights on after 11 p.m., but I didn't pay attention to when they turned on for the last time that evening.

Sherry,

The budget is ginormous, lol. But, I think it's money well spent! And bonus is there won't be a bunch of presents to keep up with. Just a couple of souvenirs and memories.

It's funny, but my DD2 will not stop talking about DLR so I think the other kids are on ignore. Just this morning, she was laying in bed with me talking about how "Mommy and Sissy and I had breakfast with Captain Hook. When can we eat with Hook again Mommy? That was fun." She says things like this all day, so I am hoping that if I do slip up again, they will think I'm talking to her about where we've been, not where we are going.

DH is placing bets on how long until I spill the beans. I said "Not until Santa tells them on December 21st!"

Cassie --

Even if you spilled the beans (intentionally or unintentionally), I think it will still be an awesome trip. How could it not be? Hopefully the trip can remain a surprise until 12/21, but if not it will be wonderful anyway!

They were advised to watch the Fireworks from BOTH the main hub & also in front of Small World. If you only have one night to view fireworks, which location would you choose? I'm guessing Small World....but want your 2 cents.

And on that note, for a mid-week viewing of the fireworks, the 2nd week of December, what time do we need to stake out our spot and should we bring a blanket to sit on? I have a 2 year old so it will be likely that she will be doing something with her grandparents while DH and I save us a spot. (we are planning on fireworks for Tuesday 12/10, but if that doesn't work out due to weather or something else comes up, our other options are Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday of that week.)

And I'll ask this again since it didn't get answered before (Sherry I know you tried to help draw attention to the question, thank you!) Any suggestions for fireworks and night-time photography without using a tri-pod, using a DSLR?

egritz --

You're welcome. If I can't answer something I always try to make a point of remembering who can. I'm glad that figment_jii posted a reply for you. Also, Bret/mvf-m11c is a great fireworks photographer (though he uses a Nikon and you use a Canon, correct?). His TR thread (it's one single thread filled with many trip reports, like mine is) is jam-packed with awesome fireworks shots and World of Color shots, and they only get better with each trip he takes. (You probably saw some of his photos on page 1 of this Superthread, and you'll see more when we get to fireworks week!) Bret got some of his tips from fellow DIS'er PrincessInOz as well (she follows his thread).

Maybe you should post in Bret's TR thread over in the DL TR section and ask the fireworks photography question there, and both he and PrincessInOz can offer ideas? He will definitely answer if you post in his TR.

I didn't realize when I booked my trip today that I will be there during the transition from "regular" to "Holiday"
I have seen WDW holiday decorations, etc. Can't wait to see these ones.

Welcome, Shih-Tzu!

I'm glad you found your way to this thread, even though you didn't realize your trip would involve any part of the holiday season!

On which date in November will you be arriving at DLR? That will help determine exactly how much "holiday" you will get in your trip! (Certain things are up and running by certain dates; other things come a little later.)

...This example is with 1/60th and camera selected ISO and aperture. When reduced in size (e.g., to 500 pixels), it's hard to see the shake. If you view it at full size you'll see more of the shake, plus the "noise" from the ISO.

For some nighttime things you can try using stationary objects in lieu of a tripod. Trash cans, railings, sign posts, etc. can all be used to help reduce or eliminate motion.

In the end, I would practice to see what works best for you. Go outside at night and take photos. Good luck!

P.S. Sherry E...does this count for this week's theme?

figment_jii --

It's a Winter Castle photo. As long as you took the photo, it counts as an entry into Theme Week!

Yeah, I know i'm probably not going to get really great fireworks pictures, I'm actually considering not even trying and just enjoy the show.
I def want to try and get the castle at night, BUT if I fail miserably, does anyone know if the stock photo's with the photopass+ during Christmas time have winter pictures of DL included? I wouldn't mind using DL's stock photos in lieu of my own for my photo-book backgrounds.

egritz --

The last I heard/checked, there were some (but not many) holiday pictures on the stock CD. Maybe more have been added since I last looked into it?

 

[figment_jii]

It's a Winter Castle photo. As long as you took the photo, it counts as an entry into Theme Week!

Yup, I took it!

To egritz - I don't know about Photopass, but you can also probably ask here on the board. Some folks will probably be willing to share their photos with you, as long as you promise you're not using them for commercial purposes.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yup, I took it!

To egritz - I don't know about Photopass, but you can also probably ask here on the board. Some folks will probably be willing to share their photos with you, as long as you promise you're not using them for commercial purposes.

You can also ask on the photography board. People post there every now and then looking for specific shots to use for scrapbooks or whatnot.

 

[egritz]

You can also ask on the photography board. People post there every now and then looking for specific shots to use for scrapbooks or whatnot.

I didn't realize there was a photography board. Oh boy, I could get in trouble if I find it, lol!

To egritz - I don't know about Photopass, but you can also probably ask here on the board. Some folks will probably be willing to share their photos with you, as long as you promise you're not using them for commercial purposes.

That is something I was considering asking if there is a picture that I think will work really well that I can't get. It would only be for personal photobooks for my parents and myself, I wish I was a good enough photographer to have commerical products, but not is not in the cards for me, lol.

You're welcome. If I can't answer something I always try to make a point of remembering who can. I'm glad that figment_jii posted a reply for you. Also, Bret/mvf-m11c is a great fireworks photographer (though he uses a Nikon and you use a Canon, correct?). His TR thread (it's one single thread filled with many trip reports, like mine is) is jam-packed with awesome fireworks shots and World of Color shots, and they only get better with each trip he takes. (You probably saw some of his photos on page 1 of this Superthread, and you'll see more when we get to fireworks week!) Bret got some of his tips from fellow DIS'er PrincessInOz as well (she follows his thread).

Maybe you should post in Bret's TR thread over in the DL TR section and ask the fireworks photography question there, and both he and PrincessInOz can offer ideas? He will definitely answer if you post in his TR.

egritz --

The last I heard/checked, there were some (but not many) holiday pictures on the stock CD. Maybe more have been added since I last looked into it?

I'm going to try and dig out our photopass+ CD's from years past, i don't think I have EVER looked at the stock photos that they send with the voucher. I'll hunt down the TR's too.

How you remember that I shoot with a Canon is beyond me ;-)

 

[mom2rtk]

Janet --

I think that getting into double digits is a huge milestone in the trip planning process! Triple digits just seems so far away.

I'm glad that you can rest easy about your son now, and start to shift focus!

Hopefully some of the remaining themes will be of interest to you. They may not have the 'wow' appeal of the Winter castle and IASW Holiday, but they focus on different aspects of the season so they may be relevant.

Thanks Sherry, I'm sure there will be plenty to get me excited. I'm enjoying seeing all the photos. Who knows..... maybe I'll eventually book our flights and get even more excited!

I didn't realize there was a photography board. Oh boy, I could get in trouble if I find it, lol!

Have fun, and try not to blame me for any trouble you get into.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97

 

[egritz]

Have fun, and try not to blame me for any trouble you get into.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97

Oh Boy.........you've done it now. between this thread & that board I have plenty to waste my down-time away at work, lol!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I actually have no idea what time the final lighting is. I just know the one we watched was the final of the night ( I think!) and it was pretty soon after the evening parade. I'll have to go back and look at the time stamp. So really, I don't know.

 

[egritz]

On the very first page, the 3rd post, Sherry has links to previous years' hours which includes special events like the castle lighting, parades, fireworks, WOC, etc.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

On the very first page, the 3rd post, Sherry has links to previous years' hours which includes special events like the castle lighting, parades, fireworks, WOC, etc.

Thank you! I just checked it and last year the final one was at 8:30, so I was right

 

[u2pixi]

Wow, this weeks photos are amazing!!!

Thanks everyone- the countdown is definitely on now!!

 

[tdashgirl]

Wow, this weeks photos are amazing!!!

Agreed! This was so lovely to look at today I can't wait!!!

 

[Shih-Tzu]

Welcome, Shih-Tzu!

I'm glad you found your way to this thread, even though you didn't realize your trip would involve any part of the holiday season!

On which date in November will you be arriving at DLR? That will help determine exactly how much "holiday" you will get in your trip! (Certain things are up and running by certain dates; other things come a little later.)

We arrive on 9 Nov (late) and depart on 16 Nov (early) - so that's 6 days of park (but I could only get a 5 day hopper???)

I suspect that we will get to see parts of the park both with and without decorations. I said to DH last night "They'll have some Christmas decorations up...". He just rolled his eyes.

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

Without a tripod, you are really going to have a hard time getting those shots with the nice long trailing bursts without to much shake/blur. There are many schools of thought, but I generally pick the longest shutter speed that I can hold the camera steady (or mostly steady) and let the camera select the ISO and aperture. If I'm not moving (i.e., not a ride), I can generally get by with 1/60th or 1/30th shutter speeds. Those speeds work okay for the fireworks themselves, but it's tough if you're trying to get photos of Tinkerbell.

This example is with 1/60th and camera selected ISO and aperture. When reduced in size (e.g., to 500 pixels), it's hard to see the shake. If you view it at full size you'll see more of the shake, plus the "noise" from the ISO.

For some nighttime things you can try using stationary objects in lieu of a tripod. Trash cans, railings, sign posts, etc. can all be used to help reduce or eliminate motion.

In the end, I would practice to see what works best for you. Go outside at night and take photos. Good luck!

P.S. Sherry E...does this count for this week's theme?

Good advice, use a light pole or a trash can to stabilize shots without a tripod. As Figment said, they won't be the best shots, but they will capture the essence of the fireworks. This shot was handheld, not great for the trailing fireworks but got Dumbo pretty good (had something similar for Tink but cannot find it at the moment):

 

[taaren]

My goodness I love all these castle shots! The ones with the fireworks in them are especially stunning!

So, I have a question.....we usually go in the beginning of December. My DH just informed me that he has hardly any vacation, but gets the last two weeks off in December no matter what (he works for a college-and school is closed). I know the last two weeks are incredibly crazy...but can anyone tell me how crazy? We have a DS5 and DS4. Tentatively thinking Dec. 21-24. Am I nuts for even thinking about it? (for reference, we go quite often, so it wouldn't be a once in a lifetime trip)

Go anyways! The one time I went the week after Xmas it was the most crowded trip ever, but also the one where we experienced the most random acts of kindness from other guests ... I've never seen such a cheerful group of people crammed together.
Btw, I work in Martinez (live in Cordelia), so hi neighbor!

I have to convince my hubby that the DSLR is the way to go. Plus the PhotoPass+, lol. And probably even the P&S for the kids to carry. This is really a once in a lifetime trip for us since the kids are getting older and I want to make the biggest scrapbook ever!

Photopass+ is amazing ... I'm currently trying to talk my friends into splitting it with me, loved all the shots we got with it last year in Florida. Of course I'm also trying to talk the friends into a character dinner, but they're very willing to be led down the dark path of "just one more thing" to the trip ... biggest scrapbook ever is awesome ... so many memories.

While Cinderella's Castle may be bigger, I am looking forward to seeing a different castle all lit up this year. And I honestly think that the DL castle is decorated prettier during the day than the MK castle. I love the snow!

They're very different. Cinderella's Castle is breathtakingly grand. The Sleeping Beauty gives you that charmed feeling like you just stepped into a fairy tale, or an holiday story book.

 

[jacs1234]

I just can't wait till my trip.

 

[Phoenixrising]

I'm at 87 days and counting. The Edmonton trip is definitely on, thanks to settling my claim with the insurance co. Still trying to plan that trip, but can't book anything until the wedding invitation comes in. Am relieved I've got this whole claim over and done with so that I can move on with my life without it hanging over my head all the time. I'm really looking forward to my trip, and am counting down the days till I can run away from home!!! Kids are ready to kill me, but I don't care!! Hopefully flying them to the wedding will make up for the fact I'm going to DL without them.

 

[becd]

I cannot wait for mine either! Tell me this though, am I insane that I booked our return flight through LAX? The last one I could hit from SNA on a week day and still expect my DS-6 twins to attend school the next day left at 2:30, while the one out of LAX leaves a little before 6:00 and is a non-stop (the SNA one has a Denver connection). My thinking is that even with rush hour traffic I can stay at the parks until almost 3:00, thereby optimizing that last day. Is this crazy??? I am factoring in rush hour traffic and I am not using the Express Bus or renting a car so won't have those delays. Any advice would be appreciated!