seacrestpromo
Dole Whips are comfort food.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2007
Nice pix DSF of DLR and your TR. - Seacrest 
DisneySuiteFreak's Summer Nightastic Photo Intensive Trip Report; updated 3-17-2010!
- Thread starter DisneySuiteFreak
- Start date
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Nice pix DSF of DLR and your TR. - Seacrest
Thank you so much!
I appreciate your input. I have lots more coming up. I had to help my DH work on my car so no update today, but soon...
seacrestpromo
Dole Whips are comfort food.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2007
You are welcome!
We go to DL almost every weekend, so I take a lot of pictures too and some video too. I usually post them over here since I hang out here everyday:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2296992&page=11
My DL videos: www.youtube.com/tommyflix
Looking forward to your next group of pictures.
Sea
We go to DL almost every weekend, so I take a lot of pictures too and some video too. I usually post them over here since I hang out here everyday:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2296992&page=11
My DL videos: www.youtube.com/tommyflix
Looking forward to your next group of pictures.
Sea
Katiebell
Seriously *Ahem*
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
Your pics are amazing! I think I frame pics well, and I find interesting and different angles, but my camera is pretty awful 
There ya go, I can blame my lousy pics on my equipment 
What starting camera would you recommend -- not too complicated, hopefully not too expensive? I like getting action shots of shows and parades, and I'd love to take better nighttime shots. Any suggestions?
There ya go, I can blame my lousy pics on my equipment What starting camera would you recommend -- not too complicated, hopefully not too expensive? I like getting action shots of shows and parades, and I'd love to take better nighttime shots. Any suggestions?
seacrestpromo
Dole Whips are comfort food.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2007
Hi KB - 
Your pics are amazing! I think I frame pics well, and I find interesting and different angles, but my camera is pretty awful
What starting camera would you recommend -- not too complicated, hopefully not too expensive? I like getting action shots of shows and parades, and I'd love to take better nighttime shots. Any suggestions?
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Nice photos!
Wow you are so lucky to be able to go every weekend! I wish I lived closer to DL; I would so be there every weekend myself. I have an AP and I don't live anywhere near DL!
Are you posting your photos on the main DIS Community board? We have a DL photo of the day on the DL Community board. You should come on over and post some of your photos there too.
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Your pics are amazing! I think I frame pics well, and I find interesting and different angles, but my camera is pretty awful
What starting camera would you recommend -- not too complicated, hopefully not too expensive? I like getting action shots of shows and parades, and I'd love to take better nighttime shots. Any suggestions?
Thank you so much for your compliment! I appreciate it!
Your best bet for having flexibility to get the kind of shots you want would be to invest in a DSLR and some fast lenses like the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens or the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lenses. If the f/1.4 or f/2.8 mean nothing to you, you should hang out on the photo boards and check out some of the threads there.
I highly recommend the books Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson and The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby for people who need to learn about Exposure (Peterson's book) and for people who just want a quick 'recipe' book on how to get what you want (Kelby's). Beyond that you'd have to practice, practice, practice.
I use a Nikon D90 DSLR and I love it. There are many different types on the market and each one has positive and negative attributes. Many people say to go to a store and hold them to see which is more comfortable for you. If you go to a store like Best Buy, keep in mind their people who work there know next to nothing about cameras and especially DSLRs. Hang out on the photo boards to get the inside scoop on what works for people and ask questions. If you find one that feels comfortable for you, keep in mind that you are investing in a system that involves lens selection, pricing, etc. Some bodies like the Sony DSLRs have In Body stabalization and some like Canon and Nikon have it in the lenses. Everything is Ala Carte for DSLRs, except for the kits that are sold w/ body + kit lenses. The newest DSLRs have the ability to use higher ISOs to enable faster shutter speed and that's what you need to capture action shots and handheld night time shots. If you want to capture long exposure night shots, you will need a tripod to avoid motion blur. I recommend the Nikon D90 and the kit lens as a great starter DSLR. The D40 and D60 as well as the new D5000 and D3000 (IIRC) do not allow auto focus with older Nikon fast lenses like the Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens that I have. The D90 does, and also allows higher usable ISOs than can be achieved by the D40 and D60. I believe the D5000 and D3000 have the same sensor as the D90, so the usable ISO should be the same. The D90 +kit lens should be dropping in price since they just came out with the D5000, D3000, and D300s. If you want cheaper, the D5000 or 3000 would probably be the way to go. Just know that you can't Auto focus older lenses on these bodies. I believe you can use the Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens and it will AF on those bodies if you would want a fast lens, but you should double check on that as I am not an expert.
Aside from all that above, for a much cheaper option and ability to do many similar things except maybe low light ride shots, your best bet would be to get a Bridge camera like the Canon S5 or newer. I believe they have a newer series of bridge cameras that just came out recently, the SX series. Not sure of the number;I think it may be 1 i.e. SX1. Otherwise, another excellent, highly recommended camera would be the Canon G9, G10 or the new G11 (which is supposed to be coming out soon if not already). These cameras have more manual controls than a typical P&S that would enable you to have more options and learn about exposure. Also, the G series can shoot RAW which gives better editing options than just JPEG. If you get into it enough, you can always upgrade later to a DSLR. Sorry for the novel. Trying to cram as much info in there as possible. LMK if you have any questions.
HTH!
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Hey Seacrestpromo, I just had a chance to check out your videos (instead of finishing my next installment I was watching your videos!
). Anyway, I was wondering what kind of camcorder you are using. The video was very nice. Do you have to do any kind of encoding, etc? Is it AVCHD or HDV?Thanks...
Katiebell
Seriously *Ahem*
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2007
Hi KB -
Hiya Sea!
Thank you so much for your compliment! I appreciate it!
Your best bet for having flexibility to get the kind of shots you want would be to invest in a DSLR and some fast lenses like the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens or the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lenses. If the f/1.4 or f/2.8 mean nothing to you, you should hang out on the photo boards and check out some of the threads there.
I highly recommend the books Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson and The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby for people who need to learn about Exposure (Peterson's book) and for people who just want a quick 'recipe' book on how to get what you want (Kelby's). Beyond that you'd have to practice, practice, practice.
I use a Nikon D90 DSLR and I love it. There are many different types on the market and each one has positive and negative attributes. Many people say to go to a store and hold them to see which is more comfortable for you. If you go to a store like Best Buy, keep in mind their people who work there know next to nothing about cameras and especially DSLRs. Hang out on the photo boards to get the inside scoop on what works for people and ask questions. If you find one that feels comfortable for you, keep in mind that you are investing in a system that involves lens selection, pricing, etc. Some bodies like the Sony DSLRs have In Body stabalization and some like Canon and Nikon have it in the lenses. Everything is Ala Carte for DSLRs, except for the kits that are sold w/ body + kit lenses. The newest DSLRs have the ability to use higher ISOs to enable faster shutter speed and that's what you need to capture action shots and handheld night time shots. If you want to capture long exposure night shots, you will need a tripod to avoid motion blur. I recommend the Nikon D90 and the kit lens as a great starter DSLR. The D40 and D60 as well as the new D5000 and D3000 (IIRC) do not allow auto focus with older Nikon fast lenses like the Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens that I have. The D90 does, and also allows higher usable ISOs than can be achieved by the D40 and D60. I believe the D5000 and D3000 have the same sensor as the D90, so the usable ISO should be the same. The D90 +kit lens should be dropping in price since they just came out with the D5000, D3000, and D300s. If you want cheaper, the D5000 or 3000 would probably be the way to go. Just know that you can't Auto focus older lenses on these bodies. I believe you can use the Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens and it will AF on those bodies if you would want a fast lens, but you should double check on that as I am not an expert.
Aside from all that above, for a much cheaper option and ability to do many similar things except maybe low light ride shots, your best bet would be to get a Bridge camera like the Canon S5 or newer. I believe they have a newer series of bridge cameras that just came out recently, the SX series. Not sure of the number;I think it may be 1 i.e. SX1. Otherwise, another excellent, highly recommended camera would be the Canon G9, G10 or the new G11 (which is supposed to be coming out soon if not already). These cameras have more manual controls than a typical P&S that would enable you to have more options and learn about exposure. Also, the G series can shoot RAW which gives better editing options than just JPEG. If you get into it enough, you can always upgrade later to a DSLR. Sorry for the novel. Trying to cram as much info in there as possible. LMK if you have any questions.
HTH!
ok...gotta tell you...about half of that was Greek to me...like when my husband's eyes glaze over when he starts talking about 4 gigs of RAM and 64 bit motherboards and the latest NVIDIA video card.
But I'm also intrigued!!! I've considered marketing some articles to travel mags, and having the perfect pics to send along with the text can be a great way to get noticed by an editor. I am going to start lurking on the photography board...I hope this new passion doesn't become too expensive...
I'm sure I'll think up lots of questions for you! I might get a tripod, but can't really see myself taking it into the parks unless I was trying to get a specific shot -- or if I was planning to shoot fireworks, or Fantasmic. I'm going to start looking at the Canon S5 or the G series, like you suggested.Thanks for the info!
seacrestpromo
Dole Whips are comfort food.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2007
DSF - Well, I do own a MiniDV camcorder by Sony. I forget the model number - have to tell you later. But I use it rarely. LOL!
Virtually all the videos on the YT site were shot with my point and shoot, Canon SD 550 up to Feb 2009, then the rest were shot with the Canon SD 890. 640x480 LOL. I think there might be 3 videos that were shot with the Sony.
I am very lazy with my editing - I have been fooling around with Proshow Gold, a slideshow program that has some video editing features, which is very easy to use and can get the job done in less than 10 minutes. Some times I use Windows Movie Maker, and I do own a copy of Pinnacle 10, but I haven't used more than once or twice. I usually output to MP4 or MP2 to keep the file sizes manageable. If I output higher, HD, the file sizes grow up to 150-250 megs.
Check out the new Halloween Screams fireworks show that I shot 2 weeks ago with my p&s: http://www.viddler.com/explore/tommyflix/videos/7/
Although the equipment might not be the best, it is very satisfying to actually do something with all this video I have sitting on my hard drive and have an outlet to share with it others.
Sea
BTW, my next camera purchase is going to be the D90 - my dad and uncle love their cameras. Good advice, BTW, I usually buy my cameras at Samy's because you have people there who are knowledgeable and can guide you in your purchase unlike the big box stores.
Virtually all the videos on the YT site were shot with my point and shoot, Canon SD 550 up to Feb 2009, then the rest were shot with the Canon SD 890. 640x480 LOL. I think there might be 3 videos that were shot with the Sony.
I am very lazy with my editing - I have been fooling around with Proshow Gold, a slideshow program that has some video editing features, which is very easy to use and can get the job done in less than 10 minutes. Some times I use Windows Movie Maker, and I do own a copy of Pinnacle 10, but I haven't used more than once or twice. I usually output to MP4 or MP2 to keep the file sizes manageable. If I output higher, HD, the file sizes grow up to 150-250 megs.
Check out the new Halloween Screams fireworks show that I shot 2 weeks ago with my p&s: http://www.viddler.com/explore/tommyflix/videos/7/
Although the equipment might not be the best, it is very satisfying to actually do something with all this video I have sitting on my hard drive and have an outlet to share with it others.
Sea
BTW, my next camera purchase is going to be the D90 - my dad and uncle love their cameras. Good advice, BTW, I usually buy my cameras at Samy's because you have people there who are knowledgeable and can guide you in your purchase unlike the big box stores.
Hey Seacrestpromo, I just had a chance to check out your videos (instead of finishing my next installment I was watching your videos!
Thanks...
Wow, This is the BEST travel report I've ever seen!
I love it!. I feel like I've spent the day with you at Disneyland and really enjoyed my favorite rides and shows.
All your Photo's come out better than mine!
I really think I'll have to look at upgrading my Camera.
I live in Australia, but I still like to try and visit Disneyland each year or two. Because the journey is so long, I always stay for a long time, 2 to 3 weeks at Disneyland and try to photograph everything so I can revisit my photo's.
You said
"Can you tell that I just love this ride? I didnt even come close to putting in all of the photos I took, there are just too many! Love it! The WDW version just cannot compare to this version, sorry WDW lovers, but its true..."
Yes, I love the ride also, Please post the photo's of the rest of the ride.
I love it!. I feel like I've spent the day with you at Disneyland and really enjoyed my favorite rides and shows.
All your Photo's come out better than mine!
I really think I'll have to look at upgrading my Camera.
I live in Australia, but I still like to try and visit Disneyland each year or two. Because the journey is so long, I always stay for a long time, 2 to 3 weeks at Disneyland and try to photograph everything so I can revisit my photo's.
You said
"Can you tell that I just love this ride? I didnt even come close to putting in all of the photos I took, there are just too many! Love it! The WDW version just cannot compare to this version, sorry WDW lovers, but its true..."
Yes, I love the ride also, Please post the photo's of the rest of the ride.
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Whoa Seacrest, that was an awesome video! At 14+ minutes how did you manage to keep it under 500MB? I've never seen that site before but I like that it doesn't limit you on time like YouTube does. I guess the trade off is the limit of 500mb. Does it automatically compress the file to keep it under 500mbs?
I recently took some video with my Panasonic TS1 which is AVCHD lite video. Each file is still over 1GB so I am having a tough time figuring out how to upload it and where to upload it too without having to do too much editing. It's kind of a PITA, but it took pretty impressive video for a P&S, much like yours. The only downside to video from the p&S is that when there is bright light, you can see the straight line going up and down vertically through the video. Other than that, it's pretty darn good and convenient to boot! DH doesn't mind carrying it around and videoing for me with the P&S!
You will LOVE the D90! It has made a world of difference in my photography. I am now able to capture things I was never able to before with a P&S and with my older and still very good D80. The new-ish sensor in the D90 has made a world of difference.
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Thank you so much Robert for your kind words, I really appreciate it! I'm working on my next installment now. I only have a couple more days and then when I'm done I will go back and post more POTC pics just for you! I think with your eye for photography, if you can upgrade to a DSLR at some point you will absolutely LOVE IT and wonder why you didn't do it sooner!
I'm the same as you; I take a ton of photos so I can remember as much as I can until the next trip. I was very fortunate this year to be able to go 3 times since we got the discounted APs, but they expire in early Jan and before that we are blocked out due to the holidays. So I don't when we'll get to go again.
I wish we could go for longer trips like you do, but my DH can only take so much before he's had enough. 
(I know, I don't get it either! How can you have too much Disney?)
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Day 5 Long Beach Aquarium aka Aquarium of the Pacific & Knotts Berry Farm
We woke up pretty early this day (for us anyway!) and picked up our DSs friend. He used to be a DL AP holder but he had let his AP lapse. He suggested before we got there that we take a day to check out Knotts Berry Farm, so thats what we decided to do. Now this trip is not the norm for us. Usually, we do DL all the way. But this was our 2nd time this year and DH is not a theme park freak like DS and I. So while we were planning, DH mentioned several times that he wanted to go to check out Long Beach Aquarium aka Aquarium of the Pacific. So we picked up DSs friend Kenny who just happened to live in Long Beach and thats where we went first. Did I mention DH really loves fish and aquatic life? Hes a surfer dude (or used to be one!) and I guess thats why he loves everything to do with the ocean and environment. Aquarium of the Pacific had some internet deals going on and since then Ive seen them practically giving away tickets for this place through places like Goldstar. It was well worth it for us and a nice relaxing day (sort of) away from Disney. (I say sort of because there were a lot of kids on field trips at LBA.) There are a lot of interactive exhibits and touching pools for the kids and big kids too. We all enjoyed it, and again, we didnt get to see and do everything because we were short on time and wanted to get to Knotts. There is a convention area near LBA and a few chain places to eat like Bubba Gumps. We did not partake as we had to cram quite a bit into a very short day. LBA has different galleries set up that introduces you to the various species found in specified areas. When you walk in on of the first things you see is the Tropical Pacific Preview tank which has a variety of fishes and aquatic life found in the tropical pacific.
Outside they had a touching tank in which people could feed the sharks! They had a specific way of doing this though and it wasnt a continuous feeding. They would stop and start. In this same tank they had Sting Rays.
These were not the man eating type sharks. They were all very small and tame.
It was a very bright and sunny day. Even though I had a polarizing filter on my lens it was hard to get shots without a ton of reflection off the water.
Down below they had a much larger shark tank that held the larger, more man eating variety.
<Scary! Look at those teeth!
They had interesting things like this to show you the species, what they ate and what their teeth look like. In case you werent scared enough to go into the water! J/K! It really was educational and interesting but there was so much more to see!
Then we went to see the Sea Lions
It was hard to get decent shots of these mammals because there was salt spray all over the plexiglass and also because of the reflection
This guy came right up to the glass!
Its like he knew we were there and wanted attention
Then after a while, he was over it and went to go play with his friends
Once again, all the photos today are Straight out of the Camera...for better or for worse, LOL!
We woke up pretty early this day (for us anyway!) and picked up our DSs friend. He used to be a DL AP holder but he had let his AP lapse. He suggested before we got there that we take a day to check out Knotts Berry Farm, so thats what we decided to do. Now this trip is not the norm for us. Usually, we do DL all the way. But this was our 2nd time this year and DH is not a theme park freak like DS and I. So while we were planning, DH mentioned several times that he wanted to go to check out Long Beach Aquarium aka Aquarium of the Pacific. So we picked up DSs friend Kenny who just happened to live in Long Beach and thats where we went first. Did I mention DH really loves fish and aquatic life? Hes a surfer dude (or used to be one!) and I guess thats why he loves everything to do with the ocean and environment. Aquarium of the Pacific had some internet deals going on and since then Ive seen them practically giving away tickets for this place through places like Goldstar. It was well worth it for us and a nice relaxing day (sort of) away from Disney. (I say sort of because there were a lot of kids on field trips at LBA.) There are a lot of interactive exhibits and touching pools for the kids and big kids too. We all enjoyed it, and again, we didnt get to see and do everything because we were short on time and wanted to get to Knotts. There is a convention area near LBA and a few chain places to eat like Bubba Gumps. We did not partake as we had to cram quite a bit into a very short day. LBA has different galleries set up that introduces you to the various species found in specified areas. When you walk in on of the first things you see is the Tropical Pacific Preview tank which has a variety of fishes and aquatic life found in the tropical pacific.
Outside they had a touching tank in which people could feed the sharks! They had a specific way of doing this though and it wasnt a continuous feeding. They would stop and start. In this same tank they had Sting Rays.
These were not the man eating type sharks. They were all very small and tame.
It was a very bright and sunny day. Even though I had a polarizing filter on my lens it was hard to get shots without a ton of reflection off the water.
Down below they had a much larger shark tank that held the larger, more man eating variety.
They had interesting things like this to show you the species, what they ate and what their teeth look like. In case you werent scared enough to go into the water! J/K! It really was educational and interesting but there was so much more to see!
Then we went to see the Sea Lions
It was hard to get decent shots of these mammals because there was salt spray all over the plexiglass and also because of the reflection
This guy came right up to the glass!
Its like he knew we were there and wanted attention
Then after a while, he was over it and went to go play with his friends
Once again, all the photos today are Straight out of the Camera...for better or for worse, LOL!
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
The touching tank with small sea animals was very popular with the kids. One thing that was great about LBA was that they had hand sanitizer everywhere for people to use before and after touching the animals. I guess that prevents the animals from getting sick and prevents us from catching or spreading anything too. The small sea animals were so beautiful and colorful!
There was a handler there who was very strict about the way people would touch the animals. They are very fragile and could die if shocked too much.
From there we went to the Manta Ray exhibit. They have a feeding show with the Manta Rays, but we didnt stay for that. These little buggers were so cute and very popular with little kids and big kids too. They looked like little puppies. Their faces are so cute!
Apparently they like being touched because they couldnt get enough. They kept coming around and would swim up the tank to get closer to our hands.
So cool! The place was packed with kids big and small who loved it too!
There were other tanks/area that had various fishes and birds and above that there were examples of plant life in the area
Did you know that Sharks are related to Rays? I didnt. You learn something knew everyday
Next we went inside. It was cold and much darker. There were many more examples of aquatic life, plants and birds.
Different type of seaweed
I love these things. Cant recall what theyre called but they are so cool like venus fly traps under water.
There was a handler there who was very strict about the way people would touch the animals. They are very fragile and could die if shocked too much.
From there we went to the Manta Ray exhibit. They have a feeding show with the Manta Rays, but we didnt stay for that. These little buggers were so cute and very popular with little kids and big kids too. They looked like little puppies. Their faces are so cute!
Apparently they like being touched because they couldnt get enough. They kept coming around and would swim up the tank to get closer to our hands.
So cool! The place was packed with kids big and small who loved it too!
There were other tanks/area that had various fishes and birds and above that there were examples of plant life in the area
Did you know that Sharks are related to Rays? I didnt. You learn something knew everyday
Next we went inside. It was cold and much darker. There were many more examples of aquatic life, plants and birds.
Different type of seaweed
I love these things. Cant recall what theyre called but they are so cool like venus fly traps under water.
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
As you can see it was getting darker inside and colder. We were in the North Pacific area of the Aquarium.
And then we saw the Jellyfish! They are so beautiful and graceful looking, but some of them are deadly.
Such peaceful looking sea creatures but scary too
We saw this guy hiding in the coral
And another touch tank representing creatures from the North Pacific region
They have such beautiful colors!
And then we saw the Jellyfish! They are so beautiful and graceful looking, but some of them are deadly.
Such peaceful looking sea creatures but scary too
We saw this guy hiding in the coral
And another touch tank representing creatures from the North Pacific region
They have such beautiful colors!
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
We also saw various other sea creatures that should not be touched that were in glass containers
This one had Hermit Crabs in them:
I guess they keep them in there to protect them from us since they are so small and fragile
And a star fish I had never seen before:
And a star fish with a couple of different types of seaweed.
There were Sea Otters (sorry they were sleeping so I didnt get any great shots of them)
More deep seas creatures:
I love these, they look so cool!
A tank with Shrimp in it:
And Crab:
BTW, I lucked out on the brighter shots because its really dark in this area. Some people opened the door that leads to outside so I was able to quickly grab the few bright shots I have
The interior of Long Beach Aquarium aka Aquarium of the Pacific
Exterior of LBA You can see the convention hotels almost right across the street.
They also have an Imax Movie here that we didnt take time to see. I believe the ticket has to be purchased separately, but it wasnt that expensive. We just had other things planned for the day, like lunch and then Knotts Berry Farm! We enjoyed it a lot and would definitely recommend it for people who are environmentally conscious, interested in aquatic life and who want to expose their kids to things they would ordinarily never get to see up close. We absolutely loved the touching tanks, Jelly fish and really loved petting the friendly manta rays! I'm not sure if we would do it very soon, but for something a little different for those who love sea life, this is a cool place that is also educational to take your kids and family. My DS and his friend were both 20 and they enjoyed as much as the pre-k kids we saw in field trip groups. There were many age groups represented there, lots of pre teens too.
There were a lot of educational type shows, etc., that we missed because we had a limited amount of time as we were headed to Knotts.
Coming up, Day 5 continued and Knotts Berry Farm!
2 Be continued .
This one had Hermit Crabs in them:
I guess they keep them in there to protect them from us since they are so small and fragile
And a star fish I had never seen before:
And a star fish with a couple of different types of seaweed.
There were Sea Otters (sorry they were sleeping so I didnt get any great shots of them)
More deep seas creatures:
I love these, they look so cool!
A tank with Shrimp in it:
And Crab:
BTW, I lucked out on the brighter shots because its really dark in this area. Some people opened the door that leads to outside so I was able to quickly grab the few bright shots I have
The interior of Long Beach Aquarium aka Aquarium of the Pacific
Exterior of LBA You can see the convention hotels almost right across the street.
They also have an Imax Movie here that we didnt take time to see. I believe the ticket has to be purchased separately, but it wasnt that expensive. We just had other things planned for the day, like lunch and then Knotts Berry Farm! We enjoyed it a lot and would definitely recommend it for people who are environmentally conscious, interested in aquatic life and who want to expose their kids to things they would ordinarily never get to see up close. We absolutely loved the touching tanks, Jelly fish and really loved petting the friendly manta rays! I'm not sure if we would do it very soon, but for something a little different for those who love sea life, this is a cool place that is also educational to take your kids and family. My DS and his friend were both 20 and they enjoyed as much as the pre-k kids we saw in field trip groups. There were many age groups represented there, lots of pre teens too.
There were a lot of educational type shows, etc., that we missed because we had a limited amount of time as we were headed to Knotts.
Coming up, Day 5 continued and Knotts Berry Farm!
2 Be continued .
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Day 5 continued... Knotts Berry Farm...
Lunch at Hokkaido in Long Beach
Our sons friend recommended a restaurant called Hokkaido in Long Beach. It was so cheap! OMG, $8.99 all you can eat. It was very decent for the price and so much selection! It had a wide variety of Japanese, seafood, and other Asian dishes. There must have been at least 60different selections plus an area where they make food teppenyaki style. I didnt even make it over there because there was too much of everything else. Being the typical tourist that I am, I of course took a ton of photos there too. I wont post them because I honestly dont think most tourists would go all the way out here to eat anyway But suffice it to say for the price, it was pretty darn good, especially for buffet food.
Then we went to Knotts. It was already after 3 when we got there and it was cool and cloudy but sunny at the same time. I apologize in advance because all my photos have either blown out skies or grey foreboding ones. It was June Gloom, and it wasn't pretty. But it was cool and comfortable to walk around in. Once again, all of these are SOOC, no post processing obviously, no time....
Can I just say that Knotts is also a very nice park? We really enjoyed it here so much. For one thing, it was nowhere near as crowded as DLR with all the Murphy the Dragon stalking AP holders who would be blocked out a couple of days later. Also, I really enjoyed the thematic elements of the park. In addition, they had a really good mixture of old style rides for us older people who didnt want to see our lives flash before our eyes, and they also had a ton of thrill rides for the young kids/teens/fearless adults. Knotts was cute and we had a great day there. DS loved the thrill rides. I enjoyed the Ghost Town theme, I thought there were a lot of cute rides for the smaller kids, we personally enjoyed the 'not too crazy rides' (DS loved the Crazy rides) and the lack of crowds. You could practically walk on most rides. The one time I was told Ghostrider had a 1.5 hour wait, we left and came back later. We walked on in under 30 minutes about an hour or so before closing. (8pm in early June, 10 later through Summer).
We loved the Ghost town theme:
As soon as we got there, we tried to go on Ghost Rider which is their huge Wooden Roller coaster. We were told it would be an hour and a half wait. So, we decided to see what else there was going on in Knotts before waiting in that line. Sure enough a couple of hours later it was practically a walk on with about a 20-30 minute wait.
When we first got to Knotts I was going to go on one of the crazy rides with my son and his friend. As soon as I saw that you had to take everything off and store it, I said no way. I figured it would be way too crazy for me. Later DS and Kenny said that it was a good thing I didnt go. They saw some people lose their shoes! It went flying off during the ride! Nuts! After that I told them wed meet up with them later and DH and I went to explore the rest of the park. Later while exploring, we came across the other end of the ride. Yes, some of the rides extend from one end of the park to the other. Nuts!
Heres a photo from the other end of the park. Did I say its a crazy ride? Im so glad I didnt go on it.
The first ride we went on was the train.
They had actors performing as bandits and sheriffs.
It was cute. Before we got on though, there were a few teens that were getting escorted off the ride for bad behavior. I dont know what they did, but DH and I got to go on because clearing them off made room in the train. Thats one thing we noticed at Knotts that was really good; security was everywhere and they didnt put up with any nonsense from the kids. Any one committing anything against the rules were escorted out of the ride and there was the threat of being escorted off the premises on signs everywhere for things like line cutting. I even heard security guards call out a few kids for line cutting.
So after the train, we decided to go the Calico Mine cart ride.
So we get in line for this, and were actually just about ready to board and they told us the ride closed and we all had to leave. Later we found out that someone saw someone throw what they thought was a baby in the ride. It turned out to be a doll. Anyway, the line for that ride got packed when they reopened it so we never got back to it.
After that we went on the Timber Mountain Log Ride which was very much like Splash Mountain. We enjoyed this ride a lot!
One thing that was different about this ride was we asked to ride in the back of log, and the person loading said they couldnt allow that because it would slow the ride loading down. So we sat in the front and I pulled out DL ponchos, LOL! When we got off the person at the end said good-naturedly, Hey youre wearing the wrong poncho! IIRC, the logs are similar to the Matterhorn Bobsled ride where 2 people ride together in front or in back of each car. It was fun and we would do it again!
While walking through the park we saw that there were areas for fun and recreation:
I believe you had to pay to play, not sure though. But we saw quite a few people playing and enjoying it.
At Knotts they have this cool feature on a lot of the crazy rides in which people can pay to by a DVD of them on the ride.
And let me tell you, they buy it. My DS and his friend who lives there bought it. Nuts! Im wondering when Disney is going to start something like this. They would make a killing!
Here are some of the crazy rides we passed while exploring:
Okay, this thing is Ginormous and at least twice as tall as Maliboomer! Can we say Crazy?
This is the crazy ride my DS and friend bought their video of:
Whoa, Im getting dizzy just looking at these rides!
It was a contrast to see the new crazy rides right next to old ghost town themed stuff.
While walking over to ride the Pony Express ride (kind of like BTMRR but you sit on top of horses, yee haw) This ride was fun!
we saw the following:
Lunch at Hokkaido in Long Beach
Our sons friend recommended a restaurant called Hokkaido in Long Beach. It was so cheap! OMG, $8.99 all you can eat. It was very decent for the price and so much selection! It had a wide variety of Japanese, seafood, and other Asian dishes. There must have been at least 60different selections plus an area where they make food teppenyaki style. I didnt even make it over there because there was too much of everything else. Being the typical tourist that I am, I of course took a ton of photos there too. I wont post them because I honestly dont think most tourists would go all the way out here to eat anyway But suffice it to say for the price, it was pretty darn good, especially for buffet food.
Then we went to Knotts. It was already after 3 when we got there and it was cool and cloudy but sunny at the same time. I apologize in advance because all my photos have either blown out skies or grey foreboding ones. It was June Gloom, and it wasn't pretty. But it was cool and comfortable to walk around in. Once again, all of these are SOOC, no post processing obviously, no time....
Can I just say that Knotts is also a very nice park? We really enjoyed it here so much. For one thing, it was nowhere near as crowded as DLR with all the Murphy the Dragon stalking AP holders who would be blocked out a couple of days later. Also, I really enjoyed the thematic elements of the park. In addition, they had a really good mixture of old style rides for us older people who didnt want to see our lives flash before our eyes, and they also had a ton of thrill rides for the young kids/teens/fearless adults. Knotts was cute and we had a great day there. DS loved the thrill rides. I enjoyed the Ghost Town theme, I thought there were a lot of cute rides for the smaller kids, we personally enjoyed the 'not too crazy rides' (DS loved the Crazy rides) and the lack of crowds. You could practically walk on most rides. The one time I was told Ghostrider had a 1.5 hour wait, we left and came back later. We walked on in under 30 minutes about an hour or so before closing. (8pm in early June, 10 later through Summer).
We loved the Ghost town theme:
As soon as we got there, we tried to go on Ghost Rider which is their huge Wooden Roller coaster. We were told it would be an hour and a half wait. So, we decided to see what else there was going on in Knotts before waiting in that line. Sure enough a couple of hours later it was practically a walk on with about a 20-30 minute wait.
When we first got to Knotts I was going to go on one of the crazy rides with my son and his friend. As soon as I saw that you had to take everything off and store it, I said no way. I figured it would be way too crazy for me. Later DS and Kenny said that it was a good thing I didnt go. They saw some people lose their shoes! It went flying off during the ride! Nuts! After that I told them wed meet up with them later and DH and I went to explore the rest of the park. Later while exploring, we came across the other end of the ride. Yes, some of the rides extend from one end of the park to the other. Nuts!
Heres a photo from the other end of the park. Did I say its a crazy ride? Im so glad I didnt go on it.
The first ride we went on was the train.
They had actors performing as bandits and sheriffs.
It was cute. Before we got on though, there were a few teens that were getting escorted off the ride for bad behavior. I dont know what they did, but DH and I got to go on because clearing them off made room in the train. Thats one thing we noticed at Knotts that was really good; security was everywhere and they didnt put up with any nonsense from the kids. Any one committing anything against the rules were escorted out of the ride and there was the threat of being escorted off the premises on signs everywhere for things like line cutting. I even heard security guards call out a few kids for line cutting.
So after the train, we decided to go the Calico Mine cart ride.
So we get in line for this, and were actually just about ready to board and they told us the ride closed and we all had to leave. Later we found out that someone saw someone throw what they thought was a baby in the ride. It turned out to be a doll. Anyway, the line for that ride got packed when they reopened it so we never got back to it.
After that we went on the Timber Mountain Log Ride which was very much like Splash Mountain. We enjoyed this ride a lot!
One thing that was different about this ride was we asked to ride in the back of log, and the person loading said they couldnt allow that because it would slow the ride loading down. So we sat in the front and I pulled out DL ponchos, LOL! When we got off the person at the end said good-naturedly, Hey youre wearing the wrong poncho! IIRC, the logs are similar to the Matterhorn Bobsled ride where 2 people ride together in front or in back of each car. It was fun and we would do it again!
While walking through the park we saw that there were areas for fun and recreation:
I believe you had to pay to play, not sure though. But we saw quite a few people playing and enjoying it.
At Knotts they have this cool feature on a lot of the crazy rides in which people can pay to by a DVD of them on the ride.
And let me tell you, they buy it. My DS and his friend who lives there bought it. Nuts! Im wondering when Disney is going to start something like this. They would make a killing!
Here are some of the crazy rides we passed while exploring:
Okay, this thing is Ginormous and at least twice as tall as Maliboomer! Can we say Crazy?
This is the crazy ride my DS and friend bought their video of:
Whoa, Im getting dizzy just looking at these rides!
It was a contrast to see the new crazy rides right next to old ghost town themed stuff.
While walking over to ride the Pony Express ride (kind of like BTMRR but you sit on top of horses, yee haw) This ride was fun!
we saw the following:
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Knotts Berry Farm Continued...
After we went on the Pony Express, we went on the water ride that is just like GRR, except you get even more wet! OMG we were wearing our ponchos and we still got wet. It was a total walk on and we would do it again. Again a worker spotted our DL poncho and said, Hey youre wearing the wrong ponchos!
After riding that twice, we were getting tired and decided to give our feet a break by watching the last showing about the Indian. Sorry I cant remember the name, but it was a very well thought out show and used a lot of illusion type things like some of the Disney shows. It was cool, educational, and we were glad we did it.
After the show got out, we decided to make our way over to Ghost Rider. On our way we saw these:
This one says The site of Americas Oldest Continuously Operating Melodrama Theatre, 1954-1997
Not sure, but I think it was relocated from Tombstone Arizona. (There were a couple of signs, but I didnt read it.)
The plaque dedicated to Mr. & Mrs. Knotts and their children Commemorating the modest beginning of this enterprise and the creating of Ghost Town a historical landmark of early California. Dedicated November 15, 1952.
These buildings have scenes in them:
I love this! Ha-ha!
So we finally made it to Ghost Rider .I dont know what I was thinking. Somehow in the few hours we were there I had completely forgotten that when we entered the park, we could see a ride outside of it. I never put 2 and 2 together to realize that was part of GR.
On the way to the ride:
Lets just say that we should have known better. DH was wary at first and I kept telling him, It doesnt look that bad. It looks fun! Right We got on and held on for dear life. When we got to the top of the first hill, I looked to my left and I said to my DH, OMG, is that pat of this ride? And he said, Yep. And that was it, after that we went on one heck of a ride. It was so scary and rough, I couldnt even scream. I kept praying to God that DH wouldnt have a heart attack! It was a horrible ride for people our age who dont like wild rides. To make matters worse, when we got back to the loading area, a couple of us had stuck lap bars and they were loading the ride fast. I was about ready to have a panic attack because we couldnt get ours open and I thought they were going to send us around on the ride again! I and the gal in front of me started calling out to them, louder and louder until they finally heard us and came around with a tool to release the bar and let us out! Whew! At least it was stuck in the locked/closed position! :/ Anyway, at the end, all I could do was apologize over and over again to DH. We both felt dizzy and I kind of had a slight headache. As we marveled at the fact that we both made it out alive, we walked around a corner and I saw this!
Why didnt I see that sooner?!!!
I just asked my DH if he had anything he wanted to say about GR and he shook his head and said, Hell to the no . Nuf said, I guess! LOL! Anyway as I apologized for my stupidity in thinking it wouldnt be that bad, we made our way back around the park to t he kiddie rides. We were done riding at that point and just waiting to meet up with DS and Kenny. We walked around and saw more stuff
Again, old contrasted with the new:
Here, for those of you who have kids who may be interested, are some photos of the kiddie area and thematic elements
After we went on the Pony Express, we went on the water ride that is just like GRR, except you get even more wet! OMG we were wearing our ponchos and we still got wet. It was a total walk on and we would do it again. Again a worker spotted our DL poncho and said, Hey youre wearing the wrong ponchos!
After riding that twice, we were getting tired and decided to give our feet a break by watching the last showing about the Indian. Sorry I cant remember the name, but it was a very well thought out show and used a lot of illusion type things like some of the Disney shows. It was cool, educational, and we were glad we did it.
After the show got out, we decided to make our way over to Ghost Rider. On our way we saw these:
This one says The site of Americas Oldest Continuously Operating Melodrama Theatre, 1954-1997
Not sure, but I think it was relocated from Tombstone Arizona. (There were a couple of signs, but I didnt read it.)
The plaque dedicated to Mr. & Mrs. Knotts and their children Commemorating the modest beginning of this enterprise and the creating of Ghost Town a historical landmark of early California. Dedicated November 15, 1952.
These buildings have scenes in them:
I love this! Ha-ha!
So we finally made it to Ghost Rider .I dont know what I was thinking. Somehow in the few hours we were there I had completely forgotten that when we entered the park, we could see a ride outside of it. I never put 2 and 2 together to realize that was part of GR.
On the way to the ride:
Lets just say that we should have known better. DH was wary at first and I kept telling him, It doesnt look that bad. It looks fun! Right We got on and held on for dear life. When we got to the top of the first hill, I looked to my left and I said to my DH, OMG, is that pat of this ride? And he said, Yep. And that was it, after that we went on one heck of a ride. It was so scary and rough, I couldnt even scream. I kept praying to God that DH wouldnt have a heart attack! It was a horrible ride for people our age who dont like wild rides. To make matters worse, when we got back to the loading area, a couple of us had stuck lap bars and they were loading the ride fast. I was about ready to have a panic attack because we couldnt get ours open and I thought they were going to send us around on the ride again! I and the gal in front of me started calling out to them, louder and louder until they finally heard us and came around with a tool to release the bar and let us out! Whew! At least it was stuck in the locked/closed position! :/ Anyway, at the end, all I could do was apologize over and over again to DH. We both felt dizzy and I kind of had a slight headache. As we marveled at the fact that we both made it out alive, we walked around a corner and I saw this!
Why didnt I see that sooner?!!!
I just asked my DH if he had anything he wanted to say about GR and he shook his head and said, Hell to the no . Nuf said, I guess! LOL! Anyway as I apologized for my stupidity in thinking it wouldnt be that bad, we made our way back around the park to t he kiddie rides. We were done riding at that point and just waiting to meet up with DS and Kenny. We walked around and saw more stuff
Again, old contrasted with the new:
Here, for those of you who have kids who may be interested, are some photos of the kiddie area and thematic elements
DisneySuiteFreak
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
Sidewinder…Again, a bigger ride overlaps this ride.
Starting ‘em off young…
Kids shows:
Red Baron:
Joe Cools Gr8 sk8
This is like the area in DCA with the climbing ropes, etc. I saw people coming out, but we didn’t go in:
This ‘ride’ cracked DH and I up so much! It was very old school, LOL, and worked on man power alone! They were like mine carts and they had to manually pump the handles to get it to move. Some of the kids were ready to quit in the middle of the track, and we were all laughing and encouraging them to keep going. You could just see it on their faces; they had the look like, “This is not fun?! This is hard work!” LOL!
We made it all the way back to the other side of the park and now had to work our way back to the beginning.
There’s that crazy ride again!
The train:
We almost went to eat at Mrs. Knotts, but the line was way too long! On our way out, we retold the story of our Ghost Rider experience to our DS and Kenny, and they laughed at our foolishness. I just had to take a couple of photos of this insane ride for posterity because you know we’ll never ride that sucker ever again!
This is what we couldn’t see from inside the park!
And on the other side….
All the Guest service people at Knotts were so nice and wished us a great day everywhere we went. We got the impression that they really appreciated our business and went out of their way to tell us so. DS did say that he noticed that some Guest service/CM people were not as nice to him when he was by himself but he figured it must be that the park has such a high attendance of local teens and some of them try to line cut and get away with stuff; so he sensed an attitude a couple of times when they told him he had to take off his jacket or wear it or that he had to take off his glasses. (Couldn't leave it tied around his waist for safety reasons, and anything loose has to be stored - but they provide storage areas.) DS said he had the impression that they probably thought that he was like some of the local teens who attempt to get away with anything and everything they can (and yes they do have teens like that all over DL too). He said he thought that they thought he was a local teen and just playing dumb when he didn't know he was supposed to untie his jacket and store his glasses. He didn't take it personally, as he's seen the behavior by some of the local teens at both parks and yes, some do try to push the envelope with getting away with whatever they can get away with. On the bright side, he did see some local teens being escorted from a ride by security for line cutting, and DH & I saw some escorted from their train ride for acting up before the ride started. That was refreshing to see.
Yes, the thrill rides at Knotts are nuts, but fun. I would avoid Ghostrider like the plague if you have any neck or back problems. Seriously. That is one crazy ride.
If you like a lot of rides and little to no crowds, Knotts is the place for you. They had quite a few different shows going on but we missed all but one since we got there later in the day and didn't want to miss out on rides and seeing the old ghost town buildings. It was great for a one day trip. There were many things we didn't get to see in depth or do, but we all really liked the park. It was nice going from the mad, crazy DLR crowds to KBF. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of people there, just nowhere near the insane amounts of people that DL had.
After Knotts, we asked the guys what they wanted to eat, and believe it or not they said they wanted Pancakes! So we stopped in at an IHOP somewhere between Buena Park and Long Beach, and we had a very nice, cheap, tasty, meal. Then we took Kenny home, and made it back to FFI. We debated going to DL for a couple of hours but we were all so tired we decided to just stay at the hotel and rest.
Coming up, we go back to the park that Walt built!
And I just want to say to all who are reading/lurking, DONT BE SHY! Come on out and play, the water's warm! I'd love to hear from you, hear your thoughts, comments, questions; so Don't Hang back, Participate!
Starting ‘em off young…
Kids shows:
Red Baron:
Joe Cools Gr8 sk8
This is like the area in DCA with the climbing ropes, etc. I saw people coming out, but we didn’t go in:
This ‘ride’ cracked DH and I up so much! It was very old school, LOL, and worked on man power alone! They were like mine carts and they had to manually pump the handles to get it to move. Some of the kids were ready to quit in the middle of the track, and we were all laughing and encouraging them to keep going. You could just see it on their faces; they had the look like, “This is not fun?! This is hard work!” LOL!
We made it all the way back to the other side of the park and now had to work our way back to the beginning.
There’s that crazy ride again!
The train:
We almost went to eat at Mrs. Knotts, but the line was way too long! On our way out, we retold the story of our Ghost Rider experience to our DS and Kenny, and they laughed at our foolishness. I just had to take a couple of photos of this insane ride for posterity because you know we’ll never ride that sucker ever again!
This is what we couldn’t see from inside the park!
And on the other side….
All the Guest service people at Knotts were so nice and wished us a great day everywhere we went. We got the impression that they really appreciated our business and went out of their way to tell us so. DS did say that he noticed that some Guest service/CM people were not as nice to him when he was by himself but he figured it must be that the park has such a high attendance of local teens and some of them try to line cut and get away with stuff; so he sensed an attitude a couple of times when they told him he had to take off his jacket or wear it or that he had to take off his glasses. (Couldn't leave it tied around his waist for safety reasons, and anything loose has to be stored - but they provide storage areas.) DS said he had the impression that they probably thought that he was like some of the local teens who attempt to get away with anything and everything they can (and yes they do have teens like that all over DL too). He said he thought that they thought he was a local teen and just playing dumb when he didn't know he was supposed to untie his jacket and store his glasses. He didn't take it personally, as he's seen the behavior by some of the local teens at both parks and yes, some do try to push the envelope with getting away with whatever they can get away with. On the bright side, he did see some local teens being escorted from a ride by security for line cutting, and DH & I saw some escorted from their train ride for acting up before the ride started. That was refreshing to see.
Yes, the thrill rides at Knotts are nuts, but fun. I would avoid Ghostrider like the plague if you have any neck or back problems. Seriously. That is one crazy ride.
If you like a lot of rides and little to no crowds, Knotts is the place for you. They had quite a few different shows going on but we missed all but one since we got there later in the day and didn't want to miss out on rides and seeing the old ghost town buildings. It was great for a one day trip. There were many things we didn't get to see in depth or do, but we all really liked the park. It was nice going from the mad, crazy DLR crowds to KBF. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of people there, just nowhere near the insane amounts of people that DL had.
After Knotts, we asked the guys what they wanted to eat, and believe it or not they said they wanted Pancakes! So we stopped in at an IHOP somewhere between Buena Park and Long Beach, and we had a very nice, cheap, tasty, meal. Then we took Kenny home, and made it back to FFI. We debated going to DL for a couple of hours but we were all so tired we decided to just stay at the hotel and rest.
Coming up, we go back to the park that Walt built!
And I just want to say to all who are reading/lurking, DONT BE SHY! Come on out and play, the water's warm! I'd love to hear from you, hear your thoughts, comments, questions; so Don't Hang back, Participate!
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
