Fleeing Wedding Showers for Epcot Flowers: My Final Morning, Finally! NEW 4/12

[clearskies]

Say it isn't so, Nory. I did not realize you were on your last night your vacation.

You captured some beautiful pictures of the boardwalk here.

I must say that in general throughout this trip that I think you've stepped up your game in your photography. Nice work . (Not that it was not good before). Methinks that you're ready for that DSLR you mentioned in your earlier post. I can tell you want to pull the trigger.

 

[onelilspark]

I'm taking a page from your book and a month and a half before my wedding taking a solo trip down to Disney I'm already stressed, so I can't imagine what I'll be like then!!

 

[norybell]

No not to Florida I really want to buy more DVC points, but DH only agrees if we pay cash so I'm doing my darndest to save a bit of money! We're going out west to see family this summer and are going to spend a few days in Disneyland which will hopefully tide me over. Then I'll go down next January to run the half. I'm sure I'll survive and luckily I have the DIS

I would think DL would be the perfect thing to tide you over! I've never been there, but my baby sister is having her wedding shower out in L.A. in May, so I'm thinking I might have to squeeze in a day there, if I can swing it!

That story reminded me of the time I was pushing my 3rd out in deliver, and the phone rang by my bedside in the L& D room. My DH was coaching me- the baby was crowning- and got frustrated with it, and kicked up. but the receiver flopped off and our friends listened to the whole thing!!!! Guess they were the first to know we'd had a girl.

That is too funny! What a moment to accidentally be a part of!

Say it isn't so, Nory. I did not realize you were on your last night your vacation.

Don't worry! I should have my next TR ready to go by the time I finish up this one, so I can just post a link to the new one here -- a seamless Nory-TR transition!

I must say that in general throughout this trip that I think you've stepped up your game in your photography. Nice work . (Not that it was not good before). Methinks that you're ready for that DSLR you mentioned in your earlier post. I can tell you want to pull the trigger.

Thank you so much! That is really nice to hear. This was an interesting trip for me photographically -- for my last TR, since I was solo, I could really take the time to try out shots and stuff. For this one, since I was with my mom, I think I got some good practice at taking pictures on the fly a bit more, because I rarely wanted to make her wait for me.

And you know, when it comes to that DSLR, it occurs to me...I do have a big birthday (35!) coming up. And another trip to Disney right after it...it might be the perfect time! Hm...

I'm taking a page from your book and a month and a half before my wedding taking a solo trip down to Disney I'm already stressed, so I can't imagine what I'll be like then!!

Do it! I can't say enough how nice it was to get away. I think Disney World is probably one of the few things in existence that can distract a bride-to-be a couple of months before her wedding! How's the planning coming along?

 

[norybell]

Though it has absolutely nothing to do with my mother-daughter WDW trip last year, I figured I’d share with you guys about my little field trip this week. It is still Disney-related, after all.

The Magical Express documents for my upcoming trip arrived a few days ago, and I figured that before I sent them off to my sister and niece out in Colorado, I’d pick up some little Disney something-or-other to include in the envelope. From Mickey, of course.

I grabbed my (brand spanking new! DSLR!) camera and headed here:

Times Square. A place New Yorkers typically avoid at all costs, unless they have visiting tourists or Broadway tickets in hand.

So I could visit this place, for the first time:

I meant to take lots of pictures to practice with my new camera, and to get something small for my niece. I did take lots of pictures, though most of them didn’t turn out. I’m still learning where all the buttons are, after all!

Attack of the Jesse clones!

I hate to say it, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the store. I guess I’m too used to WDW stores, where they have everything you could ask for and more! And tons of the little sort of stuff I was looking for. Which this place really didn’t have – very few stickers, no autograph books, no pens. And no “I [Mickey-head] NY” T-shirts in anything remotely resembling my size.

Of course, somehow their lack of good choices meant that I walked out of the store with far more than I intended. I’m still not sure how that happened.

I got these guys:

And then proceeded to spend an embarrassing amount of time arranging them on my floor for a photo session.

Huddle up, team, huddle up!

Mickey: so important his friends blur in comparison.

Dance party!

I couldn’t resist these two.

And of course my niece needs her first pair of ears, right?

And it can all go in her new (blurry) Minnie bag!

Uh, Nory? Why’d you get so much stuff? It’s a bit crowded in here…

This is for me. Since I couldn’t get a T-shirt, I figured a pin of a T-shirt would do.

Overall, my shopping trip was an OK substitute for a little Disney fix! I probably won’t rush back there anytime soon, though. And go figure, a few hours after I got home, my sister called to thank me for the free Disney maps that I'd ordered off the website and had sent to my niece, which I had completely forgotten about! I guess the "Disney magic" fairy who sends her random Disney stuff in the mail is going to be working overtime this month!

 

[All7OfUs]

What an absolutely FUN excursion!!! And for the record, I spend just as much as an embarrassing amount of time diddling around with Tate O'Patty. It' what we do.

 

[glennbo123]

for the new camera! The pictures look great.

Thanks for taking us along to Times Square.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Attack of the Jesse clones!

Those Jessie dolls do look a bit creepy! It could be the slightly-evil way their faces are lit...

I haven't been there yet, but the Times Square store does look a bit underwhelming from what I've seen. Well, better than the Disney stores in a mall, but certainly no World of Disney. Now if they opened a World of Disney nearby, I'm not sure I could ever leave!

 

[norybell]

What an absolutely FUN excursion!!! And for the record, I spend just as much as an embarrassing amount of time diddling around with Tate O'Patty. It' what we do.

I hate to think of what someone might think about that second sentence there, were it taken out of context!

for the new camera! The pictures look great.

Thanks for taking us along to Times Square.

Thanks, glennbo! I'm a bit worried that my pictures will go downhill for a bit, while I'm figuring things out...but I guess it'll all be worth it in the end!

I haven't been there yet, but the Times Square store does look a bit underwhelming from what I've seen. Well, better than the Disney stores in a mall, but certainly no World of Disney. Now if they opened a World of Disney nearby, I'm not sure I could ever leave!

Yeah, I'm not sure what I was expecting...but you'd think they could've managed something a bit more spectacular! Though it was more the merchandise that disappointed me, really. Just not much selection, for such a big store.

 

[clearskies]

Hi Nory,

Great to see you out and about using your new camera. It does take time to get used to the settings so don't get discouraged. I love that you are experimenting and the photo shoot of your little characters is great. I see that you are using aperture priority. Good for you. This is a very good way to learn. If you don't mind I have a few pointers. I am not trying to be critical so please don't take it the wrong way. I am just trying to help.

When taking shots hand-holding your camera (vs tripod) try to get your shutter speed to be at least equal to 1/(the focal length of your lens). So, in some of your pictures you used a 50mm focal length. Try to get your shutter speed to equal at least 1/50 in those cases. You shutter speed was too slow on some of the pictures like the cinderella doll (1/13 sec) and the minnie bag (1/4 sec) and that is one reason why they might not be as clear. So, how do you do this? You can keep it in aperture priority mode and open up your aperture (set to lower f number) and/or bump up your ISO (higher number) until you get a fast enough shutter speed.

I hope this is too not too much. I know you'll get there.
Oh, one last thing, I do like the photos you posted. Especially the "huddle up" photo.

 

[dismagiclover]

That's a bummer that the Times Square Disney Store was underwhelming. I guess there is no reason to hurry up to NYC soon. (Well I'm sure I could come up with a reason, but it won't be the Disney Store.) I used to love the World of Disney Store in New York. It reminded me of the big gift shops at the parks. Sounds like this one is closer to the Disney Stores at the local malls, just bigger.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Well, first things first...congrats on the DSLR!!! What camera did you end up getting??

Too bad that the NY Disney store sucks. We had one in our mall but they closed it last year.

What a sweet Aunt you are to get all those cute little toys for your niece! Adorable stuff, love the Minnie purse.

Oh and thanks for the fabulous figurine photo shoot! So how much time did you spend photographing it? Did you at least give the characters a break here and there? You did get some great shots, I love the blurring effect!

Um, those Jessie dolls look devious! Maybe it's the angle of the eyebrows? Either way, she looks about one step away from Chucky!

Love this pin!! It's cool!

Awww, yay for getting your niece the Disney maps. I always forget that you can do that on the Disney website.

Looks like it's gearing up to be a great April trip! Now hurry up and finish this one up so you can start fresh!

 

[norybell]

Hi Nory,

Great to see you out and about using your new camera. It does take time to get used to the settings so don't get discouraged. I love that you are experimenting and the photo shoot of your little characters is great. I see that you are using aperture priority. Good for you. This is a very good way to learn. If you don't mind I have a few pointers. I am not trying to be critical so please don't take it the wrong way. I am just trying to help.

When taking shots hand-holding your camera (vs tripod) try to get your shutter speed to be at least equal to 1/(the focal length of your lens). So, in some of your pictures you used a 50mm focal length. Try to get your shutter speed to equal at least 1/50 in those cases. You shutter speed was too slow on some of the pictures like the cinderella doll (1/13 sec) and the minnie bag (1/4 sec) and that is one reason why they might not be as clear. So, how do you do this? You can keep it in aperture priority mode and open up your aperture (set to lower f number) and/or bump up your ISO (higher number) until you get a fast enough shutter speed.

I hope this is too not too much. I know you'll get there.
Oh, one last thing, I do like the photos you posted. Especially the "huddle up" photo.

Clearskies, thank you sooooooo much for the tip. That totally makes sense. I'm really enjoying playing with aperture priority, since it's all new to me. I usually left my old superzoom on shutter priority all the time, since its aperture priority wasn't very effective. Of course, my playing around in Av has resulted in a ton of blurry pics -- it will be so nice to have this easy-to-remember trick to try to prevent that! I can't wait to get to WDW and really get to know the camera better...I've been trying to practice here, but it's been so darn gray in NY, it seems like the skies have been flat and blank and white forever, it's hard to motivate myself to get out there and take pictures!

That's a bummer that the Times Square Disney Store was underwhelming. I guess there is no reason to hurry up to NYC soon. (Well I'm sure I could come up with a reason, but it won't be the Disney Store.) I used to love the World of Disney Store in New York. It reminded me of the big gift shops at the parks. Sounds like this one is closer to the Disney Stores at the local malls, just bigger.

I haven't been to a mall Disney Store in so long that I can't really compare...I'm not sure what I was expecting! It was very pretty inside, I will give it that.

Well, first things first...congrats on the DSLR!!! What camera did you end up getting??

Thanks! I ended up with the Canon Rebel T2i. You don't want to know how many hours of research went into that decision!

Oh and thanks for the fabulous figurine photo shoot! So how much time did you spend photographing it? Did you at least give the characters a break here and there? You did get some great shots, I love the blurring effect!

Oh, don't worry, I treated my models very well. They got plenty of breaks. And sparkling water. And red M&Ms. It was all spelled out in Mickey's contract.

Awww, yay for getting your niece the Disney maps. I always forget that you can do that on the Disney website.

Apparently they're really nice maps, too!

Looks like it's gearing up to be a great April trip! Now hurry up and finish this one up so you can start fresh!

Hm, is that a hint or something?

 

[onelilspark]

Oh my goodness...I'm sitting at my desk at work and just lost it when I read (and saw!) the bit about the characters lining up for a photo shoot. Cracked me up!!

Geoff is trying to persuade me that we need a DSLR for our honeymoon. I hate to admit it, but those pictures are awesome. The only thing is...guess who will have to learn how to use it? I like my point & shoot!

 

[norybell]

Geoff is trying to persuade me that we need a DSLR for our honeymoon. I hate to admit it, but those pictures are awesome. The only thing is...guess who will have to learn how to use it? I like my point & shoot!

You could always do what I did a few years ago, and get a superzoom instead (I have the Sony DSC-HX1, which I really like). It's cheaper than a good starter DSLR, lighter, and easier to use (no lenses to change or anything). It's got a truly amazing zoom, a fast shutter speed, and takes panoramas, which is fun on vacation! It doesn't do blurry backgrounds very well, but other than that it's a great camera. I got it to see if I'd mind carrying around something bulkier than a point and shoot, and if I'd ever bother learning to use the non-auto settings. Which I did, so after a few years with the superzoom, I felt really ready for a DSLR, and sure that I'd get a lot of use out of it. A few years ago, I wouldn't have been so sure. If that makes any sense? In a nutshell: it was a great in-between step, and I'd totally recommend it!

 

[onelilspark]

Thanks for the camera advice. I'll pass it along to Geoff...he researches everything to death, so it'll give him something to do

And I was wondering: when you do your solo trips, do you use Magical Express or rent a car to get to the hotel? I'm debating. Once I'm at the hotel, I'll be using the monorail to get around, but since it's just for a weekend, it'd be nice to have a few extra hours on Sunday before heading back to the airport and I don't have luggage to deal with. Plus, if I go with Dollar, it's all of $50. I can't make a decision...

 

[norybell]

Thanks for the camera advice. I'll pass it along to Geoff...he researches everything to death, so it'll give him something to do

And I was wondering: when you do your solo trips, do you use Magical Express or rent a car to get to the hotel? I'm debating. Once I'm at the hotel, I'll be using the monorail to get around, but since it's just for a weekend, it'd be nice to have a few extra hours on Sunday before heading back to the airport and I don't have luggage to deal with. Plus, if I go with Dollar, it's all of $50. I can't make a decision...

I always just use Magical Express. Driving stresses me out (clearly I've lived in NYC for too long!), and it's hard to resist something free!

I'm pretty sure a taxi to the airport is around $50...you could always take ME on the way there, and a taxi on the way back to save you that extra time?

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Um how did I miss a post all about alcohol? I feel like a failure!

I agree about the club level alcohol options they charge enough to provide mid-tier wine. You can get a decent bottle for $10. I'm just saying.

Glad you had a good experience at Bluezoo. I think I will give it another chance, we did not have a good experience last time, but I keep reading good reviews, so I'm thinking they just had an off night.

Love the picts with your new camera! Can't wait to see the Disney pics that it spawns

 

[All7OfUs]

I hate to think of what someone might think about that second sentence there, were it taken out of context!

If you think that's bad, you should hear the blunder I just made at the UPS Store...

The USPS guy walks in and I was in line to mail off a flash drive that had to be there the next day!! So I see him walk in and sort of panic, and blurt out,

"Are you the overnight guy??!!"

He answers me, "Ummm.... well, what's your name, I COULD be.".

OMG, the entire store was laughing out load at us!

 

[brookelizabeth]

We went back in February and they didn't have a good selection of sizes then either! They had 2 women's styles, one HOT PINK (I just couldn't do another hot pink shirt...) and another in black. Which I liked. But the black only came in XXXL.

They had the normal cut, but it looked like it would hang on me weird.

I ended up getting a Minnie Statue of Liberty shirt, it's cute.

I didn't ever even realize they didn't have all the little things that most Disney stores do....but you are so right....how strange. I wonder if that will change around Christmas time for stocking stuffers?

Love the photo session with the gang.

And your last update was great too! Those BW pictures made me a bit home sick. So pretty!

 

[norybell]

I agree about the club level alcohol options they charge enough to provide mid-tier wine. You can get a decent bottle for $10. I'm just saying.

Exactly! There's really no excuse for it!

If you think that's bad, you should hear the blunder I just made at the UPS Store...

The USPS guy walks in and I was in line to mail off a flash drive that had to be there the next day!! So I see him walk in and sort of panic, and blurt out,

"Are you the overnight guy??!!"

He answers me, "Ummm.... well, what's your name, I COULD be.".

OMG, the entire store was laughing out load at us!

A much belated:

We went back in February and they didn't have a good selection of sizes then either! They had 2 women's styles, one HOT PINK (I just couldn't do another hot pink shirt...) and another in black. Which I liked. But the black only came in XXXL.

They had the normal cut, but it looked like it would hang on me weird.

I ended up getting a Minnie Statue of Liberty shirt, it's cute.

I didn't ever even realize they didn't have all the little things that most Disney stores do....but you are so right....how strange. I wonder if that will change around Christmas time for stocking stuffers?

Love the photo session with the gang.

And your last update was great too! Those BW pictures made me a bit home sick. So pretty!

Welcome back! They had the hot pink style when I was there, too...plus I believe the mickey head was glittery. So not me! They didn't have any other women's styles at all. I figured I'd get a men's one, but they were all XXLs! I wonder if they'll ever make more? Or if they just constantly sell too many to keep all the sizes stocked decently?