My take on Disneyland Paris and our DCL Med cruise

[Anal Annie]

OK, so I had a couple of people ask me if I was going to write a trip report for our big trip this summer to Disneyland Paris and our DCL Med cruise. I'd never written one before but decided it might be a good way for me to document it so WE don't forget too. I thought about just writing it here, post by post but then eventually decided that a blog would be more practical. That way I could share it with family & friends who aren't DIS'ers. I've been working on it for a week or so. First I had to play with different blog sites. Finally settled on one and started writing. Next came the pictures. I wanted to include a lot (we took about 1,700) so I have a lot to sort thru as I go. The other issue is that I am using a free version of the site so most of the pictures have to be reduced before I can upload them. I have just finished posting day # 6 (10 more to go)!!

http://thewhitehouseblog.weebly.com/

So please, come along for the ride if you'd like and check back every so often for updates. I hope to work on it some every day. But some of the days will take me 2 or 3 days to finish. This weekend I will finally start working on the cruise ports.

 

[nolanboys]

Nice job on your first TR! Can't wait to read more about the cruise.

 

[rascalmom]

I'll be reading - thanks for sharing your blog report!

 

[wdrl]

Very nice trip report. In fact, an extremely very nice trip report!! Thanks for sharing!!

A question about Disneyland Paris: Do they do pin trading at DLP?

 

[DenLo]

Wow, that's quite a blog. Your photos of Paris brought back so many memories. Thanks posting all of the photos. I'm looking forward to your first port.

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks for sharing it with us - I especially like pictures, even those that are reduced, LOL.

 

[Anal Annie]

Very nice trip report. In fact, an extremely very nice trip report!! Thanks for sharing!!

A question about Disneyland Paris: Do they do pin trading at DLP?

You know...not so much. They HAD some pins but we really didn't see many castmembers wearing lanyards. So I think it might be that you'd possibly run into someone who trades most likely NOT. We bought a couple of pins of course but we don't trade either. We just collect.

Wow, that's quite a blog. Your photos of Paris brought back so many memories. Thanks posting all of the photos. I'm looking forward to your first port.

Thanks - I'm working on it (that's what happens when you're anal retentive like me)!! LOL. Hope to finish the first port today or tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing it with us - I especially like pictures, even those that are reduced, LOL.

I bought a new point & shoot camera like 2 days before we left and it is 16 megapixels so most of the pictures we took are pretty big. The site requires that they're less than 5 mp to upload so it's a chore to go thru all of them. But I'm really happy with how well the new camera did. I was a little nervous on how they'd turn out. I also brought my DSLR and didn't even have it out ONCE!! I loved having this new little camera on my belt and it was so convenient I just didn't feel like being weighed down with the DSLR around my neck. Crazy. I couldn't believe I schlepped it all the way over there & didn't use it.

 

[arthur06]

Great TR, loving all the pictures!

 

[Checkers]

Great TR! Brings back memories of our time in Paris (before there even was a DLP). Can't wait to hear more. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

Wow--impressive blog and beautiful pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

Please tell what P & S you are using. . .I could have sworn it was a bigger camera than that!

 

[BrianM]

Great report! I love the picture of all the people taking pictures of the Mona Lisa. Also, your mention of the breakfast crepes reminded me of my favorite Paris discovery, the nutella crepes. Your photos bring back a lot of great memories! Many thanks.

 

[Anal Annie]

Wow--impressive blog and beautiful pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

Please tell what P & S you are using. . .I could have sworn it was a bigger camera than that!

I am actually also surprised at how good some of the pics came out. I had always (as in FOREVER) been a Canon gal but this time I bought the Sony Cybershot DSC-H70. I chose it for a couple of reasons. FIRST and probably the most important to me for this trip was for the zoom capabilities. It has a 10x zoom starting at 25 mm so it's also a wide angle lens. My lens on my DSLR is a 18-200 so I reallllly wanted that zooming ability. It's very unusual to find a zoom that big and that wide on a point & shoot for what I paid for this thing. The Cybershots also have this automatic Panoramic mode which I thought would VERY COOL on this trip for places like the Eiffel Tower and the Collesium etc. (and it was - I got some neat pics with that feature). I really wasn't looking for more than 10 or 12 megapixels but this thing had 16.1 and an image stabilizer (I took several pictures while I was still walking and many of them came out just fine - a few were blurry but mostly all good). I didn't use it but it also has a 1080 HD video feature. (My DS swims and has a meet in the middle of October so I'll give the movie feature a try then.) I totally forgot about the movie thing on the trip because the camera was new & I just wasn't thinking about it.

Anyway, I used a fast 16 GB SD card and it still wasn't quite full (and we took about 1,700 pics). Since it was a last minute purchase I also didn't want to drop a boatload of money on it. I found a package deal online at Best Buy that they honored in the store. The pkg. and the 16 GB card came to just over $300 with tax and included a spare rechargeable battery which I was really glad I got, a nice case and a 4 GB card (that I'll use as a spare).

I will use my DSLR when shooting action shots like when I'm trying to capture the moment at swim meets but I think for the most part under every day circumstances this thing is my new baby.

 

[Anal Annie]

Great report! I love the picture of all the people taking pictures of the Mona Lisa. Also, your mention of the breakfast crepes reminded me of my favorite Paris discovery, the nutella crepes. Your photos bring back a lot of great memories! Many thanks.

I love crepes!! Nutella was really big in Europe...it was everywhere. I am allergic to Hazelnuts tho so I can't try it.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi guys...I just posted Day # 8 - the port of La Spezia. I had a busy weekend & had a hard time concentrating & editing myself so it's a little extra rambly...but I love some of the pictures in the Cinque Terre!

I'll work on Rome later today & tomorrow....

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

I am actually also surprised at how good some of the pics came out. I had always (as in FOREVER) been a Canon gal but this time I bought the Sony Cybershot DSC-H70. I chose it for a couple of reasons. FIRST and probably the most important to me for this trip was for the zoom capabilities. It has a 10x zoom starting at 25 mm so it's also a wide angle lens. My lens on my DSLR is a 18-200 so I reallllly wanted that zooming ability. It's very unusual to find a zoom that big and that wide on a point & shoot for what I paid for this thing. The Cybershots also have this automatic Panoramic mode which I thought would VERY COOL on this trip for places like the Eiffel Tower and the Collesium etc. (and it was - I got some neat pics with that feature). I really wasn't looking for more than 10 or 12 megapixels but this thing had 16.1 and an image stabilizer (I took several pictures while I was still walking and many of them came out just fine - a few were blurry but mostly all good). I didn't use it but it also has a 1080 HD video feature. (My DS swims and has a meet in the middle of October so I'll give the movie feature a try then.) I totally forgot about the movie thing on the trip because the camera was new & I just wasn't thinking about it.

Anyway, I used a fast 16 GB SD card and it still wasn't quite full (and we took about 1,700 pics). Since it was a last minute purchase I also didn't want to drop a boatload of money on it. I found a package deal online at Best Buy that they honored in the store. The pkg. and the 16 GB card came to just over $300 with tax and included a spare rechargeable battery which I was really glad I got, a nice case and a 4 GB card (that I'll use as a spare).

I will use my DSLR when shooting action shots like when I'm trying to capture the moment at swim meets but I think for the most part under every day circumstances this thing is my new baby.

Thank you so much for all of this information!! I'm really impressed with your camera and photography skills! I love a good pocket camera but I get so frustrated with my lack of skills and the photo quality. I will definitely check this Sony out. (I have also been a Canon person--maybe it's time for a change!) Thanks again and love this trip report!

 

[Anal Annie]

Thank you so much for all of this information!! I'm really impressed with your camera and photography skills! I love a good pocket camera but I get so frustrated with my lack of skills and the photo quality. I will definitely check this Sony out. (I have also been a Canon person--maybe it's time for a change!) Thanks again and love this trip report!

Thanks! I am working on Day # 9 / Rome right now but probably won't get it done until tomorrow. It is time consuming.

I will pass on something to you that the girl at Best Buy told me. I had mentioned that the camera would be small enough to put in my pocket or purse & she said DO NOT put it anywhere without the case because the lens cover thing is very, very thin and loose. I had my old Canon A700 Powershot with me so I could compare size & weight and the lens cover on it was very rigid and didn't move when I touched it. But she said all of the new cameras today are like this - and they can get damaged very easily if you put them in pocket or purse. If you touch the cover, even very gently the blades will move or jiggle a little bit. So I was very cautious about how I handled it. Kinda made me nervous a little bit bcuz I was never overly protective with my Powershot and frequrently would put it in my purse without the case to save on space. The case that came with this package tho was pretty compact and fit in my purse OK. I wore it on my belt the entire trip and found that pretty convenient. I had never done that before but that worked well for this trip. Just keep that in mind. The lens covers today are more fragile so be sure to get a case!!

 

[Credit Man]

Enjoying your report. Thanks for the link.

 

[Laurabearz]

Great pictures!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your trip report!

 

[Anal Annie]

I am so frustrated peeps!! I have been working on Rome for like 3 days. Got my text written, reduced my pictures...started putting it all on the website this afternoon with a bajillion pictures and was moving along nicely. Didn't have it saved yet tho bcuz I discovered that saving it also publishes it & I wanted to put the whole post up all at once. Thought I could get it finished this evening... WELLLLL... Internet Explorer crashed & stopped working on me around 6:00. I lost everything I'd put on the site for Rome. I had to leave then to go to my DS's Back-to-School night so I haven't been home all evening to start over. I hope that I can find time tomorrow to work on it. It's driving me nuts how long it's taking me in-between posts. Sorry for the delay.

 

[nunzia]

Really enjoying your report!! super narrative and so many great shots..really like the slide feature for the photos..thanks!