The End of the World? Who Cares? We are at the House of Mouse!
- Thread starter jusero
- Start date
WOW, your photos are great! And, as always, I'm laughing out loud at your stories! Thanks!
Thanks PlutoFan. If anyone ever wants to check out any of my non-Disney photos -- yes, I actually take photos other than Disney
, not many, but some -- you can look at them on my photo bucket page: http://s954.photobucket.com/albums/ae24/jusero_photos/I can't see your pictures!This is not good, I came for my Disney picture fix and now I can't get it!
Hope you made out ok today! I know we felt the earthquake here in NJ so I am sure you did.
We made out fine. Just a few cans fell over in the pantry and a few items fell off my dresser. And my nerves were a bit shot for a while.
And I have no idea why my photos disappeared. Weird. I am going to see if I can fix it. They were there earlier. Maybe the earthquake knocked them out.
haleofafamily
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2006
Yes, they have given up. But it's driving me crazy because I know I've seen it and can't figure out where.
Enjoying your TR! I see a pattern in your siggy- is May your favorite travel time for WDW? We love to go to DL in May because the weather is great and the crowds are low. I would've loved to make our first trip to WDW in May but FD tempted me to give Feb a try.
Also enjoying your pictures. This last year we just sold our SLR. We realized all the work needed to organize and take care of all the pictures we were taking was becoming a burden. Also, we felt like we needed to bring it with us all the time and with five kids our hands are full. The point and shoot captures enough memories for now and now we can enjoy the moment more. Guess I'm just not a photographer at heart. I do enjoy seeing the work of others though!!
Also enjoying your pictures. This last year we just sold our SLR. We realized all the work needed to organize and take care of all the pictures we were taking was becoming a burden. Also, we felt like we needed to bring it with us all the time and with five kids our hands are full. The point and shoot captures enough memories for now and now we can enjoy the moment more. Guess I'm just not a photographer at heart. I do enjoy seeing the work of others though!!
Enjoying your TR! I see a pattern in your siggy- is May your favorite travel time for WDW? We love to go to DL in May because the weather is great and the crowds are low. I would've loved to make our first trip to WDW in May but FD tempted me to give Feb a try.
Also enjoying your pictures. This last year we just sold our SLR. We realized all the work needed to organize and take care of all the pictures we were taking was becoming a burden. Also, we felt like we needed to bring it with us all the time and with five kids our hands are full. The point and shoot captures enough memories for now and now we can enjoy the moment more. Guess I'm just not a photographer at heart. I do enjoy seeing the work of others though!!
Hi Pimama and welcome. Yes, I love visiting the World in May. have been at other times, but early May is my fave. I did take a two-day quick visit about six years ago in Feb. and it was a good time too. It was a bit chilly in the morning and evening, but beautiful during the day. All we really needed was a hoody for the chilly hours and in shirt sleeves the rest of the day. Of course, the water parks and rides were out, but I don't do those anyway. And the crowds were really light too. You will have a great time.
As for your camera...I don't blame you. It would be too much to handle with kids and, if it becomes a burden, then it isnt fun anymore. Plus, it really is the person behind the camera, not really the camera. I have seen some pretty awesome photos from point-and-shoots. Just have fun!
Hope to see you here moving forward.
Chapter Six: Kids! Why must they be here? Oh yah, it’s Disney.
Today we are suppose to have the morning off to just kick back and relax in the hotel then tour the All-Star resorts in the afternoon. But, you know what they say about the best laid plans.
I woke earlier than Leo … big surprise … and went out on the deck to relax, read my Kindle and soak up all the quiet and ambiance. Oh yah, my Kindle is dead. OK, so I am just relaxing, soaking up the ambiance and breathing in all that is Disney. You know, basically loving life!
Shortly after I came out on the deck, a few kids from downstairs came out and were tossing a football around in the yard. They played for about 15 minutes or so before I heard their Dad call them in to head out to the parks.
Not more than mere seconds after I heard their slider doors close, the resort’s sprinkler system kicked on. Now, these aren’t your small sprinklers you normally see in the front areas of the resorts, these are the really big ones used on golf courses.
Am I a bad person for thinking how funny it would have been if they had kicked on while the kids were out there playing?
Once Leo was up, showered and had eaten breakfast, he sat and flipped through the TV channels for about 10 minutes. We really did try to just kick back and relax, but by about 9:30, we were bored out of our minds. Who sits around the hotel at Disney for crying out loud? We packed up the backpack and headed out to Animal Kingdom where we decided to skip most of the rides and just wander the park taking in the hidden paths and Disney magic we normally miss in our commando touring.
We hopped on the bus and were on our way in just minutes. Now, somewhere along the way, Leo pointed out a Hidden Mickey in the clouds. Uh-oh…
The crowds were pretty light today and the weather, once again, was gorgeous. Mid 80’s and partly cloudy, no chance of rain.
We jumped in to see Bugs on our way through and, on the way out of the theater, we turned left instead of going right with the masses. This put us on the path going around the back of the Tree of Life. If you have never done this, you should take about an hour out of your day and wander this trail. You can see parts of the tree here that you can’t see from anywhere else. It really is quite spectacular.
We spent quite some time on this path and then headed in to Africa to hit up some of the trails there and stop into some of the shops. I just love the one on the corner near the safari.
Anyway, we actually stopped to watch the street performers for the first time ever. I guess they rubbed off on Leo because, when we stopped over at that corner store, he grabbed one of those drums and joined a couple of the CMs in a drum performance.
Silly man. But he did get applause from those who had stopped to listen. Now this is the man who is so shy normally that it actually pains him to say hi to a stranger. But put an instrument in his hands and he is a totally new man. I just love it when the performer in him peaks out. Don’t tell him I said so, but it’s really kinda cute.
Before leaving for the resorts, we ducked in to see the Lion King. I just can’t miss this show and, as usual, it was spectacular.
Instead of catching the Shades bus, we just grabbed one of the Disney buses to the All-Star resorts. I really can’t remember the order in which we saw them, but we hit the All-Star Music, Sports and Movies resorts. Since they are all in the same area, we hotel hopped all afternoon jumping off the bus, touring around the resort, hopping back on the bus and on to the next. We didn’t hit Pop Century, though. We would be seeing this one when our daughter and her family arrived in a couple days.
I can tell you one thing … these hotels are HUGE. Or, as my mom would say, ‘hummmmmungus!’ Now, even though they are pretty cool and very affordable, I would never trade Shades for them. Way too big. Way too busy. Way too noisy. Not to mention the excessive walking to get anywhere. I mean, if you got a room at the far end of one of these places, it would be a ridiculous amount of walking just getting to and from the lobby. I guess I am spoiled by Shades.
If you have never seen one of the All-Stars, it is kinda fun to stop in and check it out. The décor is quite amazing. And I love how the families staying here, as well as Mousekeeping, decorate the windows of the guest rooms.
By the time we finished the third All-Star, I was more pooped than after a day in the parks.
Pooped, exhausted and totally beat, we head back to … Magic Kingdom! You thought I was going to say Shades? Are you kidding? There was still a few hours of park time left in the day. Where else would we go?
As we pulled into the monorail station at the Kingdom, we noticed something you can only see at Disney. We saw a CM literally polishing a garbage can … and whistling a happy tune all the while. I kind of hung back a bit to discreetly watch and take a pic of him at work. And the pride he took in his work was impressive. He wiped down the top and sides, turned it on its side and thoroughly wiped down the bottom and the feet, then turned it back up and wiped all the sides down again. Then moved on to the next.
Only at Disney.
Anyway, when we hit the park, we made a bee-line to Adventureland and … surprise, surprise … paid another visit to old Jack.
Once we finished up with Pirates, Leo wanted his pic taken over by the Pirate Stage. I swear I have a photo of him in front of everything in every park. He got into position, I got the camera ready and, “one, two, three,” CLICK. Just as I clicked, this kid came running into the frame. We laughed a bit and tried again. “One, two, three,” CLICK. There she is again! OK, it is Disney and kids can be oblivious to their surroundings. “One, two, three,” CLICK. Crap! She came running into the frame … again.
By the fourth time, I was getting just a tad annoyed because (1) after the third time, we actually asked her to wait, (2) she was about 10 years old so she was old enough to know what we were doing, and (3) her mother was sitting right there watching the whole thing … and not saying a freakin’ word. I almost lost my Disney bearing and pulled out some not-so-Disney language on both her and her mother.
Luckily, Leo saw what was brewing and took control of the situation … and tied both mother and daughter to the mast. OK, so not really, but we can fantasize, can’t we?
Anyway, temper back under control, we scooted on over to Frontierland and caught the train for a night ride around the park. I just love the train ride at night. Actually, I love MK at night.
Oh, have I mentioned how much I hate those stupid mister fans? I hate those stupid mister fans!
I can’t count how many times I have been squirted in the face … or my camera … by these darned things. Hey parents! Can you please take them away from your kids when you are in line or sitting for a parade or show? Not everyone enjoys being squirted. Especially after your kid has slobbered all over the thing and it’s more spit than water. It isn’t cute, funny, amusing or even tolerable in some situations.
OK, I feel better now. Can you tell the exhausted crankies are setting in?
Enough whining.
We wandered around the park for a little while longer and hopped on a few rides before heading back to Shades. We wanted to be in a bit early tonight because tomorrow we want to be up and out early for a day at Universal.
Various shots from throughout the day:
Today we are suppose to have the morning off to just kick back and relax in the hotel then tour the All-Star resorts in the afternoon. But, you know what they say about the best laid plans.
I woke earlier than Leo … big surprise … and went out on the deck to relax, read my Kindle and soak up all the quiet and ambiance. Oh yah, my Kindle is dead. OK, so I am just relaxing, soaking up the ambiance and breathing in all that is Disney. You know, basically loving life!
Shortly after I came out on the deck, a few kids from downstairs came out and were tossing a football around in the yard. They played for about 15 minutes or so before I heard their Dad call them in to head out to the parks.
Not more than mere seconds after I heard their slider doors close, the resort’s sprinkler system kicked on. Now, these aren’t your small sprinklers you normally see in the front areas of the resorts, these are the really big ones used on golf courses.
Am I a bad person for thinking how funny it would have been if they had kicked on while the kids were out there playing?
Once Leo was up, showered and had eaten breakfast, he sat and flipped through the TV channels for about 10 minutes. We really did try to just kick back and relax, but by about 9:30, we were bored out of our minds. Who sits around the hotel at Disney for crying out loud? We packed up the backpack and headed out to Animal Kingdom where we decided to skip most of the rides and just wander the park taking in the hidden paths and Disney magic we normally miss in our commando touring.
We hopped on the bus and were on our way in just minutes. Now, somewhere along the way, Leo pointed out a Hidden Mickey in the clouds. Uh-oh…
The crowds were pretty light today and the weather, once again, was gorgeous. Mid 80’s and partly cloudy, no chance of rain.
We jumped in to see Bugs on our way through and, on the way out of the theater, we turned left instead of going right with the masses. This put us on the path going around the back of the Tree of Life. If you have never done this, you should take about an hour out of your day and wander this trail. You can see parts of the tree here that you can’t see from anywhere else. It really is quite spectacular.
We spent quite some time on this path and then headed in to Africa to hit up some of the trails there and stop into some of the shops. I just love the one on the corner near the safari.
Anyway, we actually stopped to watch the street performers for the first time ever. I guess they rubbed off on Leo because, when we stopped over at that corner store, he grabbed one of those drums and joined a couple of the CMs in a drum performance.
Silly man. But he did get applause from those who had stopped to listen. Now this is the man who is so shy normally that it actually pains him to say hi to a stranger. But put an instrument in his hands and he is a totally new man. I just love it when the performer in him peaks out. Don’t tell him I said so, but it’s really kinda cute.
Before leaving for the resorts, we ducked in to see the Lion King. I just can’t miss this show and, as usual, it was spectacular.
Instead of catching the Shades bus, we just grabbed one of the Disney buses to the All-Star resorts. I really can’t remember the order in which we saw them, but we hit the All-Star Music, Sports and Movies resorts. Since they are all in the same area, we hotel hopped all afternoon jumping off the bus, touring around the resort, hopping back on the bus and on to the next. We didn’t hit Pop Century, though. We would be seeing this one when our daughter and her family arrived in a couple days.
I can tell you one thing … these hotels are HUGE. Or, as my mom would say, ‘hummmmmungus!’ Now, even though they are pretty cool and very affordable, I would never trade Shades for them. Way too big. Way too busy. Way too noisy. Not to mention the excessive walking to get anywhere. I mean, if you got a room at the far end of one of these places, it would be a ridiculous amount of walking just getting to and from the lobby. I guess I am spoiled by Shades.
If you have never seen one of the All-Stars, it is kinda fun to stop in and check it out. The décor is quite amazing. And I love how the families staying here, as well as Mousekeeping, decorate the windows of the guest rooms.
By the time we finished the third All-Star, I was more pooped than after a day in the parks.
Pooped, exhausted and totally beat, we head back to … Magic Kingdom! You thought I was going to say Shades? Are you kidding? There was still a few hours of park time left in the day. Where else would we go?
As we pulled into the monorail station at the Kingdom, we noticed something you can only see at Disney. We saw a CM literally polishing a garbage can … and whistling a happy tune all the while. I kind of hung back a bit to discreetly watch and take a pic of him at work. And the pride he took in his work was impressive. He wiped down the top and sides, turned it on its side and thoroughly wiped down the bottom and the feet, then turned it back up and wiped all the sides down again. Then moved on to the next.
Only at Disney.
Anyway, when we hit the park, we made a bee-line to Adventureland and … surprise, surprise … paid another visit to old Jack.
Once we finished up with Pirates, Leo wanted his pic taken over by the Pirate Stage. I swear I have a photo of him in front of everything in every park. He got into position, I got the camera ready and, “one, two, three,” CLICK. Just as I clicked, this kid came running into the frame. We laughed a bit and tried again. “One, two, three,” CLICK. There she is again! OK, it is Disney and kids can be oblivious to their surroundings. “One, two, three,” CLICK. Crap! She came running into the frame … again.
By the fourth time, I was getting just a tad annoyed because (1) after the third time, we actually asked her to wait, (2) she was about 10 years old so she was old enough to know what we were doing, and (3) her mother was sitting right there watching the whole thing … and not saying a freakin’ word. I almost lost my Disney bearing and pulled out some not-so-Disney language on both her and her mother.
Luckily, Leo saw what was brewing and took control of the situation … and tied both mother and daughter to the mast. OK, so not really, but we can fantasize, can’t we?
Anyway, temper back under control, we scooted on over to Frontierland and caught the train for a night ride around the park. I just love the train ride at night. Actually, I love MK at night.
Oh, have I mentioned how much I hate those stupid mister fans? I hate those stupid mister fans!
I can’t count how many times I have been squirted in the face … or my camera … by these darned things. Hey parents! Can you please take them away from your kids when you are in line or sitting for a parade or show? Not everyone enjoys being squirted. Especially after your kid has slobbered all over the thing and it’s more spit than water. It isn’t cute, funny, amusing or even tolerable in some situations.
OK, I feel better now. Can you tell the exhausted crankies are setting in?
Enough whining.
We wandered around the park for a little while longer and hopped on a few rides before heading back to Shades. We wanted to be in a bit early tonight because tomorrow we want to be up and out early for a day at Universal.
Various shots from throughout the day:
mickeystoontown
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
I loved this update! If it were up to me, I'd take an entire day and do nothing but tour the different resorts. John, on the other hand, doesn't care a thing in the world about doing that. So, I live vicariously though your resort touring pics.
You are not the only one who hates the mister fans. Actually, I don't mind them when they aren't spraying on me. It iritates me to no end when I'm standing in line and a kid (or even adult) sprays me with their darn fan. That's why we always carry the little bitty ones (about the size of an old cassette tape). They are small enough that they don't spray everybody and their grandmother standing in line.
You are not the only one who hates the mister fans. Actually, I don't mind them when they aren't spraying on me. It iritates me to no end when I'm standing in line and a kid (or even adult) sprays me with their darn fan. That's why we always carry the little bitty ones (about the size of an old cassette tape). They are small enough that they don't spray everybody and their grandmother standing in line.
Thanks Lisa. We will be touring some of the high end resorts next year...if we get to go.
You will need an SLR camera, an off camera flash and a tripod. It really isn't all that difficult. Just takes time to get the adjustments right.
1. Set up your tripod and camera in your chosen location.
2. Set your camera settings to "bulb."
3. Set your flash unit to a fairly low setting, but don't mount it on the camera. Hold it in your hand.
4. Make sure your "model" knows where they should stand before you get started.
5. Click your shutter and keep it open.
6. Have your model strike a pose.
7. Flash your model and have them run out of the picture.
8. Then close down your shutter.
You may have to do this several times while you adjust your flash settings and the length of time you leave your shutter open. There may be an easier way to do this, but this is how I did it. Good luck!
CanadianWDWfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
Finally got a chance to catch up! Great pics!
I always enjoy reading your TR's...the bits of humor thrown in.
Are you gonna show a pic of the pricey souvie you got from Art of Animation?
I'd love to see it, pretty please.
You are getting me excitted about our trip!
I always enjoy reading your TR's...the bits of humor thrown in.
Are you gonna show a pic of the pricey souvie you got from Art of Animation?
I'd love to see it, pretty please.
You are getting me excitted about our trip!
Finally got a chance to catch up! Great pics!
I always enjoy reading your TR's...the bits of humor thrown in.
Are you gonna show a pic of the pricey souvie you got from Art of Animation?
I'd love to see it, pretty please.
You are getting me excitted about our trip!
Glad to see you back. And yes, I will take some pics today of my shadow box and post them later. It is really pretty.
I see you are going back twice in the next six months? Woo-hoo for you!!!
I am excited for you. I am still at about eight months. 
But that's certainly better than nine! 
rcsilverspring
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Glad to see you back. And yes, I will take some pics today of my shadow box and post them later. It is really pretty.
I see you are going back twice in the next six months? Woo-hoo for you!!!
I can't wait to see it, Jane.
And let me tell you, 8 or 9 months to go back "home" is better than "I have no plans or no idea" when we are going back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't wait to see it, Jane.
And let me tell you, 8 or 9 months to go back "home" is better than "I have no plans or no idea" when we are going back.
My plans for May are not really set in stone yet.
If I don't get a job in the next couple months, we will probably have to cancel or postpone. 
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