A few Disney shots that defy category (10 imgs)

I guess this is the forum to put those shots that don't really quite fit into any of the other forum categories! Since I go so often, I have hundreds of shots of all of the usual-and-customary stuff. So sometimes, I like to just go look for those odd scenes, moments, or angles to try something new. Here are a few to share from my trip for the Epcot Thing:

1. On the busride back from Magic Kingdom to Saratoga Springs, the family sitting across from me had one of those typical family Disney days where they ran themselves ragged throughout the parks. The end result was two very sleepy kids! When one daughter leaned on dad with sleepy eyes, and the other daughter fell asleep on her shoulder - I couldn't help but take a picture of a very common post-park scene:



I used a slower 1/25 shutter to get some motion blur through the bus window.

2. While having dinner on the patio of Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney, I noticed the distant sky over the golf course and West End parking lot light up...and realized it was Epcot's illuminations beginning. I put my camera on the handrail, zoomed in a bit, and snapped the fireworks going off beyond the trees:



I used a 3-sec shutter to catch the streaks and absorb more light. The red streak in the water near the shoreline is a Disney boat headed to Old Key West.

3. Friday night when I arrived at Saratoga Springs, I ate at the Turf Club since it was on-grounds. On my walk back, I noticed the nearly full moon rising beautifully above the clouds. Screwing on my 1.7x tele adapter and using full zoom, I get an optical tele range of 732mm...and got a closeup of the moon:



4. Escaping a brief rainshower on Epcot's 25th Anniversary day, I ducked into the cafe seating behind the Stave church at Norway Pavilion...it was early, and the World Showcase hadn't opened, so noone was there. The tiny little finches that live there came out of hiding to see if I had any pastry goodies from the bakery, and gave me an opportunity to photograph one of these tiny creatures from just a 5-10 feet away (even then, it required 420mm of zoom to see him this large - these birds are smaller than a computer mouse!):



5. Later, passing through the China Pavilion, I couldn't help but take a detail shot of the flowers and lilipads on the pond:



It was quite grey out at the time, having just rained, so lighting wasn't optimal...but the flowers were really standing out against the pads.

6. Taking a break from Magic Kingdom walking, I stopped in a favorite spot of mine - Tomorrowland Terrace. I grabbed a Coke from Casey's Corner and grabbed a seat in the always-empty Terrace which is a fantastic people watching place, with nice scenic views of the Main Street bridge, castle, and Tomorrowland entrances. While sitting there, I decided to zoom in and snap the Peoplemover sign (Tomorrowland Transit blah blah blah....it's still Wedway Peoplemover to me!). I waited for a set of cars to pass, just to add to the background...but thought it was a cute coincidence that the car passing just happened to have the young boy staring out eagerly from dad's arms:



7, 8, 9. In fact, from that same spot, you get a surprisingly good view of the show in front of the castle...and if you have a ton of telephoto, you can shoot it too! I didn't have my 1.7x tele with me, but with the standard 432mm and some cropping, I could get close enough to make out the details:







10. And finally, while in Animal Kingdom where I love to shoot the animals...I was able to photograph an animal I've never photographed at Disney before - the alligator. I've shot the crocs before on the Kilimanjaro ride...but never saw the alligator exibit before. I had stopped to get a Blue Margarita at the Dawa bar, one of my favorite relax spots in AK, and sat at my table under the back of the bar facing the cannon. I decided to go over to the cannon and snap a shot of the little 'village' on the shore below, and lo-and-behold...Disney's new Alligator exhibit:



Before anyone gets confused...I'm joking of course. There is no alligator exhibit there. But there was indeed an alligator! Very crafty and able to move through small spaces when young, this Florida gator had found a passage into the Animal Kingdom and was probably enjoying the lack of competition...and with all the birds around, probably alot of food too! Knowing that Disney likely doesn't want Florida alligators getting into their common grounds in the parks and lakes around their resort, I notified a cast member to make sure they knew the alligator was there...they said it happens alot around the property, and they do relocate them off property when discovered.

That's my random tour of photos that seemed to defy any specific categorization anywhere else! Comments, critique, or questions welcome as always.

 

I like the lily pad and flowers.
nice series and stories. thanks for sharing.

We usually sit on the patio at cosmic rays and look at the castle. its very nice during sunsets.

And, the Dawa bar is my favorite "attraction" at AK! Very, very relaxing. But I have not been in a few years. I always get Tusker beer. I wonder if they still serve it?

 

Nice find on the alligator. Cool to see that especially on Disney Property.

 

I know I saw the Tusker beer there a few weeks ago...but I couldn't tell you if it was for sale, or just the bottles displayed along the back. I don't drink beer, so I wouldn't know if it was available. I like a nice, cool, mixed drink - or even frozen one, when I go there. It's my indulgence to sit back with a frozen margarita or daquiri on a hot day!

Polynesian - It was neat to see him there, even though I see alligators all the time around my hometown. Just something about this guy being in Disney waters right in the theme park, without an official invite, was kind of shocking to see!

 

Thanks for the commuted death sentence on this thread! As mPower said, nothing is really ever dead on the net.

I always end up with shots like this, that I don't know where to post - just scenics, wildlife, people shots, etc that aren't really all about the park or an attraction. This 'Rest of the World' forum seemed like the place to put it!

And thank you both for the compliments.

 

If you have any other questions...ask away - you've got some amazing skill and experience on these forums and I'm sure just about anything you could ask can be answered by someone here! I've picked up alot of ideas and information here myself.

Don't worry about just having a P&S - every Disney pic I've taken or posted so far has been with a P&S. Florida's light, Disney's scenery, and a Disney-fan enthusiasm is enough to get some great shots! Most important is just taking a little extra time to set up a shot - levelling a horizon, waiting for people to pass out of the frame, taking advantage of low sun in morning and late afternoon, and thinking out the compositions a bit. Even the tiniest compact P&S can produce an advertisement-quality shot, and even the best DSLR can produce a bad snapshot...the user makes all the difference!