Disney Story Behind the Photo: The Time I Was in The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

by Nick

It was 2011, and Barbie and my first time visiting the The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
As we walked towards the front at the far left hand side of the auditorium, the cast was just asking folks if they would like to be in the show.

As we approached our seats, they announced they needed just one more person, as Barbie was sitting down, I started waving and yelled, "Yea, right here."
The announcer turned, looked right at me and said "The man in the blue Disneyland shirt, come on down."  That was me.

The rest is a blur. I remember this, I was asked to do my best ninja pose. Ninja? Uh, ok. My mind went right to the only movie I could immediately think of that contained martial arts, never mind ninjas, and I came up with the Matrix.

As this was my first time seeing the show, and I was the very first person asked to pose, I didn't know I'd be required to HOLD that pose, or I would have picked a much easier one!

After this we were sent to costuming and got to participate in the production. That's me waving below.

It was a lot of fun, and I highly suggest it to anyone. Just, you know, pick an easier pose!

Floored at Walt Disney World: The Story Behind the Photo

by: Gaylin

I have often heard that people will take a photo of almost anything when they are at Walt Disney World.

To prove this point, here is a photo of a washroom floor! Yes, that is right, I took a photo of a bathroom floor. Why? (I know you are asking.) Because, this floor is awesome, talk about attention to detail. It is in a women's washroom at the Animal Kingdom and the whole floor is made up of 1 inch square tiles patterned to make frogs.

I love this floor . . . this is not the only time I have taken a photo of it. To me it shows the effort that Disney will go to to make something as utilitarian as a washroom floor interesting and fun. And yes, someone noticed I was taking this photo and looked at me like I was crazy!

Dinoland at Animal Kingdom . . . That flat car!

Dinoland at Animal Kingdom . . . That flat car!

By: Gaylin

I have a few places at Disney World where taking a photo is a must-do. One of them is in Dinoland in the Animal Kingdom. Every trip I say, "Time to take a photo in my new car!". Even if I am on a solo trip I get someone to take my photo, because it is "my car" . . . not yours!

I figured you didn't need to see all the flat car photos, 3 is plenty.
This first photo is from 2005, me and my shaved head again.

This photo is from 2006, we were on a tour at the Animal Kingdom and they all thought I was nuts to want the photo of the 4 of us and the tour guide (she is the one hanging off the back of the car). Then when it was time to take the photo, everyone hauled their cameras out.

This is from my first solo trip in April 20, 2008, taken by some random stranger! If you ever go on a solo trip, don't be afraid to ask cast members or strangers to take your photo. They will, can't say the photo will always work out but they will take one.

Christmas Pictures at the Disneyland Resort

Guest Writer Wednesday

Christmas Pictures at the Disneyland Resort

By: Matthew Bassett

Christmas is approaching fast and families are starting to think about their yearly Christmas cards. Like many Disney obsessed families, we spend a vast amount of time at the parks every year. When thinking about those pictures you want to include in your Christmas card we ALWAYS want to include pictures from the parks.

The biggest question for us becomes where in the resort do we find the best Christmas themed family pictures. Here are some traditional suggestions:

1) Take a picture by the Christmas tree on Main Street. The tree is so tall that you will either have a distorted view of the tree with the family in front or you will only see the six feet of tree so you can see the family. An alternative idea is to take the family on top of the Main Street railroad platform and take a picture overlooking the tree from across Main Street. Another alternative would be to take a picture at the DCA tree as it isn’t nearly as crowded as it’s Disneyland counterpart.

2) Take a family picture by the castle. The castle has been dressed up with snow for the last few years. The trick to get the best family shot is to avoid standing in front of the castle. Move to one of the sides and get a picture avoiding your favorite people who you will never see again.

3) We love to get pictures with the characters. During the holiday season you can usually catch the characters in their Christmas best. Some of the best suggestions are to find Santa Goofy in the Big Thunder Ranch are or the Winnie the Pooh characters in Critter Country. We have also found luck in finding other characters in the Big Thunder Ranch area over the last few years. The shortest lines are typically those in Big Thunder Ranch and Toontown. If your really have to get a picture in another location you might want to talk with a Disney photographer to get some tips to save you some time.

4) We have to take a family picture with Santa. Santa can be found in the Big Thunder Ranch but the lines are usually really long unless you line up before he officially starts to greet guests. I recommend going to DCA and visiting with Santa at the Elias and Company store. In the past, DCA’s Santa was dressed out in his surfer best but with the relaunch of the park he has changed his attire for his traditional best! The best part is that the lines is about 10 times shorter than Disneyland.

What do you do if you want to get a “non-traditional” picture? Here are a few suggestions.

1) Head to Bug’s Land in DCA and take a picture next to the gigantic ornaments. Stack one of the kids on Dad’s shoulders to get the scale of the ornaments as you’ve been shrunk down to the size of an ant. I have a great family picture of my one year old son on my shoulders that I jokingly took.

2) Some of our favorite Christmas pictures were the silliest pictures we took. Head into one of the shops and try on the different hats. Get one of the Cast Members to take a picture of the family. Make sure you all try on the best Christmas ears or the stocking hats. Have fun! This picture doesn’t require you purchase the hats as long as you put them back when you're done.

3) Head to the hotels and Downtown Disney! All three Disney hotels and Downtown Disney get decked out in Christmas gear. You can get some time away from the crowds and explore the rest of the resort. Find a Christmas tree or some other decorations to take your family picture with.

4) Take the family to It’s a Small World at night. Bring a tripod and take pictures with all of the lights. This is one of the best places to take pictures at night in the park. The tripod will help reduce the fuzzy pictures. You can also utilize lenses that use image stabilizer technology.

5) Don’t forget to take a picture in front of your favorite attraction. Some of the attractions, like Splash Mountain, will get some Christmas theming that will add to your family picture. Regardless, taking a picture with the family in front of your favorite attraction will be a great story to share with your friends and family.

Jumping for Joy in the Magic Kingdom : Story Behind the Photo

I'm excited to be at the Magic Kingdom, that much is clear. But why? Well, obviously, being in Walt Disney World is a pretty wonderful thing, so why not jump for joy.
But in this photo from January of 2007, I'm jumping for joy to keep my flagging spirits up.
It was our last morning, and I was sad.
But then it occurred to me, "I'm at the Magic Kingdom, how can I be sad?" and my wife caught me right at that moment of clarity.
Dealing with Post Disney Depression is a serious matter, but we shouldn't let that detract from the fun while we are at our Happy Place.
So, even if you're leaving for the airport, or drive home in a little while, jump for joy, you're at Disney!
Please stop back tomorrow to read some tips to battle your Post Disney Depression.

Disney Vacation Too Excited To Sleep Syndrome

By: Nick Maglio

If you are anything like me, about a week, sometimes 2 weeks, before a Disney Vacation, you start having restless nights. Then, the night before your magical journey is about to begin, you are wide awake, tossing and turning, watching the clock.

I call this TETSS. Too Excited To Sleep Syndrome, and it's a serious problem.

Over the years, I've developed a routine to combat this problem, and it works, to lesser or greater degree, each trip I:

• Take 1 Tylenol PM (2 would make me too groggy the next morning)
• Drink 1 cup of Chamomile tea (don't drink too many fluids, or THAT can be an issue!)
• Have a light meal, trying to avoid anything too salty or heavy, or caffeinated
• Try not to go to bed until 8 hours before I intend to get up, knowing I'll likely only get 6, 7 if I'm lucky. I used to try to go to bed ridiculously early the night before, and would wind up waking up 4 hours later, unable to get back to sleep. 

This isn't an exact science, but try some of these suggestions out before your next trip, and perhaps you too can overcome the dreaded TETSS!

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Avoiding the Multi Camera Shoot Trap on Your Disney Vacation

You're with family or friends. You are lined up to get a photo with your favorite character while members of your group are off on the sideline waiting to photograph the moment.
One person is standing over here with a camera phone, the other over there with a DSLR. Throw in the Disney PhotoPass photographer into the mix, and you have a multi-photoshoot mess!
This happened to us on a trip back in November of 2011 when were getting our pictures taken with Beauty and the Beast at Epcot.

My wife, Barbie, handed her Nikon to our friend, and proceeded to look in that direction. The rest of us didn't get the memo.

Sadly, this is NOT the only time this has happened on a vacation.
How to avoid this?
Make sure everyone in your group with a camera is in one spot, ideally, around the PhotoPass photographer.
Or have Belle point out to your wife which way to look.

Finally you may come up with a picture where everyone is looking in one direction.
Of course, if you don't buy the PhotoPass photo, you may not get the shot you are happy with at all!

Soooo, having your party stand around the PhotoPass photographer is a good bet.
You can also ask the photographer or accompanying Cast Member to use your camera.
Because sometimes there is no way to wrangle a Beast into looking the right way!

The Perfect Balloon

Looking for the perfect balloon, it is an important decision that takes some thought and wrangling once it has been chosen. These girls spent an inordinate amount of time weighing the pros and cons of each balloon. I understand that angst over a purchase, how it has to be just right. I hope they loved the balloons they ultimately picked out.