In this month’s edition, we will discuss photography while visiting one or all of Disney’s main four theme parks in Orlando, Florida. (Note: if you click on any of the park’s headings it will take you to my gallery page.) First off, there is a lot of freedom and flexibility at this venue in taking pictures while emptying your wallet on a Disney vacation (I’m most sure of this fact more than any other). So be creative! Photography is a great hobby because anybody can take it up, especially now days with these powerful smart phone cameras, and you never “arrive”. In other words, you can always become a better photographer no matter how long you’ve dabbled in it as a serious amateur or professional. In my dozen or more trips to Walt Disney World, I have taken all types of pictures with all types of equipment; cameras (some newer models perform better in low light than older ones); lenses (zoom and fixed, all from fisheye to super telephoto that tell a different photographic story of the trip); and tripods for long exposures (expensive, inexpensive, or none at all – the many trash can tops Disney provides suit the photographer and come in handy). Whatever you bring, you can make good use of it for telling your story. Each trip will probably be slightly different from the previous one, whether Cinderella’s castle has a fresh coat of paint, Mickey is wearing a brand new seasonal garb, or a recent attraction or newly themed world has opened its gates. In this post I will focus on taking additional easy-to-miss photographs that should supplement your traditional portraits. However, make sure you take advantage of the family photo sessions complimented with classic Disney characters, princesses, villains, and familiar icon backdrops taken either by you or from a Disney photographer. Two items of advice: 1) Don’t miss any opportunity, and 2) Be creative!
So to summarize, although your wallet might return home empty, you will have a full collection of photographs that will include your children with countless and timeless Disney characters, Cinderella’s majestic castle and the other hub icons, princess lunches or dinners, fireworks to cap off the evenings, or hopefully, all of the above. Some tricks to get started taking great photos at Disney: 1) People will be in your shot (but some maneuvering as well as the time of day and time of year helps out a lot to minimize these distractions); 2) Focus on the details and take your time (Everywhere you look Disney does such a good job with little surprises. Also, usually waiting just an extra ten seconds through the viewfinder might render those results you wanted); 3) Plan out a certain shot you want, research it a ton by also not overlooking Disney’s everchanging daily and yearly schedule, and make it happen. Now for the Parks…
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is the most recent and most remote of Disney’s four main theme parks, established in April of 1998. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation and is distinguished from the rest of Walt Disney World’s theme parks in that it features traditional attractions while also exhibiting hundreds of species of live animals. Many of these can be photographed on the safari ride in the Africa section of the park. On occasion in the Harambi Market, performers will play traditional African instruments and their performance can be captured on film (or digital sensor) for some unique photos. Each Disney theme park has a central structure or icon that is worth photographing for your bucket-list collection. In Animal Kingdom, this is the Tree of Life set on Discovery Island. Depending on what season you arrive either the north or south face will be lit at sunrise and sunset (i.e. winter will be the south, summer the north). It will indeed present itself (with or without the family) the most photogenically when the light is warm and soft and when the park opens or is about to close. Finally, Animal Kingdom is home to Pocahontas if you are trying to fulfill your photographic collection of your kids coupled with Disney princesses.
The best time for the safari is in the early morning when the park opens (winter time near the solstice will allow the sun to be lower in the sky at this time). This is when the animals are most active, the crowds will be the least, and the light is most appealing. Unfortunately, you will be sacrificing your rush to get in early to Pandora’s Flight of Passage line which fills up quickly no matter what season you are visiting the park. On the safari ride journeying through its savannah setting, use a telephoto lens at a fast shutter speed for photographing the animals (not necessarily cause they are moving but because you are moving on bumpy terrain). Don’t have that multi-thousand dollar sniper Canon lens, no problem! Try a creative alternative by using a wide angle zoom to capture your kids’ excitement in the vehicle while they point enthusiastically at the animals. Exposure settings can be tricky to not over or under expose these kids’ shots. You’ll have better luck first thing in the morning when the sun is lower in the sky. Capturing your toddler’s wide eyed smile sharply in focus with an out of focus outline of a giraffe in the background can be a priceless image.
Another not to be missed section of the park is Pandora – The World of Avatar, which can be best for photography in the evening for long exposure pictures. With its artificially colored neon vegetation and its many tumbling waterfalls, there are many nooks and crannies in James Cameron’s maze that will be void of people in your tropical image. Your photographs might push the boundary of reality which is ok in Disney. Try for the blue hour (after the sun goes down but before it’s black) and use a tripod (or wooden post/firm rock) to steady your camera for exposures of at least half a second or longer for motion blur of the water. Animal Kingdom closes earlier than the other three parks so plan your time accordingly.
Epcot
Epcot (or Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) was imagined in the 1960s and became established as Walt Disney’s second theme park on October 1, 1982. Inspired by an unrealized concept developed by Walt himself before he passed away, the park spans 305 acres (1.23 km2), more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom park. Fortunately, two separate entrances, multiple transportation options, and a boat shuttle bisecting the World Showcase Lagoon provide a bit of relief for the extended trek you will be walking. For photographers, the journey walking through the World Showcase offers oodles of ample subject matter including intricate themed details of each featured country, unique princess stations that can be found only at Epcot, and a plethora of angles to photograph Spaceship Earth, the colorful shapely Epcot Ball. Three “International Festivals”, Flower and Garden in the spring, Food and Wine in the fall, and the Festival of Arts in the winter, provide diverse and distinct touches to the character and photogenic subject matter in the park. Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely technological innovation and international culture, and is often referred to as a “permanent world’s fair”.
Photographing Spaceship Earth, the central “golf” ball as my kids like to call it, is my favorite camera activity at Epcot. You have many options at your disposal, both at day and night, and from up close or far away (in Future World even from under the structure itself to using framing elements in the World Showcase such as the torii in Japan). In the evening, the ball lights up in various pastels that contrasts nicely with an azure evening sky. In addition to Spaceship Earth, Anna and Elsa appear in Norway, Mulan appears in China, and Belle appears in France for the princess photographer enthusiasts. Finally, firework displays can be a little trickier to photograph in all their glory than say at Magic Kingdom. From most places in the park, the smoke from the fireworks obscures the Epcot Ball and the Ball itself dims its nighttime illumination to not compete with the fireworks. Still, nice images can be made with a little luck and persistence so don’t give up. My opinion is the shore of the lagoon at Japan near or through the torii offer your best vantage point and opportunity.
Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios (formally Disney-MGM Studios) is the park with the most recent additions to offer photographers. Change can be the word that describes this theme park, even the central icon at the park’s hub has been replaced multiple times in recent years from the Earffel Tower to the Sorcerer’s Hat to now Mann’s Chinese Theater. The park opened on May 1, 1989 and is dedicated to the imagined worlds from film, television, music, and theatre, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The park’s current name took effect in 2008 with the removal of the MGM-branding throughout the park. Two of the most exciting (for attractions and photography) changes/additions are the new worlds of Star Wars’ Galaxy Edge and Toy Story Land. Each will be described in paragraphs below.
One of the most recognizable photogenic monoliths in the park is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, first introduced in 1994. Winter’s southern exposure lights up the tower at sunset which can be photographed from a variety of locations on and off Sunset Boulevard framed with palm trees. Night time also presents the Tower of Terror in neon glory.
Beyond photographing the vintage era streets and performers at the front of Hollywood Studios, two new-themed sections in the back of the park offer exquisite details to terrain and roaming familiar characters from two established movie franchises. First, Toy Story Land offers familiar Pixar icons and attractions that color the landscape boldly with reds and orange life-size tinker toys and building blocks. The Slinky Dog Roller Coaster is my favorite to photograph when Slinky Dog peers its speeding head through a precariously built block tunnel while gargantuan figurines of Jessie and Rex watch next to the track. Morning under a cloud-dappled, sun lit sky with the use of a screw-on polarizer filter works best. Be on the look out for bold garish color in Toy Story Land and don’t miss the Army Men performances and they occasionally stroll through the premises.
Galaxy Edge is one of the most well done amusement park themed-worlds ever created. Prior to entering Galaxy Edge, established in prior years, is the Jedi training temple and Star Tours. Arrive for signups early for first-come first serve Jedi Training – Trials of the Temple, and choose the last session of the day if available. The lightsabers both the characters and your kid will wield will be lit better on film when the day is fading. Don’t forget to include the intimidating life-size AT-AT walker in some of your background shots as the sun peers its last gleam at dusk. Onto Galaxy Edge where Storm Troopers and the First Order roam through town and docking bays to find Rey and Chewy. There are countless opportunities to snap “movie set” images in this remote world. My favorite scenes to photograph are the Stormtroopers with Kylo Ren along with the ones on the Rise of the Resistance Ride, and Smuggler’s Run at night right before the park closes when the scads of people have evacuated the Millennium Falcon’s docking bay. Long exposures can usually rid the scene of the few stragglers perusing the lightsaber shops. Don’t overlook the various corners of Galaxy Edge, beautifully displayed with droids and speeders!
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom opened its gates on October 1, 1971 as the first Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida. Its layout and attractions are based on its original predecessor Disneyland Park in Anaheim, est. 1955, and are dedicated thus to fairy tales and Disney characters. The park is represented by the Cinderella Castle inspired by the 1950 film and the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. It then spokes off into five distinct lands, Fantasy Land, Tomorrow Land, Liberty Square, Adventure Land, and Frontier Land, each with their own charm and appeal. If you have only one day in Disney, most would choose to spend it in Magic Kingdom. I never grow tired of photographing Cinderella’s Castle with all of the many foreground possibilities. Magic Kingdom offers shows, parades, themed-restaurants, an assortment of characters, and endless photographic potential changing with different seasons. (Hint: For fireworks pictures from the elevated platform at the train station, the first weekend of December the obstructing flag pole is removed to prepare for the seasonal decorations. This is prime opportunity to capture those evening firework displays of the castle and Main Street without the need for extensive use of Photoshop’s removal tools.)
Another trick is to reserve an early breakfast reservation such as at Crystal Palace before the park opens. You have a window of time to enter the park with pleasing light and minimal crowds to capture those family portrait scenes. Obviously the castle will be a primary subject to take advantage of without the large crowds but look for other opportunities like the details on Main Street, the colors of the tents surrounding Peter Pan and It’s a Small World, or an empty Liberty Square. The castle can be photographed at any time of day, in different seasonal shades or with various parades. Two staple foregrounds for me are Walt’s statue with Mickey and the Sword and the Stone. Of course night time pastel castle shades are a not-to-be-missed treat for staying in the park late.
Photographing Disney characters with a castle backdrop can be rewarding. I’m always trying to obtain a novel angle of Mickey and Minnie or a princess with an out of focus, late in the day castle outline. There are many character posts throughout the park and some are better suited with appropriate light for photography. For instance, I’ve always found Aladdin and Jasmine well situated in Adventure World while Belle in the dark cavernous Enchanted Tales building will always pose a dilemma, even for the newer, high ISO cameras. Do your best with what you’ve got and let me know how it turns out. Happy shooting!
