My one quiet voice from the Gator Nation with photos, movie reviews and more …
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I now have 16 photo galleries of all our Disney photos (this is the third)!
Below, click one image for larger photos in a gallery format!
One of the really nice stage shows (even better than “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage”) is the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance.
I got this shot of a performer at the Festival of the Lion King performance. I call him the “fire dude” and I got the shot Feb. 8, 2015, while we were at the Animal Kingdom park.
When Space Mountain stops for a repair, the interior lighting is turned on and you can see the framework of the roller coaster while on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Debbie got this shot with her iPhone while she and Allison were on the PeopleMover on the evening of May 15, 2015.
I enjoy shots of skywriters over Walt Disney World. Allison and Debbie went on an overnight trip to see the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival on March 16-17, 2015, and Allison got this shot of one over the Magic Kingdom on the first day.
The best part of the great stage show the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park is the acrobats. I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance while we were at Walt Disney World.
You don’t have to be a child to enjoy the small things at Walt Disney World. I got this shot of a guy getting into the spirit of Disney while leaving the Animal Kingdom park on Feb. 8, 2015,
We’ve always enjoyed the “jumping waters” near Journey into Imagination (Stephen, center, was only three when he first saw it) at EPCOT. Here we’re ducking even though we know the water won’t land on us during our visit on Feb. 9, 2015.
Here’s another shot of a butterfly at the annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015, while on a quick Spring Break trip with Debbie.
Here’s another nice shot from the Festival of the Lion King at the Animal Kingdom park. We were there on Feb. 8, 2015, during the performance while during a weekend trip at Walt Disney World.
With Peter Pan above, the crocodile (his name is “Tick-Tock”) awaits at the United Kingdom Pavilion during the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Allison got this shot while she and Debbie were visiting Walt Disney World on March 16, 2015.
Although a lot of work has been completed on the expansion of the public areas at the “Hub” area near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, work continued on March 16, 2015, when Debbie and Allison got this shot during their visit to Walt Disney World.
Today is the second of a new batch of Walt Disney World photos. Allison and Debbie went on an overnight trip to see the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival on March 16-17, 2015. Here’s a shot Allison got of a butterfly. The even run through May 17, 2015.
No, those aren’t lottery tickets! Allison and Debbie are on a quick Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World. A Disney cast member (that’s employee to everyone else) spotted Allison’s UF Gators shirt and gave her and Debbie these fast-pass tickets (they used them on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad) on March 16, 2015. Allison was admitted last month to the 2015 freshman class at UF.
I was shooting the Mickey ears at the Contemporary Resort on Feb. 7, 2015, when I took this photo. I didn’t realize until later that if you look closely, you can see the rooms at the Bay Lake Tower at Walt Disney World. Also, because of the resolution of my Nikon DSLR, you can even make out a pedestrian crossing sign in the far background at the bottom center of the photo.
Allison got this beautiful just-after-sunset shot across the World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT during our long weekend trip in February 2015. If you can enlarge the photo, you’ll see a star twinkling just to the right of center near the top. Walt Disney World certainly sparkles at night.
I’m putting this shot up early since we’re at Walt Disney World today (Feb. 7, 2015). I still don’t like that they’re removing the big wizard’s hat from the central area of Hollywood Studios. More photos will follow in the coming days …
I got this one of the “Mulch, Sweat & Shears – Live in Concert! at Streets of America” as they belted out a Rolling Stones tune on Feb. 7, 2015. We were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World and caught the Disney house band’s act.
As we went through Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on Feb. 7, 2015, I grabbed this shot of the balloon at the Muppet*Vision 3-D attraction.
Here’s a nice shot Allison got at dusk on Feb. 7, 2015, as we were at EPCOT. The setting sun’s rays are dramatic on Spaceship Earth. We were at Walt Disney World for our first family outing of the new year.
It was a quick run through the “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” ride for us on Feb. 7, 2015. With my second Achilles tendon surgery still fresh, I’m in a wheelchair shooting this shot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.
It was a wonderful day weather-wise at Walt Disney World on Feb. 7, 2015. I got this shot of the beautiful clouds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
We’re back at Walt Disney World. Here’s a shot Allison got Feb. 7, 2015, during the “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage” show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
I got this shot of two cheetahs on Feb. 8, 2015, during the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. We were at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Here is a rhino on Feb. 8, 2015, during the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. We were at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Here are flamingos on Feb. 8, 2015, during the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. We were at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Here’s a termite mound I shot on Feb. 8, 2015, during the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. We were at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Early on Feb. 8, 2015, there were a few empty buses on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride. We were at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World on the second day of our stay.
Sometimes it’s just clouds in the sky that looks great at Walt Disney World. I got this shot while walking back to our room at the Yacht Club resort on Feb. 8, 2015. I was playing around with settings on my new Nikon DSLR and the clouds just popped out.
I always get a shot of the center hub at EPCOT. We were there on Feb. 9, 2015, when I got this shot. We were on our eighth visit in 17 months to Walt Disney World when I got the shot.
Since I’m still recovering from two surgeries for a rupture of my right Achilles tendon, I had to have a wheelchair in February 2015 when we visited Walt Disney World. Here’s the corral of wheelchairs at EPCOT. I needed one each of the three days we were there. Rows of strollers for the youngest visitors can be seen in the background.
A skywriter was at work on Feb. 8, 2015, when we were at the Yacht Club Resort. Here’s a view showing the lighthouse shared by both the Yacht Club and the adjacent Beach Club Resort. We were on a weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
Here’s your basic shot at the Yacht Club Resort. If you’re there, you’ll take this photo. OK, so I love the sky and it’s a nice view. We were on a weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
Look up at the Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World and you’ll catch this view. We had a wonderful lunch at the Kona Café there on Feb. 9, 2015.
Here’s a shot I grabbed at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World in on Feb. 8, 2015. I didn’t wait around to get a monorail coming in from the Magic Kingdom or one headed out to it. The top of the big Mickey ears are easy to see here.
Here’s a shot Allison snagged while we were on the “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Feb. 7, 2015. It’s an almost impossible shot of the projected images of the characters from the elevator. Allison was on her 11th trip to Walt Disney World in the previous 18 months when she got the shot.
Smoke coming out of vents in the floor are part of the Festival of the Lion King show at the Animal Kingdom park. We were there on Feb. 8, 2015, to see the performance while during a weekend trip at Walt Disney World.
I like vertical-shaped photos with a nice sky and sun. I got this one while leaving the Animal Kingdom park on Feb. 8, 2015, while we were at Walt Disney World for a long weekend.
Here’s a shot showing the motion of the Sum of All Thrills simulated thrill ride at EPCOT. Allison got this shot Feb. 7, 2015, when we were at Walt Disney World.
Earlier I posted a photo of looking up at the Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World. Now, I’ll show you what we saw when we looked down while waiting for lunch at the Kona Café on Feb. 9, 2015.
Here’s a nice shot of Allison walking out after the “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Feb. 7, 2015. We were at Walt Disney World for our first family visit of the year (Allison and Debbie did a day trip in January).
Even the flag holders above the ticket booths at Disney’s Hollywood Studios look art deco. I got this one as we went in on Feb. 7, 2015. I had to stop at the ticket booth to activate my Florida resident pass for our stay at Walt Disney World.
One of the most standard photos anyone gets at EPCOT at Walt Disney World is the Spaceship Earth. Most of the time you get another family in the shot, as I did here on Feb. 9, 2015.
Allison caught the rays of the setting sun on Spaceship Earth when we were at EPCOT at Walt Disney World on Feb. 7, 2015.
Look closely! Most guests won’t see see this at Animal Kingdom when they’re vising Walt Disney World. It is a small ledge at the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride on which cast members have placed small toys resembling animals guests see on the ride. You can only see it if you are on the bus that takes physically-challenged guests for the Kilimanjaro Safaris trip. That bus keeps its passengers for a few hundred feet past the drop-off point for the rest of the guests. Since I was recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, I had to use a wheelchair when we were there in February 2015 and I got this shot.
If you look close in this February 2015 photo, you can see the sand in this pool at the Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts. We’ve stayed at the Yacht Club two years in a row now and it’s our second favorite resort – we especially like the Caribbean Beach Resort because we’ve stayed there so often.
As the sun was setting on Feb. 7, 2015, the screen for the evening’s movie on the “beach” was set up at the Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts. We’ve stayed at the Yacht Club two years in a row now.
It’s a pretty pedestrian moment, but I always enjoy when the monorail comes into the station at the Contemporary Resort. I got this shot on Feb. 7, 2015, while we were on a long weekend getaway to Walt Disney World. BTW: the monorail is coming in, not going out.
The crane game continues at the Magic Kingdom. Work continues at and around the Cinderella Castle and I’m unsure how long it will be there. I got this shot on Feb. 7, 2015, while we were on a long weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
I like this shot of the setting sun creating a nice design with light and shadows at the Polynesian Village Resort stop on the Resort Monorail line. I got this shot Feb. 8, 2015, while we were on a long weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
The lights were on the evening of Feb.8, 2015, when we passed by the Tomorrowland Speedway while riding the “Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.” We had just had dinner in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World when we took the ride.
I got this photo as our trip on the Resort Monorail went out of the Contemporary Resort. There’s a little reflection from the light on the plexiglass in our monorail car. I got this shot Feb. 8, 2015, while we were on a long weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
Before you head to the World Showcase at EPCOT, it’s impossible not to spot a monorail train. Here’s a shot near what we call the “jumping waters” outside of Journey into Imagination. I got this shot on Feb. 9, 2015, on our long weekend getaway to Walt Disney World.
Stephen had one of those fruity tourist drinks at the Kona Cafe while we had lunch Feb. 9, 2015, at the Polynesian Village Resort.
If you’re looking for a low-count area that’s beautiful, check out the “jumping waters” area near the Captain EO and Journey into Imagination attractions at EPCOT. It’s quiet and the waters are cool to watch. I got this shot on Feb. 9, 2015, at the Walt Disney World park.
It’s Peter Pan on high and Captain Hook below right now at the United Kingdom Pavilion EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Allison got this shot while she and Debbie were visiting Walt Disney World on March 16-17, 2015.
Allison got this shot of a butterfly house during at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival that runs into May at the park at Walt Disney World. She got the photo on March 16, 2015.
While making an overnight Spring Break trip to see the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, Allison and Debbie were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2015) and Allison got this shot of goodies at a pastry shop (note the $9.95 price of a caramel-chocolate covered apple) during the visit to Walt Disney World.
One of the most little-visited of all snack-stops at Walt Disney World can be found near Star Tours – The Adventures Continue and next to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater restaurant. Look closely to the left of the big sign up high (for Sci-Fi). The shop is called the “Writer’s Stop” and its sign is tiny compared to the one for the restaurant. If you’d like a quiet break in your park action, this is the spot. Allison got this shot of its almost unnoticeable entrance while she and Debbie were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on March 17, 2015. It is coincidental that one of our favorite television programs, “Castle,” is the promotional billboard over it.
Walt Disney World has upgraded the area near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. The area is called “the Hub” and its where crowds gather to watch parades and the nightly fireworks. A major renovation that included draining ponds for a time included an overhaul of waiting areas. Here’s a new one – complete with artificial grass. Some folks were taking their ease on March 17, 2015, when Allison got this shot.
A crane has been pretty much a standard view at the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in recent months. However, Allison got this shot on March 17, 2015, and no crane is in sight. Allison and Debbie were visiting Walt Disney World for a Spring Break getaway.
Cast members portraying characters from the movie entertain at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Allison got this shot on March 17, 2015.
The annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is under way now at Walt Disney World. Allison got this nice shot on March 16, 2015, while on a quick Spring Break trip with Debbie.
Here’s a closer shot of a butterfly and chrysalis in a butterfly house at the annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015, while on a quick Spring Break trip with Debbie.
The annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World runs through May 17, 2015, and brings out the colors of spring. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015.
Here’s another shot of the area called the “Hub” near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. It’s where crowds gather to watch parades and the nightly fireworks during their visit to Walt Disney World. Allison snagged this shot on March 17, 2015.
Here’s yet another shot of the area called the “Hub” near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. It was just reopened after an extensive renovation. Allison snagged this shot on March 17, 2015.
We’ve been to the All-Star Sports resort a number of times. We like Caribbean Beach Resort best (and prefer the Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts), but always take our Florida Residents or passholders special rate. Allison got this shot of the basketball-themed architecture on March 16, 2015.
If you want to pinch a penny (another way to call it is to cheapskate out), use your camera to take a photo of the ride photo on the monitor. Here’s one from Space Mountain on March 17, 2015.
You can see the mesh behind this butterfly at the annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015.
Here’s a peek into Tomorrowland from the “Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover” on March 16, 2015. Allison got the shot as she and Debbie were at the Magic Kingdom during an overnight visit to Walt Disney World.
Who says it’s always crowded at the Walt Disney World parks? Well, whoever does, they do have a point … but there are times where the crowd-count is low. Allison got this shot early in the morning of March 17, 2015, while she and Debbie were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The shot was taken near the Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. and looking toward Muppet*Vision 3-D.
One of our favorite spots for a quiet moment while we’re at the Walt Disney World parks is the area near this table outside of the France Pavilion at the World Showcase at EPCOT Unless it is the brutally hot days of summer, the area is quiet, somewhat shaded and gives a nice view. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015, while she and Debbie were on an overnight trip to see the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Don’t count on having this few people at a performance of characters at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 17, 2015, while she and Debbie were at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The early weekday morning saw a low crowd count at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.
Here’s another close-up shot of a butterfly and chrysalis in a butterfly house at the annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015.
Continuing a few shots of the renovated “Hub” area near the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Here’s another one from March 16, 2015, of a fountain.
Here’s a shot of a Tinkerbell topiary outside the “Butterflies on the Go” exhibit at the annual EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015.
Allison got this shot of the Dream Along With Mickey show at the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015, during a quick visit to Walt Disney World.
Here’s a view along one of the walkways through Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. Allison got this shot on March 16, 2015, during a quick visit to Walt Disney World.
The colors are nice in this part of The Seas with Nemo & Friends. However, the low-light doesn’t make for the best photos. I got this shot at EPCOT during our visit to Walt Disney World on Feb. 9, 2015.
It might be a cloudy day (such as this morning of Feb. 9, 2015, at the opening of EPCOT) , but it’s never anything truly cloudy during any of our visits to Walt Disney World.
OK, so we did our best in this low-light situation at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. Allison took the shot on Feb. 7, 2015, during our long weekend at the Yacht Club resort. I like the photo because it shows the colors of the early darkness while strolling along the World Showcase, even though the slow shutter speed causes the blurring.
Here’s a shot I got of a rhinoceros during our trip on Kilimanjaro Safaris at the Animal Kingdom park on Feb. 8, 2015 during our long weekend trip to Walt Disney World.
I got this shot from our car on the Resort Monorail at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015. It was just after leaving the Contemporary Resort on its way to the Transportation Center on the line. The view to the left shows a transportation vessel (one of Disney’s naval fleet) headed to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
I’ve taken several shots of skywriters over Walt Disney World and got this one on Feb. 8, 2015, while we were going to EPCOT from our room at the Yacht Club resort. The skywriters target guests at the parks, but it’s easy for everyone to see what’s going on.
Here’s a shot of a pair of Ankole-Watusi (or Ankole Longhorn) that I photographed on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015.
The shadows play some funky havoc with the color balance in this photo of some crocodiles I shot on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015. The gray tone overwhelms the image – but the creatures’ teeth stand out!
Here’s another image where shadows make for a gray tone of everything (except the underside of this rhinoceros). I got the shot on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at the Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015.
Can you guess what’s shown here? Well, it’s a termite mound. You won’t find Orkin on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride at Animal Kingdom, but you will find termites. I got this shot Feb. 8, 2015, while we were on a long weekend getaway at Walt Disney World.
It’s still Disney’s Hollywood Studios (although it reportedly will be rebranded by Disney) and you can easily see the doors open that make the “The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” so much fun. I got this shot on a long weekend at Walt Disney World on Feb. 8, 2015.
Here’s what it looks like behind the facades of some of the building in the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I got this shot Feb. 8, 2015, during a long weekend we took at Walt Disney World. Look at the bottom right and you’ll see the sign for the delightfully low-key “Writer’s Stop.” It’s a café that doesn’t get too much traffic.
I have to try harder than this to get a good shot of the ubiquitous bundle of balloons on Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This one was taken Feb. 8, 2015, and I’ll continue to try to do better – but I don’t spend too much time trying for this shot.
Colors are especially nice on buildings at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. I got this shot of the roof and decorations as we were walking from the entrance to the Kilimanjaro Safaris on Feb. 8, 2015.
The rays of the setting sun illuminate some buildings at Disney’s BoardWalk at dusk on Feb. 7, 2015. Allison got this shot while walking from our resort (Yacht Club) on her way to EPCOT. We were enjoying a long weekend at Walt Disney World.
I got this shot early one morning at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Don’t worry, the wait time increased steadily throughout the day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We were on a long weekend at Walt Disney World when I got this shot on Feb. 7, 2015.
Here’s a slightly different angle (VERY SLIGHT) from other shots I’ve posted of center hub at EPCOT. We were there on Feb. 9, 2015, when I got a series of shots of the sun coming through the trees. We were on our eighth visit in 17 months to Walt Disney World on that day.
I got this one of a manatee at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT during our visit to Walt Disney World on Feb. 9, 2015.
OK, this is pretty much a marketing shot of the buildings at the Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World, but I do like the symmetry of the construction. Although I’m most partial to the Caribbean Beach Resort because of all the times we’ve stayed there, our family’s top-rated stay has been at the Yacht Club. I got this one on Feb. 8, 2015, during our long weekend visit.
So I did the “beautiful Disney” photo showing nothing but a building yesterday and I thought I’d repeat it today. I like the look of the buildings at the Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World and I got this shot on Feb. 8, 2015.
Here’s your basic photo of an ostrich at the Animal Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. We were on a long weekend on Feb. 8, 2015, when I got this shot while on the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride.
A couple was snuggling in the tram car ahead of Debbie and Allison at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World on May 15, 2015.
