Some of My Favorite Things

I love being in Epcot at festival time. It doesn't matter if it is the International Flower and Garden Festival or the International Food and Wine Festival. Either one is fine with me. 

One of the favorite aspects of the former festival is the display of bonsai trees exhibited in Japan. If I am fortunate enough to visit the park during this this time, I will spend an hour or so enjoying and photography these works of art. 

Sadly, I cannot tend or grow bonsai. There was a time when I would buy a tree from Mitsukoshi, bring it home, and do my best to tend it. But within six months the tree was dead. I finally gave up. 

Now I simply enjoy the artistry of those who raise these treasures. 

In the quiet moments...

The World Showcase in Epcot is one of my favorite places to be in Walt Disney World. It is a cultural and sensory delight to stroll along the promenade and bask in what each country has to offer. 

World Showcase also provides a number of off-the-beaten-path locations where the weary park guest can pause, rest, and collect themselves. The garden in the United Kingdom and  the back alleys of Morocco are two places you can find me. They are usually quiet and I can sit and enjoy being in a place that I love. The Japanese Gardens in the Japan Pavilion is a treasured place to enjoy a cup of tea and enjoy a moment of tranquility. 

Leave a comment and let me know your favorite place to take a few moments to slow down and rest. 

More to follow...

You're Still Here...

I have been away for a while. Of course you know that. 

In the interest of full disclosure, my interest in taking numerous trips to Walt Disney World has waned. My last trip was in April 2016. I have found that as I have gotten older there are other places that I want to visit, or revisit, while I have both the time and the fitness. Instead of Central Florida, I have found myself in Washington (both the state and the capitol) on numerous occasions. There have been journeys to England, The Netherlands, France, Belize, and Northern Ireland. So as you can see, I am still getting around. Just not to The World. 

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised when for some reason I logged into The Disney Obsession to have a poke about, only discover that there are many good people still visiting here. To all of you let me say, I apologize. I apologize for not having anything new here in years, and many thanks for continuing to look in from time to time. I hope now to make it worth your while again.

With so many wonderful blogs and podcasters out there filling the far reaches of the internet and cyberspace with Disney content, I will rarely post anything that you do not already know. I will, from time to time, add a comment or offer my opinion when it mood strikes (e.g. I can hardly wait to photograph The World of Avatar at night or see what the magic the Imagineers create for Star Wars). But for now I am going to commit myself to getting back to posting photographs. I do this for two reasons. One, is to honor those who find yourself browsing this place every so often. Secondly, it serves to motivate me. My creativity in the area of photography has been lacking for some time now and though I don't have any trips to Orlando planned for anytime soon, I do have a nice catalogue of images to pull from. This will then (I hope) serve to entice me to shot more in my daily life and on my other adventures. 

So thank you for being here. For sticking around as I have been away doing other things. Such is life.

To begin I offer you this from the United Kingdom Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. I have long been a fan of the Bard. Perhaps some of you are as well. 

More to follow...

Early mornings

I have been trying to do something new with every trip to Walt Disney World. Now, with the time between trips becoming longer and longer, this is more important to me, and in a way easier. With time, things change. Old things are taken away and replaced with new things. 

Still, when I look for something new I think about backstage tours. They cost a little more, yes. But they are worth it as they are quite informative.

Another benefit of these tours is that they usually require a very early morning arrival at the park you'll be touring. And those early arrivals offer some rather nice photo opportunities. This comes from an early morning just before the "Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour." Wonderful tour! 

"Get your kicks..."

"If you ever plan to motor west,

travel my way, take the highway that is best.

Get your kicks on Route sixty-six."

~ Bobby Troup

Out of the Way

I have been on Hollywood's Tower of Terror. Twice. The same day. The first year it opened. And with a developing fear of heights, that was enough. Consequently, I don't go up the hill at the end of Sunset Blvd. very often. I did have a prowl around on a recent trip, looking for some interesting out of the way places. This is one. I think.

The Little Things

After innumerable holidays in Walt Disney World, searching out and enjoying the little things is what I enjoy now. Yes, I still take photographs of the castle and of Spaceship Earth, but finding those hidden gems of design and decor is what draws me back nowadays.

The Morocco Pavilion is packed with these gems. Over the years, the Morocco Pavilion has grown on me. The depth of the details incorporated into its design and the small vignettes found within its walls are a feast for the senses. This is one my favorite of my favorite vignettes. 

Columns

Of the many hundred favorite places I have in Walt Disney World, the colonnade beside the Castle Couture shop in Fantasyland is one. I have taken several photos there with the challenge now being to find it empty. There have been times when I have had to wait for guests to finish playing Sorcerers' of the Magic Kingdom to get a photograph. It is worth the wait.

Good morning!

I often dream.

I often dream about the things I would do when the time comes for me to retire.

One dream that I have is to be a Photopass Photographer at Walt Disney World. But it is a specific dream. I would want to work in the Magic Kingdom, along Main Street U.S.A. during the morning and early afternoon shift.

To me, these are the most magical hours in the Magic Kingdom! Families, particularly children seeing Cinderella Castle, some for the very first time. The sense of awe is inspiring.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all go through life with that sense of awe at even the most ordinary and mundane things? If feel the world would be a much better place if we simply tried a little harder to see the magic of each day. It is there you know.

The Gate

In a place filled with many wonderful examples of architecture, the Torii Gate in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase is one of my favorites.

Snow White

Wouldn't you have loved to been there on December 31, 1937? The real one, of course.

Fireworks from France

Through the years I have taken numerous photographs of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. I still do. I continue to search for the elusive photograph of fireworks that I can point to and say, "that is pretty good." Some day perhaps.

My last trip was during the closing weekend of Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival, and I decided to try something a bit different. Instead of queuing on the promenade and shooting from there, I decided to shoot from the courtyard inside the France Pavilion. I thought it may provide a different perspective on things having something in the foreground.

I still need to work on this, but here is a first effort at a different vantage point. 

An Evening with Pirates

Anytime is a good time to ride a classic Adventureland attraction like Pirates of the Caribbean. But at night the queue takes on an air of mystery.

An Art Deco Paradise

I've said it previously, but it bears saying again, I love Disney's Hollywood Studio for two primary reasons. One is the use of neon making evening photography so much fun. The second is the Art Deco design elements. I could spend hours strolling up and down Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards and consider it time very well spent.

It Is A Marvel

"Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers."

It always has been, and always will be, one of my favorite attractions in Epcot. Though I will say that I prefer the Jeremy Irons version, or the Walter Cronkite version. I can never really decide. What I do know is that, like Soarin', one of my three FastPass+ selections to start the day in park will include Spaceship Earth.

How about you. Walter Cronkite, Jeremy Irons or Judi Dench?

It Falls from Below the Castle

The New Fantasyland expansion provided the Magic Kingdom with some much needed love and attention. From a hobbyist photographers point-of-view, it offers so much to be explored and photographed. Some of these photographs, like the one below, would give you the impression of being somewhere other than a theme park. Another tribute to the magic of the Imagineers.

It's In The Details

Most of us have heard the expression "The devil is in the detail." But did you know that this expression derived from an earlier expression which said "God is in the detail?" The idea is that whatever one undertakes, it should be done with attention to the details. The origin of the expression varies though I subscribe to the theory that is comes from French writer Gustave Flaubert who said, "Le bon Dieu set dans le détail."

The Disney parks worldwide are known for the attention to detail. And I feel that the designers, the Imagineers, have only gotten better in providing us with detail as the years have gone by. Disney's Animal Kingdom is ripe with detail. Some of my favorites are found in Asia, such as this bicycle found along the way.

Old Cars

During a recent trip to Walt Disney World I managed to stop by Disney's Hollywood Studios for a few hours before flying home. I am a big fan of the architecture of this park. I should probably clarify that statement. I am a big fan of the architecture of this park apart from a large stage constructed in front of a large hat that obstructs what was once the original "weenie" for the park. Sorry, some of you may like those additions, but in my opinion they detract from the atmosphere that the Imagineers of that day were trying to create. What they created was a nostalgic experience. One that former Disney CEO Michael Eisner described in his dedication as the "Hollywood that never was - and always will be."  

That is the Hollywood Studios that I love. The cars? Well, the old cars simply add to the charm of that by-gone era of Hollywood glitz and glamor.

Something for the Sun

As I make my way around the World Showcase, I am usually struck by the colorful parasols that are on display in the China Pavilion.  To me the bright colors seem so refreshing against a bright sun. 

From the Liberty Square Bridge

I daresay that no one with a camera has resisted to the temptation to take at least one photograph of Cinderella Castle.  Truth be told, there are many of us who have hundreds of photographs of the castle in either print or digital versions.  That is okay.  It is the way Walt would want it. 

The challenge for those who go to the parks often, or anyone with an eye to make good photographs, is to find interesting ways to photography something that has been thousands of times.  Good photographers know that every good photograph should tell a story.  It is what we were taught.  However, not being a good photographer (yet), I struggle to grasp that.  After all, Cinderella Castle is one of the most photographed objects in the world.  Are there any new ways to capture it.  

So, in vain, I search, and sometimes I may find that one shot.  But when that doesn't happen, I am drawn to certain angles that I simply enjoy shooting.  This is one of those angles.  It is one of the quintessential photographs that all photographers must have.  I have more than a few like this.