Hmmm, What's this got to do with San Francisco?

Tomorrow Robin and I are jetting off for a very quick trip to San Francisco. What's that go to do with Photographing Disney I hear you ask. Well we are going to visit the Disney Family Museum in SF. They are holding a Mary Blair exhibition we are keen to see. Mary was a designer working directly for Walt on many projects in the 50s and 60 including the designs for It's a Small World for the Worlds Fair in New York, Alice in Wonderland and much more. I hope to be able to take a few photos to show over the next few days. Something a little different but still photographing Disney!

Dino Rama.

When this area first opened in the Animal Kingdom, I was rather appalled. In volume one of our Disney Diaries there is a believe a bit of a rant by me about the arcade games which smacks of what Walt was originally trying to get away from. However the cheeky fun atmosphere of the area has rather grown on me, and I do like the off the shelf wild mouse coaster. Not a good ride to go on just after lunch.

Tower of Terror.

Now I've said before that the Tower of Terror is my favorite ride and it's true. However, I really don't like the shape of the newer versions in California, Paris and this one in Tokyo. What's with all the sticky out bits at the top. It looks like a hammer headed shark! I guess its to hold ride mechanism. I just don't know of any buildings that are that shape from that era. Still love the themeing and the rides though.

The frog was a prince. The prince was an egg. The egg was a bird. Haven't you heard?

A few years ago Robin and I went to Rome for the New Year's Weekend. Rome was one of the most amazing places we have been, we loved the sculpture and the atmosphere. So when we go to Epcot we are always sure to give a real nice smile when we see such great quality in the themeing. We are going to visit WDW in September and have booked a meal at the posh restaurant in Italy.

The Big Three.

This is a terrible admission that I'm not that into Mickey and Minnie. OK they're fine I suppose, I don't have anything against them. No one really loves a perfect couple though. I like a few flaws in my friends (good job as they have a few!!) So Donald's more my kinda guy. I'm going to mess up sometimes so it's better to hang around with people more like me than Mr Perfect I always think.

Let's head off into space shall we.

I love anything Metro Retro!

The Volcano and the Golden Dome.

People will tell you that if you are a Disney Park Lover, you have to at sometime take a trip to Tokyo Disney Sea because it is the most amazing park of them all. They are not joking, just look at the wondrous attention to detail in this photograph. It's stunning.

BTMR

As I get older I'm finding that harness roller coasters are a bit too uncomfortable for me. Once I was in Islands of Adventure and I rode Hulk 8 times in a row, Greg my son rode it 10 times, I didn't do the last two due to shall we say a tummy content meets sidewalk incident after ride no 8. However, I do love the non harness coasters a lot. I love Big Thunder and especially Everest. I can't wait to do the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train in September when we go back to the world. This one is as the observant will tell the BTMR in Tokyo.

The Old Bus and the New Hotel.

Thought this made a nice visual combination of the old style bus with the modern hotel. It's a little Tomorrowland style if you ask me.

Sit back and smell the trombone.

As I get older, I'm less inclined to ride Tower of Terror 10 times in a row as I have done in the past, nope once is enough for me. The beauty of Disney is that there is always something fun you can find to enjoy yourself. So Sit back, relax, have a beverage of your choice and enjoy the band for a while. One of my favorite things to do at Epcot for example is get some Fish and Chips and watch the British Revolution play a set, I call it the "poor man's dinner show!"

Tower of Terror?

Tower of Terror? No it's not taken at the ToT in Tokyo Disneyse. It's actualy one of the Hotel Miracosta Bell Hop, who wear a very similar uniform to those at the Hollywood Tower Hotel. It makes you very reluctant to get in the elevators with one of them!!

Rain what rain.

Even the rain can't stem the tide of Duffy loving people flowing into Disneysea each morning.

I'm in San Antonio today and it's a bit overcast so to keep in with the mood, I thought that I would post a couple of B+W photos today of the Boardwalk and the Y and B Club.

Scull Rock

Disneyland Paris, is one of the most pretty parks, it's also got some of the older things that were at Disneyland, one of which is Scull Rock, it's part of a great pirate themed playground/adventure area. Let the little boy or girl in you run riot.

Where is it?

OK this is obviously Big Thunder Mountain, but which Big Thunder Mountain? The first person who posts the correct answer below wins an all expenses trip to the park it's in. Cheers Larry. OBTW - I lied about the prize, you just get to feel very clever on matters Disney.

This is the rather fun tramway at Tokyo Disneysea. It's quite a big park too, so it helps save the poor little legs as well as being a nice ride.

Oswald comes home.

Oswald the Rabbit who was one of Walt's original characters fell from the Disney lexicon when Walt moved jobs and he didn't have the rights to him anylonger. Anyway he has come back to the Disney fold. He was seen last month in Tokyo Disneyland meeting and greeting the crowds to much delight. It's interesting to see that he is very similar to the original Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willy's era.

Sinbad's Storybook Voyage

This is a really cool ride, it's a more pumped up It's a Small World style ride, following the journey of Sinbad, in the Arabian Coast section of Disneysea. It's got the most catchy but pleasant tune EVER.

Cinderella's Castle in Tokyo.

Welcome to Cinderella's Castle at Tokyo Disneyland, it's very much the same as the castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. This icon gives the Japanese park a similar feel to the Magic Kingdom, though it's laid out a little differently. You still get a buzz walking down towards the castle even if you are sort of indoors.

MJ?

Do I look like Michael Jackson in this glove?

Maleficent

She's Green and she's Mean!

Ants.

One of the problems of Disneyland Tokyo, Ants everywhere!!

Tokyo Space Mountain.

Tokyo Space Mountain was fun, it's always nice to go to another "Disneyland" in the world and have the mixture of new things and the old things. Space Mountain is a bit of a staple and it's as great as ever in Tokyo. Another overcast shot I'm afraid, the first couple of days on our Japan trip were rainy, but it cleared up for the last 10 days or so.

Steam Boat

I thought that I would do a series of photos from our recent trip to Tokyo Disneyland Resort. This first picture is of the steamboat setting off on a circuit of the river. Much of Tokyo Disneyland is similar to Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, I didn't ride the boat but I enjoyed it majestically sailing past me. This was taken on a rather overcast day, you get a few of those in Tokyo in May. Felt almost Scottish the weather at times.

Monorail.

One of the great things to do at WDW is ride around the center of Epcot on the Monorail, this is one photographed in it's 2007 guise. This part of Epcot always makes me think of some wonderful urban park, that doesn't actually exist anywhere. Very clean and peaceful.

I think the Tower of Terror is my favorite attraction more because of the way cool theme rather than the ride itself, though that's pretty neat too.

Tokyo Tomorrowland.

This rather peaceful scene is looking into Tomorrowland in Tokyo Disneyland. The park is usually mobbed so finding something without crowds of people is a challenge for a Disney minded photographer.

Aloha from Photographing Disney.

This little welcome comes direct from It's a Small World in Disneyland Tokyo. Nope there is no where you can go to avoid "that" tune.

Welcome to my new blog - Photographing Disney.

Those of you who know me, know that I basically love both Disney and Photography, so I thought that it would be fun to create a blog combining the two. Which I'm calling Photograping Disney. Can you see what I did there, it's all in the title. Anyway, welcome, I hope you enjoy the photos and that it brings back memories for you of your trips there. Cheers Larry.