Kingdom Variety

Here's a smattering of shots from MK, taken a few weeks ago on my most recent trip. I was up there solo for a business conference, so I had all the time in the world to just relax and shoot whatever I wanted and for as long as I wanted (nice not feeling pressured to take a pic and move on because your non-photography friends or family are getting impatient!).

Before Wishes began, I had to wait for alot of people taking their flash snapshot portraits in front of the statue to get out of the way in order to get a few seconds without anyone in front of me...fortunately the background folks are mostly sitting as they wait for the parade. I was able to get a decent shot of Partners and the castle all lit up on a crisp cool night (taken on a tripod, of course):



There's a great spot to photograph the trains without any rides or people in the background...the back pathway to Toontown behind Space Mountain. I waited out the train at this spot along the rail. I thought it would be fun to do a sepia conversion to make it look more 'historic':



While there one night, I decided I wanted to try a spinning action shot of the Teacups...I only had my T100 ultra-compact that day, so I couldn't do more than 1 second exposure. It's handheld, and steadied against the fence rail:



A little after 7pm one night, I came into MK after my conference all day to enjoy the Extra Magic hours night. The sun was just hitting that golden time before sunset, and the lighting on Exposition hall was nice - it's just a snapshot, but the colors were beautiful to see:



And here was a first...that's right, an actual first for someone who has been to Disney every year since 1971 and who spends about 30 days a year up there: A place I've never been in MK! I was thirsty, just got off Haunted Mansion, and decided to head to a food place for a drink. I was trying to think of what was closest...Pecos Bill's was definately closer than Starlight Ray's. But as I'm coming out of the Mansion, there in front of me is Columbia House. Doh! I always manage to overlook that one - so I popped in for a Coke (no...I've been in Columbia House before). I felt like sitting down for a bit, and was headed for a table to the right when I noticed a staircase. And it didn't have a 'castmembers only' sign on it. Hmmm...a second floor in MK accessible to the public? Couldn't be!

Sure enough...there is a HUGE and VAST seating area, all designed like the interiors of New England colonial seaside buildings and ship interiors. I could not believe it...but in 37 years and uncountable days, I've never been up there before! Now normal people would wonder what the big deal is...but I'm not normal - I'm a Disney person. Besides all of this ship-style decor and themery that I've never seen, I was also thrilled at the idea of having windows looking down from the second floor onto the theme park below! What's more, clearly almost nobody realizes there are people up there, since in 30 minutes people watching from the windows that sit atop the tunnel between Frontierland and Fantasyland, looking in two directions, noone ever looked up. And I admit I have done the same - in decades of walking through that spot, I've always dismissed all the small, curtained, decorative windows above to be purely cosmetic. Needless to say, I was quite excited and thoroughly enjoyed my peoplewatching time up there (as well as the great conversation with the cute 20yr old college girl working there, who had noone to serve since I was the only person upstairs!). Here's a quickie snap looking down from the top of the tunnel towards Fantasyland...taken right from my chair and table above:



Pics inside Space Mountain are nearly impossible because of how dark it is...not to mention most people don't want to be carrying a big ol camera while riding! Fortunately, the Wedway (TTA) provides the opportunity. I snapped a quick flash shot while passing through the launch area:


On my way out of the park one day, I witnessed a rare sight. I was just exiting through the security area, headed towards the Fort Wilderness boat dock to turn left to the bus depot, when I spotted a dark shape and a trail of bubbles in the water by the dock:



It was a cute little river otter playing around in the water by the boat dock! I've only ever seen these otters on rare occasion over by Fort Wilderness, and once by the Contemporary dock. I didn't think they'd want to be so close to all the people streaming by - of course noone seemed to notice him until I stopped and aimed by camera at him. He would only put his head up for a few seconds before diving again, so I couldn't get much of a shot. Still, it was a nice capper to a fun day.

Hope you enjoyed a little bit of my Magic Kingdom variety!

 

Michael...that's the spot where I was standing for the train! I may not have described it well, but it is the path between Toontown and Tomorrowland. I had entered from the Tomorrowland side, between the grand prix track and the arcade by Space Mountain...headed towards Toontown. I stopped at the last bend before the toontown station...and he did let off a blow of the whistle and some steam while I was shooting:



It's a nice, peaceful spot to shoot the train, and without too much distracting in the background.

Scott - I was amazed. Even though the park wasn't that crowded, I couldn't imagine a place that large and expansive with literally nobody there. Just one lonely girl in period clothes minding the room in case anyone came upstairs. When I sat in the section over the arch, she came over and said it was her favorite people-watching spot. She ended up hanging out for 30 minutes chatting about the college program at Disney which she was on, and working at the parks (I have relatives who have and do work at Disney). In 30 minutes of talking and watching the people passing below, not another soul came upstairs. When I went down, the tables on the first floor were pretty crowded too. I'm going to try to keep it an 'inside' secret now.

I was simply amazed that there could be a spot in MK where I haven't been. I can't immediately think of any other spot I've not visited, other than inside of a teacup (I don't do spinning things!).

 

I LOVE this second shot of the train with almost all of the color drained out of the shot! Nice work!

 

Justin, those are some great shots.
Dina and I love the upstairs at Columbia Harbour House too. We discovered it in 2005. It's one our favorite places to hang out in the MK. In the summer, it has the bonus of being in the AC.
I attached two photos that I took in 2005. The room was so empty that I took photos out of both sides.
There have been many times, though, when they have a rope across the stairs. I think they use the second floor as overflow.

I also love the train shot. I have always wanted to do just what you did, and wait for a train to pass. I like the clean background that it offers too. The sepia conversion you did is perfect for this shot.

And the river otter. Amazing! We have spent countless hours at the pool and beaches and boating on Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon and I have never seen a river otter! That is really neat.

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Dan, now you've got something new to visit next time you get down to Disney! I recommend it just for the fact that it's a great, airconditioned, people watching spot - plus you can get food and drink there too. And there just aren't very many 2nd floor views in MK!

Thanks Polynesian, geek, and pixie.

Definately why I intend to visit again in the future! It was cool while I was up there last, so the A/C wasn't a factor, but I can definately see cooling off up there come June or July.

Glad to have caught it open then. I was quite surprised how large the area was up there. Once up the stairs, there was a whole section to the right, looking out onto Frontierland, the whole middle section, which looks down onto the food service area, that little 'bridge' section where I was (and where you took your pics too!), and even more to the left which looks down on Fantasyland.

Thanks...that spot is a great one for the train, as Michael showed too. The only other shot I like for the train that can still be cool is if you go up the exit ramp at Main Street Station, you can lean over the rail and get a shot of the train coming into the station...but you still get a little of the front gate entryway in the shot unless you go really low-angle. As Michael noted, the old Monorail station vantage has been ruined by the fence.

It's only the 3rd or 4th time in 35+ years of memory that I've seen them. They're always in there, but usually quite elusive. I saw one from Contemporary many years ago while waiting for the ferry, but it was a good 50+ feet away and never got close. And from Fort Wilderness, I saw one once along the mangrove tree line at the end of the beach by River Country. But this was by far the closest one I've seen - just 10-15 feet away and sitting in between where the T&T ferry dock and the Wilderness Lodge dock is, right along the entry path. I never got off much of a pic of the little critter...but it was just such a cool thing to witness that I'm just glad I got any shot at all!

 

Thanks guys for the idea of the second floor of the CHH. I have always wondered if there was a way to get up there, and now that I know there is, I know where I am eating lunch the next time I am there.

 

I must have missed that...but thanks for the idea on the veggie chili. I personally like meat in most of my meals, but every once in a while it's nice to switch it up a bit!

I don't eat fish, but the Columbia House definately had that fish fry smell coming from the kitchen area, and it actually smelled pretty good. So you fish-eaters out there might find a good fish sandwich there too!

 

cool shots, guys. now i have a few new ideas for when we go back in june. justin, your train pic is amazing.

 

Thank you Tim and Kiki.

Kiki - you've certainly got the advantage on me - I thought I was pretty close at only 2 1/2 hours drive away...but you take the cake!

 

Just in case you were wondering:

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