In the first group of letters this week, MousePlanet photographer Frank Anzalone responds to letters from readers asking for tips on how to capture those magical Disney moments. Tina D. writes:
Thank you! Your article was wonderful and I learned a lot. I will surely use these tips on my next trip (to Walt Disney World in October). August’s Disneyland evening pictures from my digital camera were awful. I finally gave up and did, as you suggested, enjoyed the show.
I’m glad you picked up a few tips with that low light photography article. The evening pictures are so magical (when they turn out)… Just keep shooting, have some fun and enjoy the time at Walt Disney World.
Kathy C. writes:
We’re planning our first trip to Walt Disney World in April (kids ages 8, 5, and 4) and I just started looking into photo tips. I enjoyed your Photo Tips #2. Where can I read Photo Tips #1 and where can I find a list of good places to take pictures in Disney World (i.e.: the picture you took with the castle in the background)?
Here is the link to the MousePlanet page that has links to the full five-part photo tips series.
For Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, as you are facing the front of the castle, walk to the right; there is a path between the Castle and Tomorrowland. You will find little spots here and there that have a grand view of the castle. It’s a nice place to pose your kids and it is generally less traveled (so you get a decent chance to take a picture without someone walking through it!). There is also a nice spot on the left side over the footbridge going into Liberty Square. A little busier—but again, a nice photo spot!
The typical picture is to stand right in front of the castle. Try walking around the entire structure (it’s fun to see it from all sides too!).
You just have to keep your eyes open. I think we have a tendency to only think of the image we want to photograph because we have seen it someplace already (example: the ‘stock’ shots that you see the Disney main street photographers take). Walk around Disneyworld, let the kids roam, and follow them with your camera! Some of the best shots are not the ‘posed’ moments.
Kathy replies:
Thanks for the tips and link! This trip is our “once while the kids are young” trip so I need to make the most of the memories! I’m practicing taking spontaneous shots at home so I’m ready—I’m usually better with posed pix but they all look the same. Thanks again!
Yes… You have to take those “while they were young” pictures. Children grow up too fast, so here is a tip from me: take one extra memory chip/roll of film, more than you think is plenty—and use it! (Don’t forget to get in a few pictures yourself with them). The magic of family and Disney… At it’s best!
Lea writes:
I was wondering if you might be able to turn some of your pictures of Mickey into Desktops? I’m very interested in having Disneymania or characters as my desktop. They bright en up my day! Thanks!
Check through these links. I think there are some of Mickey in there someplace!
As a prelude to the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, here are a couple of letters on romance (both actual and potential), answered by staff writer Lani Teshima. Alexandra D. writes:
I dedicate this to my wonderful and romantic fiancé.
My boyfriend of almost 8 years did the most amazing and romantic proposal. In June, this year I met up with my boyfriend during his business trip in Orlando Florida for just the weekend. We had decided that I would meet him up there to visit Disney World since he had never been to Disney before. Since I meet him for so many business trips, this trip was no different than any other. I was looking forward to nice dinners, hitting the pool and some sun, and visiting Disney. Boy was I in for a major surprise.
On the second day we were there, we had brutal weather, almost 110 with the heat index. We decided to stay in and just relax indoors. Around 6 pm, my boyfriend said he was going to go for a run. While he was on that run, the phone rang and it was the recreations department from the Disney Resorts reminding me that we had a reserved private specialty cruise (just the 2 of us) to watch the fireworks at Animal Kingdom. Unbeknownst to me, he had run all the way to the recreations department to have them call me and give me that message. He didn’t want to tell me that he had reserved it because I would suspect something.
When he returned from his run, I hung up the phone and smiled and told my boyfriend he was so romantic. He looked me straight in the face and said I have no idea what you are talking about. So then of course I was worried because it was $300 cruise and I thought it was being charged to our room. So I made him call the recreations department right away to get the problem resolved. He called and he smiled and said we were going. He convinced me that his boss paid for it since he was on business and had been working out of state for so long. I’m not easily convinced but he did well.
When we got there, I was really excited until the manager asked my boyfriend if he wanted to charge it on a credit card or pay for it in cash. Of course, I who am watching my pennies turned to the manager and told him that there must be some kind of misunderstanding since his boss had paid it for already. He said that it might be the case that it was reserved but unfortunately they don’t take charges over the phone.
I was extremely upset because it was really expensive, but my boyfriend kept reassuring me that it was okay and that he would get reimbursed once he got back to work. To top it off, he even ordered champagne. I probably should have imagined what this was about but I was so upset that we had to pay for the cruise I didn’t think about anything else.
However, once we started watching the light show on the water I forgot all the previous drama. While sipping on champagne and watching the unbelievable fireworks, just the two of us on this amazing boat, he told me the truth. He told me that he had planned it all and that he loved me more than ever and that in the last 8 years we both had accomplished so much. And then he asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes! I never thought he would be able to surprise me but he did and it was absolutely magical.
Jon S. writes:
Nice article on the [Blue Bayou]. I’m taking this girl out for our first date to Disneyland. No, I’m not a kid. Kid at heart, yes. I was planning on having dinner at the Blue Bayou, but if I could somehow wrangle dinner reservations at Club 33 that would score some major brownie points. Do you happen to have any connections that could do me a huge favor?
MousePlanet does not have a membership in Club 33, and while I’m sure some of our readers are also members of the club, we do not solicit for reservation requests.
There are many romantic things you can do in Disneyland that would still score “major brownie points” with your date. Perhaps making arrangements for a waterside table at Blue Bayou, or a Fantasmic dessert buffet would work for you. Good luck, and have a wonderful time!
Finally, Mouse Tales author and staff writer David Koenig answers some letters regarding some of his recent columns. Josh J. writes:
I loved your article on Senator Ed. I just wonder how much power Mr. Grier really has, especially now that John Lasseter has a lot of pull with the Imagineering at Disneyland and California Adventure in regards to attractions. Also, what is Greg Emmer’s role within the resort? In past posts, I understand it was Greg who convinced Matt Ouimet to budget for park maintenance and refurbishments.
Though the parks look great and what the public sees continues to improve, the most important part (what’s inside) needs to change. What the company is doing is taking a dead tree and spray-painting the leaves bright green. It may be shiny and beautiful on the outside, but it is still ugly within and eventually will fall.
What will it take for Disney brass to see they need to improve backstage working conditions? They can afford to pay their employees better and provide a good working environment. All they need to do is look at a company like In-N-Out. They don’t just talk the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you), they practice it. This company provides a good product, pays their employees a good starting wage and makes a profit. Cutting back may make you more in the short term, but eventually, the public won’t be fooled anymore.
Finally, why isn’t Roy Disney doing anything to improve things like he so eagerly desired to do when he was campaigning to “Save Disney”?
Although Roy’s Save Disney campaign had many noble goals, Roy had two personal motives that were even more important to him: getting Eisner out of the company and getting himself somehow back in. Bob Iger evidently recognized this, and was able to welcome Roy back in a non-threatening role in exchange for his silence. Roy, being a practical man, seems to have accepted the accomplishment of his two personal goals and has been forced to take on faith that Iger will be a better steward of the company’s long-term future. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that positive changes continue—and strike even deeper.
In a previous mailbag, David Koenig wrote:
Thanks, John, I appreciate your thoughts. I absolutely agree with your main point, but have three minor points of disagreement:
1. There IS genuinely one reason why Walt’s ideas aren’t carried out today at large companies like Disney: they don’t have someone like Walt in charge.
2. I think you’re confusing the Disney Vacation Club with Chase Bank’s Disney Visa Card, the two of which have absolutely nothing to do with each other. DVC is Disney’s timeshare-like pre-paid vacation club. It is expensive (a minimum of about $13,500 to join plus annual dues of $600 and up), which is exactly why at some point Disney is going to have to start paying attention to these people.
3. Single-day admission to Disneyland for a family of four is $232. Starting January 1, minimum wage in California increases to $7.50 an hour, at which point a week’s paycheck will not only cover four tickets to Disneyland, but have enough left over for either parking or bus fare. They will have to pack a sack lunch.
John replies:
Sorry if I was getting a little confused. I don’t disagree that they need to pay attention to DVC people—but they should pay attention to ALL guests; it’s getting to the point that if you don’t pony up cash in addition to your “normal” purchases, Disney doesn’t want to deal with you. That’s just plain greedy and wrong.
I was trying to say that it used to be (Magic Kingdom Club) you could get “special treatment” for free, then you had to get a Visa card, now you have to buy a timeshare. The cost of that special treatment is going up.
As for $232 vs. $7.50/hr., don’t you find it a little silly to have to pay $200 to keep your family entertained for a day? And after taxes, $7.50/hr. is going to be closer to two hundred bucks. I don’t think it’s right, at ANY wage, to expect that someone should spend a sizeable chunk of his or her paycheck to treat the family to Disneyland.
This “please Wall Street at all costs” mentality at Disney is just getting worse and worse… and the true Disney fan is, ultimately, the one who loses the most.
Paul S. writes:
I enjoy your columns, but I wonder if you and others are missing an important distinction regarding Disney Vacation Club (DVC) when it comes to influencing what happens at Walt Disney World. (Full disclosure: I am a DVC member since 2001).
Unlike AP holders, DVC members are financially and contractually tied up for decades. They/we have PRE-PAID for our rooms for years to come and agreed to pay maintenance as well. This gives us much less clout than AP holders who can just not renew next year’s pass and deprive Walt Disney World of a stream of income.
Club members who don’t use their points hurt themselves. If a lot of us try to sell we hurt ourselves too—the price will be driven down and Disney can scoop up the contracts at lower prices if they choose to. Of course it is in their best long-term interest to keep DVCers happy, but this company has certainly not always thought and acted long term. Selling DVC now means a great looking spreadsheet for this quarter.
Also at some point Disney is cannibalizing its own market. DVCers are the same guests who used to book Poly and Contemporary rooms and other Walt Disney World hotel rooms. They are committed to years of coming down, but that does not fill the rooms that the DVCers would have booked at the non-DVC resorts if they were not in DVC.
Thanks for the note. Full disclosure: I’ve held multiple DVC contracts since 1999. Whether or not in actuality it is DVCers or APers who hold more sway with Disney we can only guess.
In theory, however, it would be better business to listen to the DVCer. These are 100,000 member families who visit Walt Disney World an average of once a year, every year, but who—due to the vibrant resale and rental markets—could just as easily:
1. Rent their points for a year to someone who would have otherwise been willing to book that room at the Contemporary or Poly, costing Disney $.
Or, 2. Sell their membership, often at a nice profit. This not only costs Disney a lifetime customer, but also competes against sales of new DVC memberships and creates downward pressure on the price they can sell them for. DVC is a large ongoing commitment of time and money, and if Walt Disney World does not remain a “fresh” vacation destination, I am certain that a large percentage of members will begin bailing out.
