Photography at Disney World

Chuck Lee · 01-30-2007, 03:07 PM

Hi all,

I'm heading to Disney World in a few weeks on a big family vacation. I've got all my gear in line and am ready to shoot a lot of pictures.

Can anyone in this forum share their experience about taking cameras and equipment into the Disney parks? Things to look out for? Special things to look for?

Thanks,

Chuck

ericc · 01-30-2007, 03:49 PM

I was in Orlando at the parks in July 2006 with my DS and all my lenses. I think I used 2 lenses (kit + Zenitar). In all honesty, it's not that interesting a place photographically. I probably would've been better off leaving the DS and stuff at home and just taking a P&S. Just enjoy the place with your family.

-E

vievetrick · 01-30-2007, 04:04 PM

Was there in Feb. 06 you can bring whatever you like in. They will check your bag each time. I brough Tamrac Velocity 7 with the DS, 16-45 and a FA 80-200. I would ask how many kids do you have? The wife would have rather we had a P&S and after carring around the gear a few hours going on rides it started to get heavy. I guess younger your kids the less chance I had to shoot stuff I thought interesting. After all we were there for them to have fun. Nothing like dad bringing slowing things up trying to take pictures of flowers or birds to irritate the family.

Chuck Lee · 01-30-2007, 04:26 PM

ericc-

Thanks. May be the Panasonic FZ-30 would be the way to go.

Chuck Lee · 01-30-2007, 04:30 PM

Pat,

I've got three kids and two nieces. My brother has planned the whole deal with my parents, and siter. They'll be alot of us and you said exactly what I had heard about check points. I'll be sure to travel light. Maybe the K10 with the kit lens and Tamron (low light) and a Panasonic FZ30 for long reach daiylight.

Thanks for the advice,

Chuck

Technosavant · 01-30-2007, 05:13 PM

I was there the last week of September, and that experience is what made me decide I wanted a DSLR. I took a Panasonic DMC-LZ2 point and shoot- competent enough, but I missed several shots because the thing just didn't have the flexibility of a SLR (slow to shoot, slow shutter speeds at the wrong time). It was good for the scenery, but Animal Kingdom brought out its limitations in a big way.

I'd use the SLR for Animal Kingdom (especially the Kilimanjaro Safari), but the P&S will probably suffice for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM (if you go to the night fireworks, take the SLR).

I'd probably slim down the camera bag as much as possible (really no need for a big external flash). So long as you can cram the bag in next to you on the ride, it won't inconvenience you too much in that way- Disney rides really aren't that violent (exceptions: Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and maybe Mission: Space).

Are you staying in the Disney hotels? If so, BUY THE MEAL PLAN. Trust me- it is easily worth the money ($40/day/person, but we would get about $60-80 of food for each of us on that). Also, make any reservations for the sit-down restaurants NOW. Even though we went in the slow season, we just flat couldn't get into a couple places (we made reservations as we went- big mistake).

And, I hate to really stick my nose into things, but don't feel like you need to see EVERYTHING with little kids. Many families with the younguns (under 7 or 8 years old) often seemed to be having a bad time. The parents wanted to "get their money's worth," but there's only so much kids can do, and the crumb crunchers got tired, cranky, and whiny. That didn't look like fun. Running around as a young couple with no kids (like the wife and I were doing) is going to be a VERY different Disney experience than if a couple young kids are along.

-=JoN=- · 01-30-2007, 05:16 PM

plan out the days on which park your going to. animal kingdom, i'd bring the big guns out, but for anything else really, i'd just stick with a point and shoot. I brought 2 lenses and my zx-50 years ago, and it was cumbersome after some time. you are going to be walking around for a good while, and when you go on rides and such, it's going to be a pain to have all that stuff with you. and plan out when you want to shoot the fireworks display....

ericc · 01-30-2007, 08:15 PM

Originally posted by Technosavant

I'd use the SLR for Animal Kingdom (especially the Kilimanjaro Safari), but the P&S will probably suffice for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM (if you go to the night fireworks, take the SLR).

Yeah, that's very good advice. Of the photos I took with the DS that week, easily half the good ones were at Animal Kingdom.

JJJPhoto · 01-31-2007, 06:45 AM

Originally posted by Chuck Lee

ericc-

Thanks. May be the Panasonic FZ-30 would be the way to go.

I have a pair of K10Ds and a DL as well as a wide range of lenses for work, but this is my family/vacation camera of choice:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6023/imgp27195dd.jpg
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4371/imgp27202dk.jpg

It's the Panasonic FZ50 with a modified Opteka battery grip for the D70. I just unscrewed the battery insert for the D70 (the part that fits inside the D70 battery compartment) and the grip attaches directly to the FZ50 (or FZ30). The grip adds more grip surface for my large hands (without adding much weight) and the back of the grip has a compartment that holds two spare batteries for the FZ50.

The grip fits almost perfectly. I added a strip of black "foamies" to the top plate of the grip so that it is perfectly secure. (It wasn't made for the FZ30/FZ50 after all.)

This way I have a light weight all-in-one solution with three batteries for family vacation photos. And believe it or not my wife does a MUCH better job taking photos with the FZ50 than she does with any of my DSLRs ... which helps since I like to sometimes have my photo taken with my baby daughter.

Rich · 02-01-2007, 05:18 PM

Hi Chuck,

I was at Disney World for the first week of January 06. Let me second the "buy the meal plan" suggestion. Our travel agent had to talk us into it and it's the best advice she gave us.

I had my DS with a Tamron 28-300. I bought the lens specifically for the trip because I didn't want to have to carry a bunch of lenses and worry about changing them. I knew that most of the photos I took would be of the snapshot variety so the optical quality of the lens wasn't a prime consideration (although I've been pleasantly surprised by the lens). I had plenty of "photo time" because the kids I had to worry about were 17, 21, and 22. They were pretty self-sufficient except when they needed more money. That happens a lot at the Disney resorts.

Anyway, to answer your question about what to look for, all of the resorts have beautiful landscaping to photograph. Right next to Cinderella's castle is an amazing rose garden. There are a couple of parades everyday that offered lots of photo ops. At Epcot, the architecture of the world showcase provides plenty, too. Plus, all of the resorts have plenty of characters (Disney and otherwise) to shoot. When we got home my wife put together a photo album documenting our time there and it still has a prominent place on the coffee table a year later. Great memories inside.

Here's one of my favorite photo's from Epcot. SR would have been nice for this one. Instead I wedged my monopod in between fence rails and hoped for the best. Technical Details: *istDS w/ Tamron 28-300@180mm 1/6s exposure at f6.7 1600ISO.

Whatever you decide to take for a camera, you're going to have a blast.

Rich

Technosavant · 02-01-2007, 07:29 PM

Rich makes a good point- no matter where you go, you'll find good photo ops, but sometimes it won't be of Disney-specific items. For example, the landscaping is immaculate, and you'll find that sort of thing anywhere you go. The entire place is overrun with ducks, and you'll even see softshell turtles in the lakes (heck, my hotel lake- Caribbean Beach- even had a little gator in it). The World Showcase has fantastic architechture (the Canada Pavilion is beautiful, and France, Germany, and Italy are also quite nice). However, even a P&S can do those things without too much trouble. Depending on how long you'll be there, you might take the P&S the first time, and go back with the SLR if you want (exception would be Animal Kingdom, where the SLR is pretty much mandatory).

Disney World just seems to be one of those places where many people love to weigh in with their opinions, and I am no exception. We had the time of our lives there (and many others do as well). Just relax and have a good time.

01-30-2007, 03:07 PM	#1
Chuck Lee Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 55	Photography at Disney World Hi all, I'm heading to Disney World in a few weeks on a big family vacation. I've got all my gear in line and am ready to shoot a lot of pictures. Can anyone in this forum share their experience about taking cameras and equipment into the Disney parks? Things to look out for? Special things to look for? Thanks, Chuck

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01-30-2007, 03:49 PM	#2
ericc Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Western Oklahoma Posts: 412	I was in Orlando at the parks in July 2006 with my DS and all my lenses. I think I used 2 lenses (kit + Zenitar). In all honesty, it's not that interesting a place photographically. I probably would've been better off leaving the DS and stuff at home and just taking a P&S. Just enjoy the place with your family. -E

01-30-2007, 04:04 PM	#3
vievetrick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Easthampton - Massachusetts - USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,183	Was there in Feb. 06 you can bring whatever you like in. They will check your bag each time. I brough Tamrac Velocity 7 with the DS, 16-45 and a FA 80-200. I would ask how many kids do you have? The wife would have rather we had a P&S and after carring around the gear a few hours going on rides it started to get heavy. I guess younger your kids the less chance I had to shoot stuff I thought interesting. After all we were there for them to have fun. Nothing like dad bringing slowing things up trying to take pictures of flowers or birds to irritate the family.

01-30-2007, 04:26 PM	#4
Chuck Lee Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 55 Original Poster	ericc- Thanks. May be the Panasonic FZ-30 would be the way to go.

01-30-2007, 04:30 PM	#5
Chuck Lee Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 55 Original Poster	Pat, I've got three kids and two nieces. My brother has planned the whole deal with my parents, and siter. They'll be alot of us and you said exactly what I had heard about check points. I'll be sure to travel light. Maybe the K10 with the kit lens and Tamron (low light) and a Panasonic FZ30 for long reach daiylight. Thanks for the advice, Chuck

01-30-2007, 05:13 PM	#6
Technosavant Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 29	I was there the last week of September, and that experience is what made me decide I wanted a DSLR. I took a Panasonic DMC-LZ2 point and shoot- competent enough, but I missed several shots because the thing just didn't have the flexibility of a SLR (slow to shoot, slow shutter speeds at the wrong time). It was good for the scenery, but Animal Kingdom brought out its limitations in a big way. I'd use the SLR for Animal Kingdom (especially the Kilimanjaro Safari), but the P&S will probably suffice for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM (if you go to the night fireworks, take the SLR). I'd probably slim down the camera bag as much as possible (really no need for a big external flash). So long as you can cram the bag in next to you on the ride, it won't inconvenience you too much in that way- Disney rides really aren't that violent (exceptions: Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and maybe Mission: Space). Are you staying in the Disney hotels? If so, BUY THE MEAL PLAN. Trust me- it is easily worth the money ($40/day/person, but we would get about $60-80 of food for each of us on that). Also, make any reservations for the sit-down restaurants NOW. Even though we went in the slow season, we just flat couldn't get into a couple places (we made reservations as we went- big mistake). And, I hate to really stick my nose into things, but don't feel like you need to see EVERYTHING with little kids. Many families with the younguns (under 7 or 8 years old) often seemed to be having a bad time. The parents wanted to "get their money's worth," but there's only so much kids can do, and the crumb crunchers got tired, cranky, and whiny. That didn't look like fun. Running around as a young couple with no kids (like the wife and I were doing) is going to be a VERY different Disney experience than if a couple young kids are along.

01-30-2007, 05:16 PM	#7
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 999	plan out the days on which park your going to. animal kingdom, i'd bring the big guns out, but for anything else really, i'd just stick with a point and shoot. I brought 2 lenses and my zx-50 years ago, and it was cumbersome after some time. you are going to be walking around for a good while, and when you go on rides and such, it's going to be a pain to have all that stuff with you. and plan out when you want to shoot the fireworks display....

01-30-2007, 08:15 PM	#8
ericc Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Western Oklahoma Posts: 412	Originally posted by Technosavant I'd use the SLR for Animal Kingdom (especially the Kilimanjaro Safari), but the P&S will probably suffice for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM (if you go to the night fireworks, take the SLR). Yeah, that's very good advice. Of the photos I took with the DS that week, easily half the good ones were at Animal Kingdom.

01-31-2007, 06:45 AM	#9
JJJPhoto Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 419	Originally posted by Chuck Lee ericc- Thanks. May be the Panasonic FZ-30 would be the way to go. I have a pair of K10Ds and a DL as well as a wide range of lenses for work, but this is my family/vacation camera of choice: http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6023/imgp27195dd.jpg http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4371/imgp27202dk.jpg It's the Panasonic FZ50 with a modified Opteka battery grip for the D70. I just unscrewed the battery insert for the D70 (the part that fits inside the D70 battery compartment) and the grip attaches directly to the FZ50 (or FZ30). The grip adds more grip surface for my large hands (without adding much weight) and the back of the grip has a compartment that holds two spare batteries for the FZ50. The grip fits almost perfectly. I added a strip of black "foamies" to the top plate of the grip so that it is perfectly secure. (It wasn't made for the FZ30/FZ50 after all.) This way I have a light weight all-in-one solution with three batteries for family vacation photos. And believe it or not my wife does a MUCH better job taking photos with the FZ50 than she does with any of my DSLRs ... which helps since I like to sometimes have my photo taken with my baby daughter.

02-01-2007, 07:29 PM	#11
Technosavant Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 29	Rich makes a good point- no matter where you go, you'll find good photo ops, but sometimes it won't be of Disney-specific items. For example, the landscaping is immaculate, and you'll find that sort of thing anywhere you go. The entire place is overrun with ducks, and you'll even see softshell turtles in the lakes (heck, my hotel lake- Caribbean Beach- even had a little gator in it). The World Showcase has fantastic architechture (the Canada Pavilion is beautiful, and France, Germany, and Italy are also quite nice). However, even a P&S can do those things without too much trouble. Depending on how long you'll be there, you might take the P&S the first time, and go back with the SLR if you want (exception would be Animal Kingdom, where the SLR is pretty much mandatory). Disney World just seems to be one of those places where many people love to weigh in with their opinions, and I am no exception. We had the time of our lives there (and many others do as well). Just relax and have a good time.

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