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Jun 28 2010

Visiting Another World

Imperial AT-AT guards the Star Wars area of Disney World

Disney Security Poses for Photograph - © Copyright 2010 by William Beem

This weekend, I returned to Downtown Disney and other parts of Walt Disney World to take photographs.  I figured it was time to give things another shot.  Another factor was a change in Disney World’s billing for the Annual Pass.  As of late last week, Florida Residents can now buy an Annual Pass on an installment plan.  There are no additional fees or interest.  Basically, you make a downpayment comparable to a one-day ticket and then get billed $25/month to complete the same total you used to have to pay at once.  While I had the money to spend on the pass, I figured this plan let’s the time-value of money work for me a little better.  Since my AMEX doesn’t charge me interest, I figured this payment plan was preferable.  I live about 45 minutes away, so it’s easy to get there when I want and get my bang for the buck.

I’ll tell you, though.  It’s hot.  Blistering hot.  Humid, too.  I felt like I was melting in the heat while composing this shot. This is a 5-exposure HDR, so I was lugging my tripod around.  That revealed a magical ability of mine. Whenever I setup my tripod in an empty area, I’m immediately surrounded by people.  This time, it was a bunch of kids lining up for the Jedi Academy right at the bottom of this Imperial AT-AT.  The sudden popularity of my location combined with the blistering heat convinced me to get in, take my shots, and get out.  No sauntering around looking for various angles this time.  I’ve got a year to go back and try again, if I so desire.

One of the most enjoyable parts of my visit was the helpful nature of Disney World employees.  Far different from being hassled by security, they actually went out of their way to point out some interesting features or locations that I may have otherwise missed.  I’ll post more of those shots later.  Suffice it to say it was like a different Disney World for me.  Employees took time, had real conversations and completely lived up to the customer service experience I expect.  People ranging from valets, bellhops and one really great guy in engineering services.  Compared to my last experience, it really was like visiting another world.


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Posted in Disney, Florida, Orlando, Photography, Travel

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  • Manuel Lora

    Good to know this time around it went better. I wonder if it’s the new employees (who are a bit paranoid about rules), or the old ones (who are jaded) that tend to be worse when it comes to photo-paranoia.

    Nice shot. The trees look good. I’ve had some difficulty getting sharp shots with HDR.

    • http://www.williambeem.com William

      I talked to a few employees, from a photographer who was only there 3 weeks to an engineer who’s been there for decades. They were like Disney employees I’ve met in the past, very friendly to guests and willing to take some time to help them make the most of their experience. Security at Downtown Disney was the only time I’ve ever run into a problem and I was happy that it didn’t occur again while I was there. That said, I wasn’t spending too much time in any one spot at Downtown Disney as I did the time before.

      As for getting sharp images with HDR, are you using a tripod? I’ve managed some sharp images hand-held during the day when there’s plenty of light, but there were situations inside where I just couldn’t hold still long enough for the brighter exposures. Getting out the tripod was the solution. Another possibility is that you’re getting motion blur from the breeze. Sometimes it helps to find a shot with the sharp exposure and mask in that part of the image.