Trip Report When can we do this again? A Fractal family Odyssey. *COMPLETED*

Definition of odyssey:

• : a long journey full of adventures
  
  
• : a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone

Not too long ago I had a lot of doubt this trip would ever happen. The financial cost of higher education, the fact my wife Val wanted to go anywhere BUT Disney, the crazy and conflicting schedules of the kids, made the odds of keeping our 2-year WDW trip tradition a large long-shot. But maybe things do happen for a reason...

A great deal came our way and before we knew it we were on our way back to the World. Not without a major sacrifice however as my eldest daughter Alexandra had to miss the trip due to her schooling ( she graduates this Friday as an Registered Nurse!). She is a bit of a kindred spirit to me with a personality closer to mine than the other two, so I knew I would miss her dearly on the trip.

Here she is at Christmas with my Mom (Yia-Yia).

Speaking of Yia-yia; she will join us again at WDW! We had a great time with her on our 2013 trip at the Poly. We would meet up with her, my Sister Marina (here with me)...

and my two nieces; Courtney...

and Mia...

at the Yacht Club on the second leg of our journey. The first part of our trip took us to my in-law's (Al & Sue) who moved to Florida (Tampa - St. Pete area) last year. They would also join us at WDW!

Here they are from a 50th anniversary party we had for them last Winter...

It was early evening Thursday July 20th when we began our Odyssey. My good friend Wally picked us up to take us to the Baltimore (BWI) airport.

Excitement was building for our trip but the real Disney excitement would come later.

Sterg and Toni occupied the back seat. They were almost late for the pickup as they decided a last second Starbucks run was in order. Sterg ended up paying for that about an hour later as his bladder protested strongly.

Val was next to me and could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Not only was she not fully in favor of another Disney trip, she was (rightfully) concerned with the potential problems, complications, and stress of merging these 3 parts of the family together in the already chaotic environment of managing reservations, room assignments, getting to the parks, fastpasses and dinner plans. I had much of the same worries, which were also amplified by the fact Yia-Yia and Al would be using electric scooters during our time at the World. But hey, it's Disney, what could go wrong?

 

[Zipadeelady]

So, how did the photo shoot go?

Sorry for the long delay in responding.

I really thought that there would be a slight difference in the pictures between RAW and JPEG. I didn't realize that they will appear the same until you make adjustments in Lightroom. I watched some video's by Karl Taylor (I like his best so far, Froknows kind of drives me nuts) I will definitely shoot in RAW, that way when I'm able to conquer Lightroom I can make adjustments which I know I'll want to. Thanks again for the push and information.

10 Days!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Sterg making another video.

We were quite the pair as we merrily walked towards the castle.

Everything was right in the world. For those moments around the castle that evening I really did leave all my worries behind. I remember looking at Sterg as he walked around with a big smile on his face and feeling relief that I didn't have the burden of everyone else's enjoyment and the pressure to get to the next "thing to do". I was in a true state of Hakuna Matata.

A problem free, philosophy - at least for that small slice of time.

We left the hub (but would be back!).

Magical sunset.

With no dinner plans we were free to make them on the fly.

Which we did!

Cheapest meal I've ever had at Disney.

Come to Papa! Dole whip #2 for the Day!

As I explained to Sterg the story and history behind Dole Whips in the Tiki Room (and MK now allowing it!) we made our way to another Walt classic.

Awesome shots of the castle. I think it has to be one of the most photogenic buildings in the world!

Excellent choice on dinner, and Sterg's has great taste in his shirt it is awesome (I have the same shirt). Although if it would bother him that a girl has the same shirt as him, just tell him he has a great shirt.

 

[victoryyy]

Really enjoying the trip report. I think we where there some of the same days as your family was in late July. One small criticism, this might turn into a very expensive trip report, all of the great photos having us thinking about getting a new camera.

 

[docdebbi]

From Fractal:
"I'm not quite sure an all you can drink booze fest goes too well with a dolphin interaction but nevertheless it was a great time by all!"

I recently attended my brother's BYOB Axe Throwing birthday party. Now if two phrases don't belong together, it's "BYOB" and "Axe throwing".

Lucky to be alive!!

 

[spacemt354]

Sterg making another video.

We were quite the pair as we merrily walked towards the castle.

Everything was right in the world. For those moments around the castle that evening I really did leave all my worries behind. I remember looking at Sterg as he walked around with a big smile on his face and feeling relief that I didn't have the burden of everyone else's enjoyment and the pressure to get to the next "thing to do". I was in a true state of Hakuna Matata.

A problem free, philosophy - at least for that small slice of time.

We left the hub (but would be back!).

Magical sunset.

With no dinner plans we were free to make them on the fly.

Which we did!

Cheapest meal I've ever had at Disney.

Come to Papa! Dole whip #2 for the Day!

As I explained to Sterg the story and history behind Dole Whips in the Tiki Room (and MK now allowing it!) we made our way to another Walt classic.

The castle shots are absolutely stunning!

 

[Figaro Family]

This was the second time for Marina and Courtney and Mia's first. They also had a blast. Yia-yia enjoyed herself but not without some drama. Her hearing is not the best as she suffers from Otosclerosis which effects the little bones in your ear (Unfortunately I suffer from the same thing). There is a surgery to help with this (which she had about 25 years ago and I had recently) but is still a progressive condition. You can see her hearing aids in this photo.

I just have to ask, were your ear surgeries the one where they replace the stapes with a little metal piece? I've never been diagnosed with Otosclerosis but had increasing hearing loss throughout my 20's and eventually almost constant tinnitus which drove me to the doctor. I found out the stapes in my left ear was frozen and opted for the surgery instead of a hearing aid about 9 years ago. The tinnitus went away and my hearing improved significantly but the surgery was not a fun recovery. My little metal ear piece buzzes like crazy whenever I'm at a concert or loud special effects movie!

 

[mousefreak]

The picture of the castle where your're on the bridge looking east is OUTSTANDING!!!

 

[fractal]

Few years back we got to the see the elephant family group swimming and playing in their pool. CM even was able to keep the truck sitting there for quite a while so we could watch it. Seeing that literally brought my wife to tears.

It was the coolest thing I've ever witnessed on a safari!

Drop top....


Sorry, I couldnt help myself. For anybody who has no idea what that is, here ya go

Sorry for the long delay in responding.

I really thought that there would be a slight difference in the pictures between RAW and JPEG. I didn't realize that they will appear the same until you make adjustments in Lightroom. I watched some video's by Karl Taylor (I like his best so far, Froknows kind of drives me nuts) I will definitely shoot in RAW, that way when I'm able to conquer Lightroom I can make adjustments which I know I'll want to. Thanks again for the push and information.

10 Days!!

RAW files before editing will typically look more dull than Jpeg files. Once you start editing and bringing out the info in the files is when they really start to "pop". It's very easy, especially when starting to overdue it when editing in LR. For these Disney photos I pushed things a bit stronger than normal as I was going for a very colorful and vibrant look. But being subtle can be just as good. Play around with it and have fun - the great thing is that LR is non-destructive so you can always go back to the original file and start a new edit. Make one in color and one Black & White, etc. Good luck!

Awesome shots of the castle. I think it has to be one of the most photogenic buildings in the world!

Excellent choice on dinner, and Sterg's has great taste in his shirt it is awesome (I have the same shirt). Although if it would bother him that a girl has the same shirt as him, just tell him he has a great shirt.

Thanks! Hard to walk by the castle without taking dozens of shots. Dinner was superb and Sterg has no problem with you wearing the same shirt. Lol!

Really enjoying the trip report. I think we where there some of the same days as your family was in late July. One small criticism, this might turn into a very expensive trip report, all of the great photos having us thinking about getting a new camera.

Thanks @victoryyy ! If you do make an investment in a new camera, I would also recommend making an investment in learning photography more and practice before you get to WDW. You won't regret it!

From Fractal:
"I'm not quite sure an all you can drink booze fest goes too well with a dolphin interaction but nevertheless it was a great time by all!"

I recently attended my brother's BYOB Axe Throwing birthday party. Now if two phrases don't belong together, it's "BYOB" and "Axe throwing".

Lucky to be alive!!

NOT a good combination at all! LOL!

The castle shots are absolutely stunning!

Thanks @spacemt354 !

I just have to ask, were your ear surgeries the one where they replace the stapes with a little metal piece? I've never been diagnosed with Otosclerosis but had increasing hearing loss throughout my 20's and eventually almost constant tinnitus which drove me to the doctor. I found out the stapes in my left ear was frozen and opted for the surgery instead of a hearing aid about 9 years ago. The tinnitus went away and my hearing improved significantly but the surgery was not a fun recovery. My little metal ear piece buzzes like crazy whenever I'm at a concert or loud special effects movie!

Yes, that is the surgery I had. In very extreme situations I do have some issues. Sorry about your recovery as mine seemed to have gone a bit smoother (except for the dizzeyness the first few days).

The picture of the castle where your're on the bridge looking east is OUTSTANDING!!!

Thank you very much @mousefreak !

 

[fractal]

Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate's life for me!

We felt like pirates that night with an "anything goes" spirit. You know, plundering cities, burning buildings, sinking ships, eating dole whips for dinner - complete disregard for civilization kinda stuff.

We were relating to the perils of those that dared follow their own rules.

Sympathizing with our fellow rebels and malcontents.

'Tis a burden to go against society, for sure.

Dead men tell no tales.

Living a life of danger does have it's benefits, at least for awhile.

Drinking rum with cats. What could be more fun?

Pirates have more fun!

When you don't have to answer to others, these are the moments of joy.

Eventually however, society does catch up to put you in your place.

Unless you're Captain Jack Sparrow of course!

Just remember one thing.

"Not all treasure is Silver and Gold, Mate."

With our rogue impulses ignited, we made our way back to the Hub for our next mission; To steal some shots of Happily Ever After!


Well, actually this was from earlier but I forgot to post it, but it feels better here anyway.

The scene of the crime!

Not really. We were further back, but still a straight shot of the castle!

I switched to a wider lens to fit some actual fireworks in my fireworks photos.

On this night I had my tripod and felt somewhat uncomfortable unfolding it and setting up in the middle of the street; but I soon got over that. I also followed my own tip to keep the neck strap around my (somewhat hairy) neck in case someone bumped into the camera/tripod in an attempt to thwart our mission.



We arrived about a 1/2 hour before the show and I think we did fairly well securing a little beach head in a good spot. I think if you set up 45 minutes to an hour before you can pretty much get any spot you want.

With daylight quickly fading and the clock moving closer to 9, the anticipation was building. I watched videos of HEA before the trip and thought it was great so I was excited to not only see it live, but also photograph it.

The crowd behind us.

Naturally, with five minutes before the show started, we had a bit of an "issue".


Coming UP - "Are you kidding me", Happily Ever After, and more evening fun at Magic Kingdom!

 

[Zipadeelady]

WHAT!! @fractal you can't end there! I'm on the edge of my work chair!! My boss went out to lunch... I only have 15 minutes left of forum time.

 

[Wngo905]

WHAT!! @fractal you can't end there! I'm on the edge of my work chair!! My boss went out to lunch... I only have 15 minutes left of forum time.

HA! Me too, except for the "forum time" left

 

[senor_jorge]

Naturally, with five minutes before the show started, we had a bit of an "issue".


Coming UP - "Are you kidding me", Happily Ever After, and more evening fun at Magic Kingdom!

 

[fractal]

WHAT!! @fractal you can't end there! I'm on the edge of my work chair!! My boss went out to lunch... I only have 15 minutes left of forum time.

HA! Me too, except for the "forum time" left

View attachment 226766

Lol!

Sorry, I only have a small window of time over lunch to be able to post photos and do updates. Besides, I would never create a cliffhanger on purpose.

 

[fractal]

It was almost time for Happily Ever After. We got the pre-show announcement. My camera was all set up. My settings were good and I had a nice shot of the castle.

Then I saw some "rustling" in the crowd to my right. From there emerged two tall and large guys that decided to push there way through and plant themselves into a spot directly five feet in front of me. My great view become a mediocre view in less than 10 seconds! Instead of getting 80-90% of the castle, it was more like 20%.

"Are you kidding me!" I said out loud, rolling my eyes while opening my hands in disgust.

"What's wrong Pops?" Sterg asked.

"These dudes just came out of nowhere, pushed their way through everyone and are now blocking my view." I replied thinking of how I could somehow salvage the shots.

I tried moving a little to each side, but with no real improvement.

"I'm going to have to say something." I said to Sterg. I wanted these shots bad.

"OK, I got your back."

"Thanks but it's not like I'm getting into a fist fight." I said un-Pirate like.

"Never know, Pops. I'm right behind you."

As I turned around to face the castle, one of the guys turned to face me. Now he looked like a Pirate! I'm not a small guy but he was taller and let's say he seemed much more dedicated to his bench press reps than I was. He obviously heard the commotion and didn't look too happy. That's when I felt Sterg nudging my back.

I began to open my mouth when he beat me to the punch.

"Are we in your way?" He surprisingly said gently and sincerely while pointing to his bigger buddy who was now also looking at me.

"If you guys could just move a little bit to each side, that would be perfect." I replied with just a little lump in my throat.

"Sure, no problem. Sorry about that." They answered and promptly abided to my request.

After they turned around Sterg started laughing which prompted an elbow to the ribs by me.

"Maybe they recognized you as Fractal." He said all smart ansy.


So with my view clear again I was ready for the fireworks. My aperture was set at f/10, my ISO was 100 and I was shooting 10 second exposures with my infra-red remote shutter. The show started and I started. I tried to time the beginning of the exposure after I saw the fireworks streaking up. The guy holding the phone to the left was now my buddy.

I was a big fan of Wishes and was very skeptical about a new show replacing it. This show however is a very worthy replacement. I just love the combinations of the castle projections, the fireworks, the narration and of course the music. Does anybody do this better than Disney?

I was so dang happy! In Magic Kingdom, in front of the Castle, watching HEA, taking my long exposures. It was pretty awesome! The last time Sterg was here with me, he and Alex joked about my desire to set up a tripod in the middle of MK, now he was my sidekick.

At the end of each exposure the shot would appear on my screen. We took turns saying "That's a good one." "look at this one." "that's so cool!".

It's really is amazing that Disney puts on this show every night. I was never one that thought it was worth investing time to get a good spot for the fireworks show. Happily Ever After permanently changed my opinion.

Up next - the Grande Finale (which means even more fireworks photos!).

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Excellent fireworks pictures. I'm glad those guys agreed to move without there being a fight.

 

[Figaro Family]

When you described your interaction with the big guys blocking your view, I started picturing the gang from Tangled that hang out in the Snuggly Duckling Tavern!

 

[Zipadeelady]

These are spectacular!! I'm stealing one for my desktop at work to get me even more pumped about my trip. (That is unless Irma causes havoc)

 

[Bob]

It was almost time for Happily Ever After. We got the pre-show announcement. My camera was all set up. My settings were good and I had a nice shot of the castle.

Then I saw some "rustling" in the crowd to my right. From there emerged two tall and large guys that decided to push there way through and plant themselves into a spot directly five feet in front of me. My great view become a mediocre view in less than 10 seconds! Instead of getting 80-90% of the castle, it was more like 20%.

"Are you kidding me!" I said out loud, rolling my eyes while opening my hands in disgust.

"What's wrong Pops?" Sterg asked.

"These dudes just came out of nowhere, pushed there way through everyone and are now blocking my view." I replied thinking of how I could somehow salvage the shots.

I tried moving a little to each side, but with no real improvement.

"I'm going to have to say something." I said to Sterg. I wanted these shots bad.

"OK, I got your back."

"Thanks but it's not like I'm getting into a fist fight." I said un-Pirate like.

"Never know, Pops. I'm right behind you."

As I turned around to face the castle, one of the guys turned to face me. Now he looked like a Pirate! I'm not a small guy but he was taller and let's say he seemed much more dedicated to his bench press reps than I was. He obviously heard the commotion and didn't look too happy. That's when I felt Sterg nudging my back.

I began to open my mouth when he beat me to the punch.

"Are we in your way?" He surprisingly said gently and sincerely while pointing to his bigger buddy who was now also looking at me.

"If you guys could just move a little bit to each side, that would be perfect." I replied with just a little lump in my throat.

"Sure, no problem. Sorry about that." They answered and promptly abided to my request.

After they turned around Sterg started laughing which prompted an elbow to the ribs by me.

"Maybe they recognized you as Fractal." He said all smart ansy.


So with my view clear again I was ready for the fireworks. My aperture was set at f/10, my ISO was 100 and I was shooting 10 second exposures with my infra-red remote shutter. The show started and I started. I tried to time the beginning of the exposure after I saw the fireworks streaking up. The guy holding the phone to the left was now my buddy.

I was a big fan of Wishes and was very skeptical about a new show replacing it. This show however is a very worthy replacement. I just love the combinations of the castle projections, the fireworks, the narration and of course the music. Does anybody do this better than Disney?

I was so dang happy! In Magic Kingdom, in front of the Castle, watching HEA, taking my long exposures. It was pretty awesome! The last time Sterg was here with me, he and Alex joked about my desire to set up a tripod in the middle of MK, now he was my sidekick.

At the end of each exposure the shot would appear on my screen. We took turns saying "That's a good one." "look at this one." "that's so cool!".

It's really is amazing that Disney puts on this show every night. I was never one that thought it was worth investing time to get a good spot for the fireworks show. Happily Ever After permanently changed my opinion.

Up next - the Grande Finale (which means even more fireworks photos!).

And yet another set of photos that TDO should be paying you for their marketing material.

 

[riverside]

AMAZING PHOTOS!!

 

[fractal]

Everything was now happening fast and furious. Disney must be depleting the fireworks budget pretty quickly because as the show went on it was one after the other. As one exposure ended I more or less just quickly started another.

The Alladin part was one of my favorites...

The constantly changing projection scene does present an issue. Since I was taking a long exposure the castle might show up blurred. I could have taken a shorter single shot and merged it with a longer exposure in photoshop. I had considered doing that but with everything moving so fast I decided it was best to not upset the apple cart. The castle ended up looking much better than I anticipated.

I believe this was from Tangled...

Can't stop, won't stop.

The show ended with an amazing Grand Finale!!

Phew! That was awesome!

Soon after the end a woman came up to me and told me she was standing behind me and watching my shots appear on the screen of my camera.

"Amazing shots!" she said, which for me was the cherry on top.


Up NEXT - the night's not over at Magic Kingdom.