Trip Report Yia-Yia, Yetis and Epcotonians. A sweltering Summer of '22 adventure!

It was the night before our Disney trip and I found myself scrambling. So much to do besides "Disney but "Disney" needed to get done. Where are my SD cards? Where are all my Star Wars shirts? Where is my camera bag? We had just moved after-all and things were not where they should be because well we were in a different house. Toni was scrambling too. She is spending the Summer waitressing in Bethany Beach Delaware and came home THAT DAY to get everything ready for Disney. Her Mom however also wanted her to help get her "crap" ready for college (leaving in a few weeks). Tensions were running high and the early morning flight out of Baltimore was like lighting a fuse to a stick of dynamite. Time was ticking away!

This was going to be a different trip for us. Just three of the five in the family as my wife Val decided to sit this one out and my daughter Alex couldn't get her schedule to work. So Val will be going to New Mexico to visit Alex in a month as the final three, the triumvirate headed to Walt Disney World to meet up with my sister Marina's family and my mom (Yia-Yia).

The Triumvirate -

Toni (center), Sterg and yours truly.

As you may or may not know, one of the things I love about going to Disney is honing my photography skills. For this trip I decided to rent two fantastic (and expensive) lenses. The Sony GM 50mm f/ 1.2 and the Sony GM 14mm f/1.8 lenses to be exact. The cost to buy both of those lenses would be as much as the cost of the entire trip. Additionally I rented a lens adaptor to pair with my old Minolta 70-210 "beercan" lens that I wanted to try out on the Safari.

I've been crazy after the 14mm lens due to it's wide angle nature. It's actually so wide it's referred to as an "ultra-wide angle" lens. Wide angle lenses have wonderful applications at WDW and I was going to see how this baby was going to work for me. The 50mm 1.2 is a lens with a great reputation. Very fast, very sharp and producing beautiful bokeh as your sharp subject stands in front of a background that literally melts into a dreamy blur of photographic delight.

By 11pm all that was packed, what was left of my Star Wars shirts was packed - "Chris, aren't we just getting a bit too old for Star Wars shirts?" Val quipped - and everything else on my list was packed.



Toni was also packed and had full-filled her "getting ready for college" obligations.

Val said her goodbyes and goodnights..

and went to bed.


It was soon time for me to lay down for 3 hours of sleep. The hardest thing left for me to do was wake up with my alarm. I think I'll have a glass on wine (or two?). After-all, what could go wrong?

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

Fabulous fireworks photos!! Like Sterg and Toni, we’ve been lucky enough to ride Splash with the fireworks happening and it’s Disney Magic at its very best!!

 

[Sillysidewalker]

Those fireworks pictures!!!! You have such an eye! Also a big heart lending everyone your light to improve their pictures.

 

[fractal]

As I was looking at your HM photos I was struck by how many of those scenes I have never SEEN! Awesome!

And just wow!!!

Thanks @MickeyCB ! I tried to get things I never got before.

Your Haunted Mansion were fantastic!!! But your firework Pictures WOW!!! It just blew me away!!!

Beautiful castle/firework pictures!!

I also love people who look any direction than the one in which they are walking. Do we have a name for such people yet?

I was walking out of Church on Sunday and saw an elderly lady walking through the parking lot and not watching where she was going. A car was backing up and didn't see her. I yelled for her to watch out which avoided an ugly situation. I think I'll name those people "sky gazers" and that's being kind.

I love how the spectators are blurred due to the long exposure shots while the Partners statue blends with the shadow figures of the crowd. Walt and Mickey are elevated but look to be hosts sharing the beauty to the masses.

I like that too!

SPECTACULAR firework shots

Fire @fractal, simply fire!

Thanks @Ellen Ripley !

@fractal Disney needs to hire you to do their promotional pictures!

I'm in!

Your Haunted Mansion photos are absolutely fantastic. As we haven’t been to WDW for 15 years we assume there must be some different ghost. we didn’t recognise the three cats before, are they new. Also I could imagine a few of your castle firework photos in frames on my wall Thank you for sharing them

I'm not sure how "new" they are. I saw them in someone else's photo a couple years ago and this was the first time I remember seeing them on the ride so I took the shot.

Thanks @Wicked Sisters , I really liked the results from the Enchanted.

Can’t say enough about the fireworks photos!

Max

At first his head and ears in the pictures annoyed me, but as I looked at it again, it's sort of has that Disney advertisement feel to it!

fireworks

Fabulous fireworks photos!! Like Sterg and Toni, we’ve been lucky enough to ride Splash with the fireworks happening and it’s Disney Magic at its very best!!

I never had the pleasure!

 

[fractal]

Those fireworks pictures!!!! You have such an eye! Also a big heart lending everyone your light to improve their pictures.

Thanks @Sillysidewalker ! I was really happy with them and I was really happy to help people get better shots!

 

[fractal]

Beautiful castle/firework pictures!!

Thanks @joshsprincess921 !

 

[fractal]

Enchantment was over so I folded the legs of my tripod in, but I kept the camera attached as there was another shot I wanted.

Soon after I met up with Sterg and Toni and we headed out.

This CM spotted someone trying to enter the park after close.

On the crowded bus I noticed this boy playing with his toy and I thought the lighting was cool.

Back to the "Tower"

Still not as good as the Yacht Club

Day 2 certainly went better than Day 1. We started early, got better use out of Genie +, and we able to navigate around some nasty weather. I was also feeling much more comfortable with the 14mm and it's challenging focal length. The 50mm was turning out to be a great lens for dark rides and portraits and we all had a blast!

The next day was Animal Kingdom with the entire crew then a hop over to Epcot. Would things go as smooth as Day 2? Of course not.

 

[maxntina]

Awesome, amazing couple of days!

 

[93boomer]

Wonderful MK fireworks pix @fractal !

 

[fractal]

Awesome, amazing couple of days!

Thanks @maxntina !

Wonderful MK fireworks pix @fractal !

Thanks @93boomer !

 

[Laurenciaa]

Till death do us part.

When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake,
Spooks come out for a swinging wake.
Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!

This is one of the toughest shots to get at WDW. Weird angle and very little light while your doombuggy is turning around.

I've seen better but I was happy with this.

your HM pictures are impressive.. like we are again on the ride! Thanks @fractal!!

 

[fractal]

Good morning Walt Disney World!

It was Day 3 of our trip and we were up early to take on Animal Kingdom again, this time with Yia-Yia and Team Marina.

Walking to the bus stop.

A big part of my park routine was getting through security. I was sent for a (camera) bag check at every entrance. Yia-yia was equally as challenged if not more so as the ECVs, wheelchairs and strollers had to go through the same metal detector. Let me say that again - all the ECVs, wheelchairs and strollers through the same metal detector. It's amazing no one was killed or maimed during our stay much less all out fights breaking out at these funnels of chaos. Thankful her grandchildren helped Yia-Yia navigate through the process which included they driving the ECV through while my Mom could simply walk. We also took turns driving the ECV onto the bus, parking it in the ECV slot on the bus and driving it off the bus for her. When I did this I gained a new appreciation on just how temperamental and difficult it is to drive these things!

The line for bag check was long so with Yia-yia through I told everyone else to keep moving and I would catch up.

I was finally through security check!

Just like our 2017 trip, Courtney was doing a bang-up job of booking our Lightning Lanes on Genie +. With a later date for Pandora; our first rendezvous point was Kilimanjaro Safari entrance.

I hustled there to catch up...

Only to discover I was the first one there! After a short wait for the rest of the crew we got in the short stand-bye line.

Lots of smiles as we were all joking and laughing about stupid stuff.

Yia-Yia was having difficulty managing all the sharp turns in the line. At one point she cut it too close and went up the bottom of a post that sent the ECV tilting on one side while still moving forward. She started to tumble out of her seat. Luckily I was right behind her and was able to catch her just in time before she fell to the ground! I did suffer another foot being run over (like in 2017) but no serious damage. Yia-Yia in her ECV was staring to become an issue!

For the Safari I brought along a vintage lens I purchased a few months back. A Minolta AutoFocus 70-210 f/4 lens to be exact. With my rented adaptor I was able to mount it on my camera and utilize the Auto Focus motor with ease.
The original version of this lens was affectionately called the "beer can" because of its shape looking like a "pounder" beer can and had a very good reputation for image quality. All that carried over to the newest version, but that was still 25 years ago and I was interested how this older lens would compare with modern lenses. Last time I was on KS I used my 85mm and 105mm lens with great results.

original MD beercan...

photo of "my" A-mount beercan"...

Throughout the trip, Toni did a great job documenting things with her camera.

The gang's all here and ready for adventure!

Off we went and I started shooting. It was very nice NOT having the plexiglass barriers in the truck as they were in 2020.

Entering the Harambe Wildlife Reserve.

Alright, time to see what this "legendary" lens got!

UP NEXT - Shooting the beer can, Flight of Passage, Interesting lunch and more Yeti!

 

[fractal]

So how did my 'ol Minolta zoom lens do?

It was ok - and to be fair I was comparing it to modern prime lenses (prime lenses have one focal length like 85mm or 105mm while zooms have ranges like 70mm to 210mm. Primes are generally sharper.) but it did show me
without question that lenses have come a long way in the last 25 years. The Minolta was not nearly as sharp and suffered from more flare and aberrations than the new comers. I guess there's a reason the beercan cost me $50 and the 105mm f/1.4 was over $1,000.

First time I remember seeing this guy...

Just chilling.

The giraffes were very active. In fact almost all the animals seem to be energized - maybe it was the morning sun?

In fact one came by to say hello!



The driver said they were playing but it sure like they were fighting. Regardless, I got a shot of this pair of elephants.

Toni got a more interesting video of the horse/elephant play...



I thought this guy was going to charge!

This pair was the exception to the active crowd but at least they were out.

Our tour was over.

Off to the next adventure!

Stand clear!

We took the "back way" to Pandora and I was still using the beercan.

Made it!

 

[Zipadeelady]

That might have been an old lens but it still took fabulous photos!

 

[fractal]

The last time we were all together with Yia-Yia at WDW was in 2017 and we were not quite comfortable having her go on Flight of Passage. She insisted however and after the ride claimed that "Oh my God Christo, How did they do that? It was beautiful! I saw heaven and helll." She then went on to rave about the experience and it took us quite some time to convince her that she didn't actually fly.

So with her being "old hat" to FOP we forged ahead with our Lightning Lane access. I didn't take any photos this time and wanted to enjoy the experience.

Sterg however did grab a quick video of Yia-Yia in the pre-show. The part when the want you to move so they can clear you of "Pandorian micro-parasites". Well, Yia-Yia turned it into a little Navian dance.



After the ride I wanted to see her reaction. I wasn't expecting this...

"I thought I was going to go around the world! To India and Paris..." She was looking forward to Soarin' - another ride she loved - and wasn't expecting flying on a banshee. OK then. What's next?

How about some lunch?

Satu'li was the easy choice and we all mobile ordered and picked up.

Yia-Yia wanted a hamburger, which Marina ordered and it came out like this...

"Yeah" I said. "They come in these pods."

Yia-yia wasn't impressed. "What kind of cheeseburgers are these?"

She took a small bite then spit it out. "Marina, I said I wanted a cheeseburger! I'm not eating this. Take it back!"

I tried to explain but Marina was gracious and swapped her beef salad for the "pods". Yia-Yia was much happier with that.

After that bit of drama we were off to Asia for a date with a Yeti. During lunch I swapped out my beercan for the 50mm.

Toni continued her smiling. She was really having a ball!

It made me think of all the great memories I had of her over the years in Animal Kingdom...

She was always the eager trooper!

We made it back to Earth! I quizzed everyone about the Tree of Life being built on an oil rig. Sterg got it right because I told him a few weeks earlier.

We spotted Kevin again!

and then our destination!

In the queue...

We're next!

Toni and I asked for front row so we were a train behind, which allowed me to get a shot of the rest of the crew.

 

[fractal]

Bird on the stick was hovering.

there's our resort!

Bicentennial Yeti!

I must have switched to electronic shutter at some point which can create different colors on "projections".

After my ride I decided to check on Yia-Yia who was waiting patiently outside. Flight of Passage for my 86 year old mother was one thing but no Everest for her!

While the others kept riding I was drawn into the theater and the kite show.

then a photo of Courtney, Sterg and Toni...

I always find new details to photograph at AK!

Like this "Ye-Tea" sign...

Shooting the same scene "down the line" created a very different image.

Never noticed this bike before.

Our next destination was a trip back in time.

 

[Spash007]

Holy Moly to the firework pictures, but even more so HM! And with the narration

And the ECVs are really hard to navigate! My wife had to use one a few years back and ended up in a bus line by accident. Yia-Yia sure is the trooper!

Which reminds me - my son’s nickname for his older sister is YiaYia. There’s no Greek in our family, but we think he somehow got that from Char in Charlotte when he was just learning to talk. Or, she’s really into TaeKwonDo, and shouts hi-ya. Either way, the nickname has stuck!

 

[MinnieM123]

She then went on to rave about the experience and it took us quite some time to convince her that she didn't actually fly.

I laughed out loud over Yia-Yia's insistence that she was really flying!

Sterg however did grab a quick video of Yia-Yia in the pre-show. The part when the want you to move so they can clear you of "Pandorian micro-parasites". Well, Yia-Yia turned it into a little Navian dance.

Excellent choreography by Yia-Yia!!

After the ride I wanted to see her reaction. I wasn't expecting this...

"I thought I was going to go around the world! To India and Paris..." She was looking forward to Soarin' - another ride she loved - and wasn't expecting flying on a banshee. OK then. What's next?

This one is a classic!

"Yeah" I said. "They come in these pods."

Yia-yia wasn't impressed. "What kind of cheeseburgers are these?"

She took a small bite then spit it out. "Marina, I said I wanted a cheeseburger! I'm not eating this. Take it back!"

I tried to explain but Marina was gracious and swapped her beef salad for the "pods". Yia-Yia was much happier with that.

Sometimes, a gal just wants a cheeseburger!

 

[fractal]

your HM pictures are impressive.. like we are again on the ride! Thanks @fractal!!

Thank you @Laurenciaa ! Looking forward to your report!

That might have been an old lens but it still took fabulous photos!

At first glance when I was editing the shots I wasn't thrilled, but the more I look at them the more I like them. There's a certain character to the lens (like most vintage lenses).

Holy Moly to the firework pictures, but even more so HM! And with the narration

And the ECVs are really hard to navigate! My wife had to use one a few years back and ended up in a bus line by accident. Yia-Yia sure is the trooper!

Which reminds me - my son’s nickname for his older sister is YiaYia. There’s no Greek in our family, but we think he somehow got that from Char in Charlotte when he was just learning to talk. Or, she’s really into TaeKwonDo, and shouts hi-ya. Either way, the nickname has stuck!

Thanks @Spash007 ! The ECV can be herky jerky! Lol the YiaYia story - do you have a trip planned any time soon?

I laughed out loud over Yia-Yia's insistence that she was really flying!


Excellent choreography by Yia-Yia!!


This one is a classic!


Sometimes, a gal just wants a cheeseburger!

Yes, YiaYia was a piece of work that morning!

 

[DznyRktekt]

 

[fractal]

I always try to get a different angle on this.

YiaYia was perfectly content with waiting out the "thrill rides" In fact on more than one occasion we would return to her talking to a new friend. My Mom is very outgoing, friendly and tells great stories. She also can be very opinionated with very little filter! But that's what keeps it interesting.

We knew what to expect with Dinosaur and always loved the blast into the past. At 12 years old, Mia was the most "scared" of the group going in. She just transferred to a new school after she had a rough time with a certain group of girls at her old school picking on her. I think this trip was great for her as Sterg and Toni gave her a lot of attention and love that only cousins can do.

Here we go again!

As I've said before - photographing inside Dinosaur is an incredible challenge. With the 50mm 1.2 attached on my camera I was not going to let the challenge pass.

B-Mode Dino but I got him. Remember my setting for the fireworks? F/13, 10 second exposure, ISO 50. For this shot I needed ISO 6400 and f/1.2 due to the darkness, and a shutter speed of 1/200 of a second because of the truck's motion and the dino's motion.

Here's a new shot for me...

And look who saved us!

When we returned, YiaYia did make a new friend and somehow found a flower to put in her hair.

She's a big fan of Festival of the Lion King so Marina, Bill and I decided to take her there while the kids wanted more rides on Everest.

We saw Donald and Daisy along the way...

Back in Africa. The heat was becoming intense and we were all looking forward to some shaded and air-conditioned entertainment.

We got in the standby line for FotLK and wouldn't you know it, they filled up the theater with us about 10 people away from getting in. C'est la vie.

Now what? I made the decision to head to Dawa Bar and get some refreshments. After finding a shaded seat I crossed the street to get a Simba Dole treat for my Mom and Marina.

Bill and I decided on the Safari Ale.

With the heat becoming oppressive we choose to go back to the resort.

One last shot.

On the way to the bus, we discussed my Mom's difficulties with the ECV and the potential danger is posed to herself (and others). We decided to keep the ECV for her to use to get from her room, to the bus, and to the park entrance. At that point we would rent a wheelchair for her. We would put this strategy to the test later at EPCOT.