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.

02C3CEDA-3111-4115-81A1-F2FA108D0ED4-X3.jpg


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.

PXL_20220714_163312867-X2.jpg


PXL_20220714_163122685-X2.jpg


PXL_20220714_163209308.MOTION-02.ORIGINAL-X2.jpg


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..
giphy.gif
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?
 
Last edited:

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So cool. But didn't you just drop her off for her Freshman year last Fall!?

Thanks! Time does fly! Toni is actually graduating in 3 years due to a number of factors. She's a smart cookie and took a lot of credits and she did extremely well in her AP tests and Clemson accepted those as credits.
Good news - she ends up saving us the cost of another year. "Bad news" - she's considering Law School. :oops:
 

Darstarr

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Thanks! Time does fly! Toni is actually graduating in 3 years due to a number of factors. She's a smart cookie and took a lot of credits and she did extremely well in her AP tests and Clemson accepted those as credits.
Good news - she ends up saving us the cost of another year. "Bad news" - she's considering Law School. :oops:
My son also graduated in three years. Then he could finish grad school in one. Perfect. But then the Vid, his coach told him “stay a fifth year and I will pay for it.”
HA!
I dont think it was his coach paying rent and sending him groceries.
 

fractal

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
How can she be graduating already?! Time sure flies. Congratulations to her!

Congratulations to Toni and she couldn’t have picked a better film, my favourite.

That is sooooo cool!! Congratulations to the graduate!
Excited Jimmy Fallon GIF

Dr Seuss Reaction GIF by INTO ACTION

Congrats Toni!!

Congratulations to Toni on her upcoming graduation!

P.S.: I like her Chinese (Mandarin) dub of the Lion King, even more than the English version! :joyfull:

Congratulations to Toni!!! Her Chinese (Mandarin) dub of the Lion King was great!

No Way!! You just dropped her OFF at Clemson!!
Congrats to Toni and what a cool project! I'm hoping a Disney graduation trip is in her future!

Congrats! I can't believe how fast that went by!

Congratulations Toni!

So cool. But didn't you just drop her off for her Freshman year last Fall!?

Hi Toni walking across the stage to get a diploma!

That, is freakin awesome!!!
And congrats on her upcoming graduation!
Disney Celebrate GIF by Hong Kong Disneyland

My son also graduated in three years. Then he could finish grad school in one. Perfect. But then the Vid, his coach told him “stay a fifth year and I will pay for it.”
HA!
I dont think it was his coach paying rent and sending him groceries.

That’s awesome news. Congratulations!!!


Oh wow...i can't believe she's graduating already! If she doesn't do law school, what would she do?

Thanks everyone for all the congratulations! We leave early Thursday morning for Clemson. Of course I'm bringing my camera along as Toni wants me to do "grad pictures" of her so I'll be sure to share!

She will be working at a local law firm to get a feel for the profession. Depending on how that goes and her LSATs will determine if she decides on Law School. If not she will be looking for another job and career.
 
Last edited:

93boomer

Premium Member
Thanks everyone for all the congratulations! We leave early Thursday morning for Clemson. Of course I'm bringing my camera along as Toni wants me to do "grad pictures" of her so I'll be sure to share!

She will be working at a local law firm to get feel for the profession. Depending on how that goes and her LSATs will determine if she decides on Law School. If not she will be looking for another job and career.
Good luck to her on whatever she does and wherever she goes!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom