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?

 

[cgersic]

Y&Y was great! Thanks @joshsprincess921 ! Yes - I was thinking the same thing about how much he's changed since that "too cool for Dad" teenager trip to Disneyland. He recently read that report and sent me a text thanking me for it.

That is soooo sweet! Good job @fractal jr

 

[senor_jorge]

Despite having an overall great time, our first day of the trip was a bit of a struggle for me. Among the other issues I just wasn't "feeling it" with my photography. In 2020 I used a 24mm lens as my primary lens and I loved it. It is the perfect carry around focal length for travel in general and WDW specifically. I regret having sold that lens. The 14mm was like an untamed beast and I felt many times on the first day that it kept throwing me off its back.

"Come back when you know how to use me" I imagined it taunted me as I viewed my photos in the viewfinder and hit the delete button far too many times.

By the end of Day 2 I would feel much different.

Toni woke up not feeling great. She had a bad migraine; something she's been dealing with for the last couple years. Unfortunately she forget her Excedrin so before we headed out we made our way to the Resort "stop and go". Along the way I took some pics with my Pixel 6...

The Pixel 6 has a great camera and was generally happy with the shots I took with it. Phone cameras have come a long way in the last 5 years or so; I can see the improvement in photo quality while reading other trip reports. I had considered using the Pixel 6 exclusively for one day in a park but in the end decided not to. As happy as I was with it's images I still can see the gap between those vs. my Sony camera. They sure are much more convenient and easier to carry though and for most people that want to document and take general photos the new cameras on smart phones are just about perfect.

Speaking of "real cameras" I was actively looking for someone else like me that was lugging around a dedicated mirrorless camera or DSLR. Day 1 I saw exactly zero other people. Day 2 just one and for the rest of the trip only 2 others. This is in stark contrast to when i bought my first mirrorless camera for our 2011 trip. It seemed that at least every other "group" had at least one person with a "real" camera.

With Tony medicated and hydrated we grabbed a bus to Magic Kingdom; our reservation for the day. As I commented to @coachwnh , the bus service at Coronado Springs was excellent through out the trip. Both picking up at the resort and the parks. I never had that moment where we seemed to be waiting forever for a bus. The drivers were all very helpful and pleasant especially when dealing with Yia-Yia and her scooter.

Once through the gate we headed straight to TomorrowLand.

Sterg and I decided to get this baby rolling...

Then took a selfie.

People Mover was ready for the day...

And so was Space Mountain!

Up next; Space, Buzz, @Longers favorite ride and I finally did something I've been trying to do for literally decades!

That's a lot of camera talk to unpack, so I'll try to be brief. My wife was around somewhere with her mirrorless until Sunday evening. She had a similar observation. With primes, I notice the jump from 24 down to 15 or 14 a lot more than I do going from 35 down to 24. With a zoom I don't notice it at all in that range since I get to frame standing still. In the Canon RF world, I'm waiting on the primes to force me into your learning curve. I'd love an ultra wide prime, but for us that means buying EF glass which would essentially be a rental until the RF version is released. And, for the record I do blame you and your pics for the EF fisheye we own and love!

Love the shots and the report!

 

[Billy6]

Migraines...the bane of my existence... I feel for her, I live it too..

 

[lindawdw]

Hope Tony felt better after taking the medicine as migraines are the worst! I don't see too many guests carrying around big cameras anymore either since the new phones are so convenient and take such great pictures!

 

[joshsprincess921]

I have a DSLR that I just took out of the closet last month for my brother's wedding. I haven't used it forever so I had to charge the battery and the last pictures on it were from our Disney trip when Cam was 5 years old. I did think to myself what a shame I've had this thing packed away for 4 years!

 

[Ghostdog]

Excedrin Migraine relief to the rescue; my daughter suffers from them too!!

Great photos!! I gotta ask, was the top your wife made crochet or knit? I crochet hats but haven’t attempted anything as CUTE as that top.

 

[93boomer]

Of course I forgot to take photos of the room. But they are spacious and decorated in a pleasant, non-Disney contemporary theme. The bathrooms have two sinks and make use of sliding "barn doors". The shower is behind a glass door and gives you the option of a large "rain fall" overhead shower head or hand-held adjustable head. The TV is mounted on the wall and welcomed us by last name as we entered the room. The biggest downside it the lack of balcony which is a shame because we had a nice view over the lake.

Sterg had made a pit stop that morning before picking us up from the airport. He bought 6 cases of water, fruit and other snacks for us and my sister's crew. After unpacking all of that and our luggage Toni wanted to take some "selfies" and of course I followed with my camera.

She wore a top made by Val and decided the lake and fountain made an appealing background.

Before long it became a photo shoot.

The bright mid-day sun wasn't ideal but we made it work.

I took a few photos of the grounds...

Coronado Springs is a beautiful sprawling resort. Later in the trip I would explore it more and found the rooms outside the "tower" were broken up in different sections, each typically surrounding a small and pleasant courtyard with a water fountain center. There were also sections of sanded beach for lounging, volleyball courts and other activities. The size of the resort reminded me a bit of Port Orleans Riverside despite the very different theme.
It was missing the visual "wow" that you find at Beach & Yacht Club and across Crescent Lake at the Boardwalk. I wasn't compelled at all to come down at night and take long exposure photos here.

Inside I was drawn to the lower lobby again...

My crew however was getting antsy so after a quick portrait...

We hopped a bus and ended up here...

I agree. The room is lovely. I loved the shower area. Balconies would be a definite plus.
Great shots! I am loving that camera!!

 

[rshell68]

Found WDW to be very crowded this trip. This brought a sense or normalcy to things as for the most part there was no hint of the pandemic, which is great. The downside is how a good number of people maneuver badly through the crowded parks. Here are the worst offenders.

1) The "WALL" people as we started calling them. Groups of 4 or more that decide the best way to go through the busy parks is to go shoulder to shoulder, forming a single wall that makes it near impossible to pass or forces oncoming traffic to squeeze to the side to let through this privileged group. It's like they are auditioning for those dramatic shots you see in movies. Think "Cherry Bomb" scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 1.

No more than three across seems like a good rule to me.

2) The "FREEZE" people. Groups or people that are moving along at a good clip then someone just stops dead and calls for the rest to do the same instead of pulling off to the side to regroup. It's the same a a car hitting the brakes on a busy highway. Jams and Pileups ensue behind them. People dash to either side to avoid collisions but then risk head-ons with opposing traffic! I admit to being guilty of this on rare occasion but it seems like it was a constant thing on this trip.

3) Let's park the entire group right outside the exit of the attraction and figure out what's next. It's like BEAVERS building a dam but to prevent people flow, not water flow.

We were constantly dealing with the WALL, FREEZE and BEAVER people during the trip, especially when it was just the Triumvirate. Conversely, when Marina, Yia-yia and crew arrived, the challenge became NOT to become those offenders!

On that first day morning, the crowds were not that bad, but that would quickly change.


ABSOLUTELY THIS!! you've definitely hit the nail(s) on the head with this!!!!

 

[Disstevefan1]

We quickly made our way across the galaxy to Pandora and hopped in line for a trip down the beautiful Navi River. The standby wait by the way was well over 100 minutes! I really enjoy this ride but if I ever would wait for over an hour, that wait would ruin it for me. On this day we quickly zipped through the Lightning Lane and were boarded almost immediately.

With my camera I started to get the sense of "why am I taking the same photos again?" as I've already have in our 2017 and 2020 trip. But as the boat travelled I started to get into it. Besides, I was using a different (50mm) lens afterall.

Navi River is a ride you can ride over and over and is the perfect dark-ride to escape the Florida heat and recharge your batteries.

Our Shaman of Song was in perfectly operating "A-mode".

Up next...We have our first "Yeti" encounter.

Excellent trip report!
Your super attractive family captured by your superior photography.
Loving all the great pics!

 

[ceecee101]

Despite having an overall great time, our first day of the trip was a bit of a struggle for me. Among the other issues I just wasn't "feeling it" with my photography. In 2020 I used a 24mm lens as my primary lens and I loved it. It is the perfect carry around focal length for travel in general and WDW specifically. I regret having sold that lens. The 14mm was like an untamed beast and I felt many times on the first day that it kept throwing me off its back.

"Come back when you know how to use me" I imagined it taunted me as I viewed my photos in the viewfinder and hit the delete button far too many times.

By the end of Day 2 I would feel much different.

Toni woke up not feeling great. She had a bad migraine; something she's been dealing with for the last couple years. Unfortunately she forget her Excedrin so before we headed out we made our way to the Resort "stop and go". Along the way I took some pics with my Pixel 6...

The Pixel 6 has a great camera and was generally happy with the shots I took with it. Phone cameras have come a long way in the last 5 years or so; I can see the improvement in photo quality while reading other trip reports. I had considered using the Pixel 6 exclusively for one day in a park but in the end decided not to. As happy as I was with it's images I still can see the gap between those vs. my Sony camera. They sure are much more convenient and easier to carry though and for most people that want to document and take general photos the new cameras on smart phones are just about perfect.

Speaking of "real cameras" I was actively looking for someone else like me that was lugging around a dedicated mirrorless camera or DSLR. Day 1 I saw exactly zero other people. Day 2 just one and for the rest of the trip only 2 others. This is in stark contrast to when i bought my first mirrorless camera for our 2011 trip. It seemed that at least every other "group" had at least one person with a "real" camera.

With Tony medicated and hydrated we grabbed a bus to Magic Kingdom; our reservation for the day. As I commented to @coachwnh , the bus service at Coronado Springs was excellent through out the trip. Both picking up at the resort and the parks. I never had that moment where we seemed to be waiting forever for a bus. The drivers were all very helpful and pleasant especially when dealing with Yia-Yia and her scooter.

Once through the gate we headed straight to TomorrowLand.

Sterg and I decided to get this baby rolling...

Then took a selfie.

People Mover was ready for the day...

And so was Space Mountain!

Up next; Space, Buzz, @Longers favorite ride and I finally did something I've been trying to do for literally decades!

F, we haven’t been to WDW in over 10 years, long story but one part is I had massive mileage with a European carrier so we have spent that time in Europe, especially Switzerland. DH is like you. One year we did a compare of THREE cameras. His Sony DSLR, our little Canon (baby camera) and the IPhones. When we got back we did side by sides of all 3. It was very interesting to see Since we did multiple years and our iPhones were upgraded. At first our baby Canon was the clear winner, then a year or two later the Sony was, then it was remarkable how good the iPhone had become. In the end after multiple European trips, most including the majesty of Switzerland, we were both 50-50 on the iPhones and the Sony. Agree with you, whichever lens DH used made a HUGE difference on our judging of which of the 3 we liked best. Your photos here are of interst to us, thus. Suggestion: since it isn’t like the old developing days and it costs nothing, don’t delete too fast! Take some time, come home, put up on the TV and THEN decide. DH is more like you, but I forbade him from deleting UNTIL we were home and could look at each on the TV and THEN decide. Anywat just some thoughts. Cheers, love your TR.

 

[fractal]

Seems like there should be a hidden Mickey in those queue pics but I can’t find one.

I don't think I've ever found a hidden Mickey in that queue now that you mention it!

That is soooo sweet! Good job @fractal jr

I think he also apologized for being a jerk. I told him he wasn't a jerk, just a normal teenage.

That's a lot of camera talk to unpack, so I'll try to be brief. My wife was around somewhere with her mirrorless until Sunday evening. She had a similar observation. With primes, I notice the jump from 24 down to 15 or 14 a lot more than I do going from 35 down to 24. With a zoom I don't notice it at all in that range since I get to frame standing still. In the Canon RF world, I'm waiting on the primes to force me into your learning curve. I'd love an ultra wide prime, but for us that means buying EF glass which would essentially be a rental until the RF version is released. And, for the record I do blame you and your pics for the EF fisheye we own and love!

Love the shots and the report!

Lol on buying the fisheye! This trip I used it once which I'm about to show. You are so right on dropping down to 14-15mm from 24mm. Major change! I have my eye on the new Tamron 35-150 f/2-2.8 but it's not in stock anywhere!
That has the potential to be a great travel/Disney lens. I've never been a "zoom" guy and love primes but I really wanted to give that a try this trip. Maybe in 2026?

Thanks @senor_jorge !

Migraines...the bane of my existence... I feel for her, I live it too..

Sorry to hear. They can really take you out of commission for awhile.

Hope Tony felt better after taking the medicine as migraines are the worst! I don't see too many guests carrying around big cameras anymore either since the new phones are so convenient and take such great pictures!

She did thanks! Most of the time Excedrin does the trick.

I have a DSLR that I just took out of the closet last month for my brother's wedding. I haven't used it forever so I had to charge the battery and the last pictures on it were from our Disney trip when Cam was 5 years old. I did think to myself what a shame I've had this thing packed away for 4 years!

Dust that baby off!

Excedrin Migraine relief to the rescue; my daughter suffers from them too!!

Great photos!! I gotta ask, was the top your wife made crochet or knit? I crochet hats but haven’t attempted anything as CUTE as that top.

Sorry to hear about your daughter. The can just pop up out of nowhere!

Thanks @Ghostdog ! That was crochet. She's very talented with needles and such!

I agree. The room is lovely. I loved the shower area. Balconies would be a definite plus.
Great shots! I am loving that camera!!

Thanks @93boomer !

Excellent trip report!
Your super attractive family captured by your superior photography.
Loving all the great pics!

Thanks @Disstevefan1 !

F, we haven’t been to WDW in over 10 years, long story but one part is I had massive mileage with a European carrier so we have spent that time in Europe, especially Switzerland. DH is like you. One year we did a compare of THREE cameras. His Sony DSLR, our little Canon (baby camera) and the IPhones. When we got back we did side by sides of all 3. It was very interesting to see Since we did multiple years and our iPhones were upgraded. At first our baby Canon was the clear winner, then a year or two later the Sony was, then it was remarkable how good the iPhone had become. In the end after multiple European trips, most including the majesty of Switzerland, we were both 50-50 on the iPhones and the Sony. Agree with you, whichever lens DH used made a HUGE difference on our judging of which of the 3 we liked best. Your photos here are of interst to us, thus. Suggestion: since it isn’t like the old developing days and it costs nothing, don’t delete too fast! Take some time, come home, put up on the TV and THEN decide. DH is more like you, but I forbade him from deleting UNTIL we were home and could look at each on the TV and THEN decide. Anywat just some thoughts. Cheers, love your TR.

I appreciate the info. The other major change in the last 5 to 10 years is also how people view photos and read these trip reports. 10 years ago it was almost all read and viewed on a laptop or desktop vs. today many are viewed on their cell phone where differences in image quality are harder to recognize. I post most of my photos here at a 1600 X 1067 or 2048 X 1366 size. On a big screen it's easy to tell the difference between those shot on my full-frame 42mp Mirrorless vs my Google Pixel 6 but I'm beginning to wonder how many others view it like that. Duly noted on deletions! Most of the ones I deleted were because I missed focus or just not appealing to me. My problem is when I come home from my trip I literally will have over 1,000 to several thousand large file (25mb -40mb) photo files I have to upload on my desktop and into Lightroom to edit. My MAC is getting old and I always fear it will "blow-up" when I upload so I try to cull my shots as much as possible in camera. I do like view on TV approach but I shoot in RAW and not sure that will work, but I'll find out!

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[fractal]

Over our last few trips we really gained a new appreciation and love for Space Mountain. At a top speed of only around 30mph you would think it would be a sleepy rollercoaster, but you would be wrong. The dips and turns and effects; not to mention mostly being in pitch blackness, really make it a hoot to ride! The lingering fear in the back of your mind of having your head separated from the rest of body at any moment also adds to the excitement!

Who needs coffee to wake up in the morning when you have this recipe!

Standby time was double zeros so away we go!

Stretching out the hamstrings...

Standing is line gave Sterg and Toni an opportunity to update their Social Media feed. Just when I think I'm caught up on their latest sharing apps I realize I'm at least two behind. Last trip it was a lot of Snapchat and Ticktock. This trip Ticktock is still a thing and now there's something called "be real" and something else that is a compilation of mini videos showing how you get through a day.

"Hi taking pics in the dark." Toni is still using her "Hi" vernacular but not nearly as heavy as last trip.

I turned on my little LED light on top of my camera for this shot.

"Hi using a light!"

"Just smile or I'll turn it up higher!"

Soon after we were traveling to the stars!

Then landed back at Tomorrowland!

I told Toni to pose like the serving robot, which she happily obliged to do. Two straight summers working as a waitress seemed to inspire her.

I snapped this terrible photo on the way out but it does hold some significance. This is the spot in the Space Mountain giftshop that had a row of massage chairs. The ones my Mom used while we were riding SM during our 2017 trip. They are now gone. I would latter learn that the entire gift shop is going to be gutting and converted into an entrance (or exit?) for the Tron Coaster.

Space Mountain succeeded in giving us a morning jolt and priming us for the day. We decided to make another voyage into space but this time in an armed vehicle!

 

[fractal]

We've ridden Buzz plenty of times over the years, starting when it was considered a "must do" at the Parks.

And I've taken plenty of photos during the ride...

Remember when HDR photography was a thing and everyone wanted their photos to either look like a cartoon or look radioactive?

Since those days and since Toy Story Mid-Way Mania opened, Buzz has fallen down the ranks of "most popular" attractions, but we're all still fans!
For this battle against Zurg I armed myself with my venerable 8mm f/2.8 fisheye lens instead of the 14mm. I have always wanted to shot this ride with the fisheye because of the close quarters and the craziness of the fisheye lending well to a crazy type ride. The big challenge was going to be dealing with the "slower" aperture of f/2.8 in a very dark ride. Not only from a standpoint of allowing in enough light to the camera but also dealing with the manual focus only nature of the lens and getting things in focus. Not exactly a picnic in a moving ride, but I've been there before so I followed Sterg and Toni's cart as the lone rider in my own. Their challenge was to try to get the highest score amongst our triumvirate.

Off we went!

My mission - maneuver my craft by myself while shooting targets and outscoring the kids while photographing this dark ride using a slow aperture, manually focusing lens! Well, I didn't come all the way to Walt Disney World to not go for it!

First room...

Zurg!

Escape Hatch! Inside here is were I thought the fisheye would shine.

But alas, the images on the screen were just too dark and moving too fast for me to capture any kind of usable shot. Perhaps the faster 14mm 1.8 would have fared better.

During the course of the ride I discovered that you can shoot a single target multiple times. It's sure not as fun as shooting a target then trying to acquire another one across the room, but for my purposes of gaining bragging rights and with one hand on the gun and the other switching from holding the camera to swinging the ride around it was a perfect strategy.

"What were your scores?" I asked as the ride came to an end.

"I had 34,000" from Toni

"48,000!" beamed Sterg.

I waited. "What did you get?"

"56,000 baby!" I exclaimed.

Certainly not a score to brag about in the annals of Buzzlightyear history but on that day enough to show the old-man still had it!

Good job SpaceRangers!

Overall I was pretty happy with the results I captured with my challenging lens and I finally scratched that itch.

We exited and I got one more shot with the fisheye...

I do love when they do this!

 

[lindawdw]

Fantastic pictures of SM and Buzz!!!!

 

[MickeyCB]

Escape Hatch! Inside here is were I thought the fisheye would shine.

All of these pictures have a psychedelic/surreal look to them!! I love them!

 

[erstwo]

Agree! Love the photos.

 

[fractal]

After Buzz I really, really wanted to jump on the People Mover. The other 2/3 of the Triumvirate were luke warm but after a little pep talk they were convinced. The line was long but moving fast. After moving through 2 rows of the roped queue line we were stopped cold. The ride was down. 10 minutes later without moving and with the cars still frozen we decided to move on with long faces.

Our lightning lane was coming up so we took some time to take a "potty" break.

I'm not a fan of the "fish lips" that Toni likes to use in her photos but I still love her.

We then made our way to FrontierLand via FantasyLand...

This was tempting but we moved on.

Getting closer!

I was starting to get more comfortable with the 14mm.

We hopped in line for the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!

I have grown to enjoy the signs in the queue.

"Toni, can we stop with the fish lips?" I requested.

"Hi Fish lips." was the response.

 

[fractal]

We were moving fast through the line but I still managed some shots...

I explained to the kids what a grave alarm was. A string in the coffin that rang a bell above ground just in case they buried you alive by mistake.

"Hi grave alarm."

Very good advise.

Nice view...

More signs

and more views...

I also explained why there were bird cages in the ceiling of the queue and why miners took birds, specifically canaries down in the mine shaft.

Gotta check for gold!

"No fish lips!" I commanded.

"I spent $5,000 for you to have a beautiful smile so let me see it!"

"Thank you!"


Sterg however couldn't resist harassing me with his version of the fish lips.

 

[fractal]

Our train pulled into the station.

I love going through the cavern during the climb and feel it's a very underrated part of the ride...

The fun has begun!

Big Smiles (and no fish lips) behind me!

The wildest ride in the wilderness pulled back into the station. Our next stop was going to be something I've been trying to do since at least 2000. I vaguely remember seeing it as a little boy in 1976. Once again it took some convincing but the 2/3 was on board.

Off we went.

The Country Bears were out.

Getting closer...

By the way, the flowers and landscaping throughout WDW was beautiful. I'm sure a horticulturalist could do an entire trip just identifying and appreciating it all.

Made it!

Up Next - A great show loved by all, Pirates with the 50mm, and the rain arrives.

 

[MinnieM123]

@fractal , I love the angle of the photo that you took inside the American Pavilion. Very cool.