60th Anniversary Trip, Pt. 2: POTC

Welcome to the Blue Bayou, where every journey through Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction begins. It's also a chance to see the Blue Bayou Restaurant, where those who plan ahead and make reservations MIGHT have a chance of getting a table!



Back to the Bayou, I was pretty happy with how the shots from this particular journey turned out.



I think our boat was going slower than usual, which helps tremendously when shooting in low light situations.



Next thing I knew, we had already descended into the magical blue depths of the Pirate Grotto.



Look at this poor sap with the sword in his back; he's not telling any tales.



A closeup:



The Captain apparently lived long enough to enjoy his riches.



What a treasure room.



Zooming in for a better look:



The Wicked Wench:



I was finally able to get a decent shot of the projection effect of a duel on the fortress' wall:



My VERY favorite character in this attraction, the Red Headed Wench.



You knew I was going to give you a closeup of her:



The lusty onlookers across the way…



and on the bridge overhead:



Further down the way we encounter more lusty (and blitzed) pirates.



Here kitty kitty kitty. Since the men chasing women scenes are politically incorrect, how about one of a dog chasing a cat?



The Merry Minstrels, singing X Atencio's famous tune:



One of the many classic Marc Davis gags:



Another favorite character, the hairy-legged pirate:







You can't help but feel sorry for this trio of imprisoned saps:



Watch out for shots overhead:



Jack Sparrow, attempting to broaden the appeal of this attraction (as if it really needed it).



The final image is (of course) the exit:



Was that enough photos for one post? TOMORROW: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!



Aaaaaaargh your way over to my main website for more POTC photos.

Yo ho yo ho, Pt. 1

Come join me for my gajillionth ride upon the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland! It was a beautiful sunny day, as can be seen from the crow's nest of Tarzan's Treehouse, facing the exterior of the attraction building.

Here's a completely different viewpoint of the façade, looking up from the depths of the queue:



Commemorating the attraction's 30th anniversary back in 1997, this plaque/fountain has always been a favorite of mine:



Everyone now and then I attempt to update shots from my collection; it had been about 2 years since I'd taken any of the portraits in the queue. Sir Francis Verney got his refresh on this particular visit.



A group shot before we boarded our boats:



Hard to believe I had never shot this orange curtained window in the queue before:



The blue lighting of the bayou gets me every time:



The Jolly Roger is the perfect warning before the boat dips down into the audio animatronic magic of the attraction:



More of my favorite blue lighting, this time illuminating the caverns and waterfalls of the grotto:



Turning the corner I did my best for a closeup of the Marc Davis painting:



I have always wanted to crawl out of the boat to get a look at what the Captain is reading through his magnifying glass. Fortunately, good sense (what little I have) has prevented me from doing so.



I love the way the cool lighting of the grotto frames the warm gold tones of the Captain's Treasure:



Anyone care to tally up the riches on view here?



See more Daveland vintage & current Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean photos at my main website…ALL 4 PAGES!

Trip Report, Pt. 2

Today's trip report begins with a view of the construction over at the Carnation Café, which will apparently be serving Starbucks in the very near future. Java junkies who have suffered the "coffee" served at Disneyland for the last few decades should be rejoicing.



Spring has sprung at the park, as flowers were blooming beautifully all over.









I was fortunate enough to spend the entire day with Matt, Kevin, and Michaela, Disneyland photographers supreme.



All day long, the four of us played photo geek with tripods and cameras and lenses; other than the Disneyland Railroad, we didn't ride one single attraction.



Still, we made time to eat. Lunch was at The Blue Bayou...



which afforded some great views of (what else?) the bayou.









Oh how I want these lamps!



Being with other photo geeks allowed me time to notice the details and take my time with shooting them.

















Over at Nemo, the lagoon looked lovely, except...



many guests were confused by what they saw.



Zooming in, you can see the source of confusion. Are they real? Or are they fake?



Just to help clear things up, these are fake.



These are real.



The Matterhorn looms over the background, with most of the scaffolding removed now.



Come back for tomorrow for a night of swing dancing at the Carnation Plaza Gardens! See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland photo website.