Going to Guides: Daveland's Greatest Hits

If you’re a Disney Park fanatic, then the Going to Guides book series is a must have. Why, you ask? Because they are well designed, have loads of helpful information about the Parks, and most importantly: the are illustrated with my photography! Shannon Laskey, the author, is getting ready to update the Disneyland book and will be adding even more of my photos. Today’s post features a sampling of some of those images. It was fun to go through the archives and see some of these photos again, bringing up a lot of good memories. The first shot is of the Mr. Toad attraction exterior at night, followed by an interior view of it’s a small world (the holiday version).



I am an early riser, which sure helps in getting those crowd-free shots at the Park. Main Street, U.S.A. is the most difficult to get without a lot of guests stampeding to Fantasyland, but thanks to a quick pace upon opening, I was able to get this one of the Candy Palace:



…and the Jolly Holiday bakery:



How about this one of Toontown? Patience is a virtue, waiting for a shot to be guest-free.



Waterfalls can make for very interesting pictures, whether you use a fast shutter speed to make them razor sharp, or a super slow one to capture a milk-like effect. On this one from Toontown, I chose the latter.



If you go there right at opening, Frontierland is fairly easy to get a clear shot without any crowds.



I had forgotten about this Jungle Cruise dock panorama, but was sure pleased to be reminded about it!



Last one for today is the one I am probably most proud of: Sleeping Beauty Castle at night:



Thanks to Shannon for using my photos and causing this trip down Memory Lane for me!

See more Disneyland photos at my main website.

Another May Trip Report, Pt. 4

After an action-packed day, I decided to stay overnight and get a few early morning shots before heading home.



Views like this of Main Street, devoid of guests, made it worth getting up so early in the morning!





Alice Davis' window is next to her husband's Marc. All I can say is...it's about time!



There were more cast members than guests!







I love these little hitching posts, which can be found all over Main Street:



Breakfast at The Plaza Inn gave me an opportunity to shoot more light fixtures:









Kudos to Disneyland for turning The Pavillion back into a vibrant space:





How often do you get to shoot the entrance of a land, devoid of guests?





I decided to attempt to ride Nemo, as it had been at least a year or more since the last time.



A pleasant journey...





But overall, my feelings about it were the same.



Loud...disjointed...and full of special effects that weren't so special.



See you in another year or so!



The Monorail had an overlay celebrating the imminent opening of Cars Land:



The Carnation Plaza Gardens is already under the wrecking ball:



and The Carnation Cafe is getting closer to being finished:



My last bit of fun for this weekend was at The Opera House, where I decided to take in Mr. Lincoln.



The lobby display is worth viewing.



It makes the perfect preamble to the Lincoln show.





What a gorgeous tableau. If this scene doesn't make you feel patriotic, I don't know what will!



Back to my TPE series tomorrow!

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web page.

Trip Report, Pt. 2

Join me on my trip through the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, one of my very favorite dark rides at Disneyland. The Dream Suite looms over the queue, making me wish I could stay there in all its Imagineer-ed splendor!



I wonder how many people zipping through the queue stop to notice this very cool Anniversary Tribute fountain?



I love the peacefulness of the initial trip through the Bayou.





And the sighting of the Jolly Roger, preparing you for the riches ahead.



I never tire of seeing all the details in the Captain's Bar, Quarters, and Treasure Room:







The crossfire in this scene is always exciting, as blasts of water randomly hit guests in their boat.





My favorite scene still sparkles after all these years:







Stalking, pirate-style!



Although the hat-thief in the Minstrel/Burning City scene is missing, my favorite hairy-legged pirate was still overhead:



What a classic scene; eternal torment in prison.



More crossfire!



For some reason, even though there are plenty of props, this recently added scene leaves me flat.



Out in the light of day, the Court of Angels is always a great place for photos.





It should come as no surprise that my next stop was The Haunted Mansion; it was a Double Dark Ride Spectacular! I can practically hear the organ music now...



Talk about details...every place you turn (or crane your neck) there is something to appreciate.







"Of course, there's always my way!" Oh how I love me a little Frees-style creepy!



Ever notice the "faces" above these doors?



The dueling portraits are another fave for me in this attraction.



Zooming in to see what this one looks like:



More creepy...I love it! Simple though it may be, this little light effect is great!



So much to see here in the cemetery...you almost need infra-red glasses to catch it all!



Little Leota is the ultimate in cool. Ever since I was a little tot, this effect totally blew me away.



Enough of the dark...time for some shots in the daylight. The new Lego sculptures in Downtown Disney have finally been unveiled:









By this point, I had been joined by 2/3 of the Tours Departing Daily team. It's always a blast to hang with them, since they love shooting photos as much as I do. The three of us hadn't eaten much and The Jolly Holiday was the perfect spot to satisfy our hunger.



Need I say it again? The details make the difference!









Call me crazy (it wouldn't be the first time), but I'm a sucker for light fixtures and signage.





Let's see which way the wind is blowing...



Next up: Disneyland at Night! See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my Disneyland website.