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Category Archives: Disney in Pictures
Capturing Disney in Pictures: Haunted Mansion, Florida Style
Every photo has a story.
People enjoy being scared for fun, and what better place than a haunted house? Studies show up to 40% of Americans believe in house-haunting. So nearly one in two people believe, more than they believe in any other paranormal actitity, that spirits haunt houses. Your buddy standing next to you right now? He probably believes. He’s listening for rattling chains.
So of course Walt Disney incorporated a haunted house into plans for his new theme park. His initial concept for the Haunted Mansion was a retirement home for ghosts. Disneyland’s original 1969 Haunted Mansion was installed in an antebellum plantation house located in Frontierland. This building, built years prior to the ghost’s inhabitance, is detailed with a columned portico and ornate filigree railings. Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion appears to have lept straight out of “Song of the South.”
But for Disney’s second shot at spooky residential scares, Imagineering’s John Hench dreamed up a much darker-themed design for Walt Disney World’s Florida version of the Haunted Mansion. The end product, a gothic manse made of stone and brick located in Liberty Square, appears straight out of an old horror movie. Ghosts grim or grinning, I’d still move in this mansion, since there’s always room for one more. But I’d need some cleaning supplies.
Picture this… five pound bags of theatrical dust, called “Fuller’s Earth,” are used to decorate the 200 props at the Haunted Mansion. Pound for pound, that’s likely enough dust to have buried the Mansion completely by now. With your Doom Buggie, officially known as a 160 OmniMover, plugging along a 1.4 mph, there seems little chance of a Doom Buggie draft disturbing the dust. This OmniMover technology was first used by Disneyland in the 1967 attraction Adventure Thru Inner Space.
The Haunted Mansion offers fun entertainment for adults, and you’ll leave with one of the most memorable Disney songs of all time ringing in your ears. But some young children can be frightened. This attractions isn’t a Disney-cute ride like you would have expected to see in the now-deceased Toon Town. Hanging corpses, coffins, axes, spooky portraits, loud shreiks, and DARK rooms abound, and that’s once you make it past the tombstones by the side door. Not to mention those Cast Members perfectly in character… it’s time to take small children by the hand and enjoy a good Disney scare.
Either way, California’s antebellium plantation or Florida’s gothic mansion, “Beware of Hitchhiking ghosts!”
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at mouzekateerz@chipandco.com
Capturing Disney in Pictures: 4th Day of Christmas viewing Castle Dreamlights
Castle Dreamlights at the Magic Kingdom
Every photo has a story.
One of the newest traditions at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is not the lighting of the Main Street Christmas tree, but the lighting of ”Castle Dreamlights,” the light display covering Cinderella Castle. The numbers are nearly as high as the park attendance. Disney lighting designers use 200,000 sparkling LED lights, 500 strobes, 15 miles of cable, and 32,000 square feet of fishing net to create Castle Dreamlights. Back in 2007, Walt Disney World started this new holiday tradition where Cinderella Castle changes color in synchronization with the music of “Holiday Wishes.” In this case, a picture is worth thousands of lights.
Picture this…it takes 150 trips for WDW tractor-trailers to deliver fully-loaded truckloads of decorations to 24 resorts, 4 theme parks, Downtown Disney, and other locations. 1,314 wreaths are hung with care, accentuated by 15 miles of garland. 300,000 yards of ribbon and bows are draped over 1,300 Christmas trees spread across the WDW property. 8.5 million lights are strung up throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. That’s a lot of sparkling photo opportunities!
While you’re on your way to claim a seat for the Castle Dreamlights show, stop in at Casey’s Corner, located on the corner of the west side of Main Street. Grab a cold drink, a hot dog, some fries, and walk over for some Dreamlight fun.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at mouzekateerz@chipandco.com.
Capturing Disney in Pictures: 3rd Day of Christmas at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian
Every photo has a story.
With theme park crowds at some of their highest levels during the Christmas Season, you may need a break from the long lines. Hop a monorail and head over to the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for some holiday shopping in a fabulous resort themed in the style of America’s palace hotels. As you walk into the lobby from the monorail platform, you’ll feel as if you have entered an archetectural era of days gone by. Inspired by the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, Colorado, the five story lobby will take your breath away.
The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa decorates each holiday season with a can’t miss Victorian era inspired gingerbread house. Grab your camera and head to the right side of the lobby, where you’ll find a staircase frequently used for bridal portraits for weddings held at the resort. Snap your own photo here on the stairs, followed by a shot next to their astounding Christmas tree, and then make your way across the lobby to the gingerbread house taken straight from every child’s Christmas morning fantasy.
Picture this…the GF Gingerbread House is whipped up every year from scratch using 800 pounds of flour, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 1,050 pounds of honey, and 180 pounds of apricot glaze. It takes about 400 hours to bake everything, and by everything, I mean the upwards of 10,000 pieces it takes to complete the mouth-watering 16-foot-tall piece of culinary architecture.
Want to learn some neat tips for creating your own holiday gingerbread masterpiece?
Grand Floridian Gingerbread House decorating demos are held Monday through Saturday right out in front of the Victorian Gingerbread House. You’ll need to bring your Disney Rewards Visa, because with all these sweet-treat options, you probably won’t walk away empty handed. There’s usually a classical pianist or a big band performing all your favorite Disney tunes in the lobby. Rest those feet for a while – enjoy your snack.
When you’ve had your fill of gingerbread, walk back upstairs to the monorail level and spend some time in Basin White. Basin White has a very simplistic décor that focuses all your attention on their specialty line of luxury bath and body care. With an amazing selection of bath bombs, salts, scrubs, and perfumes, they have a wide range of specialty soaps that you must smell to believe. You can preview some of their holiday soap bars right here. You’ll not soon forget the clean smells and the colorful soaps. Basin White is a great place to wash your hands with their sugar and salt scrubs before you resume your journey back to the Magic Kingdom. Don’t be surprised if you take some home for the holidays.
Gingerbread for the tummy and fabulous bath products for the body…what a excellent holiday combination.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at mouzekateerz@chipandco.com.
Capturing Disney in Pictures: 2nd Day of Christmas at Downtown Disney
Holiday decorated topiary at Downtown Disney
Every photo has a story.
When you need a break from the Walt Disney World theme park holiday crowds, or you would just like to do some Christmas shopping, look no further than Downtown Disney. There’s no better shopping spot for the ultimate Disney fan. With fabulous stores like Once Upon a Toy, World of Disney, and Disney’s Days of Christmas, the Downtown Disney area offers up a holiday feast for the eyes, ears, and wallet.
Picture this…there are 365 days a year when Florida residents and WDW guests can shop for holiday merchandise at the Disney’s Days of Christmas shop in Downtown Disney. Here you’ll find items like ornaments, Christmas hats, stockings, each with a Disney twist and available for purchase every day of the year. But only during the holiday season will you see 150 tractor-trailer truckloads full of decorations spread out across 24 resorts, four theme parks, Downtown Disney and other locations.
While you’re doing your Downtown Disney shopping, be sure to attend some of the activities held during the Festival of the Seasons there from now until January 8. You can grab a photo with Santa Claus in person at Santa’s Chalet until Dec 24th. Festival of the Seasons showcases holiday carolers plus traditional songs performed by jazz, pop, and Latin musical entertainers. You may also catch a glimpse of costumed stilt walkers, street performers, and at certain times, a holiday dance party with a deejay.
No trip to Downtown Disney would be complete without a snack from Goofy’s Candy Co. Chocolate-dipped caramel covered apples, cupcakes, pasteries… the suggary choices are endless, but you’ll be glad you made the trip.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at
mouzekateerz@chipandco.com.
Capturing Disney in Pictures: 1st Day of Christmas at Epcot
Pluto topiary at Epcot Center
Every photo has a story.
The holiday season is a beautiful time to pay a visit to Epcot. This topiary, one of the many artistic floral decorations on display, provides an excellent photo opportunity. You’ll find a wide variety of photographic possibilities throughout Walt Disney World before the New Year arrives.
Picture this…eleven countries will be decorated for Holidays Around the World at Epcot Showcase. As you make your way from country to country, you may see some of Disney’s 1,300 decorated trees spread throughout all of Disney World. Now is a great time to pick up a holiday ornament in one of these eleven pavilions to display on your own tree for years to come.
Looking for a memorable family event when you finish your holiday ornament shopping??
Over at the America Gardens Theatre Stage at Epcot, you can hear music of the holiday season during the Candlelight Processional. Highlighted by a celebrity narrator, the Nativity story is backed by fanfare trumpets, a 52-member orchestra, and a 350-voice choir made up of high school students, local choirs and Cast Members. By using different conductors, singers, and narrators for many of the performances, this creates an ever-so-slightly different theatrical version when you experience a new show. Disney guests return year after year for an exciting musical. Delighting holiday crowds at Epcot for nearly two decades, the Candlelight Processional will be a memorable experience for you’ll cherish for years to come.
Be sure to check the viewing times for the night of your visit, but there are Candlelight Processional shows at 5:00, 6:45, and 8:15 most nights through December 30.
Thanks for stopping by for a photographical Disney ride!
Do you have any fabulous Disney vacation pictures you’d like to share? Drop by and share your photos on facebook at Mouze Kateerz. Take a virtual Disney vacation twice a day in photographs. Or shoot me an email of your favorite Disney location at
mouzekateerz@chipandco.com.