Maintain the Magic, people.
Much like it being the “The Happiest Place on Earth”, there has to be belief before there’s magic.
Posts Tagged: disney
7
Feb 12
Be Nice
Some of the most interesting things around me almost get stepped on.
Even though The American Theme Park documentary has slowed down, I still keep my eyes open for interesting objects, people and actions, and keep an open mind while scouring the grounds. This was found near our hotel near some bushes. It’s discarded, but its point was likely made to it’s young intended audience. I can only imagine the back story to this. These are some of things that interest me the most – where you see a fragment of the story, but so much information can be gathered from it. Sibling rivalries, parents struggling to control their children, anger management problems, or even relationship problems; it’s possible. Written words can be so powerful.
What gets me: it looks like Mickey Mouse wrote it.
8
Oct 11
Many Mickey Mouse
Walt Disney World is marketed as the Happiest Place on Earth. Sure, that’s probably true. Things are what you say they are. Thus, if you believe what they say, then it is the Happiest Place on Earth.
Mickey Mouse makes that happen. He is shown here on an ordinary store shelf, something you expect and see around every corner in these theme parks and frankly, any store. This one is different.
Brittany Evans liked this post
18
Sep 11
Walking Woman, Distracted Man
In effort to upgrade my website to include some more recent work and a recap of The American Theme Park project, I stumbled upon some images that I didn’t use for the book, but thought were interesting on their own. The original intent of this photo was to grab a shot of a man distracted/bored while taking a break while in Disney World.
Our cell phones and portable gadgets are great for distracting us from boredom and connect us to the world in a digital fashion, but we often use these at an inappropriate time. We gain this added convenience at the cost of distracting removing us from our environment – we lose sight of what’s around and in front of us. Say, you’re at a party, social meeting, dinner, etc; you can always identify the person that doesn’t want to be there by finding the one that is zoned in on their phone, browsing the web, texting others. As these distractions are somewhat new, the social guidelines for their use haven’t been completely established, adapted, or perhaps even acknowledged by the masses.
13
Sep 11
Sepia Buildings and American Football
I feel like I’ve been in a truly creative funk lately. Sure, I’ve taken and created photos in the past couple months, but my gears haven’t really been grinding, I haven’t been making any conceptual work as I did during my studies at UNF (though I suppose that’s what college is for, right?). So now, with the only one pushing me to make more work is myself, I decided to pick up where I left off and focus on furthering The American Theme Park series. There are still things to explore, points to make, etc.
So here’s a nice warm up image from my recent expedition. This image furthers the idea of the guests “consuming” the environment and pieces of the set in front of them. Cinderella’s Castle being perhaps the most consumed photographed building in America, and based on my memory of this photo being taken, this man was facing said castle.
Meredith Ramey liked this post
5
Jul 11
There’s One in Every Crowd
There's One in Every Crowd
Yet another trip to Walt Disney World (hey, gotta make that annual pass worth it) leads to more photos to add to the pile.
This one’s an instant classic. There never ceases to be at least one guest that says “screw the heat, the crowds, and hell, screw the standing!” So, they lay down. And not just on the sidewalk that they’ve been camped out on for an hour and a half for a parade that’s going to last for fifteen minutes while they eat their popcorn, cotton candy, sodas, hot dogs, french fries, brownies, and ice cream while holding onto a balloon and getting irritated at their kids (breathe), but in the air conditioned entry way to the gift shop.
I noticed several employees, even managers, eying her laying there but didn’t say anything. It’s either that extra accommodation of tolerating it, or maybe it’s just policy to not make people move.
I suppose in her defense, she wasn’t really in the way of anything. But it goes to show you the luxuries people take when they’re on vacation – as if they’re the only one.
Meredith Ramey liked this post
15
Jun 11
Princess Greeting
Here we have the Princess greeting area. Yeah, we got to meet Belle, Snow White, AND Cinderella (it was actually kind of cute; I’m not knocking it). It’s just entertaining how having someone dress up as a fairytale princess makes your six-year-old get excited and nervous all at the same time. But that’s how we raise our children isn’t it?
13
Jun 11
Americana at Disney World
With another brief visit to WDW brings more images for “The American Theme Park.” Summer is the time where Disney launches extra shows, because of it being vacation season, which in turn, bring a lot of people. And this makes for many photo opps.
The more I think about it, and the more I experience the parks, the more I realize how big of a piece of Americana it is. Walt Disney celebrated American culture, and thats seen through some attractions such as Carousel of Progress, and of course, The Hall of Presidents.
A tangent of American culture is seen in Adventureland, where it’s not so expressly shown. In Adventureland, they showcase “exotic” cultures, while you’re greeted with sculpted poles and the Tiki Room with Spanish-speaking birds (though it’s currently closed). The Americana here is how these cultures are seen as fun, adventure, and exploration, as opposed to culturally and intellectually equivalent, but different.
18
May 11
Disneyland
Look at me going to Disneyland. This was a somewhat extension to my documentary project, and another part finding the roots of Disney World and seeing how they stack up. Disneyland opened in 1955, and Walt Disney World (aka The Florida Project) opened in 1971.
I’ll make a one-liner. If Disneyland were the urban beginnings, Disney World is the suburban ideal.
I can continue to make that comparison throughout the two parks. Disneyland is much more close together in attractions and people, the corridors and queue lanes are narrower, the entire area is smaller in acreage, and it’s all in the middle of everything else in downtown Anaheim. Thus, Walt Disney World by design, is massive in it’s acreage, much more spacious in it’s avenues, lanes, and shops, has more attractions that you can see more easily (photo spots, anyone?), and is the ideal dream of Walt Disney. You have to drive into it as if it is it’s own town – a planned development in the suburbs. Disney World is suburban Disney – neat, clean, friendly, and almost perfect.
That aside, it was fun to see Disney’s roots. There were noticeable differences in many of the attractions, namely in Pirates of the Caribbean that is bases in New Orleans Square, rather than Adventureland.
The queue was more close together, obviously being extended from when it was first built. When you first get into the building, you’re greeted by the attraction boats on the water – they’re right next to you. You then go around the corner and get on the ride.
It starts in the Louisiana bayou – a good transition from New Orleans square into the Caribbean. Go down, and into the Pirates typical animatronic show. It was mostly the same with a few additional scenes, making it a bit longer than WDW’s.
Enough of a review…
Here’s a street view of New Orleans Square.
The Haunted Mansion exterior was vastly different, as they’re based off different haunted houses. The attraction itself was pretty similar, though.
And of course, the Matterhorn. Since Sleeping Beauty’s castle isn’t quite the focal point of the park as Cinderella’s Castle is (it’s only 77ft tall as opposed to WDW’s 189ft), the Matterhorn Bobsled ride, being the tallest and grandest, becomes the feature attraction.
I’ll leave you with just one more touristy picture. We all do it, right? Because if you don’t have pics of you in the place, you weren’t really there!
24
Apr 11
A Photographer Never Stops Working
Even though my Documentary is “finished” (as-is my college career), I can’t help but continue to think about it and work through it.
This is a combination of my mobile work, but continuing the documentary. More of the same, but with a slightly different visual approach.
Mildre D. Torres liked this post