Adventureland – Page 4

The Family Treehouse

Wandering through Tarzan’s Treehouse is always a fun adventure. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you still get to be a kid climbing a tree. Realizations like that somehow always bring me back to family. When I think about being a kid, I think about the fun I had, the bumps, bruises and scars I earned. More than that, I think about the shelter I was given by my family, their love and the memories that came from special moments reinforcing I truly mattered in this world. Somehow, this particular scene in the treehouse captures that notion of family for me.

What Wonders Await

Adventureland, Disneyland

Already I am excited for what wonders await you at the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. That is, of course, if you avoid looking into the eyes of Mara, which never really seems to work out too well. Foolish mortals we may be but the real treasure of this temple is the adventure. From the journey through the queue to the jeep ride that at times gets a little…bumpy, the epic Indiana Jones score is your soundtrack. All you need now is a stylish hat and a sturdy whip. But why did it have to be snakes?

It’s a Jungle Out There

Adventureland, Disneyland

Taming the wild may seem like a chore to some but for us adventurous tour guides, it’s the only way to keep from going insane. Adventureland is one of our favorite lands to photograph. At midday it provides for amazing contrast of light and shadow in the jungle areas and during the night it lights up and illuminates with a soft glow. Maybe we are a little biased but we cannot forget the Jungle Cruise. It is such a great subject to capture during any time of the day. The size of the midway and the narrow aspects that Adventureland has to offer really test the photographer in all of us. It’s a Jungle out there but we like it that way. Like the Jungle Skippers always say, “If it rains in the jungle, who cares? That’s why they call it a rain forest.”

Twilight at the Bengal Barbecue

Adventureland, Disneyland

As if Dole Whip, Jungle Cruise jokes and temptations of treasures from the Temple of the Forbidden Eye weren’t enough of a draw for Park goers into Adventureland, the smell of The Bengal Barbecue will grab you by the nose and coax you with all its magical deliciousness…ness. The skewers are a perfect light meal or snack and you don’t even have to teach yourself Swahili. Aside from the food, I have always found the sign to be really interesting and it is certainly an overdue subject for a picture. I especially love the way it looks around twilight because myriad shades of orange really jump out against the blue cast of nightfall.

Night Falls on the Jungle

Adventureland, Disneyland

I have wanted to get a nighttime picture of The World Famous Jungle Cruise since we started. It has been a long time coming but I’m so glad it has. I read something from a photographer I respect about waiting on some shots that you are really excited about because as you go on, you will continue to improve. By doing so, you bring more to the table. Patience is not an easy thing for me. I know that if I had rushed to get this picture, however, that I would have done myself a disservice. I have learned so much in the course of time and from Kevin and Michaela. Sometimes we get asked why we do this together. Well, aside from the sheer enjoyment of each others’ company, we make each other better.

Disneyland is amazing at night. The atmosphere changes entirely. It’s my favorite time to be at the Park. And my favorite place to be at that time is Adventureland, with its torches and lanterns burning brightly. I love the smell of the dense foliage in the damp evening air and I can all but taste adventure, arriving at the Jungle Cruise.

The Backside of Water

Adventureland, Disneyland

Here it is. The moment you’ve all been waiting for – the backside of water! What can be said about the eighth wonder of world? It’s in the top ten. It’s wet. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. For those of you that enjoyed this post my name is Matthew. And for those of you that didn’t my name is not important.