Disneyland photography blog
When two holidays collide we are left with the Pumpkin King visiting us on Christmas Eve and it won’t be pie that he’s bringing. But who can really blame Jack for being drawn to the warmth and splendor of Christmas? It’s enough to warm anyone’s bones, even if we can’t quite put our finger on why.
The elaborate Christmas decorations of New Orleans Square never cease to amaze me. I am drawn to their color palette, their detail and their whimsy that seamlessly mingles with elegance. Wandering through the alleyways I find myself constantly looking up to try and not miss any of the clever details. I just have to remind myself to watch where I’m going so I don’t run into things.
I thought this was a wonderful moment at Disneyland as an engineer waited for the Disneyland Limited to pull into the station at New Orleans Square. It also seemed fitting to me to use this picture to help build anticipation for our Disneyland Railroad project. If you’re as impressionable as I’m hoping you are, you now have a deep desire and a need to watch our film on Saturday and share it with all your family and friends. If you don’t have that feeling yet, that’s okay. We still have a couple of days to work on you and clever plans are in the works.
Even though the Haunted Mansion in this state is not a part of Halloween Time at Disneyland, Halloween would not be complete without giving it a well deserved nod. This home for happy haunts is one of the first things I think of this time of year and I find myself wishing I could ride it in spite of my love for the Haunted Mansion Holiday festivities. I took this shot right at the end of this past winter at twilight. The clouds in the sky reminded me of an aurora in their ethereal shapes and lofty proximity, catching those last bits of light from the dying day. I was delighted, to say the least, that these clouds had decided to materialize over the Haunted Mansion.
There’s something really exciting about the Disneyland Railroad. It’s hard to put a finger on just one thing, however, because there are so many things that make it what it is. You have the friendly wave from the engineers as they drive the train from station to station. The shout of “All aboard!” from the conductors. The grand circle tour of Walt’s original Magic Kingdom. The feeling of adventure as you pass through trees and tunnels. The nostalgia and wonder of being transported by locomotives around a century old. It’s amazing to think that these quiet, steady steel horses were once the cutting edge of getting places. We are working on a special Disneyland Railroad project and have really fallen in love and gained a new appreciation for this attraction and the people who maintain it. Seen in this picture is an engineer filling up the water tank at the New Orleans Square Station.
New Orleans Square has just about all the charm a person could hope to handle in an evening. Late at night, when the crowds from Fantasmic! have cleared, you can stroll down alleyways you have all to yourself. You may not be able to grab a bite at the Bayou, but you’re likely to find a few well fed patrons making their way from Club 33. We like to take times like these, when you have a spot in the Park all to yourself, to dream and recharge. About the only thing that could make it any better is if you could still grab a mint julep and listen to some jazz.
