Tours Departing Daily

Disneyland photography blog

Disneyland

Sleeping Beauty Castle Sunset

Disneyland, Fantasyland

It’s hard to express how excited we get when we see beautiful clouds anywhere near Sleeping Beauty Castle.  They play so well to the feeling of fantasy and really help you to see things with a different perspective.  When I saw the way the clouds lined up behind the castle, I hurried down Main Street, dodging my way through the crowd.  I made it to Central Plaza and wasn’t finding the shot I wanted.  I wandered a little farther, past the Partners Statue, to where they rope off benches for fireworks and it hit me.  I was in my own world and it seemed as though time did not exist.  It wasn’t until a cast member walked up and joked with me that this shot would cost me $50 that I left my world of fantasy to enter back into reality.  I laughed and told him I would need to write him a check, then made my way back to Michaela and Kevin, contented.

Reflecting Fantasyland

Disneyland, Fantasyland

I love Fantasyland but sometimes I avoid going.  It’s so crowded so often, it can be difficult to take your time to enjoy it.  At the same time, I would say that many of the most magical things take place there, in the heart of Disneyland.  When you walk across the drawbridge, under the castle gate, and enter a world of fantasy, you are met with the choice of which ride you wish to go on.  Rides based on Disney classics that we all seem to have grown up on.  You don’t have to dream about Neverland, you can fly there.  You don’t have any strings to hold you down either.  There are magic feathers and poison apples that all make for a wild ride.  The very best thing about it though is seeing children and parents taking part in amusement together, having fun and making memories.

The Space Between

Disneyland, New Orleans Square

I don’t know if you would call this a nook or a cranny but this spot in New Orleans Square really caught my eye.  It’s the space between the Pieces of Eight shop and the Nightmare Before Christmas store and certainly somewhere I’ve overlooked on many a trip to Disneyland.  It was a gloomy day and something about that atmosphere really brought the faded bricks to life.  I spent a good chunk of time taking it in.  Sometimes I wonder what people must think when they see me staring into a corner.

The Plaza Gardens Stage

Disneyland, Fantasyland

On any given day at Disneyland, the air may carry to your ear a tune from the Plaza Gardens Stage.  That melody may come from a choir, an orchestra, or a jumpin’ swing band.  It’s a unique facet of the park and the Plaza Gardens Stage has an incredibly rich history.  Musicians the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Harry James & Benny Goodman have graced this venue.  All within a hop, skip and a jump from Sleeping Beauty Castle.  Can you imagine anything more magical?

The Blue Bayou

Disneyland, New Orleans Square

The Blue Bayou opened on this day, forty-four years ago.  Alongside Pirates of the Caribbean, it changed New Orleans Square and Disneyland.  Not only does it offer fine dining in a theme park, but it does so in the atmosphere and presence of one of greatest rides of all time for a truly unique and magical experience.  Happy anniversary Blue Bayou!