Pursuing the Magic

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Animal Attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. My photo is from Flights of Wonder, one of my favorite shows in all of Walt Disney World. It is also one place that I have the hardest time capturing great pictures because the birds are always on the move. Luckily, I was able to capture this one and it even fits this week's theme ~ Animal Attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom!

Make sure you check out all the great Disney Wordless Wednesday posts over at

Focused on the Magic!

Hayley's Favorite Dessert from Cinderella's Royal Table

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:03:00 +0000

The girls meeting Belle at
Cinderella's Royal Table

This article was originally written for my WDW Daily News column Making Magical Memories, which is featured in the WDW Daily News newsletter. This article was published in newsletter #217 on February 7, 2012.

Sometimes the separate interests of one person collide, and it creates a perfect moment. This is just what happened to my daughter, Hayley, during our lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. If you have been following my articles for a while, you know that Hayley loves the princesses. She tends to be more favorable to Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel, but honestly, her favorites change by the day. I think that is simply due to the fact that she knows them all and loves each of them. She also loves art. She is our most creative of our three children and could use construction paper, scissors, glue and any type of writing utensil to create backdrops for stories she tells with her dolls, Valentine’s hearts for all the kids on her bus and even a few family portraits here and there. Let’s just say she loves princesses, and she loves art!

We knew when we made our reservation for Cinderella’s Royal Table that it would become one of Hayley’s favorite moments of the trip. What we didn’t expect was why it was her favorite. It all came down to the dessert! Throughout the meal, Hayley loved meeting the princess and showing off her own Cinderella gown, as well as princess hair that her Grammie styled just for this lunch. She was very quiet, as she usually is, but we knew she was loving every minute of it. When dessert was delivered, a decorate your own ice cream, her face lit up!

This is how the dessert was served at Cinderella's Royal Table

The dessert was delivered on a plate that looked like an artist’s palette. There were three cups of decorations: mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and Mickey shaped sprinkles. Hayley chose each item one by one to create an ice cream masterpiece. She loved every minute of decorating her dessert. It was the perfect combination of her love of princesses and her love of creating! Seeing how much she enjoyed this at Walt Disney World, I have now collect different edible decorations when I see them on sale, and once a month, we have an ice cream decorating party. It is a great way to bring a little Disney home with us and also a great outlet for Hayley to share her creativity.

What is your favorite Disney dessert?

Love Is In the Air with Pinterest ~ A PINspiration Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:04:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Disney Living. I am so excited because this blog hop gives me a real excuse for being on Pinterest, other than sitting in amazement at what great ideas people have and have shared!

I was really avoiding Pinterest because I figured it would just be another thing to keep me busy and away from all the other things I really need to be concentrating on. Well, guess what? I was right! I cannot get enough of it! As someone who has interests that span pretty much everything, I have had a great time collecting recipes, cake decorating tips and inspirations, scrapbook layouts and more great Cricut projects (and that is just the tip of the iceberg of ideas I have discovered!). Being someone who is a little less creative than others, it has truly been inspirational (and motivating) to see all that Pinterest has to offer. But my favorite board to work on is my 20th Anniversary Vow Renewal Board, in which I am finding all sorts of great ideas on what I would like to have at my own vow renewal.

Let me back up just a little though. We haven't officially made plans to have a vow renewal. I have four and a half years to convince my husband what a great idea this is. I figure starting the board will give me a fun place to start. That way when I finally convince Pierre we need to have a vow renewal, I will already have all sorts of ideas in one place!

So far, I have a found a few wedding cakes, venue ideas, flowers and have even pinned the Alfredo Angelo princess dresses because though they may not be appropriate for a vow renewal, they are beautiful and of course, I can dream! Being able to see everyone's ideas come together, it is certainly inspiring and makes me want to have a vow renewal even more than I did before, especially when I saw the Beauty and the Beast Cake! To see better details of my board, you can find it over on Pinterest at 20th Anniversary Vow Renewal (Disney Ideas).

Have you renewed your vows at a Disney resort? I would love to hear about it!

Has Pinterest inspired you lately? If so, make sure you share it over at the PINspiration Blog Hop hosted by Disney Living!

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Wow! I can't believe that February is here already. With the Super Bowl, the kids' 100th day of school and Valentine's Day coming up, it is another fun month for us!

Did you know that there is now going to be a Disney Junior 24 hour channel? I was discussing this over on my Facebook page (Pursuing the Magic). Head over and let me know if it will be available in your area. Not sure? You can find out at Disney Junior for Grown Ups.

On Monday, Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog shared the Disneyland Paris version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction for the sixth and final episode of the series In Pursuit of Pirates. Have you experienced the DLP version of this attraction?

Tuesday, I shared our experience with Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort. There are plenty of free family fun options right at the resorts for celebrating Halloween.

Also, on Tuesday, I shared the link to the Days in the Parkcast, the Days in the Park podcast, recent episode, in which I was a guest. We talked about how my blog started, what Disney means to my family and more. Want to know why we always start our Walt Disney World vacations with a character meal? We discussed that too!

Wednesday was the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme this week was our February Calendar Photo and I shared one of my favorites of Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Friday, in honor of the Super Bowl and as part of Flashback Friday hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic, I shared my family's chance meeting in the Magic Kingdom with Mr. & Mrs. Bob Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots.

Fun Disney Magic at Home from Around the Web This Week:

Disney In Our Blood shared ideas for a Tinker Bell Movie Night
Disney Donna Kay shared a Bibbidi Bobbidi Birthday Party Board
A Disney Mom's Thoughts shared details of a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Birthday Party

Flashback Friday ~ Meeting Mr. & Mrs. Kraft in the Magic Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:44:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of Flashback Friday, hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. You know that I am a Disney fan, but you may not know that we are also New England Patriots fans and have been since their seasons of minimal wins, and even their terrible loss to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX when their total yardage for the first half was in the negatives! As you can imagine, our household is excited for Sunday's Super Bowl!

Of course, like everything else in our lives, we have a Disney story to go along with this New England Patriots celebration. My husband wears Patriots things pretty often and when our son was born, he was, of course, given many Patriots outfits as well, which have been passed down and both girls have even worn them. Our kids have been dressed in Patriots clothes for every game (with just a few exceptions) since they were born. Even when we visit Walt Disney World, one day of the week, all the kids are dressed in their Patriots clothes.

Here the kids are celebrating the Patriots' 2011 season

Back on Joey's first Walt Disney World trip in February of 2006, while making our way from Frontierland to Adventureland, my dad veered away from our group and said hello to someone and shook his hand. When I glanced over to see who he was talking to, it was Bob Kraft. I couldn't believe it! I especially couldn't believe that my dad walked over to talk to him. In all our trips to WDW, we have seen many celebrities, though my dad made it very clear to my brother and I we could smile or wave to them, but they were on vacation and we were not to interrupt their time with their families. So let me tell you I was quite shocked that my dad went against his own advice.

My dad and Joey on Joey's first trip to WDW

My dad introduced himself and thanked Bob Kraft for all that he has done for the Patriots and Patriot fans. He then said he would let Mr. Kraft get back to his vacation with his wife and grandkids. The great part was, Mr. Kraft continued to chat with us about the Patriots. My son Joey was 14 months at the time and wearing his Patriots hat, which Mrs. Kraft commented on right away. Mr. Kraft mentioned that he didn't even know that they made Patriots hats that small. He gave my son a pin which had the Lombardi trophy and Patriots symbol on it. This led into my husband and dad then talking about Joey being a football player someday. Mr. Kraft, my husband and my dad then had an extensive conversation about what position Joey would play. I found this comical that three grown men were discussing the potential football fate of a 14 month old!

Hayley's first Patriots game (2 weeks old) - Pre-season 2006

He was such a nice guy and was so sweet to my son, as was Mrs. Kraft. They are the type of people that just make you feel comfortable upon meeting them. This just endeared me to the Patriots even more. My dad and my husband talked about it the rest of the trip and even called my brother, who had left Walt Disney World just the day before, to let him know he missed meeting Bob Kraft. I will say my brother was quite disappointed. Needless to say, we didn't get a photo, I was the camera carrier, because I felt like we were intruding on his vacation, but the men in my family will not let me live it down that I didn't get a picture of them with Mr. Kraft! So, the pictures I have shared are my kids through the years in their Patriots clothes.

Hayley ready for the playoffs ~ January 2007

So whether you are a New York Giants fan or a New England Patriots fan, I hope that you enjoy what is sure to be a tremendous football game! Good luck to the New England Patriots!

Who are you rooting for this Sunday?

Emily ready to kick off the 2008 season

Our family was very saddened when we heard of Mrs. Kraft's passing last summer. From our brief meeting in Disney and from what we have heard and read about her, she was such a caring and sweet person. For those of you who do not know, the patches the Patriots wear on their uniforms, which say MHK, stand for Myra Hiatt Kraft.

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Expedition Everest

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:54:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme this week is our "February Calendar" photo. For the first week of every month, the theme will be to share a photo we would use in a Disney themed calendar. I have decided for each month, I will choose a photo from a trip I made during that month. I have visited Walt Disney World during seven of the twelve months. I'll improvise for the other five! The photo I chose today is of Expedition Everest from February 2006. It wasn't officially open yet, but my dad and Pierre were lucky to experience it the day we were there!

I love this photo because Expedition Everest looks so serene and small from this viewpoint.
As a thrill ride chicken, seeing it from this angle, it looks a lot less intimidating!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see all the Disney Wordless Wednesday photos!

Days in the Parkcast "Pursued the Magic" this week!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:52:00 +0000

I am so excited to let you know that I was a guest on the Days in the Park podcast - Days in the Parkcast! They invited me to talk with them about Pursuing the Magic, the Magical Blogorail and, of course, my love of Disney. I had so much fun with Chad and Mark! I want to send a big thank you to both of them for inviting me to be on the show!

You can listen in and find out what we talked about over at

Days in the Parkcast

Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This article was originally written for my Making Magical Memories column for the WDW Daily News Newsletter. It was published January 24th in Newsletter #215.

For our most recent trip, we spent Halloween in Walt Disney World. Prior to leaving, I had searched high and low for information about where we could go trick or treating. It certainly wasn’t a priority, but with a 6, 5 and 3 year old, this was something they had been asking about. I discovered many of the resorts had “Candy Stops” in the shops, eateries and pools. I was happy to find a flyer at Disney’s Polynesian Resort when we checked in that listed all the spots where we could go trick or treating. At the Polynesian, this included 9 stops.

My kids were very excited to show off their costumes throughout the Polynesian! Cast members, as well as guests, were not shy about telling them how great they looked and making a big deal about their Toy Story themed costumes. My children are normally shy, but in this atmosphere, they gave big smiles and hugs to just about everyone. Even better, out at the pool area, they were playing Halloween themed music and had hosted a Halloween themed pool party that afternoon.

Emily had worn her Jessie wig and hat almost everyday for weeks before leaving for Disney.
In Disney, she didn't wear them even once.

We did not bring our own trick or treat bags, but that was not a problem. At our first stop in BouTiki, the cast member gave my children Disney themed treat bags. Since it was their first stop, she gave them each at least three handfuls of candy “to get them started,” as she said. Let’s just say that made my kids’ night without even having to stop anywhere else! We made stops at all 9 candy spots, and the kids have more than enough candy to last them until the next Halloween!

The Candy Stop at 'Ohana ~ My mom was having as much fun as the kids!

This was a great, safe way for the kids to enjoy Halloween in Walt Disney World. We knew we wouldn’t be going into the parks that night, so being able to have so much Halloween fun right at our own resort was great! We ended the night by watching Hallowishes right from the beach, which had the music piped in from the Magic Kingdom. So, if you are in the planning stages for a Halloween trip to Walt Disney World, know that this is a family fun way to celebrate the holiday. Even better, it is free! There were plenty of Halloween activities going on at the Polynesian throughout the day. So if you decide you do not want to splurge on tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, know that there are plenty of other options to help you enjoy the holiday!

How do you celebrate Halloween in Disney?

In Pursuit of Pirates #6 ~ A Disneyland Paris Perspective of the Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction

noreply@blogger.com (Manda) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I cannot believe we are in the final episode of In Pursuit of Pirates! I have had so much fun reading everyone's posts on pirate inspired photography tips, scrapbook layouts, a recipe and a Disneyland perspective. Today, I am so excited to welcome Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog to share her perspective on the Disneyland Paris version of my favorite Disney attraction ~ Pirates of the Caribbean!

Pirates of the Caribbean has always been one of my most favourite attractions at Disneyland Paris! I still remember the first time I went on it with my sister and my dad - I had no idea what to expect so let's just say that the drops were extra surprising! I was lucky enough to ride the Magic Kingdom version in Florida last October ... it was so cool to see the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in this version as Disneyland Paris still hasn't had this addition. Whilst seeing Captain Jack was pretty exciting, I'm proud to say that my homepark has remained untouched by the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie franchise ... in fact it's the last version of the ride true to it's original roots ... and I kinda like it that way :)

Source: Allears.net

The entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Paris is pretty neat! It's a battle-scared fortress within Adventureland, close to Skull Rock from Peter Pan - the perfect location for pirates! The piratey fun begins even before the ride itself - the queuing area runs through some dungeons with skeletal pirates scattered throughout. It's everything a pirate dungeon should be - dark, dingy and smelling of fresh sea water! As you make your way closer to the boats, you enter a Lagoon area where you feel as if you're outdoors on a calm starlit night, surrounded by palm trees and dimly lit lanterns. Pretty soon it's time to board your boats ...

The first area you enter on your is the Blue Lagoon restaurant dining area! Yep ... that's right ... guests at the Blue Lagoon Seafood restaurant (the entrance of which is near the exit to Pirates of the Caribbean ... convenient? I think so :P) can wave from afar as you pass by! This is the only version of the ride to house such a cool feature!

Source: Allears.net

Next you pass though a shipwreck scene and enter a fortress - you can hear swashbuckling and gun fire as you're pulled up the first lift hill - and trust me ... it's a big one! And of course, what goes up ... must come down! The first time I was climbing this hill I clutched at the seat in front of me ... bracing myself for a big drop down the other side ... but I didn't have to worry ... the boat slides down the smallest hill possible and bobs around a corner as if everything's fine! (Those sneaky Imagineers)

Deeper inside the fortress, you come across an iconic scene ... some pirates in jail trying to coax the guard dog into dropping the keys to their cell. You're so busy gaping at them that you don't notice the first drop! Whoooosh down the dark hill and before you know it your floating calmly through a town ... but it doesn't remain calm for long! Soon your boat passes into the burning town scene, where you can hear the Pirates theme song ringing through the air ... and I can't help but ~~sing~~ hum along (I can't sing). At the end of this scene you pass under an arch into the arsenal ... supplies have been ignited by the fire and ... explode! ... You guessed it ... time for another drop! Descending into darkness you're caught unaware by the flash of the on-ride photo! (Gosh the faces you get on this one! lol!)

Phew! At the bottom of the drop you sail into the last scene - the grotto! Here you can see some of the famous skeleton pirate scenes from the Disneyland version, including the ships wheel scene complete with wind and thunder! At the exit of the grotto you're greeted by the skull and crossbones pirate from above ... he speaks both French and English! Once the boats reach the docks, you exit the ride into 'Le Coffre du Capitaine' - a pretty cool pirates themed gift store! Exit the store and head left to come to the Blue Lagoon Restaurant!

Source: Allears.net

I've never dined here because I'm not all that fond of sea food ... but I know Steve from Dedicated to Dlp Loves this place! I like regular kinds of fish so I'm sure I'll try it one day, even if it's just to see the boats from Pirates of the Caribbean floating by! :)

Thank you so much to Beth for having me as part of this wonderful series!

It's been a blast! (No pun intended ... buahaha! :P)

P.s. Believe it or not I realised I don't have any good photos of Pirates of the Caribbean ... largely due to the darkness inside! But armed with these fantastic photo tips from Debs at Focused on the Magic ... I hope I can get some great ones next time I visit! Please be sure to check them out! :)

Thank you so much, Amanda, for sharing the Disneyland Paris version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Now not only do I need to plan a trip to California to experience the Disneyland version, now a trip to Disneyland Paris seems to be next on the list!

If you haven't visited Amanda over at Manda's Disney Blog, I highly recommend that you do. She shares some funny Disney LOLs, as well as her Disney-inspired kitchen creations and of course lots of Disneyland Paris news, including details of the upcoming 20th Anniversary celebration! You can find her on Facebook at Manda's Disney Blog and on Twitter at @MandaDisneyBlog.

In case you have missed any episodes of the series so far, here they are:

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We ended this past week with yet another Cars 2 birthday celebration, which explains why this recap was postponed until today! I'll be sharing this week a few birthday finds I found to fit the Cars 2 theme, which I had shared a few months ago, as well as a few more Star Wars and Cars 2 LEGO sets that we have built.

We kicked off the week with Part #5 of the In Pursuit of Pirates series with Chad from Days in the Park. He shared an overview of the Disneyland version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. I had no idea it was so different from the Walt Disney World version!

On Tuesday, I shared my children's new favorite Disney soundtrack. This one is the Magic Kingdom Event Party Music, which includes music from Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, as well as Disney's Pirate and Princess Party.

On Wednesday, I joined in the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. This week's theme was "Wildlife," and I shared a photo I was able to capture (by pure luck) of a giraffe along Kilimanjaro Safari. I highly recommend checking out all the entries this week - they were amazing!

On Friday, I joined in the Flashback Friday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. I shared a few mementos from our first trip to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in 1990.

We have a lot of fun things in store coming up, including tomorrow's final episode of In Pursuit of Pirates. I am excited to share with you a Disneyland Paris perspective on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction from Amanda of Manda's Disney Blog. Also, I was a guest of Chad and Mark of Days in the Parkcast. That episode should be released soon - I will keep you posted when it is up and ready for you to listen to!

How did you find Disney magic this week? I would love to hear about it!

Disney Photo Flashback Friday ~ Back to the 90s at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of Flashback Friday over at Focused on the Magic. One of my faovrite things to do in between trip is look back over all our past Disney vacations and reminisce. Luckily for me, my mom loved to take pictures, so even at my most awkward teen moments, my mom has them captured in photos! I decided to keep with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme I have going on this month by sharing some things from our first stay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. My favorite village island of the resort is Jamaica. I didn't even realize until now, that Jamaica was the first one we stayed in!

My brother and I on our family's first stay at
Disney Caribbean Beach Resort

One of the napkins from 1990

My mom collects everything when we are in a Disney. I believe she may have a park map, napkin and anything else she can get her hands on from every trip and every place we visited. When I was younger I thought it was crazy that she would be collecting all these things. But now, I love it! It is so great looking back at how things have changed over the years!

At the time of our first visit, Old Port Royale looked much different. When you walked into what is now the food court area, there was a lounge called Captain's Hideaway. The recipe you see here was my dad's favorite beverage of the trip and the cast member was nice enough to share the recipe with him.

I love that Disney shares recipes with guests! It is a great
way to bring a little Disney magic home with you!

This was the menu at Captain's Hideaway

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is one of my family's favorites and has been for a long time. It is also letting me have some nice, warm thoughts of the Caribbean during this very cold and icy day we are having!

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic and reminisce with everyone else who participated this week in Flashback Friday!

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Wildlife

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Today, I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. This week's theme is "Wildlife," and in Disney's Animal Kingdom, there are plenty of opportunities to capture some great shots, especially on my favorite attraction Kilimanjaro Safaris!

The giraffes at Kilimanjaro Safaris are my favorite animals
to photograph.

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to see everyone's amazing Disney wildlife photos!

Bringing Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Music Home

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Front Cover

This article was written for my WDW Daily News column Making Magical Memories. It was published in Newsletter #213 on January 10, 2012.

Everyday there is Disney music playing in our house and in our car, whether it is a Disney Parks CD, a Disney movie soundtrack or a Disney radio station, such as Sorcerer Radio (our favorite!). For most songs, my children can tell you which movie it is from and who is singing it. They also know the lyrics and sing them even when there is no music playing. I especially love when we are listening to a soundtrack and a score comes on that my children act out. Their favorite is from Tangled when Flynn and Maximus are trying to get the satchel from each other. But I didn’t realize how well my children knew these Disney songs until we were in Walt Disney World.

Back cover & playlist

After about out third day of touring the parks, the kids had gone to bed early. I was in my parents’ room talking with my mom. She says, “Do you know that every song the kids heard today, they told me which song it was, which movie it was from and even what was happening in the movie when that song is playing?” I have to admit . . . I was a proud mom! This led me to make a purchase that has become my children’s favorite souvenir from this trip.

Knowing how much my children love the music from Disney movies, I just had to add some theme park music to our collection. I made three CD purchases, but my children’s favorite is the Magic Kingdom Event Party Music. I happen to find this at the cart outside of the Haunted Mansion. It includes music from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, including Hallowishes, the Boo to You Parade and the Villain’s Mix and Mingle. It also includes music from the Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party, including the Enchanted Adventures Parade. We had been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, so I took a chance that this would be a hit with the kids. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

Upon our return home, I played our new CD. Immediately, the kids started dancing and cheering. They loved it! Actually, they may love it a little too much, because now, we listen to it in the car, at home and pretty much we take it everywhere we go. Even this holiday season when I would play some Christmas music, they would change the CD to the Halloween music. While decorating our gingerbread houses and making cookies for Santa, they were singing along with the Ghost Host! I can say at this point, my kids can sing almost the entire Hallowishes and Boo to You Parade music from beginning to end whether the CD is playing or not. Even better, every time we listen to it, they start talking about being at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and always end the conversation with, “When are we going back to Mickey’s Halloween Party?” I love that they have come to love Disney as much as I have and look forward to our return trips!

What Disney music reminds you of your Disney vacations and gets you thinking about your next trip to a Disney park?

In Pursuit of Pirates #5 ~ We Wants the Redhead! Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean with Chad of Days in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Days In The Park) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

In Pursuit of Pirates continues today with Part #5. So far we have shared pirate inspired memories, photo tips, scrapbook layouts and recipes. Today, Chad from Days In The Park shares his perspective on the Disneyland version of my favorite attraction - Pirates of the Caribbean. I have never been to Disneyland, so I am quite excited to see the similarities and differences between the two attractions.

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean has always had a special place for me in my Days spent at The Park. Historically, Pirates is one of the attractions that, although not a Disneyland Original (meaning it was not present at its inception in 1955), it is the original in terms of the different Pirates attractions at the different Parks around the world, and it is considered an iconic attraction within Disneyland. When people talk about Disneyland, they often talk about Pirates of the Caribbean; it's that well known.

Pirates of the Caribbean opened in Disneyland in 1967, just three months after Walt Disney passed away. It's especially significant, especially among those of us who claim Disneyland our "home", because it's the last attraction inside The Park that Walt Disney himself had a hand in creating. It just makes it that much more special to us. And I've always been fascinated by the fact that it was originally intended to be a "walk through" attraction, like a wax museum. One can't help but wonder given what we know now (the fact it takes a full 15 minutes for a boat to float through!) just how long it would have taken to walk the attraction!

The 30th Anniversary Plaque (1967 - 1997) proclaiming Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean "the original"

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean is located in New Orleans Square, which is one of my favorite areas inside The Park, and the Pirates attraction fits in there perfectly with its exterior which is an exceptionally well-done homage to the antebellum south, and particularly the area of New Orleans, Louisiana nearing the mid-point of the 19th Century.

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction entrance with a little "Disneyland Dream Suite" on top

In Disneyland's Pirates, guests are treated to a boat ride (leaving from the infamous Laffite's Landing) through the bayous of New Orleans, and into the caverns where Pirates and "dead men tell no tales". There's no shortage of skeletons, treasure, pirate booty (we just like saying that!), ships, wenches, wives chasing their husbands around with rolling pins, or guns and canons as you float along taking it all in.

I would have enjoyed (given that "Pursuing the Magic" is a Walt Disney World blog) to have been able to compare the two attractions and how they are different and similar, but unfortunately I remember next to nothing about the Disney World version so it would be impossible to do. Also, I figure a play-by-play of the Disneyland attraction probably isn't nearly as interesting as it sounds so I've opted to give just a brief look at some of my favorite parts of the attraction for those who might be looking to go on it one day themselves.

I absolutely love the artwork which adorns the inside of the queue of the Pirates of the Caribbean, like the "Captain Charles Gibbs" above. Don't ask why I didn't include a picture of the Jack Sparrow; that would have just been too easy. But there's tons to look at on the inside; when you're eyes adjust to the dark, that is.
I've always loved how Disneyland's Pirates, once you leave the dock (Laffite's Landing), takes you directly past the Blue Bayou Restaurant. I've always enjoyed floating by watching the people enjoying their fine meals, and it's always been a pleasure to sit on the other side and dine while watching Pirates patrons float by. Something we've always enjoyed doing!
Who doesn't enjoy drops in the dark? And Pirates of the Caribbean has two of them. Even though it's not even remotely frightening anymore, I nevertheless scream like a little child each and every time. No comment on whether people give me dirty looks or not when I do...
The song "Yo Ho (A Pirates Life For Me)"; need I say any more?
The infamous Disneyland "Pirates Fog". I have no idea whether this is duplicated at any other Park, but at Disneyland, at one point during the attraction you travel through a patch of fog which has both Davey Jones and Blackbeard projected on it, warning you to turn back or "never leave this cursed place". After Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean was refurbished after the success of the films (and Jack Sparrow was added to the attraction) Davey Jones and said fog were added as well. With the release of "On Stranger Tides" last year, Blackbeard supplanted Davey Jones as a means of creating interest in the film shortly before its release. We were surprised, pleasantly, to see that when we rode yesterday, they've both been kept now! So, it's just a little bit of something that I thought was pretty cool and worth keeping a "weather eye out for".
Captain Barbossa on the deck of the "Wicked Wench" calling me a "blooming cockroach" over and over again. Oh, and I also love how, if the boat times it just right, when the canons fire it will literally blow my cap right off of my head into the bottom of the boat. It's happened on more than one occasion. Seriously.
Carlos, the mayor of Puerto Dorado, constantly being dunked into the well while his wife looks on and yells at him not to be a "cheek in". Never gets old.
Probably my favorite scene in any attraction, I love the auction scene and truly enjoy watching the pirate auctioneer selling off the town's women as brides. Does that make me a bad person? Of course, I have a particular affinity for the redhead, and love yelling out "We wants the redhead" at random times as I'm strolling through The Park, which can make things a bit testy when there's an actual redhead strolling by. Hasn't stopped me yet, though...

Pirates of the Caribbean is just one of those attractions that never gets old for me. At one point in time, my friend Mark and I (my co-creator at Days in the Park) had ridden the attraction on ~30 consecutive trips into Disneyland. It was just something we had to do each and every time we went. We never grew tired of it; the streak was broken due to the attraction breaking down at an inopportune time. But since then we still ride it on a very regular basis, and enjoy it each and every time like we're riding it for the first! We whoop, holler, yell, sing, laugh, mimick, and sometimes get soaked as we fly (okay, crawl) through those tunnels and I simply never tire of it. I've always loved Pirates, and assume that I probably always will.

If you get a chance to come to Disneyland, and have never ridden the fantastic, iconic attraction before, the pirates are waiting for you. And if you've ridden it at a Park other than Disneyland, the same applies. It's a historic landmark in Disney history, and as "the original" Pirates attraction, it's worthy of a second, third, and even a hundredth look as well.

It just never gets old. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho...

The parrot that never shuts up. And we wouldn't have it any other way...

Thank you so much, Chad for sharing the Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean! I look forward to the day I make my way out west to experience it myself!

If you haven't visited Chad (and Mark) over at Days In The Park, I highly recommend that you do. His love of Disneyland shines through every post, and if there is anyone who can get my out to Disneyland, it is Chad! You can follow Days In The Park on Twitter at @DaysInThePark and like them on Facebook on the Days In The Park page.

Next Monday, Amanda from Manda's Disney Blog will be sharing Part #6, our final episode of the series, with a Disneyland Paris perspective on Pirates of the Caribbean.

In case you have missed any episodes of the series so far, here they are:

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We had another great week here at Pursuing the Magic with crafts, recipes, scrapbook tips and more. If you missed any of our posts, here is what we shared this week:

Sunday I shared the link to my craft project over at The Disney Moms. I will be featured over there the 14th of every month with a Disney-inspired craft you can do with your child. This month I shared a Beauty and the Beast Inspired Book Satchel.

Monday, we continued our In Pursuit of Pirates series with Mary from Capturing Magical Memories and MC Digital Designs. She shared her tips and tricks for preserving your Disney pirate memories and photos with some amazing scrapbook layouts.

Tuesday, I shared the link to our Little Chef Disney Creations over at Cooking with Mickey. The second Monday of every month, we share a Disney-inspired recipe that you can create with your child. This month we created Lotso's Stuffed Strawberries. It is a quick and easy to make sweet treat.

Wednesday, we joined in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. We shared some photos of the pool area of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.

Thursday, we continued our In Pursuit of Pirates series with Kristen of Cooking with Mickey. She shared her pirate inspired recipe called Stranded with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Coming Up Next Week:

Monday, Chad from Days in the Park will be continuing our In Pursuit of Pirates series with a Disneyland perspective on my favorite attraction.
Also, Monday, if you are subscribed to the WDW Daily News Newsletter, you will see my most recent article for my column Making Magical Memories. This week I am sharing all the details of Trick or Treating at Disney's Polynesian Resort.
I am not sure when it will be published, but I recently had a great time chatting with Mark and Chad of Days in the Parkcast as part of their next episode. I will keep you posted when it is ready for you to listen to.

I know I had said last week I would start my review of our Halloween trip to Walt Disney World. But my friend Beth over at A Disney Mom's Thoughts has been sharing some great Halloween posts, so I figured I will wait. If you are looking for some Halloween tips and tricks, head over to A Disney Mom's Thoughts to check out all her thoughts on costumes, the Boo to You Parade and more!

In Pursuit of Pirates Part #4 ~ Why Is The Rum Gone? A Pirate Inspired Recipe from Kristen of Cooking with Mickey

noreply@blogger.com (Kristen Hoetzel) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:12:00 +0000

We have shared a lot of Pirate inspired posts since the beginning of the month from memories of experiencing Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time to photo tips for taking amazing photos of the interior of the attraction to amazing scrapbook layouts to preserve your Disney pirate themed memories and photos. For part 4, I am excited to welcome Kristen from Cooking with Mickey and her pirate inspired recipe.

Why is the rum all gone? Because we've taken it for making a drink suitable for a scalawag or salty wench. Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, or movie, know that rum is important. It's the drink of pirates! Since we are in pursuit of pirates, we've got what they're looking for - RUM.

So grab your sword, compass and rum... and let's get started with my recipe for Stranded with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Stranded with Capt. Jack Sparrow

Recipe
2 oz coconut rum
1 oz spiced rum
Fresh lime juice
Salt
Ice

In a cocktail shaker mix coconut and spiced rum.
Use the lime to wet the top of the glass and dip into margarita salt; kosher salt will also work.
Pour into a lowball glass over ice.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve

So drink up me hearties, yo ho!

If you haven't visited Kristen over at Cooking with Mickey, I highly recommend that you do. She shares a lot of Disney dining reviews and Disney recipes. You can follow her on Twitter at @CookingwMickey and on Facebook at Cooking with Mickey.

On Monday, January 23rd, Chad from Days in the Park will be sharing his thoughts on the Disneyland version of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction!

In case you have missed any episodes of the series so far, here they are:

Part #1 ~ Where My Disney Obsession Truly Began
Part #2 ~ No Flash Photography Please! Dark Ride Photo Tips with Deb at Focused on the Magic
Part #3 ~ Putting Pirates on Those Pages! Scrapbooking Ideas and Layouts with Mary of Capturing Magical Memories

Disney Wordless Wednesday Bog Hop ~ Water, Water Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Today I am joining in the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. For this week's theme, I am sharing one of my favorite shots of my children's favorite pools. It is the kiddie pool area at Disney Caribbean Beach Resort. This is a great play area for little ones! I also included a shot of the main pool area. With the freezing temps here in New Hampshire, I wish I were at the Caribbean right now!

Kiddie Pool area at
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Main Pool area at
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Make sure you head over to Focused on the Magic to check out all the other great

Disney Wordless Wednesday links!

Little Chef Disney Creations ~ Lotso's Stuffed Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Today, you can find the kids and I over at Cooking with Mickey for our monthly column Little Chef Disney creations. Every month we share a Disney-inspired recipe for kids. This month we were inspired by Lotso, the Toy Story 3 villain. To see this month's recipe, head over to:

Lotso's Stuffed Strawberries

If you have missed any of our previous recipes, you can find them HERE.

In Pursuit of Pirates Part #3 ~ Getting Pirates on those Pages with Mary of Capturing Magical Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Mary at Capturing Magical Memories) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Last week for part 2 of our series In Pursuit of Pirates, Deb from Focused on the Magic shared her tips for taking photos of the interior of the attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as some fun pirate themed photo ops. Today for part 3, I am excited to welcome Mary from Capturing Magical Memories and MCDigital Designs. She is sharing her tips for preserving your pirate themed photos and memories.

Thanks again to Beth for inviting me back to talk scrapbooking. Pirates is such a fun theme to put into your albums. And with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride & gift shop, Jack Sparrow's Pirates Tutorial, and the Pirates League there are plenty of chances for photo ops. With that said I still came up short on the photos and graciously Beth has given me some of her family photos to play with.

My first page is the one capturing the essence of Beth's post In Pursuit of Pirates ~ Part 1 Where My Disney Obsession Truly Began. When I read her post I knew I wanted to capture the essence of being a pirate and her research of history. So I brought it together with a simple treasure map photo frame and compass. I also used my favorite quote from the 'A Pirates Life for Me' song. It's my favorite because it talks about how the pirates are seen as both good and bad.

Scrapbooking tips: Take a photo of the ride sign. You never know when it will come in handy. And song lyrics are great additions to a page because music always brings back the feelings of a memory.

The second page is more on the fun side as it highlights Beth's children playing around. I loved the shots of the kids in the gift store and now I have it on my to-do list to take some of these fun shots next year.

Scrapbooking tips: Journaling does not have to be long and wordy. Fun captions on photos are just as good!

If you are interested, for these pages I used the Pirates Kit from MC Digital Designs which I created specifically for Disney's Pirate themed pages. Also, the font used today was Papyrus which can be found on fontspace.com.

I hope these pages and tips inspire you to go out there and capture your memories!

Thank you so much, Mary for sharing these great tips and layouts! I love the idea of using music lyrics, something I had never thought of before!

If you haven't visited Mary's blog Capturing Magical Memories or her Etsy shop MC Digital Designs, I highly recommend that you do. She is very creative and her ideas inspire me to get going on my own scrapbooks! You can also find Mary on Twitter at @MaryD73 and on Facebook at Capturing Magical Memories.

On Thursday, Kristen from Cooking with Mickey will be sharing her Pirates of the Caribbean inspired recipe!

In case you have missed any episodes of the series so far, here they are:

Part #1 ~ Where My Disney Obsession Truly Began
Part #2 ~ No Flash Photography Please! Dark Ride Photo Tips with Deb at Focused on the Magic

The Disney Moms ~ A Beauty & the Beast Inspired Book Satchel

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

My first post is up over at The Disney Moms. I shared a fun craft idea that you can create with your children. You will find me over there on the 14th of every month. While you are there, don't forget to enter the Dooney & Bourke giveaway!

This month's craft is a

Beauty and the Beast Inspired Book Satchel

We Pursued & We Found the Magic This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

We have had a great week here at home and on Pursuing the Magic. With the kids back to school and settled into their daily routine, we have been able to get the house back in order from the holidays. Every new toy has found a new spot and everyone has learned how to play each of the new games they were given. My goal this past week was to get organized so that I would have more time to blog, and it worked!

I have had a lot to share this week:

Monday, if you receive the WDW Daily News Newsletter, you will have seen my recent article for my column Making Magical Memories about my children's love of the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party music. Don't worry, if you haven't signed up yet, I will post my article here on Pursuing the Magic next week.

Also, Monday was Part 2 of my series In Pursuit of Pirates. Deb from Focused on the Magic shared her best tips for photographing inside the attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as share some fun photo ops outside of the attraction. This series will continue Monday with Mary of Capturing Magical Memories as she shares tips for preserving your Pirates of the Caribbean photos and memories.

On Tuesday, I shared details of the new Cars 2 LEGO sets that have been released this month. I also included a link to the new Star Wars LEGO sets being released at the end of the month. Joey has laready started his Christmas list for next year with these kits!

Wednesday, of course, I joined in the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. The theme was "Characters Great and Small," and like always there were so many great entries.

Friday, I hopped aboard Magical Blogorail Blue and shared my favorite World Showcase Pavilion in Epcot. Rarely do we have a loop that there are overlaps in topics, but this time around, there is a clear favorite amongst the members of the blue line!

Today, you can find me over at The Disney Moms. I will be contributing over there on the 14th of each month a craft that you can do with your children. This month, with the release of Beauty and the Beast in 3D, I shared a Belle inspired project - Belle's Book Satchel.

To make it easier for you to find me on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube, I have added links in the left side bar. Now that I will starting my trip report (yes, I know, very late!), you will see me sharing a lot more in the upcoming weeks through all those media outlets.

Well, I have very exciting news! Last night I had a great chat with Chad and Mark of Days in the Park, which will be part of an upcoming episode of their podcast Days in the Parkcast. I'll keep you posted when it is published, but in the meantime, make sure you check out their previous episodes.

How did you find Disney magic this week? I would love to hear about it!

Magical Blogorail Blue ~ My Favorite World Showcase Pavilion

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Welcome to those of you joining me from Meet the Magic and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 2nd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

There was no question which pavilion I would be discussing for this month's Magical Blogorail topic. My favorite World Showcase Pavilion is, and always has been, Germany. There is so much here that I love - from the shopping to the food to the atmosphere. It has always been my favorite, but a new addition to the pavilion, well new to us, has made it even better!

As you may know from our previous loop, Favorite Disney Shopping Spots, one of my favorite shops on Walt Disney World property is Volskunst in the Germany Pavilion. I could spend a lot of time in here taking in the intricate details of the beer steins and cuckoo clocks. I have yet to purchase one of the clocks, but I hope to one day. Of course, these days my time spent enjoying the details lasts as long as my husband can keep the kids at bay outside of the shop!

Here we are at Biergarten,
October 2008

Biergarten is the table service restaurant in the Germany Pavilion, and our family loves it! The atmosphere is festive as it is an Oktoberfest celebration everyday. The buffet has plenty of options for everyone, even the kids. The tables seat 10 or more, which is perfect for us since we usually travel as three families. It is one of the few dining spots we are sure to be able to sit together as a family. There are many dishes I enjoy along their buffet, but the Bavarian Cheesecake is one of my favorite Disney desserts. I have found the recipe online, but I think it may be dangerous to my diet to actually know I can make it anytime I want! The Oompah band is great entertainment and though I have never hopped up and danced, plenty of people have and there is plenty of room to show off your moves! It is really a great dinner with a show.

The newest thing we discovered on our latest trip is the addition of Karamell Kuche. They have a lot of amazing looking treats, including one of my personal favorites - fresh caramel popcorn. I could have purchased a bag of this everyday of the vacation. Even better, the way the shop is set up, you can watch them work to create some of the delicious sweets they sell. The day we were there, a woman was hand making chocolate covered strawberries. It was fun to watch the process that goes into each and every one of these!

One of the houses in the train display decorated
for the Flower and Garden Festival, March 2010

Finally, our trip to the Germany Pavilion would not be complete without a stop to watch the amazing trains on display next to the pavilion. I think Joey could spend a significant amount of time here. There are so many details that go into this village, including decorations for the different seasonal events that happen around the park. If you haven't taken the time to appreciate this display, I highly recommend that you do!

What's your favorite part of the Germany Pavilion?

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is

Days in the Park

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1^st Stop ~ Meet the Magic

2^nd Stop ~ Pursuing the Magic

3^rd Stop ~ Days in the Park

4^th Stop ~ The CanaDisney Blog

5^th Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog

Final Stop ~ Cooking with Mickey

Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~ Characters Great and Small

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Today I am joining in on the fun of the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop hosted by Deb at Focused on the Magic. This week's theme is Characters Great and Small and you might be able to guess just who my three favorite "characters" are, well at least, in Walt Disney World, they certainly show their character throughout the parks! Even better, I get to have all three of them with me all week and I do not even have to stand in line to get my picture with them!

Emily dressed at Princess Tiana for our lunch at Cinderella's
Royal Table and we were excited to see this photo on our
PhotoPass CD!

One of Deb's tips this week for taking photos of Pirates of the Caribbean
is to have a little fun in the gift shop. Joey and Hayley were
having a great time playing with the ball and chain!

Ok, so I guess I have 4 favorite characters in Walt Disney World. Pierre always has a great time with the characters and makes a lot of fun moments for the kids. I'm lucky to have such a great guy, who is a great dad too! I think even Anastasia and Drizella would agree!

Make sure you head over to the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop and share your favorite photos and enjoy all the ones everyone else has posted!

New Cars 2 LEGO Sets Available

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Photo from WalMart.com
This is the set Joey is most excited
to get his hands on!

Joey loves Cars, as you may already know from this blog! I have certainly dedicated enough posts to all the Cars merchandise available out there. For Joey's 7th birthday, he chose to have a Cars 2 theme (this is the 6th year in a row he has had a Cars themed birthday!). For his gifts, being the nutty mom who even coordinates the gifts with the party theme, we gave him several of the Cars 2 LEGO sets that were available. He spent his school vacation builing each of the sets and now has them set up in his Cars themed room. It actually looks like he has a Cars 2 LEGO movie set going on up there!

Needless to say, when Joey saw the newest Cars 2 LEGO sets that were released, he has let me know that he HAS to have them. Unfortunately, since his birthday is in December, there aren't many occasssions coming up that he will be given gifts. So, we are working on setting up a chores system so that he can earn the money to purchase these sets himself.

There are 8 new sets available. To see all eight, you can find them at HERE (at LEGO.com).

Here is a quick tip I learned this past holiday season. WalMart.com sometimes features LEGO sets at a much cheaper price than in store. For example, I purchased the LEGO CITY Police Station set online for $80. In store at WalMart it was $99.97, at Toys R Us it was $119.00 and at Target it was $109.99. I even used the Site to Store option, so I did not have to pay for shipping either. When I was speaking with the WalMart associate about this, she said that you can save a lot of money by checking prices online first before going to the store. I plan to do this for all future purchases!

If you are looking to see the newest Star Wars LEGO sets, which Joey also wants, I shared details of those over at Jedi Mouseketeer last week.

In Pursuit of Pirates Part #2 ~ No Flash Photography Please! Dark Ride Photo Tips with Deb of Focused on the Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Beth Doda ~ disneymom2jhe) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

For Part #1 of In Pursuit of Pirates, I shared where my Disney obsession began ~ my first ride through of Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. This week "In Pursuit of the Pirates" continues with Deb from Focused on the Magic as she shares her photo tips for taking photos inside Disney's dark rides.

Thanks so much Beth for inviting me here today to share a few photography tips for capturing the ride, Pirates of The Caribbean (POTC). It’s been my favorite ride in The Magic Kingdom since my first trip in 1990. I love the ride experience but I also love the photography challenge it presents. I’ve learned a few things over the years through trial and error (mostly error ;) that I’d like to share with you today. For those of you who have developed your own way of taking pictures on this ride, you may not learn anything new about photography but you will learn a little more about my photography style.

What makes Pirates of the Caribbean such a challenge for me? POTC is considered one of the "dark" Disney rides. Not only because it's scary to young ones. The lighting is very low. So low at times, you can't see your hand in front of your face. That adds to the Disney magic but makes it a little tricky to take well exposed pictures. Combine the low lighting with a boat ride that is constantly moving forward and rocking side to side and you’ve got a photo challenge.

I would suggest that everyone practice at home for POTC using a camera that you can adjust the settings on. Become familiar with adjusting the f stop through your viewfinder. Try shooting in low light situations in Manual and Aperture Priority modes. I go to my darkroom in the basement to practice. In the parks you’ll find there aren’t always places to sit down to change lenses or make adjustments when you need them. Practice changing batteries, memory cards and taking your lens on and off while standing. Yes, the ground is always there but you really don’t want to take the chance of having your gear stepped on.

Now that you’ve practiced you should be prepared for the ride. POTC has a long fairly well lit queue that provides a good place to swap lenses, put in fresh batteries, change out memory cards and adjust your settings. Don’t wait till you are on the ride to make adjustments. Let people pass you if you need more time. Let the kids look for a Hidden Mickey while you get ready. POTC is only 8 ½ minutes long and you won’t want to miss a minute of capturing shots or experiencing the ride. Especially, experiencing the ride!

Top 5 tips:

You’ll need a fast prime lens set to f /1.8. I’ve used a Sigma 30mm f /1.4, Nikon 50mm f /1.2, f/1.4 and f/1.8 with the Sigma as my favorite.
Set your ISO to at least 1600 (3200 or higher if you can). Most of the time I use an ISO of 2000.
I suggest you shoot in RAW if you can and worry about noise and white balance in post processing. That being said I often shoot in JPG, as I don’t like to do post processing on a gigzillion vacation pictures.
I like to shoot in Manual. If you’re not comfortable in manual mode try Aperture Priority or AV. Keep watching your shutter speeds in the view finder. If your shutter speeds get faster change to f /2 or f /2.8. You want the greatest DOF you can get.
If you can turn your screen off on your camera, do it. Your fellow riders will appreciate it and you won’t be distracted by it. Of course, you all know. No-flash-photography!

If all of the above sounds like too much work, don’t despair. There are plenty of shots that you can get on POTC that don’t require camera adjustments or fast prime lenses.

The ship sign outside in the courtyard. Its backlit so zoom in on the flag, point and shoot.
As you enter look up at the banner painted on the wall over the door. It’s well lit day and night.
The queues offer shots of Hidden Mickey cannon balls and dead men playing chess to name a few.
On the ride: The jail scene and the wench auction are a little brighter than the others.
If you’re really lucky the 750,000 million gallons of water flowing through Pirates of the Caribbean will stop long enough for you to fire off a few steady shots.
The gift shop is not only full of pirate bounty but it's filled with photo opportunities with props and scenes.
Have fun & shoot, shoot, shoot. You can always edit them out later.

I hope these tips help you capture more treasured Pirates of The Caribbean photo memories on your next trip!

ºoº

Thank you so much for sharing your amazing photos and
your photo tips, Deb!

If you haven't visited Focused on the Magic, I highly recommend that you do. She has so many amazing photos that inspire me to work on my photography skills! You can find Deb on Facebook at Focused on the Magic and follow her on Twitter at @debsdistwit.

Make sure you check back here Monday for Part #3 of our series. Mary of Capturing Magical Memories and MC Digital Designs will be sharing her tips on how to preserve your Pirates of the Caribbean memories and photos.