Conference koolit::disney

    One of  my  greatest pastimes while at WDW is taking still pictures.  I
    currently have a Pentax Super Program 135mm camera, with a Pentax SMC-A
    50mm f1.7 lens, along with Pentax's SMC-A 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and 70-200mm
    f4 zoom lenses each  with  macro,  and  Pentax's AF280T Flash (prior to
    that I had an old Ricoh 135mm camera).  Since I recently broke down and
    finally bought a Panasonic VHS HI-Fi  VCR,  I'm  working on the wife to
    let me buy my next toy a  VHS  Camcorder  so that I can bring it on out
    next trip to WDW.  (but honey with the camcorder we can play it back on
    the hotel TV and don't have to wait for development ;^))
    
    Currently to date I have used the following # of 36 exposure rolls on my
    WDW trips
    
        '77 - 7 rolls, about 4 of these at WDW
        '82 - 9 rolls, about 5 of these at WDW
        '84 - 9 rolls, about 6 of these at WDW
        '87 - 7 rolls, about 5 1/2 of these at WDW 
    
    Overall I have a few albums of pictures in and around WDW ;^)
    
    I have had good results using the tips in the Birnbaum books, (although
    I  had  learned  this  in a photography class long  ago,  served  as  a
    refresher) on taking shots of the ELectric Light parade and  fireworks,
    I  had  used the same setting for Illuminations in Epcot as  well  with
    good results.
    
    One of my personal favorite shots was taken in '82,  it is a picture of
    my  wife  with two of Mexico's costumed dolls (not sure what  you  call
    them)  with  the  World Showcase lagoon in the background, which I keep
    displayed on my desk at work.
    
    Claude

    On my first trip to Disney in 1987, I brought along my video camera.
    Unfortunately, i had purchased the camera when they first came out.
    At that time, there were no camcorders. You needed to have a portable
    VCR which you carried on your back. My camera weighs a ton comparred
    to the camcorders that are out today. It was a pain carrying around
    the portable VCR and the camera. I eventually rented a baby stroller
    to push all the equipment in!  However, I'm glad that I went to
    all the trouble of lugging that equipment around because i have
    some wonderful shots of my families first visit to Disney. I understand
    that you can rent the camcorders at Disney. I want to say that the
    price is close to $50 - $75 with a huge security deposit. Anyone
    have any info on renting camcorders at WDW? If they do, it's definitely
    worth spending the money for the memories!

    .2
    
    I remember seeing somewhere the prices for renting a camcorder at
    DW.  If my memory serves me, I think it was $40/day plus a refundable
    $200 deposit.
    
    Just before our trip in December, we had purchased a camcorder.
    My husband used it for the first time on the trip and hadn't read
    any of the instructions.  He kept adjusting the focus and I told
    him he shouldn't have to since it was automatic focus, but he insisted
    that he had to since everything looked blurry.  It took us three
    days to realize everything looked blurry because he wasn't wearing
    his glasses!  When we got home, we discovered we had 1/2 video that
    was blurry, the other half he had used his glasses.  We knew what
    was wrong with it, but whenever friends borrow it, we have to explain
    why half the video looks weird.

    
      Last year was my first visit to WDW, as well as my first real
    experience with a 35 mm camera. Needless to say, I ended up shooting
    17 rolls of film in Florida, with approximately 12 at WDW. This
    ended up being something like 500 exposures in all. Of all the shots
    I took, about 3/4 ended up being worthwhile. Being a green novice,
    I ended up shooting anything from the monorails to an empty cup
    of DOLE WHIP...... :^)
    
      I learned one thing though. Never use those 1 hour developing
    establishments. The pictures had marks all over them, and really
    were done terribly. I had about 4 rolls developed in Orlando, an
    they all stunk. I didn't have any done in WDW, so I can't comment
    on the quality of developing there.
    
      One place I really enjoyed was Discovery Island. The opportunity
    for quality subjects was immense. This is of course if you like
    wildlife and a little greenery.
    
      George

    Glad  George brought up the subject of WDW film developing -
    
    			EXPENSIVE!!
    
    If you don't really need it don't.  The price was $17 for a 24 exp
    roll.  Outside price is $10.  But Ishould have expected that.
    
    I've gone there once with a camcorder, the old fasion one that starts
    out weighing 9 lbs.  At the end of the day, 90lbs.
    pain in a**.  I do have a lot of tape.  but I missed a whole lot
    taking it.
    ed
    

    I probably take about 10 to 12 rolls of 36 exposure rolls whenever
    I go.  I even take pictures of the same stuff every time.  Haven't
    figured out why yet since the picture from the last trip was good.
    I might be looking for great.

    Last summer I went to Disneyland for the first time and did other
    California attractions.  I came home with 20 36 exposure rolls and
    5 24 exposure rolls.  At least half was Disneyland. 

    I haven't figured out how much film to take for the next trip since
    it'll be the first one with kids along.

    My best picture from my last trip was of a yellow and brown butterfly 
    on some lavendar flowers in the Victoria Gardens area of Canada.  It
    was only about six inches from the railing and didn't even care how
    close I was

    Thanks for the prices on WDW developing.  I always seem to have trouble
    getting my Electric Parade pictures developed correctly.  The really
    irritating experience is when the lab cuts the negatives in the middle
    of the picture.  This is done prior to making the prints so half the
    pictures can't be printed.  (This has happened twice at two different
    places.)  

    When I had my shots of Illuminations developed I asked that my not cut
    the negatives.  Great, I thought.  They decided the first half of the 
    role had a problem and didn't print any of the pictures.  Then they
    print several with half of two different pictures.  Finally, when 
    last 12 shots of the countries at night were printed properly.  To make
    matters even worse, they gave me duplicates when I didn't request them.
    I finally convinced that they weren't right and got everything reprinted.

    Next trip I'm going to have Disney develop the first roll of nighttime
    shots.  If they can't get it right, I feel no one can.

    When we went down last March I took my cam corder plus my Minolta
    35mm. The first day I brought both with me Which proved to be too
    much since my wife refused to carry even the 35mm.
    
    So for the remainder of the trip I just carried the cam corder.
    
    On 1 of the days there I forgot to check how much tape I had in
    my camera so I went into the camera store there and purchased a blank
    Scotch tape. The price was $15.00. Up here the same tape goes for
    $5-$6.
    
    Another problem I had was that I spent almost all the time when
    I was at WDW looking through the view finder. I'm glad I did though
    because I got some great movies of my daughter and all the disney
    characters. 
              

    
      I'm planning on taking about 10 rolls of 24exp 100sp, and 4 rolls
    of 24exp 400sp film. To supplement this I'll be taking a VHS-C
    camcorder, only 2 lbs, and about 2hrs worth of tape. I'm sure most
    of this will be used at Disneyland, but one never knows.
    
      George

    
    We got a free RCA Camcorder rental as part of our Grand Plan package.
    
    We never used one before, so we were wary about the value of recordings
    vs. hassle of lugging it around.  We decided that we would take
    it with us on 1 day of WDW-hopping.
    
    After seeing the tapes when we got home, we wished we used it more.
    It is so great to see this tape of our honeymoon.  The only problem
    is the almost-impossible-to-overcome desire to immediately go back
    as soon as we put the tape in.
    
SEAN/BEER=LABATTS

    
    	We just purchased a camcorder on St. Patrick's Day.  We *love*
    	it!  I can't wait to start out vacation...
    
    	Has anyone taken videos in the Hall of Presidents at WDW?  If
    	so, how did it come out?
    
    	Laura
    
    	We leave in *81* days!!!!!
    

    
    Laura,
    
       I'll be trying to tape " Lincoln's Address (?) " at Disneyland
     later this week. I've got to believe with the low levels of light,
     my recording is going to be kind of grainy. I'll let you know how
     I made out when I get back from my trip.
                
     George

>                    -< Definitely the best investment yet! >-

    
>    	Has anyone taken videos in the Hall of Presidents at WDW?  If
>   	so, how did it come out?
 

Laura, my huband and I bought one, too, and have taken it a couple of
times now to WDW.  It can be a drag, but IT'S WORTH IT!  We have had
pretty decent luck taking videos in most all of the shows - with the
exception of the Country Bear Jamboree (don't know why).

Just keep the iris open all the way, and use your judgment when you
monitor it.  If it looks pretty dark in the monitor, chances are it's
not going to show up on your tape.  We also taped parts of the 
Americana show in Epcot, and that came out great!

A bit of advice, try to sit toward the back of the rooms.  When you put
the camera on your shoulder to tape, no matter how small it is, it does
get in the way of the view of those behind you and can be very annoying.
Since you have the ability to zoom in, you won't lose anything by sit-
ting in the back.

    
    I really want to use a cam-corder for a couple of days that I'm
    down there, but I'm not ready to fork over a grand for one.
    
    So how/where do you rent them in WDW?  A few replies back had the
    cost and deposit.
    
    Do I need to reserve one for the days that I want?  And how far
    in advance must I reserve?
    
    Birnbaum's book only mentions it briefly.
    
    Thanks for any help
    66 Days and Counting...
    Steve O

    
    You can rent camcorders from the Photography store on Main St. in
    the Magic Kingdom.  I'm not sure if it is possible to reserve them,
    since this is a store inside the park.
    
    They are big RCA ones (i.e. not minicams) and seemed a bit more
    bulky to lug around than the ones other people had (owned).  Buy your
    VHS tapes before you get there; they are very expensive.
    
SEAN/BEER=LABATTS

    	I have an ad in one of the Orlando flyers that I have that mentions
    a place called Video Creative Resources on Grand National Drive
    in Orlando.  It may also be called Video Camera Rentals Inc.  The
    ad says that they have both VHS and BETA cameras.  The number listed
    is 305-345-1111 but I think the area code has changed since the
    ad came out.
    	I just noticed a few others in the flyer, I'll list them below.
    
    
    	Rent-A-Cam	
    	6404 International Drive	(305) 345-9460
    	BETA or VHS, 'one piece' cameras, and they sell Disney movies.
    	They have mini-cams.

        Vacation Memories Inc. 
    	No address given		(305)425-2007
	Free pick-up and delivery 7 days a week.
    	
Tom    	    		 

    
    RE: .14
    
       Also, the Camera Center (?) in EPCOT Center, in one of the supports
    of Spaceship Earth.(as you are facing the 'Golf Ball' from the
    turnstyle entering the Park, it's on the right of the 'Ball')
    
       I believe they also rent them.
    
    Rich

    
    Maybe the camera center in EPCOT does, but when we got our free
    rental with the Grand Plan, they told us the only place we could
    get it was in the Magic Kingdom.  That's why I said what I did, but 
    maybe that's just the only place you could as part of our package.
    
SEAN/BEER=LABATTS

    According to the Disney-MGM-Studios Guide Book:
    
    Camera Center: The Dark Room, presented by Kodak, is
    loacted on Hollywood Boulevard. Provides film, film 
    processing,camera rentals (including Video Recorders).
    Refundable deposit required.
    
    Sorry, no prices are mentioned.
    
    Marcie (64 days to go!)
    

    I have a pair of photos that are personal favs.  The first is one my
    dad took of me at age three holding onto the fence by the teacups
    in Disneyland ('57).  The second is of my daughter taken by her
    dad at age three at the same attraction in almost the exact pose 
    ('88).  Boy, how things have changed!  (Clothing styles, film, the
    ride and surrounding area, etc,.)
    
    Linda
    
    P.S.  Our family will be heading out early tomorrow morning for
    Disneyland.  Yipppeeee!!!!!!
    
    
    

    I managed to get a couple of OK shots in Captain EO.  I was using
    my 35mm camera with a polarized filter with a roll of 1000asa. 
    I turned the filter until I had a single image, I focused, and then
    the camera did the rest for exposure.  The ones that didn't come
    out were the darker pictures that required a bit more exposure and
    as a result, I ended up getting several of the movies frames on
    a single shot from my camera.
    

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Note xxx.x                     Videography at WDW                      2 replies
COEM::SCOPA "The Major"                               8 lines  21-JUN-1989 13:12
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    I'd like to hear from those of you who have brought along camcorders
    to WDW.
    
    I'm looking for "Do's and Don't's", hints, and any other information
    that you feel may be helpful for those who will be "packing a cam" for
    their trip.
    
    Mike

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RVAX::SMITH                                           5 lines  21-JUN-1989 14:21
                                  -< Me too >-
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    I also would be interested in hearing about peoples video encounters.
    Espically any attempts at filming inside any of the attractions.
    
    
    Steve

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CTOAVX::JLAWRENCE "Jim/Hartford A.C.T.,DTN 383-4523" 31 lines  21-JUN-1989 15:59
                            -< It's just great... >-
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    Well, I have a camcorder and have used it at WDW on two trips. 
    First of all, if you have never filmed the family at WDW, you are
    in for a big treat.  Sitting there in January and watching your
    kids go crazy at the park is wonderful.  The action, the sound is
    just tons better than pictures.  I had taken several hundred slides
    of WDW prior to my last two trips.  They're OK, but the several
    hours of S-VHS film I have is ten times better.
    
    You can use a camcorder in any attraction. I have filmed the Country
    Bears and Small World for the daughter.  The only restriction is
    that you can't use any lights. If you have a very sensitive cam,
    as I do, you can get a lot.  Boy is it wonderful watching my 3 year
    old daughter hug Mickey. 
    
    
    Now, about the more practical aspects of caming.  If you don't have
    a spare battery, run, do not walk, to your store and buy one.  Also,
    you will not enjoy carrying around a bag full of junk with the cam.
    I did it just one day and never again.  I take the cam and put a
    second tape and battery in the wife's purse (just wonderful junk
    totes).  By virtue of taping, you miss a lot and you have to be
    very careful not to drop, bang or have your cam stolen.  I generally
    tape just one day and leave it back at the hotel the second time
    so I can let loose.
    
    I took the cam on Thunder Mountain and filmed a ride. I get dizzy
    watching it.
    
    Enjoy....Jim
    

    Title has  been changed to better suit what is being discussed, and aid
    in directory searches.
    
    Claude

    We had bought our camcorder just before our last trip to DW.  It
    was a lot of fun experimenting with it.  The one ride we couldn't
    film was Pirates of the Carribean.  It was just too dark.  My husband
    filmed the whole show in the Carousel of Progress, since that's
    my favorite.  It came out well, but would have been better if it
    had been a little brighter in there.  We were sitting in the 2nd
    row of the theatre.
    
    In Small World the lighting is really good for taping, but there
    is so much too see, it's hard to capture the feel of the ride on
    film.  
    
    We have about 2 1/2 hours of DW on tape, much of it of the Grand
    Floridian, and the views from the monorail.  That's where my husband
    was trying out the camera!  
    
    It really is nice to get out the tape when I need a Disney fix.
    
    12 days from now we'll be filming in DisneyLAND!  

    I have just returned from my trip and got excellent video in most
    attractions. Things did look dark in my haunted mansion video but
    they are in real life as well !!  I was able to take some video
    in Pirates but not the entire ride as some sections are just too
    dark. All of the EPCOT and MGM rides and shows came out well. They
    request no video taping in the walk thru part of the backstage tour,
    Superstar television, and Monster sound show......so I did'nt.
    It is not difficult to get very good video pictures, just be sure
    and take some time to become familiar with the camera controls(
    if it is a rental) this really will help your videos look better.
    Most everyone has that one section of confusing video tape that
    they can't explain because they did not know they camera was still
    recording.
    If you are going down with a camera and intend to take some serious
    video pictures, bring down two batteries.
    

    RE: .24
    What was the LUX on your camcorder?  Ours has a 3 LUX rating which
    according to the owners guide will allow me to film in candle light.
    I'am hoping this will be sufficient to film these attractions.
    
    Tony
                                            
    

    RE: -1
    
      My camcorder is also a 3 Lux. With this you will be able to film
    reasonably well in most attractions.
    
     -Rob
    

For our European readers: last January I rented a very light Sony camcorder
from an outfit on International Drive for $25/day, including free tape. They
have PAL format cameras and will transfer from VHS-C to full-size VHS for you.
I'll be going back to them in a couple of weeks, so I'll let you know if
they're still as good.

Gavin

    Can anyone make recommendations on what should/shouldn't be taped at
    WDW?
    
    I'm looking to get an idea as to how much tape I should bring with me
    and any help you Disney Video buffs can give me will help me in
    determining how many tapes to bring.
    
    Thanks.
    
    Mike_who_has_177_days_to_go 

    re .28
    
    If you rent from WDW as we did, don't try to tape the indoor
    attractions such as Spaceship Earth or Peter Pan, or Pirates. 
    
    It's a small world came out pretty good, and the pictures from the
    Skyway in Magic Kingdom came out great.  Great views of the Castle,
    20,000 Leagues, Space Mountain, and The Contemporary resort.
    
    I also filmed my ride on Thunder Mountain.  It's not the pretties thing
    to look at, but it gets the point across.  If you do this, remember to
    cover the lens near the end or you will get wet from the geiser.  Also,
    make sure you have a GOOD grip on the camera.  I almost lost it once!
    
    Other good things to film might include any outside fountains, gardens,
    ponds, etc.  We got some good shots of birds eating out of our hands.
    
    Videos from the monorail (especially from the front) came out great. 
    We got great shots of Epcot from the monorail as it brings you through.
    
    Suprisingly, Illuminations in Epcot (the firworks, laser, and fountain
    show) came out pretty good.  Be sure to stand under a speaker stand so
    that the sound comes out good.   The Fireworks at the magic kingdom
    should also come out good.  We taped the Main St. Electrical parade and
    ran out of tape half way though.  That also came out much better than
    expected
    
    For one day of shooting, we filled up an entire 2 hour tape.  If you
    are filming everyday, bring more.  I found that carrying around a video
    camera all day can get somewhat tiresome.
    
    Steve O
    

    I have never used a video camera at WDW, but on our last trip I used
    a 35 mm and my kids used a 35 mm and 110.  We are still developing the
    film, at a rate of 1-2 rolls a week.  We have many duplicate pictures,
    but the kids enjoy seeing the ones they took.
    
    You may want to take some pictures in MGM, and maybe Universal.  In
    MGM, pictures were allowed on the riding portion of the backstage tour.
    You definitely want to try to get Catastrophy Canyon - has anyone
    filmed it with a video camera, how did it come out?  Also, pictures can
    be taken at the Indiana Jones Stunt show, whose length is appox 30
    mintues total.
    
    The last day of our visit, we broke up into smaller groups to redo
    different attractions.  I spent an hour leisurely walking around the Magic
    Kingdom taking the pictures that I wanted, same at Epcot later that
    day.  I have found that carrying a camera, even a 35 mm, from 9am to
    9pm can get tireing.  You always have the option of renting a locker
    and putting the camera there for whatever time you want, I've done this
    before, but remember to pick it up on your way out!
    
    peter

    Peter,
    
    I've heard mention of the lockers many times and I remember using them
    the last time I was down WDW. How big are they?
    
    Mike

    Sorry - didn't use them this last trip.  I believe they came in two
    sizes.  When we went down 2 years ago, we would store our small book
    backpack with rain gear in a smaller locker and have plenty of room
    left over in it.  Anyone else have more specific info that could help
    Mike out?  If anyone is going in the near future, could you check the
    locker sizes out at any/all of the theme parks and give everyone in the
    notes file that info? - thanks
    
    peter

    
    Re: - .32
    
      Mike,
    
         I've used the lockers in Epcot located in front to the right of
       Spaceship Earth. Their about 15" by 15". I'm not sure of the depth.
       You could probably fit a VHS-C/8mm camera w/case in, but not one of
       the larger VHS formats w/case. There could have been other size
       lockers available, but it looked, from what I saw, like all the
       lockers were the same size.
    
      George
     

    There are some big lockers at the side of the TTC, on the side closest
    to the Poly.  I fit a large camera bag, a camcorder case, and a
    carry-on suitcase into a single locker there on my last day.  I didn't
    want to check any of this stuff into the hotel storage after checking
    out of the room, but before leaving the park.  This particular location
    had two locker sizes, I used the larger but had some room left over.
    
    FYI - right next door is the lost and found.  I went in and asked if a
    lens cap had been turned in earlier that day.  She looked up the log,
    said that one had not been turned in, but went out back and brought out
    a large box filled with lens caps, and told me to take whatever I
    wanted.   
    
    /Jim Pappas

    A friend of mine mentioned to me that he learned from his first and
    only visit that the next time he goes and brings his videocamera he
    plans to take less footage of the park and more of his family.
    
    He says that being a first-timer caused him to take extended footage of
    such attractions as Carrousel of Progress, World of Motion, The
    Electrical Parade, and others. 
    
    In watching the tapes now he feels they are boring EXCEPT that footage
    where his family is in the video.
    
    This is good advice for those going who plan on doing some taping. You
    may want to get as much "family" footage as possible. This doesn't mean
    100% of the time but when you think about why you're bringing your
    family to WDW you should realize that you want to capture their
    enjoyment whenever possible.
    
    My friend said that bits and pieces of each attraction would have
    sufficed instead of wasting so much tape on an entire show.
    
    Some ideas:
    
       o Don't bother taking all of the Electrical Parade. You may want to
         take the beginning, the end, and maybe some special favorite
         floats.
    
       o Streetmosphere is what I'm looking for when I go. It'd be great to
         see my kids interact with some "cast members".
    
       o Candid shots are great...have the camera ready to capture a family 
         member when they are unaware they are being taped.
    
       o Also, you may want to take some footage of milestones in your
         trip. If you drive you may want to take some footage of key places 
         you pass (how about "South of the Border").
    
    DOes anyone have any further thoughts along this line? Also, has anyone
    had any experiences that resulted in great footage? What are the best
    places to tape and why?
    
    Mike_who_will_be_taping_in_only_2000_hours
    
    with those planning on attending this year?

    I took 3 hours worth of tape during my US visit a few years back.
    It included all manner of subjects. One thing to be aware of is
    sound. You tend not to consciously think of music playing etc
    when filming, but it is a good idea to do so. So often I have
    a snippet of background music only, which gives discontinuity
    to the finished tape. Let a song or piece run to conclusion
    before stopping recording.
    
    Yes I would cerainly backup the last comment on family. I have
    very little of my family in America & my kids were 2 & 14 months
    at the time. A lost time...
    
    Richard.
      

    Here are a few tips/ideas for you still photographers out there (are
    there any LEFT?...most of this topic is about videos!).  Lots of this
    can be applied to video as well, but I will assume we are talking about
    still pictures for the most part with a typical 35mm SLR camera.  These
    are my "rules of thumb" and I hope they are not seen as being too
    pompous!  As always, your mileage may vary...

    
    SEAGLE'S 1ST RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Ignore Kodak PictureSpot Signs.
    
    Honestly, I cannot for the life of me figure out who Kodak got to set
    these things up, but they are abysmal for composition!  I have a
    sequence of 4 slides I took at WDW/MK of the "20,000 Leagues..."
    attraction: 2 from the spots Kodak recommends, 2 from what *I* felt were
    good spots.  In blind tests foisted upon my friends and family upon my
    return, everyone liked my selections over Kodak's (and I am not that
    fantastic of a photographer either!).  Really, the difference is like
    night and day; trust your instincts.

    Where do you look?  Typically I find that slightly oblique angles
    (instead of the "dead-on" Kodak suggestions) work best.  For
    Cinderella's castle, for example, Kodak recommends shooting from the
    center of the hub at the end of Main Street USA.  I find that the
    sidewalks leading into Adventureland and Liberty Square are far superior
    (and have trees to assist in your framing of the castle too).  Sometimes
    you have to be creative.  For "20,000 Leagues..." I shot back at the
    attraction from the exitway, using the tropical trees as a foreground
    with the submarines in the background, carefully cropping out the queue
    of people, operators, etc. in my viewfinder.  Of course, you could follow
    Kodak's recommendations and shoot the subs from the end of the lagoon,
    but then you are left with a picture consisting of *only* one sub, and
    greenish-blue water!  Yeech!

    SEAGLE'S 2ND RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Bring a polarizing filter.
    
    I learned this lesson the hard way.  While at WDW I shot several
    buildings which had white paint and/or trim, resulting in severe hot
    spots on the final slide.  The Disney parks are so clean/new/shiny
    looking that the daylight intensifies virtually everything and
    sometimes (on high key shots) you cannot compensate with your exposure
    controls.  A polarizing filter nicely tones down evenly across the
    spectrum without killing the contrast or exposure too much.

    SEAGLE'S 3RD RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Bring a wide-angle and a
    medium telephoto and leave everything else at home; alternatively,
    bring just a wide-to-medium zoom (35mm-70mm works well).

    Pretty self-explanatory.  I tried, feebly, on my first visit to WDW to
    shoot the castle from the end of the draw-bridge with a normal lens. 
    No way!  Had I brought my 28mm wide-angle I would have been fine.  In
    fact, the medium telephoto (e.g. 135mm to 200mm) is not very useful in
    the majority of situations, but is invaluable for shots from the
    ferries/monorails, etc.  The important thing here is not to carry
    anything other than exactly what you will need or by the end of the day
    you will be EXHAUSTED to say the least!

    SEAGLE'S 4TH RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Bring Kodak Mailers.
    
    As you finish each roll of film, drop it into your pre-stamped,
    pre-labeled, ready-to-go Kodak Mailers.  On the way back to the hotel,
    plop them into a mailbox.  This dynamically lightens your load, ensures
    good quality development of your photographs, and shortens the amount
    of time you have to wait for your stuff to come back from the
    processors upon your return.

    SEAGLE'S 5TH RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Film is "cheap".
    
    This rule is crucial to the first-timer.  Bring lots of film with you
    and shoot anything you feel is impressive.  It will be easier to do
    this than to say "Gee, I wish I had a picture of _____" *after* you
    return.  Or worse yet, to try to budget yourself and shoot only a few
    things you *thought* were more important and wind up with a
    disappointing collection of photographs.  Shoot things from multiple
    angles, exposures, etc.  One caveat...film is "cheap" in a metaphysical
    sense, but if you buy film in Florida you will find it materially
    expensive (as others have mentioned here); bring it with you by all
    means!

    SEAGLE'S 6TH RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Use slow speed film.
    
    Believe it or not, you will not need fast film nor will you be shooting
    that many shots indoors.  I recommend ASA 100 for prints, and ASA 64 for
    slides.  *I* typically shoot ASA 25 because I am a fanatic for
    resolution and color saturation, but this stuff is so slow that most
    would find it irritating.  BTW, I even shoot 25 speed film at night
    (the exceptionally long exposures ensure that the park looks deserted!).
    Regardless, slower films will give better results even in the shade of
    a tree so I recommend leaving that roll of ASA 400 at home!

    SEAGLE'S 7TH RULE OF DISNEY PHOTOGRAPHY:  Shoot on the first day (if
    you have children) or the last day *only*; dump the camera otherwise.

    On my last trip I left my camera behind in the hotel until the last
    day.  During the other days I made mental notes of good times, angles,
    events (e.g. parades) etc. for photographs.  On the last day (which was
    allocated as a "catch all attractions you missed due to lines or whatever"
    day) I pulled the camera out and went shooting.  Much more convenient and
    relieved me of the extra weight until the last (and most relaxed/easy)
    day of the visit.  Of course, if you have little ones you want to shoot
    mostly on the first day when they are freshest and their eyes are popping
    out of their heads in awe as they see things for the first time.


    Hope everyone finds this useful,
    David.

    Thanks for all the pointers on photography at WDW. I like the
    idea of not carrying the camera around all the time. It gets in 
    the way, and I spend all my time wondering if it's ok. 
    Luckily, I have a 28-200 zoom, so will only need one lense. I just
    bought a pile of ASA 400 as recommended in the Disney brochures --
    maybe I'll jsut return it all and trade it for ASA 100.
    
    Since this is probably the only time I'll get PHG (my husband) to 
    WDW, I want to get the best pictures possible. Your hints will
    really help.
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Linda (15 days and counting) 

    Another quick tip,
    
    Don't return all your 400 asa film yet.  If you are planning to
    bring a 28-200 zoom you may want want to keep the faster film because
    the zoom lens is probably an F5.6 and you will need a faster speed
    film.(anybody agree)  Do try and get the polarizer though it will make a positive
    difference in your pictures. 
    
    Just my $0.02 worth.
    
    Oh yeah .... Have fun and say Hi to Mickey for us....
    
    regards,
    JP
    

    RE: .39/.40

    Not really.  The Disney brochures recommend ASA 400 because it is
    "overkill" for outdoors, and "adequate" for indoors/low light. 
    Remember, Disney wants you to be happy so they will recommend a film
    which is good in *every* condition you might encounter.  However, my
    experience says otherwise...

    Using ASA 100 film in bright daylight your exposure will be about f16
    at 1/125 second.  The problem here is that a rule-of-thumb for using
    big zooms is that your shutter speed should be one over the maximum
    focal length of the lens (to ensure that you do not blur the picture
    due to camera sway from such a huge lens).  So, you *should* be shooting
    at f11 at 1/250 second.  That is still pretty good.  However, if you
    have a steady hand and zoom out to, say, 28mm you (technically) should
    be able to get away with a shutter speed of about 1/30 second (which
    would require an f45 stop).  That is a pretty decent range of exposure
    values for typical Disney shooting, IMHO.

    But what if you do go under a shade tree and want to shoot the kids
    napping on a park bench?  Fine.  You will probably be at f5.6 at 1/125
    and will probably zoom out to 35mm or so.  That is still within the
    important parameters and you should wind up with a well exposed shot.

    Still, we are discussing shooting in bright daylight, and I assume the
    gist of .40 was to mention problems .39 might have in shooting in dim
    light.  Yes, a lens as slow as f5.6 could be a problem in low light
    situations.  As I mentioned in .38, however, I do not believe you will
    be shooting in dim light that often.  I maintain that your bigger problem
    will be holding the camera steady enough below a shutter speed of 1/250
    considering the size/bulk of a 28-200mm zoom!  I also argue that f16
    gives you far *too much* depth of field for many shots (like the kids
    hugging The Mouse out on Main Street USA) and that you will find yourself
    looking for faster *shutter speeds* and larger *f-stops* most of the
    time.  Using our example of bright daylight above but assuming you are
    shooting The Mouse and kids, you will probably want to select f5.6 at
    1/1000 second.

    Finally, I mentioned that I shoot ASA 25 at night; what gives?  Simple. 
    A place like WDW is filled with "natural tripods" which can be used to
    brace your camera for *long* exposures.  I have utilized trash cans
    (they have flat/square tops you know), railings, stairs, walls, et al.
    and shutter speeds of 5 minutes with excellent results.  So, if you go
    with a slower film, wind up shooting at slow shutter speeds, and you
    find that steadying the camera really is the big concern, then use what
    is around you to full advantage!

    Now...to confuse the issue further...

    If you are shooting with a polarizing filter, they typically cost you 2
    steps of exposure (but check your owner's manual since all filters are
    different).  That means to get the same exposure levels as you would
    without the filter at ASA 100 you actually need ASA 400 film!  But, as
    I said, I believe you will want *less* light in the camera in 95% of
    your picture taking scenarios, so the 2 step drop from the filter will
    most likely be a welcome relief.  Plus, most polarizers have variable
    filtration meaning that the *maximum* loss is 2 steps, but in most
    cases will be only 0.5-1.5 steps.

    Split the difference if you feel safer and get ASA 200.  But I feel
    that ASA 100 will do the trick and *I* would stick with that.


    Other opinions?
    David.

    I agree 100% with everything.  I just wanted to point out the fact
    the zoom lens is a little slower than a fixed lens and that the
    polarizer is going to cut out some light.  I myself also use only
    50 and 100ASA fujichrome religiously but then I am patient and will
    search out a natural tripod.  I have found that most people I saw
    taking pictures at WDW were not careful in stting up there pictures
    and therefore the 400 ASA might be a more forgiving film to take
    along with that camera/lens/filter combination.
    
    hope that clears up my reason for responding..
    
    Again have a great time!!!
    regards,
    JP

    We have had excellent results inside many of the rides using high speed
    film and fast lenses. With a 35 or 50mm, f/1.4 and EES @ 1600,virtually
    all the Epcot and MK rides will yield  shutter speeds in the 1/4 to
    1/60 range. Familiarity with the ride helps--wait for turns or
    slowdowns that reduce your relative motion. A motor drive and AF are
    both useful.
    
    The only ride that has not produced usable pictures so far is the
    Haunted Mansion. Light levels are very low and the optical tricks are
    hard to capture from the moving cars. We did manage to snag the "extra
    rider" at the end once, but with a 1/2 second shutter speed, it's just
    too blurred to use.
    
    Danny W.

    RE: .42

    Agreed.

    
    RE: .43

    Wow!  I never attempted to shoot inside the rides before (and with film
    like ASA 25 it would never have worked anyway) but I am surprised that
    1600 will give you an acceptable exposure; thanks for the info!  BTW,
    were you using daylight or tungsten balanced 1600?  If you used
    daylight, was the gold/yellow cast from the lighting tolerable?


    David.

    EES is daylight balanced. Most of the rides have rather colorful
    lighting anyway, so the rendition is pretty subjective. 
    
    Light levels vary substantially over most of the rides. I've been on
    all of the often enough to know which portions are bright enough to
    give good results.
    
    One of my favorite ride pictures was taken from the WEDway, just as it
    passes through Space Mountain. I held the camera over my head and took
    a flash shot (sorry),as we rode by a viewing window. Caught a car full of
     guests with their face frozen in fear as they plummeted into the unknown.
    
    I have seen three different published pictures of the same scene in the
    Mexican pavillion--use a 24mm lens, place the camera on one of the
    pillars by the restaurant, aim towards the volcano, release shutter. 
    
    Another location I've seen more than once in the photo mags is the
    curved tunnel in the Kodak pavillion. You'd think the magazine editors
    would catch on that these are virtually guaranteed good photos,
    independent of the skill of the photographer.
    
    Danny W.

    re: .39,.40.,41
    
    A 28-200 zoom is great for outdoor pictures at WDW, especially for the
    parades, where you can quickly go from overall "setup" shots to tight
    frames of the characters. There are a couple of limitations that will
    keep it from being perfect, though.
    
    The slow speed of the lens has already been discussed somewhat. Even
    with high speed film, you will not have very good shutter speeds
    indoors. If you visit Discovery Island, you will find that many of the
    best pictures are in very shady spots. The Jungle Ride has light levels
    that are quite low, and the motion of the ride requires high shutter
    speeds. These are places that faster lenses are highly desirable.
    
    A more serious limitation is the limited close focusing distance at
    28mm, which is typically 7 or 8 feet. This is virtually useless
    indoors, or even outdoors for many "wide-angle" types of shots. Strong
    foreground interest is vital to good wide angle pictures, and the
    inability to get close with these lenses is a weakness that is not
    easily overcome. A typical 28 or 24mm prime lens focuses to under 1
    foot.
    
    I'd suggest augmenting the zoom with a 24mm, f/2.8 (or faster), and a
    fast 50mm or 85mm (preferably, both). Anytime you go indoors, switch to
     one of the faster lenses. When you're in a crowd of characters, use
    the 24mm to get close instead of standing back and using the zoom. You'd
    be amazed at the difference in impact the pictures will have.
    
    Danny W. 

    
    This note is to serve as a guideline for those who plan on doing a
    little video at WDW. Those of you who have tried taping various
    attractions are the best resources for input in this area.

    Please extract this note, enter the appropriate information, and then
    place the note back in the conference. I've designed it so it shouldn't
    take much time to fill in the needed information.

    I wasn't sure of which attractions to eliminate so I may have entered a
    lot more than need be. There are over 100 entries but I doubt if any
    one person would have info on all the entries. Delete those attractions
    which you do not have info on. Also, feel free to add anything I've
    overlooked (for instance, the monorail).
    
    Basically I'm looking for yays or nays regarding taping and comments. Have
    at it. Hopes this little exercise also brings back fond memories for those
    of you taking the time to enter this information.

    Regarding comments, if the attraction is not recommended for taping the
    comments section should indicate why (lighting, shaking, etc.). If an
    attraction IS recommended then the comments section could be used for
    hints or tips.
    
    
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      T H E    M A G I C    K I N G D O M    V I D E O    G U I D E
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    ATTRACTION              RECOMMENDED? (Y/N)          COMMENTS
____________________________________________________________________________

PENNY ARCADE

MAIN STREET CINEMA

WALT DISNEY RAILROAD

THE WALT DISNEY STORY

CINDERELLA CASTLE

THE ENCHANTED TIKI BIRDS

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

JUNGLE CRUISE

SWISS FAMILY TREEHOUSE

DIAMOND HORSESHOE

COUNTRY BEAR VACATION HOEDOWN

TOM SAWYER ISLAND

BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD

THE LIBERTY TREE

THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS

LIBERTY SQUARE RIVERBOAT

MIKE FINK KEEL BOATS

THE HAUNTED MANSION

MICKEY'S BIRTHDAYLAND/STARLAND

CINDERELLA'S GOLDEN CARROUSEL

MAD TEA PARTY

DUMBO, THE FLYING ELEPHANT

MAGIC JOURNEYS

PETER PAN'S FLIGHT

SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

SNOW WHITE'S ADVENTURES

MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE

20K LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

SPACE MOUNTAIN

RCA/DREAM OF A NEW WORLD

SKYWAY TO FANTASYLAND

STARJETS

WEDWAY PEOPLEMOVER

MISSION TO MARS

CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS

CIRCLEVISION 360 "AMERICA JOURNEYS"

GRAND PRIX RACEWAY

DREAMFLIGHT

DAPPER DANS

WALT DISNEY WORLD MARCHING BAND

ALL-AMERICAN COLLEGE MARCHING BAND

KIDS OF THE KINGDOM

FLAG RETREAT

J.P. AND THE SILVER STARS

THE DIAMOND HORSESHOE JAMBOREE

FANTASY IN THE SKY (FIREWORKS)

BANJO KINGS

FANTASY FAIRE

MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE


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      T H E    E P C O T     C E N T E R   V I D E O    G U I D E
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                        (FUTURE   WORLD)

SPACESHIP EARTH

EARTH STATION

FUTURECOM

EPCOT OUTREACH

LIVING SEAS

CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF RIDE

SEA BASE ALPHA

SEA BASE CONCOURSE

THE LAND

LISTEN TO THE LAND

KITCHEN KABARET

HARVEST TOUR

SYMBIOSIS

BROCCOLI AND CO.

JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION

JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION RIDE

THE IMAGE WORKS

CAPTAIN EO

WORLD OF MOTION

WORLD OF MOTION SHOW

TRANSCENTER

HORIZONS

WONDERS OF LIFE PAVILLION

BODY WARS

CRANIUM COMMAND

UNIVERSE OF ENERGY

COMMUNICORE EAST

EPCOT COMPUTER CENTRAL

AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVELPORT

ENERY EXCHANGE

ELECTRONIC FORUM

CENTORIUM

ILLUMINATIONS

                         (WORLD  SHOWCASE)

CANADA

OH CANADA!

UNITED KINGDOM

FRANCE

PALAIS DU CINEMA

MORROCO

JAPAN

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE SHOW

ITALY

GERMANY

CHINA

WONDERS OF CHINA:LAND OF BEAUTY,
LAND OF TIME

NORWAY

MEXICO

EL RIO DEL TIEMPO: THE RIVER OF TIME


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  T H E   D I S N E Y - M G M   S T U D I O S    V I D E O    G U I D E
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THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE

BACKSTAGE STUDIO TOUR

SUPERSTAR TELEVISION

ANIMATION BUILDING

MONSTER SOUND SHOW

INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR

STAR TOURS

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  E V E R Y T H I N G  E L S E  I N  T H E  W O R L D  V I D E O  G U I D E 
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HOOP-DEE-DOO

PLEASURE ISLAND

DISCOVERY ISLAND

RIVER COUNTRY

FORT WILDERNESS

TYPHOON LAGOON

    
    
    I have a few questions of anyone who has recently rented a video camera
    at WDW:
    
    1 What type of equipment do they rent?
    
    2 What was the condition of the cameras?
    
    3 How was the quality of the tapes you made?
    
    
    Thanks in advance
    
    Steve(WDW_T-107_days)

    Okay, I've read this entire note, paying particular attention to
    replies .38-.46.  However, I am a complete novice.  I don't take very
    good pictures, and I'll be using a borrowed automatic 35mm.  It's
    small, and auto-a-lot, but doesn't have a lot of features (it was only
    $80).  Given that I'm a camera klutz (often push too hard, jiggling the
    camera; skewing pictures by looking through the "wrong" eye; etc.),
    what would all you experts recommend?
    
    David, do you still think 100 film would be appropriate?  How many
    rolls of film for six days?  I figured on at least one roll a day, and
    thought I was being generous, but after reading this note...  :-)
    
    Let me know what you think,
    
    Susan

    Susan,
    
    I have used ISO 100 and ISO 400 film at WDW and prefer 400.  I
    tend to take a lot of pictures inside the attractions and have
    found that I get many blurred pictures with 100.  I think it's
    a combination of the slower speed of the film and the motion of
    the rides.  I've found I can get much clearer pictures of the
    attractions with 400.  400 also seems to compensate for any
    motion in live action pictures (parade, Indiana Jones, etc.).
    I've been told the drawback to using 400 film is that any blow
    ups you have done will be more grainy.
    
    I suggest you bring three of the kodak three packs of film.  They
    each contain two 24 exposure rolls and one 36 exposure roll.  You
    might want to get them in different speeds.  When you get to WDW,
    take pictures of everything, from several angles if possible.  My
    philosophy is to take as many pictures as I feel like and sort out
    the bad ones later.
    
    Oh, another thing.  Find out if the camera's flash can be turned
    off.  If it can't, try to borrow another camera.  The flash on my
    automatic can be shut off so I can politely take pictures inside
    the attractions that prohibit flash photography.
    
    Ruth

    
    
    My recomendation would be to go with Fujicolor asa 160, 200& 400(if you
    have to). The fuji is much more forgiving in the area of improper
    exposure ie holding its color balance were I've found the Kodak tends
    to shift very dramaticaly at only 2/3 of a stop underexsposure and the
    shift is very difficult even for a top color printer to correct for.
    I would buy the 36 exp (more economic) and buy from a pro shop such 
    as Hunt camera or SBI sales since their film is fresher and stored
    more carefuly, why risk Disney memories on some film from Photos R Us
    shop. As far as a P&S camera with built in autoflash, What I do to stop
    the from intruding is to cover it with some heavy black tape I keep in
    my gear bag. Just remember to take it off when you want the flash ;-)
    To reduce the space tape just spool a small amount around a pen and
    voila a tape dispencer and pen in one.
    
    Hope these help
    
    Steve

    re: .51

    Well, as I mentioned in .41 your safest bet, IMHO, is probably ASA 200
    speed film.  Yes, *I* would still recommend 100, but as the last few
    replies note there are a few (minor?) limitations to a film that slow.
    It all comes back to what you want, what is important to you, etc.

    A fully-auto-everything 35mm will not be as flexible as a full-feature
    35mm camera, so some of the tips I suggested will not be applicable
    (e.g. you would find it hard to compensate by an exposure stop, say, in
    a given picture taking scenario since the auto 35 does not provide full
    manual control over your exposure controls); keep that in mind.

    I would suggest one 36 exposure roll per day if you plan to tote the
    camera around with you at all times.  If following my plan of attack
    (i.e. shoot only on the last day of your visit), two to three rolls of
    36 are more than adequate.


    Hope this helps and enjoy,
    David.

    Several notes back it was mentioned that you can take pictures inside
    the attractions without a flash.
    
    I am not a camera expert and I don't have an expensive camera, but I do
    like to capture the memories of Disney.
    
    I have a 35MM Olympus, automatic focus, with a flash adapter.  Please
    help me to understand what I need to do to take these pictures inside
    without a flash.
    
    Thank you,
    Cheryl

    	There would be a couple of ways to approach this.  You could
    go with a faster film, I.E.-400 to 1000 or only take pictures of
    fairly well lit attractions, or (lastly, because I know it annoys
    me) use a flash.  The drawbacks, as mentioned earlier, to using
    a faster film is the possibility of graininess.  On the other hand
    if you don;t plan on having any pictures blown up, 400 is fine.
    
    
    Tom

    re: .55
    
    Cheryl,
    
    I use 400 speed film inside the attractions with and without a flash.
    I'm not sure if you're asking how to not use your flash or how to
    get good pictures so I'll try to answer from both angles.  I have an
    automatic 35mm (Olympus I think).  It has a switch on the front for
    the flash - there are three or four settings, two of which are AUTO
    and OFF.  I just need to put it in the OFF position to take non-flash
    pictures.  Now for the "good" pictures part.
    
    My advice is to use your flash any time you can (not all attractions
    forbid flash photography) without spoiling the attraction for other
    guests.  For example, flash photography is allowed in It's a Small
    World.  If a lot of people in my boat are using a flash, I use mine
    too.  If only one or two people in my boat are using a flash, I save
    my picture taking for later.
    
    There are many attractions that have areas that are lit well enough
    to take non-flash pictures in.  It's a Small World, Delta Dreamflight,
    Journey Into Imagination, World of Motion, Kitchen Kabaret and The
    Great Movie Ride come to mind.  You just have to have your camera
    ready at all times.  My advice is to take pictures of any scenes that
    seem well lit and toss out the ones that don't come out.
    
    There are a few attractions that you won't be able to get decent
    pictures in due to the lighting.  The Pirates of the Caribbean is
    one of them.  Please (this is directed to all Disney guests, not
    just Cheryl), please, please don't use a flash in these attractions.
    It really spoils it for other guests.  My normally sedate husband
    lectured (I'm thought he was going to hit her) a woman who took
    pictures of the "planetarium" stuff inside Spaceship Earth.  That
    part of the attraction is pitch black with small pinpoints of light.
    The pain we experienced when her flash went off was unbelievable.
    
    I will confess to breaking down and taking one flash picture in the
    Haunted Mansion.  The ride had been stopped at one location for quite
    a while in one of the more lighted scenes (where the guy's trying to
    get out of the casket).  Our doom buggy was facing toward the back
    of the one behind us (figure that one out!) so no one would be
    blinded by the flash.  I figured we'd have plenty of time to recover
    from the flash so I took a picture.  It came out terrible.  It doesn't
    look like the real scene at all.  It's hard to describe - just imagine
    what the Haunted Mansion would look like with all the lights on.
    
    Happy picture taking,
    Ruth

    Ruth,
    
    You were able to answer my questions, however I do have one more.
    
    My camera has an (idiot light) that tells me when the picture requires
    a flash.  If I have 400 film can I disregard this light?
    
    Cheryl

    Your camera either resets itself (probably, my automatic camera does) or
    has a switch or dial on it somewhere to indicate what speed film 
    you are using. When you make the change to 400 film the camera will 
    adjust for when it needs the flash. You won't see that light with 400
    under conditions that you would see it with slower film. If the light 
    flashes, your picture still won't come out unless you use the flash.
    
    Linda 

    Linda,
    
    Thank you very much.  I hope these responses will assist in my taking
    perfect pictures of my favorite place.
    
    Cheryl

    re: .58, .59
    
    I would still ignore the idiot light in a lot of cases.  You may still
    get a fairly decent picture without a flash if it's fairly light.  I've
    taken pictures in questionable cases with pretty good luck.  Usually
    they are kind of grainy or dark around the edges but are clear enough
    so that I can recognize the subject matter.  These pictures aren't
    good enough to display for all your friends but are good enough for
    personal use - they help bring back all the memories of all the good
    times.  I have all my pictures developed by Mystic Color Lab.  They
    do a pretty good job.  Unless their procedures have changed recently,
    they don't develop any extremely poor shots and also don't charge for
    those shots.  If you're really worried about the quality of non-flash
    pictures, you might want to have your first roll developed at the
    park to make sure they're coming out ok.
    
    Good luck,
    Ruth

    This note is to serve as a guide for those who plan on taking their video
    camera to WDW. It is comprised from my own experience. Those
    attractions not listed may just be an oversight on my part so if you
    have any questions please place them in this note because the
    information presented may be helpful to others.

    Other noters with WDW video experience are most welcomed to supplement
    the information here.

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      T H E    M A G I C    K I N G D O M    V I D E O    G U I D E
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    ATTRACTION              RECOMMENDED? (Y/N)          COMMENTS
____________________________________________________________________________

PENNY ARCADE				N		dark

MAIN STREET CINEMA			N		dark

WALT DISNEY RAILROAD			Y	Take footage while riding

THE WALT DISNEY STORY			Y	Take lobby and the movie

CINDERELLA CASTLE			Y	Best at dusk and evening

THE ENCHANTED TIKI BIRDS		N	The pre-show maybe

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN		Y	If you have low-lux

JUNGLE CRUISE				Y	Try to sit on the right

SWISS FAMILY TREEHOUSE			N	Don't waste your time/tape

COUNTRY BEAR VACATION HOEDOWN		Y	Ditto

TOM SAWYER ISLAND			N	Another waste

BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD		Y	Don't try it while riding

THE LIBERTY TREE			Y	Sure

THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS			Y	Again, if you have low-lux

LIBERTY SQUARE RIVERBOAT		Y	Capture it near BTMR exit

MIKE FINK KEEL BOATS			Y	Why not?

THE HAUNTED MANSION			N	It's pretty dark in there

MICKEY'S BIRTHDAYLAND/STARLAND		Y	Lots of characters

CINDERELLA'S GOLDEN CARROUSEL		Y	Good stuff

MAD TEA PARTY				Y	Take footage while riding

DUMBO, THE FLYING ELEPHANT		Y	Should be good

MAGIC JOURNEYS				N	You need a 3D camera

PETER PAN'S FLIGHT			N	A lot darker than you think

SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND			Y	A bird's eye view

IT'S A SMALL WORLD			Y	Plenty of light and action

SNOW WHITE'S ADVENTURES			N	Too dark

MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE			N	Too wild

SPACE MOUNTAIN				N	Forget it

RCA/DREAM OF A NEW WORLD		N	I wouldn't waste the tape

SKYWAY TO FANTASYLAND			see SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND

STARJETS				Y	Sure

WEDWAY PEOPLEMOVER			Y	Do it day and night

MISSION TO MARS				N	I don't even go near this

CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS			Y	Need low lux

CIRCLEVISION 360 "AMERICA JOURNEYS"	Y	But you lose the effect

GRAND PRIX RACEWAY			Y	A matter of choice

DREAMFLIGHT				Y	Somewhat okay

DAPPER DANS				Y	Definitely

WALT DISNEY WORLD MARCHING BAND		Y	Excellent

ALL-AMERICAN COLLEGE MARCHING BAND	Y	Best at Liberty Square

KIDS OF THE KINGDOM			Y	Get there 30 minutes early

FLAG RETREAT				??	Cannot comment

THE DIAMOND HORSESHOE JAMBOREE		Y	Great show (balcony best)

FANTASY IN THE SKY (FIREWORKS)		Y	Look for tinkerbell

BANJO KINGS				Y	If you can find them

MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE		Y	Find your spot early


****************************************************************************
      T H E    E P C O T     C E N T E R   V I D E O    G U I D E
****************************************************************************
                        (FUTURE   WORLD)

SPACESHIP EARTH				Y	All angles; day and night

EARTH STATION				Y	Pan it

LIVING SEAS				Y	Footage comes out nice

THE LAND				Y	Catch the balloons

LISTEN TO THE LAND			Y	A matter of taste

KITCHEN KABARET				Y	Good fun, nice show

JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION RIDE		Y	May be too dark

CAPTAIN EO				N	Ya need 3D

WORLD OF MOTION				Y	So-so

HORIZONS				N	May be too dark in spots

WONDERS OF LIFE PAVILLION		Y	Lots of activity to tape

BODY WARS				N	Not allowed

UNIVERSE OF ENERGY			N	Dark

COMMUNICORE EAST			Y	Pan it

ILLUMINATIONS				Y	Mexico, 45 minutes early

                         (WORLD  SHOWCASE)

CANADA					Y	It's neat.

UNITED KINGDOM				Y	Especially the shops

FRANCE					Y	Quaint

MORROCO					Y	Again, the shops

JAPAN					Y	A lot of stuff to tape

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE			Y	The show can be taped...low
                                                lux helpful...Voices of
                                                Liberty a must

ITALY					Y	The fountain and restaurant

GERMANY					Y	The shops

CHINA					Y	Most definitely the shops

WONDERS OF CHINA:LAND OF BEAUTY,	N	Like Circlevision..
LAND OF TIME

NORWAY					??	I didn't tape Maelstrom

MEXICO					N	Too dark

EL RIO DEL TIEMPO: THE RIVER OF TIME	Y	Like Small World.


****************************************************************************
  T H E   D I S N E Y - M G M   S T U D I O S    V I D E O    G U I D E
****************************************************************************

THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE			Y	Somewhat dark in spots

BACKSTAGE STUDIO TOUR			Y	Lots of stuff

SUPERSTAR TELEVISION			N	Not allowed

ANIMATION BUILDING			N/Y	Tape the movie
                                                You cannot tape the studio

MONSTER SOUND SHOW			N	Not allowed

INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR	Y	Best at night; sit in
                                                the center if possible

STAR TOURS				N	Not allowed; dangerous

******************************************************************************
  E V E R Y T H I N G  E L S E  I N  T H E  W O R L D  V I D E O  G U I D E 
******************************************************************************
    HOOP-DEE-DOO			Y	These guys are hams;
                                                figure on 75 minutes of 
                                                footage

PLEASURE ISLAND				Y	Inside and outside

FORT WILDERNESS				Y	Some nice settings

TYPHOON LAGOON				Y	Definitely the wave pool


Also, here are some more hints...

     In the Magic Kingdom you may want to avoid getting close to the castle
     for Fantasy in the Sky. The trees get in the way. Stay a bit to the
     left. If you want to capture just fireworks then take footage next to
     The Pinnocchio Village Haus behind the castle.

     The Electrical Light Parade can best be filmed in front of the Hall of
     Presidents in Liberty Square because you can stand on a wall to tape.

     Be sure to capture some of the shops on Main Street U.S.A.

     Also, tape while riding a horseless carriage.

     Tape the heads in the Mile Long Bar.

     Capture the parrot outside "Pirates..."

In Epcot Center...

     Try to get the monorail as it goes by Spaceship Earth.

     Get the splashing fountain outside of The Living Seas.

     Also don't forget the fountains right outside of Captain EO.

     Tape your boat ride to World Showcase.

     Take a ride on a double-decker bus and tape it.

     Tape the trolls in the Norway Shops.

     Tape Coach's Corner in The Wonders of Life Pavillion.

In MGM

     Get some footing outside before you go in.

     Capture the Streetmosphere.

     Tape any shows at the Theater of the Stars.

     Capture the TMNT at the backstage tour.

     Tape Catastrophe Canyon but sit on the right of the tram.

     Ya gotta tape The Prime Time Cafe.

     Position yourself in front of TGMR to capture Sorcery in the Sky.

In Typhoon Lagoon,

     You may want to capture The Wave Pool from different angles. Try a
     couple.

     Taping people going down Humunga Cowabunga is fun.

     You can cross a swinging bridge behind The Wave Pool Wall if you want
     a close up of the ship.

     Take Castaway Creek footage near some waterfalls.

In Pleasure Island,

     There are several shops which are filled with interesting merchandise.
     especially the shop which sells cels (no pun intended).

Village Shopping Village

     The character shop should be captured on film, especially the robot
     that does the shirts.

     The Christmas Shop should also be taped.

General Guidelines..
    
Whatever you end up taping be sure and capture your family on tape as much
as possible. When you look at yourself in a picture it brings back memories
of where and when you snapped it. The same goes for videotaping.

Also, bring two batteries because you may find yourself running out before
you know it. Also, figure on taking the camera with you half the time you
are there and use that as a guideline to determine how many tapes to bring.

Happy taping.

Mike

    Wow Mike! That was pretty comprehensive! I agree with just about 
    everything you said, with some additions.
    
    Typhoon Lagoon - You must get a shot of Miss Tilley blowing her 
    stack. I started with a broad view, and then zoomed in to the top 
    of the water fountain and followed the water droplets down over 
    the boat and mountain.
    	    	     I also had some limited success filming the Shark 
    Encounter through one of the portholes, with the lens pressed hard 
    against the glass to eliminate reflections. On a sunny day, there 
    is plenty of light underwater, and you get some good effects with 
    the 'mirror' reflections from the surface.
    
    Country Bears Hoedown (Or whatever) - I filmed it right through, 
    there is plenty of light on each of the sets, and although it's 
    corny, we love it.
    
    Thunder Mountain - I risked filming this. Locked the camera tight 
    to my shoulder, set on a wideish lens setting, kept well away from 
    the viewfinder, and let it roll. I've got some good close-ups of 
    the handrails, when I let the camera sag, but generally, I've got 
    most of the ride. It's actually more sickening watching the video, 
    because of the fixed view.
    
    General. I taped as many of the shows as I could get to. They all 
    came out well, and things like Mickey's Surprise Birthday Party 
    are priceless, because they are no more, sob sob. 
    	    A friend who was with me over Christmas taped the 3D shows 
    by holding one lens of the polaroid glasses over his video. 
    Obviously not 3D, but Captain Eo is quite watchable. 
    	    I taped the MK Fireworks from the Liberty Bell, catching 
    Tinkerbelle 'flying', but also from the dock at FW, and got some 
    good footage with the reflections from the water.
    	    If you get to ride up front on the Monorails, there are 
    some interesting views, but some cabs have glass that is cleaner 
    or less scratched than others.
    	    I also just wandered around with the video running, 
    pointing at wherever I was walking. Watching them afterwards 
    showed up lots of detail that you might otherwise miss, like the 
    names over the shops on Main Street.
    
    Mike in Warrington, UK

    Mike,
    
    I forgot about Shark Reef. I got some good footage there too.
    
    I also just walked around with my camera on and captured everything I
    could.
    
    One note. It's very difficult to catch all of Sorcery in the Sky
    because the fireworks comes from all behind TGMR. Don't get too close
    if you want to capture it all.
    
    One nice touch I had included on the night I taped Sorcery in the Sky
    was turning around to face Hollywood Blvd. There is a neon light of
    Pluto wagging his tail on top of one of the buildings (to the left as
    you enter the park).
    
    Mike

Good stuff in previous answers.  I can't add much... I did tape at Maelstrom
in Norway, it came out file with a few dark spots (like the big oil rig.)

I successfully cheated and taped Star Tours by holding camcorder firmly in
my lap, pointed at the screen.  On my unit, you can turn the view finder
up and keep action framed without moving the camera or your head very much.
It came out real well!

I also taped a couple of the wide-screen movies, including Wonders of China,
Symbiosis, and Impressions de France.  While you don't get the full effect,
they tend to focus in one area most of the time and serve as a reminder
anyway.

The only attraction too dark to get anything was Haunted Mansion. What I wish
I'd gotten on tape was when the boarding attendent spooked Diane, and then
as she excitedly told me about it he leaned his head around our Doom Buggy
again... and as she sat back she screamed!

One other thing... if you do have to replace your battery, or buy another,
the prices at the main camera shops in each of the three main parks are
better than anything we found outside the World.  WDW price $55, outside
price $69.

Bill

Well, I finally transferred my tapes last weekend (only eight months late!)...

There were a few pleasant surprises on them, apart from the nice feeling of
"I wanna go back there *now*!", so I'll add them here.

The Living Seas: I was very pleased with this. I filmed the various shoals
swimming in the large tank; virtually no reflections of people or lights and
just the right level of light to create an undersea atmosphere. The other big
hit, for me, was the tank of little orange/white striped fish which swim in and
out of the white coral/reeds. I put it on maximum zoom, got in close and
hoped for the best. They came out perfectly! I watched them for ages when I
was there and did the same with the tape... 

The Land: I agree with the comment about the balloons. Well worth filming.

Imagination: Mostly too dark, so I didn't film. The opening sequence films well,
as does the area on the journey with the white figures. The sound source for the
opening sequence doesn't seem to be directly behind Dreamfinder, though...
I filmed some of the photo exhibit to remind me of the ones that made me laugh.
That area is also a good place to film the jumping fountains; you see their
trail that much better from up there.

Motion: some bits dark, but the policeman on the bike and the "accident" at
the crossroads came out well.

Horizons: very surprised to find out how much of this was filmable.

China: a slow pan across the inside dome of the entrance is a good idea. If
your camera has an adjustable viewfinder you don't need to crane your neck to
see all the detail! I also filmed the clock exhibit; came out nicely.

The rest of the tapes contained what I'd call standard shots in good lighting
so not worth reporting...

I finished the tape with a shot of the Communicore message banner at night:
"Thank You for Visiting EPCOT... Drive Carefully" I almost felt like adding
closing credits....

Gavin

This is my supplement to Mike's video guide.  I have included his comments,
mine are in parentheses.  I have taped using Sony brand 8mm camcorders both
9-lux and 3-lux.  Daytime outdoor shots were about the same with both
cameras but the 3-lux works much better inside attractions and for night
taping.

Ruth

****************************************************************************
      T H E    M A G I C    K I N G D O M    V I D E O    G U I D E
****************************************************************************

    ATTRACTION              RECOMMENDED? (Y/N)          COMMENTS
____________________________________________________________________________

PENNY ARCADE				N		dark

MAIN STREET CINEMA			N		dark

WALT DISNEY RAILROAD			Y	Take footage while riding
						(Can get some good footage
						at the Frontierland station,
						especially if they are adding
						water.)

THE WALT DISNEY STORY			Y	Take lobby and the movie

CINDERELLA CASTLE			Y	Best at dusk and evening

THE ENCHANTED TIKI BIRDS		N	The pre-show maybe
					(Y)	(Never taped the pre-show,
						9-lux camera gave a fairly
						recognizable picture, a low
						lux would probably work out
						better.)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN		Y	If you have low-lux
						(No recognizable picture
						with 9-lux camera.)

JUNGLE CRUISE				Y	Try to sit on the right

SWISS FAMILY TREEHOUSE			N	Don't waste your time/tape

COUNTRY BEAR VACATION HOEDOWN		Y	Ditto
						(Will get better picture if
						sit near front.)

TOM SAWYER ISLAND			N	Another waste

BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD		Y	Don't try it while riding
						(Go for it - tape it while
						riding.  Brace your feet
						and keep the view finder
						away from your eye.  Watch
						out for water spray near
						beginning.  Try to aim
						camera so your not taping
						other passengers' heads.)

THE LIBERTY TREE			Y	Sure

THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS			Y	Again, if you have low-lux

LIBERTY SQUARE RIVERBOAT		Y	Capture it near BTMR exit
						(Also tape while riding.)

MIKE FINK KEEL BOATS			Y	Why not?

THE HAUNTED MANSION			N	It's pretty dark in there

MICKEY'S BIRTHDAYLAND/STARLAND		Y	Lots of characters

CINDERELLA'S GOLDEN CARROUSEL		Y	Good stuff
						(Might want to tape while
						riding too.)

MAD TEA PARTY				Y	Take footage while riding

DUMBO, THE FLYING ELEPHANT		Y	Should be good

MAGIC JOURNEYS				N	You need a 3D camera

PETER PAN'S FLIGHT			N	A lot darker than you think

SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND			Y	A bird's eye view

IT'S A SMALL WORLD			Y	Plenty of light and action

SNOW WHITE'S ADVENTURES			N	Too dark

MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE			N	Too wild

SPACE MOUNTAIN				N	Forget it

RCA/DREAM OF A NEW WORLD		N	I wouldn't waste the tape

SKYWAY TO FANTASYLAND			see SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND

STARJETS				Y	Sure

WEDWAY PEOPLEMOVER			Y	Do it day and night

MISSION TO MARS				N	I don't even go near this

CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS			Y	Need low lux
						(9-lux gave fairly clear
						pictures much to our surprise.)

CIRCLEVISION 360 "AMERICA JOURNEYS"	Y	But you lose the effect

GRAND PRIX RACEWAY			Y	A matter of choice

DREAMFLIGHT				Y	Somewhat okay
						(The pop-up book parts and
						the graphics came out ok
						with 9-lux camera.)

DAPPER DANS				Y	Definitely

WALT DISNEY WORLD MARCHING BAND		Y	Excellent

ALL-AMERICAN COLLEGE MARCHING BAND	Y	Best at Liberty Square

KIDS OF THE KINGDOM			Y	Get there 30 minutes early

FLAG RETREAT				??	Cannot comment

THE DIAMOND HORSESHOE JAMBOREE		Y	Great show (balcony best)

FANTASY IN THE SKY (FIREWORKS)		Y	Look for tinkerbell

BANJO KINGS				Y	If you can find them

MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE		Y	Find your spot early


****************************************************************************
      T H E    E P C O T     C E N T E R   V I D E O    G U I D E
****************************************************************************
                        (FUTURE   WORLD)

SPACESHIP EARTH				Y	All angles; day and night
						(Interior shots came out
						ok with 9-lux but some
						parts are too dark.)

EARTH STATION				Y	Pan it

LIVING SEAS				Y	Footage comes out nice

THE LAND				Y	Catch the balloons
						(and the rooster on the hour
						and half hour.)

LISTEN TO THE LAND			Y	A matter of taste

KITCHEN KABARET				Y	Good fun, nice show
						(Sit in front for better
						picture.)

JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION RIDE		Y	May be too dark
						(9-lux gave quite clear
						picture.)

CAPTAIN EO				N	Ya need 3D

WORLD OF MOTION				Y	So-so

HORIZONS				N	May be too dark in spots
					(Y)	(Even the omni-theatre portion
						was fairly clear with the 9-lux
						camera.  The 3-lux is even
						better.)

WONDERS OF LIFE PAVILLION		Y	Lots of activity to tape
						(Be sure to get footage of
						the DNA structure.)

BODY WARS				N	Not allowed

UNIVERSE OF ENERGY			N	Dark
						(Taped the dinosaurs with the
						9-lux with fair results.)

COMMUNICORE EAST			Y	Pan it

(COMMUNICORE WEST			Y	Pan it, be sure to get the
						Fountain of Information.)

ILLUMINATIONS				Y	Mexico, 45 minutes early
						(Change location if Mexico
						is downwind of the lagoon
						otherwise the smoke from
						the later ones.)

                         (WORLD  SHOWCASE)

CANADA					Y	It's neat.

UNITED KINGDOM				Y	Especially the shops

FRANCE					Y	Quaint

MORROCO					Y	Again, the shops

JAPAN					Y	A lot of stuff to tape

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE			Y	The show can be taped...low
                                                lux helpful...Voices of
                                                Liberty a must

ITALY					Y	The fountain and restaurant

GERMANY					Y	The shops

CHINA					Y	Most definitely the shops

WONDERS OF CHINA:LAND OF BEAUTY,	N	Like Circlevision..
LAND OF TIME

NORWAY					??	I didn't tape Maelstrom

MEXICO					N	Too dark

EL RIO DEL TIEMPO: THE RIVER OF TIME	Y	Like Small World.


****************************************************************************
  T H E   D I S N E Y - M G M   S T U D I O S    V I D E O    G U I D E
****************************************************************************

THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE			Y	Somewhat dark in spots

BACKSTAGE STUDIO TOUR			Y	Lots of stuff

SUPERSTAR TELEVISION			N	Not allowed

ANIMATION BUILDING			N/Y	Tape the movie
                                                You cannot tape the studio

MONSTER SOUND SHOW			N	Not allowed

INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR	Y	Best at night; sit in
                                                the center if possible

STAR TOURS				N	Not allowed; dangerous

******************************************************************************
  E V E R Y T H I N G  E L S E  I N  T H E  W O R L D  V I D E O  G U I D E 
******************************************************************************
    HOOP-DEE-DOO			Y	These guys are hams;
                                                figure on 75 minutes of 
                                                footage

PLEASURE ISLAND				Y	Inside and outside

FORT WILDERNESS				Y	Some nice settings

TYPHOON LAGOON				Y	Definitely the wave pool
						(and the shipwreck blowing
						water out it's stack.)


Also, here are some more hints...

     In the Magic Kingdom you may want to avoid getting close to the castle
     for Fantasy in the Sky. The trees get in the way. Stay a bit to the
     left. If you want to capture just fireworks then take footage next to
     The Pinnocchio Village Haus behind the castle.

     The Electrical Light Parade can best be filmed in front of the Hall of
     Presidents in Liberty Square because you can stand on a wall to tape.

     Be sure to capture some of the shops on Main Street U.S.A.

     Also, tape while riding a horseless carriage.

     Tape the heads in the Mile Long Bar.

     Capture the parrot outside "Pirates..."

In Epcot Center...

     Try to get the monorail as it goes by Spaceship Earth.

     Get the splashing fountain outside of The Living Seas.

     Also don't forget the fountains right outside of Captain EO.

     Tape your boat ride to World Showcase.

     Take a ride on a double-decker bus and tape it.

     Tape the trolls in the Norway Shops.

     Tape Coach's Corner in The Wonders of Life Pavillion.

     (Tape portions of the World Showcase after Illuminations.)

     (An easy way to label the Future World attractions is to tape the
     sign outside before going in.)


In MGM

     Get some footing outside before you go in.

     Capture the Streetmosphere.

     Tape any shows at the Theater of the Stars.

     Capture the TMNT at the backstage tour.

     Tape Catastrophe Canyon but sit on the right of the tram.

     Ya gotta tape The Prime Time Cafe.

     Position yourself in front of TGMR to capture Sorcery in the Sky.

     (Do some taping at night, the neon lights are quite pretty.)

In Typhoon Lagoon,

     You may want to capture The Wave Pool from different angles. Try a
     couple.

     Taping people going down Humunga Cowabunga is fun.

     You can cross a swinging bridge behind The Wave Pool Wall if you want
     a close up of the ship.

     Take Castaway Creek footage near some waterfalls.

In Pleasure Island,

     There are several shops which are filled with interesting merchandise.
     especially the shop which sells cels (no pun intended).

Village Shopping Village

     The character shop should be captured on film, especially the robot
     that does the shirts.

     The Christmas Shop should also be taped.

(Other Opportunities for good footage

     Get footage of the monorails when possible.  We got some good footage
     while waiting to board at the Contemporary Resort, the express monorail
     that runs directly between the MK and the TTC came through and then
     our monorail came in.  Try to ride in the front and tape your ride.

     The Contemporary Resort...
     The Grand Canyon Concourse offers a lot of taping opportunities.  Get
     some footage of the lucite piano, the murals, the monorail and the
     general activity.  Take the elevator up to some of the rooms and tape
     from the rails.  Take the elevator up to the top and get some footage
     from the observation deck - this probably works best during the day.

     The Polynesian Village Resort...
     Lots of video opportunities here too.  Get some footage of the fountain
     in the lobby and out by the main swimming pool.

     The Caribbean Beach Resort is worth taping during the day - take a
     walk around the perimeter of the lake.

     I imagine the other resorts have some nice things to tape too.)

General Guidelines..
    
Whatever you end up taping be sure and capture your family on tape as much
as possible. When you look at yourself in a picture it brings back memories
of where and when you snapped it. The same goes for videotaping.

(Tape anything you feel like taping.  Don't skip an opportunity because "it
might not come out".  You'll be surprised at what does come out.  Even the
not so good stuff brings back memories and you can always make and edited
copy of your footage later.  I find it fun to capture the atmosphere by
taping the crowds walking by.)

Also, bring two batteries because you may find yourself running out before
you know it. Also, figure on taking the camera with you half the time you
are there and use that as a guideline to determine how many tapes to bring.

(Another possible issue with batteries...

Apparently there is disagreement amongst the experts as to the validity of
this but from my experience it's true.  I came across this tidbit while
reading the literature for our new video camera.  Rechargeable batteries
can be recharged only so many times.  They recover slightly less power each
time they are recharged until they are pretty much worn out.  You may hasten
this process if you don't fully discharge the batteries prior to recharging
them.  Also, the batteries will lose some of their charge while being stored
so it is best to recharge them just before you are going to use them if you
need the full charge.
    
In my case, I wasted one of the batteries to our old camera by "topping it
off" after each use.  Guess where the habit started - that's right - good
old WDW.  In my eagerness to keep the batteries fully charged, I managed to
convert a 2-hour battery into a 15 minute battery.)

    I don't recollect seeing this anywhere, apologies if I'm in the
    wrong place....
    
    I want to Video WDW this time round as I had very disappointing results
    with the two cameras we took out before.  (I think the heat may
    have affected them - has this happened to anyone else before?)
    
    I have been told that there is only one place to hire video cameras
    that is compatible to British recorders.  Is this true?  We will
    be staying in Kissimee - is there anywhere near there?
    What are prices like?
    Will it be any good buying one and taking it out there?
                                                           
    Rocky (Claire)

    When we stayed in a hotel in Kissimmee in November there was a flier
    with ads for several video camera rental places.  Many even delivered
    to you hotel room, and trained you on the equipment.  Most offered PAL
    (European standard) camcorders.  You may even find more places in the
    telephone directory.

    I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this note. Anyway I hope
    someone can help. I've just returned from a super holiday over in WDW
    and brought home one of the videos of the MK. It is superb!! I didn't
    manage to get a copy of the EPCOT tape (in PAL format) as they were not
    available. I believe they are producing a new tape at the moment. Does
    anyone know when the EPCOT tape will be available. I am based in the
    U.K.
    
    Thanks in advance.
    
    	-peter-

Are there any places in the Orlando/WDW area that rent compact videocameras?  
Ideally VHS-C, so we can then buy the adapter cartridge and play the
tapes back on an ordinary VHS VCR without having to play games.  But I
suppose I could live with 8mm if I could find a place that could transfer them
to regular VHS tapes.

I hate the thought of having to lug around a big, full-sized VHS camcorder.

   Gary

    >>>>I hate the thought of having to lug around a big, full-sized VHS
    >>>>camcorder.
    
    I agree....but I hate even more the thought of not having my camera
    with me and missing out on something.
    
    Mike

    On my list of "things to do" next time down there is to videotape (if I
    can) the Electrical Water Pageant. This is the attraction which
    precluded the ELP and may even still have "Baroque Hoedown" as it's
    theme.
    
    The last time I viewed this pageant was in front of TMK. I'd like to
    get as close as I can to video the floats as they go by so any
    suggestions are more than welcomed.
    
    Mike

    
       The closest vantage point to video tape from is the Grand Floridian.
      Since the plot of land the hotel is built on actually extends out
      into the lagoon, you are very close to the floats as they go by.
      Also if you take your videos from the left most portion of the beach
      area you will be for the most part alone and will get very little 
      audio except for the music from the floats.  I actually took my video
      of the water pageant with my back up against one of the Grand
      Floridian buildings, and being about 4 feet from the water.  This
      worked out great, I did not even use much of the zoom since the 
      floats pass so close to this spot.  Give it a try.
    
                              -Rob
    
     
    
                                    

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to some good spots to set up to
    videotape "Surprise in the Skies?"
    
    Thank you for your support,
    
    Mike

    Mike,
    
    	We watched it from the outdoor restaurant in Mexico.  If you get
    there early enough you can get a table overlooking the water, have lunch 
    and then wait for the show to start.  We took our positions about 2-1\2
    hours before show time but even an hour would have done it.  However,
    we went to WDW at the end of January, beginning of February and the crowds
    were real light.  You may need to get there earlier at a more crowded
    time of year.  If the mechanics of the show are the same from day to
    day, from this point you can watch some of the hang gliders being 
    assembled, hooked to the boats and lifted into the air.  And, one of them 
    should land in the water right in front of you.  There is also one of the 
    kite arrangements right next to the reastaurant so you can get shots of 
    the boats attaching to these.
    
    	The only possible problem is that at the time we were there we were 
    facing the sun.  I was pretty much able to deal with that with a lens hood 
    (I was taking slides).
    
    George

    Thanks George,
    
    The sun was probably a lot lower in January than it will be in July at
    3 P.M. (start time?). I think the best thing to do is to watch it first
    time without the camera and figure out the best spot to videotape and
    then second time around plant myself somewhere in plenty of time before
    the show and capture it then.
    
    "Bye Honey I'm off to capture "Surprise..." Meet you at the Land
    Pavillion in 3 hours".
    
    Mike

    Does anyone have any new recommendations as to the type of film that
    should be used for certain attractions?
    
    Does anyone have any strong feelings as to what should be used for
    Spectro-Magic? My inclination is to go with 400.
    
    Mike

    Rep to <<< Note 44.79 by VISUAL::SCOPA "I'd rather be in Orlando" >>>

>    Does anyone have any new recommendations as to the type of film that
>    should be used for certain attractions?
>    Does anyone have any strong feelings as to what should be used for
>    Spectro-Magic? My inclination is to go with 400.

    If you  have a good flash unit, that can illuminate upto say 25' vs the
    typcal 10-12' you  could  get away with 200 ASA like I did.  Most of my
    shots of Spectro came out with a few exceptions.
    
    A suggestion for Indiana  Jones  so  that your camera doesn't get faked
    out by that damn overhang, is  to  use  a 75-200 or so zoom lens, place
    the camera in manual metering, zoom right in  on the subject get/set up
    your camera based on that, and zoom back to  frame  the  shot  and  you
    sould be in business.  Otherwise it's almost useless to take photo's of
    IJ with  a  fully  automatic  nonmanual/nonzoom  camera on bright sunny
    days, since the actors will be shadows.
    
    Claude

rep to: <<< Note 44.80 by SALEM::BERUBE_C "Where do you think you are? WDW!!" >>>

~~    Rep to <<< Note 44.79 by VISUAL::SCOPA "I'd rather be in Orlando" >>>

~~>    Does anyone have any new recommendations as to the type of film that
~~>    should be used for certain attractions?
~~>    Does anyone have any strong feelings as to what should be used for
~~>    Spectro-Magic? My inclination is to go with 400.

~~    If you  have a good flash unit, that can illuminate upto say 25' vs the
~~    typcal 10-12' you  could  get away with 200 ASA like I did.  Most of my
~~    shots of Spectro came out with a few exceptions.
    
    I haven't seen Spectromagic, but if it's at all like Main St Electrical
    Parade (i.e. Colored lights on a frame, designed to be seen in the
    dark), how does one avoid the washout of colors the sudden brightness
    creates?  (My MSEP photos were ruined from the flashbulbs around me).
    
    tom

    Rep to <<< Note 44.81 by SWAM1::STERN_TO "Tom Stern -- Have TK, Will Travel" >>>

>    I haven't seen Spectromagic, but if it's at all like Main St Electrical
>    Parade (i.e. Colored lights on a frame, designed to be seen in the
>    dark), how does one avoid the washout of colors the sudden brightness
>    creates?  (My MSEP photos were ruined from the flashbulbs around me).

    Location has a great deal to do with it ;^).

    Mike,
    
    At Christmas I took pictures of Spectromagic with 1600 and no flash and
    they came out great! I used a 38 to 200 zoom with the aperture as wide 
    as it would go (f3.5??) and an automatic shutter setting. The camera
    was aimed over someone's shoulder (and she was 7 people from the front, 
    but at least all of them were sitting down). The effect of the lighting on the
    floats was maintained without well-lit backs of heads in the foreground.
    
    Everything else I used 200 and it was fine. 
    
    Linda   

    In reference to film speeds.  I have pushed 400 asa film to 800 and
    been able to hand hold the shots with excellent results for the laser
    show at EC, fireworks at MK, and the water parade around the lagon in
    WDW.
    
    1600 ASA may be an overkill.  Remember, the faster the film normally
    the less detail.  I have used 800 ASA pushed to 1600 ASA to take
    pictures of fireworks from a boat that was moving with very good
    results.
    
    The 400 ASA films is less expensive than 800 or 1600 ASA and the
    results of the pushing the 400 to 800 ASA is very rewarding.
    
    Good luck and let us know how your photographs turn out.
    
    Alan

I used 400 film, (with an auto-focus (idiot-proof) type camera), no flash,
and a camera stand,  Most of the pictures came out nice.  Be sure to use
a 36 exposure roll, and have another one handy.  (I just had a 24 exposure
and needed to be selective about what I shot.)

good luck

ken

    I agree, 1600 might be overkill, but it allowed me the freedom of
    taking snapshot pictures in a tight crowd without needing a tripod or 
    a flash. My lens was literally over someone's shoulder. The detail
    level satisfied me, since they probably won't be enlarged.  Only one 36
    exposure roll of the 8 was 1600 speed. 
    
    Next time, though, I may try something slightly slower just to see how
    it works out. 
    
    Linda  

    I thought I'd share this with all of you, especially those of you who
    own some WDW vacation video footage.
    
    Take some memorable moments and splice them together and finish off the
    tape with your most treasured memory of your vacation. Follow these
    three important guidelines. This footage should end with a fade to
    white or black, the footage should be captured in slow motion, and this
    footage must be no more than 4 minutes long.
    
    Now get a hold of the Narada Collection 3 CD and audio dub over the 
    video with the very last cut on the CD.
    
    It's not a Disney tune. It's an instrumental that is just right for
    this footage. I've thought about doing this for a year and I recently
    tried this and was blown away with the results.
    
    On our last vacation, on our last night, we got into our room at the
    CBR at about 1 A.M. and I had about 15 minutes left on the video tape.
    
    While everyone slept, I walked around the CBR at 1 in the morning
    capturing the quiet, peaceful splendor of a Disney resort. Those of you
    who have seen the CBR and especially Old Port Royale can imagine how
    the place looked that night.
    
    I panned the Barefoot Bay Marina, the Food Court, the pools with a 
    special few moments at the Old Port Royale pool. I did a lot of
    fading to white. I also panned across Barefoot Lake and took some shots 
    of scenes and angles that are most familiar to us.
    
    I took this footage and then picked out the best shots, did a slo-mo
    copy that lasted 4 minutes long, then did the audio dub.
    
    I showed this to my wife and kids and they said it made them think of
    all the fun we had but also made them sad and want to return.
    
    I haven't mentioned the title of the song from the CD. The title alone
    gives you an idea of the melancholy nature of the music. It's entitled,
    "Always There" and I guarantee that with the right video images this
    combination will really give you a touch of the -itis but also soothe
    the pain by bringing back some fond memories.
    
    Personally I will capture our family's most memorable moments and
    actually begin the last 4 minutes with the words, "As long as we have
    memories we will always be there..." Then I'd start the music. If
    anyone wants to try this but can't find the CD I'll be happy to record
    the song on a cassette for you.
    
    The Narada Collection 3 CD has a brick red cover.
    
    It will blow you away.....
    
    ...................I repeat...it will blow you away. This is not for
    the faint of heart.
    
    Mike

    Please can anyone help me at all.
    
    We went to WDW at Easter and as it was our first time took our newly
    bought camcorder and recorded the parade with a special microphone that
    the person we bought the camera off recommended we use when we were
    outside as our normal mike. wouldn't apparently pick up far away
    sounds.
    
    However, when we returned to the UK to play our tapes back there was no
    sound whatsoever, we had done everything the manual instructed, so you
    can imagine how disappointed we were when there was no sound on the
    tapes which we had recorded several parades (the Easter, and Aladdin). 
    Can anyone think of anyreason why we have no sound on our tape, or if
    anyone was there at Easter and have recorded the parade tell us what
    music was played as we would like to dub over the tape with some sort
    of music as it is just not the same without no sound at all.
    
    Thanks
    
    Catherine
    

    Not sure if this has been mentioned before but I recently saw a
    posting in r.a.d. that mentioned how the WDW camera shops will charge
    your camcorder battery for free.
    
    I have never done this so I can't verify this.
    
    Mike