Katherine's 10th Birthday Trip for Dapper Day and Club 33!!

I've got all the best Nikkor glass I could possibly want (well... the new and improved 24-70/f2.8 to replace my battle-scarred one would be nice). I only shoot f/2.8 or f/1.4, nothing slower. My D600 served me well from 2012 I think till now. It's only got around 57k shutters on it too. I would have kept shooting it, but the next-gen bodies are really remarkable. The D750 is just some next-gen stuff worse than the next-gen racers in Cars 3. The old bodies try as they may just can't keep up. It can AF without illumination in practical pitch blackness, the ISO range without grain is astounding too. I'm hoping for some really improved performance when I take it out and put it through it's paces in November.

My 24-70 is my favorite. I bought the newer Canon version before our 2015 trip and its such a versatile lens and so sharp, so it will be great to use again. I still have a couple more lenses on my wish list, I don't have much in the way of long length zoom (my 100mm macro is my longest lens) so the 70-200 is way up there. I rented it last month for a trip to Seattle and loved it, but will probably go for a new camera body first because like you mentioned - the older bodies can't keep up and my Mark 2 is really starting to show its age. Can't wait to see your November pics with your new D750!
 
Since we were in the neighborhood... a trip on Splash was definitely in order!!!



Just loved the splash and sun-flare here.

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Scrolling back through your report reminded me of something...I took a similar pic last summer, but with another log heading down full of strangers. I wonder how many logs there are between the log you take this pic from and the log going down the drop? It would be so awesome to time it to where you could get a pic of people you knew going over the drop from there. I'm guessing it would take a healthy combo of timing and luck to pull it off, but it's a bucket list shot for me!
 
My 24-70 is my favorite. I bought the newer Canon version before our 2015 trip and its such a versatile lens and so sharp, so it will be great to use again. I still have a couple more lenses on my wish list, I don't have much in the way of long length zoom (my 100mm macro is my longest lens) so the 70-200 is way up there. I rented it last month for a trip to Seattle and loved it, but will probably go for a new camera body first because like you mentioned - the older bodies can't keep up and my Mark 2 is really starting to show its age. Can't wait to see your November pics with your new D750!

My frozen pics from the other TR on the front page here were shot with my 70-200. I've honestly sprained my hand muscles trying to one hand that sucker hanging off the front of my body. It takes OOOOOh so great pics though.

Here's the lens round out... not much missing (I was using the 50/1.4 to take the pic, so that's not pictured, and doesn't make it to the park with me, but the ones pictured do)

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Left to right 85mm f/1.4 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 24-70 f/2.8 | 14-24mm f/2.8 | 24mm f/1.4

LOVE them all. I'm seriously contemplating going over to the grand at like 3AM to get some tripod shots with the 14-24. My hand held shots were great but I could do so much if I did a stopped-down long exposure with a tripod.

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Scrolling back through your report reminded me of something...I took a similar pic last summer, but with another log heading down full of strangers. I wonder how many logs there are between the log you take this pic from and the log going down the drop? It would be so awesome to time it to where you could get a pic of people you knew going over the drop from there. I'm guessing it would take a healthy combo of timing and luck to pull it off, but it's a bucket list shot for me!
That's gotta be about a one in a million shot. The way logs back up, I honestly don't know how you could even time it by number of logs because I'm sure the cadence varies constantly.
 


That's gotta be about a one in a million shot. The way logs back up, I honestly don't know how you could even time it by number of logs because I'm sure the cadence varies constantly.

Oh I bet!

For now, I'll settle with cool shots of strangers or just the water spray. Since that is pretty fun too :)
 
My frozen pics from the other TR on the front page here were shot with my 70-200. I've honestly sprained my hand muscles trying to one hand that sucker hanging off the front of my body. It takes OOOOOh so great pics though.

Here's the lens round out... not much missing (I was using the 50/1.4 to take the pic, so that's not pictured, and doesn't make it to the park with me, but the ones pictured do)

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Left to right 85mm f/1.4 | 70-200 f/2.8 | 24-70 f/2.8 | 14-24mm f/2.8 | 24mm f/1.4

LOVE them all. I'm seriously contemplating going over to the grand at like 3AM to get some tripod shots with the 14-24. My hand held shots were great but I could do so much if I did a stopped-down long exposure with a tripod.

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That is a good lens round up. I've got a Sigma 35 f/1.4 ART (my newest lens - I don't know if the Nikon mount is the same, but the Canon version is very good for a 3rd party and I lucked out with a super sharp copy), then I also have a Canon 50 f/1.4, 85 f/1.8, and 100 f/2.8L macro. Plus my 24-70L. I took the 24-70, 50, and 85 on our last trip. This time I think I'm going to keep it simple and just bring the 24-70 and my new Sigma 35.

Love those shots of the Grand. We haven't stayed there yet (did PPH our first trip, and my husband and I went sans kiddos last summer for a weekend trip and stayed off site), but we walked through GCH to get into DTD both times. We're staying at DLH next month though so the walk to the parks will be a bit different, I'll miss walking through that lobby though!
 
That is a good lens round up. I've got a Sigma 35 f/1.4 ART (my newest lens - I don't know if the Nikon mount is the same, but the Canon version is very good for a 3rd party and I lucked out with a super sharp copy), then I also have a Canon 50 f/1.4, 85 f/1.8, and 100 f/2.8L macro. Plus my 24-70L. I took the 24-70, 50, and 85 on our last trip. This time I think I'm going to keep it simple and just bring the 24-70 and my new Sigma 35.
Honestly, I USUALLY only shoot 3 lens with any regularity. That being said, whenever I don't take a lens, I regret it. I take all five with me every trip. I usually shoot with 4 out of the five, but typically only take three into the park at any one time, 1 mounted, 2 loose depending on what I intend to shoot that day. The least used is the 14-24 because of size, weight, and specialty-status.

Love those shots of the Grand. We haven't stayed there yet (did PPH our first trip, and my husband and I went sans kiddos last summer for a weekend trip and stayed off site), but we walked through GCH to get into DTD both times. We're staying at DLH next month though so the walk to the parks will be a bit different, I'll miss walking through that lobby though!
We nearly always stay at the Grand. This upcoming trip is only our second time at the DLH. We like it, but the Grand is so awesome it is the destination 90% of the time.
 


After a 11:20 arrival back at the room, we were ready for that later EMH of 9:00. We were leisurely getting up and took the time to pack up the room and I took a few pics of the view.

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That turned out to be a mistake... we rolled into the esplanade at 8:51 and were confronted with this:

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CRAZY. I've NEVER been this far back for and EMH. It continued once we were in the park obviously.

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We actually made it to the queue rather quickly all things considered and slid in at three minutes past 9.

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Katherine was being a bit of a grump.

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A tickle took care of that

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Mater was in all his glory..

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Our race was a lively one.

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But not fast enough.... we didn't win :(

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I love your photos. I REALLY want to take my DSLR (nowhere near as nice as yours but it does the trick), but I usually end up with a P&S because it's so much lighter and compact. Between my phone, DH's phone, giving a P&S to the kids (who usually forget but sometimes get great shots), I end up with a bunch of great photos, but I want REALLY great photos. How do you keep yours dry on wet rides? Do you take the whole case, or just the body and lens? Do you return to the hotel during the day to get a tripod for the night shots?
 
I love your photos. I REALLY want to take my DSLR (nowhere near as nice as yours but it does the trick), but I usually end up with a P&S because it's so much lighter and compact. Between my phone, DH's phone, giving a P&S to the kids (who usually forget but sometimes get great shots), I end up with a bunch of great photos, but I want REALLY great photos.
The camera you have with you is better than the one you don't have with you because it was too heavy/bulky/expensive to take.

How do you keep yours dry on wet rides?
My body/lenses are weather-proofed professional models. I've shot in the pouring rain with them to no ill effect. On Grizzly, I put it under the poncho when I'm not shooting. On Splash, you can see it in my hands on the drop pictures fully exposed.

Do you take the whole case, or just the body and lens?
I ALWAYS have the body with a mounted lens and MINIMUM 1 alternative lens. I often have the body with lens and 3 additional loose lens in my backpack (I have A GREAT backpack I love which I've described in some previous TRs/discussions). It's not a camera bag of which I do have several, but it's way more versatile. I always take a body and 5 lens with me, so when I get in before the room is ready I am literally carrying around 15+# of glass with me until I can get to the room and dump some.

Do you return to the hotel during the day to get a tripod for the night shots?
I've never used a tripod for night shots. I intend to take my tripod this trip though and get some long exposure shots of the hotels with my ultra-wide zoom. When packing my bag in the morning I determine what I think I'm going to shoot that day. For parades/performances, the 70-200 MONSTER is going in the bag. The 24-70 is ever present. The 14-24 seldom goes into the park with me. Both the f/1.4s are usually in the bag always.
 
Here's a wireup I did of my setup on another board:

whoever;n8515208 said:
I have several lowepro camera slings. I find this to be way more versatile though

http://www.511tactical.com/covrt-18-backpack.html





I have one lens in the upper most pocket immediately below the upper grab handle. I normally only carry 2-3 unmounted lens into the park and one mounted lens and body. I try to plan what I'm going to shoot around that. Typically, that will be the 85/1.4, the 70-200/2.8, and the 24-70/2.8. Less frequently, the 24/1.4 and LEAST frequently, the 14-24/2.8. I can fit ALL 5 lens/body in the pack. The bag will hold 3 in factory bags, one loose (in the above mentioned pocket), and the body with lens mounted. I also have spare batteries/cables usually with me. A tripod will fit in the water bottle pocket and strap to the upper portion of the pack via the pocket clip/strap. I love that it has a sternum strap to keep the padded straps from spreading. It also breathes well. I have a hard-bound portfolio in the inner pocket for any paperwork I might receive I don't want bent (signed pictures, mark twains pilot license, lillybelle tickets, etc). Additonally I usually have a t-shirt in the concealed carry pocket which rests against the back. I have cliff bars, dental floss, napkins, advil, and a hand sanitizer strapped to the back of the pack. It is a MEGA pain to go through security these days with a million pockets, but my designed for camera use lowepro slings just aren't as versatile (and all that weight on one shoulder sucks). I've debated pulling the velcro inserts out of the lowepro and using them in the pack so I don't need lens bags, but my current system works just fine. I have the below lowepros, but they just take up space in the closet these days. That 5.11 pack is superior.

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The camera you have with you is better than the one you don't have with you because it was too heavy/bulky/expensive to take.
Word.


My body/lenses are weather-proofed professional models. I've shot in the pouring rain with them to no ill effect. On Grizzly, I put it under the poncho when I'm not shooting. On Splash, you can see it in my hands on the drop pictures fully exposed.
That's so cool. I don't have that option, and we're going in December, so maybe it'll be too cold for Splash. Which is kind of sad, but kind of not...


I ALWAYS have the body with a mounted lens and MINIMUM 1 alternative lens. I often have the body with lens and 3 additional loose lens in my backpack (I have A GREAT backpack I love which I've described in some previous TRs/discussions). It's not a camera bag of which I do have several, but it's way more versatile. I always take a body and 5 lens with me, so when I get in before the room is ready I am literally carrying around 15+# of glass with me until I can get to the room and dump some.
Gosh, I can barely carry around myself, never mind an extra 15lbs of stuff! Guess some conditioning is in order!


I've never used a tripod for night shots. I intend to take my tripod this trip though and get some long exposure shots of the hotels with my ultra-wide zoom. When packing my bag in the morning I determine what I think I'm going to shoot that day. For parades/performances, the 70-200 MONSTER is going in the bag. The 24-70 is ever present. The 14-24 seldom goes into the park with me. Both the f/1.4s are usually in the bag always.

Thank you. I have an entry level Canon with two lenses - close and far. Pretty basic. I think I'll brave it and bring my DSLR. It can get bulky for me, but I think it'll be worth it. I have a smaller tripod I may end up bringing too, just for the night shots.

I did read your camera thread a while back when I first got on the boards. Very interesting info.
 
That's so cool. I don't have that option, and we're going in December, so maybe it'll be too cold for Splash. Which is kind of sad, but kind of not...
I honestly wouldn't worry about splash. You don't get super soaked. Grizzly, you better have something to quickly hide the camera under..the water on Grizzly comes in sheets/buckets-worth.

Gosh, I can barely carry around myself, never mind an extra 15lbs of stuff! Guess some conditioning is in order!
I don't like it with 5 lens, which is why I try to dump some of the weight asap and tone it down to say 10# or so.

Thank you. I have an entry level Canon with two lenses - close and far. Pretty basic. I think I'll brave it and bring my DSLR. It can get bulky for me, but I think it'll be worth it. I have a smaller tripod I may end up bringing too, just for the night shots.
Entry-level DSLRs are pretty compact and kit lens are as well. I think you'll be fine. Full-frame bodies and glass on the other hand... I tried to sell my D600 to a coworker I've sold my crop-sensor lens to before, and he won't touch it.. claims the body is to big/heavy. Full frame glass is KILLER heavy. Metal barrels, tons of elements... beefy.

I did read your camera thread a while back when I first got on the boards. Very interesting info.
Glad I could be of help. I'm merely a dilettante.
 
Five minutes after leaving Radiator Springs we were standing in the lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. If you don't want to hear how TOT was VASTLY superior to GOTG stop reading now because this installment will be about how crazily AWESOMELY themed the TOT queue and gift shop were. They fit in, complimented, enhanced. I've watched numerous videos of the new GOTG queue and it is just cheap looking. It doesn't fit. It's horrible. A wart on the face of DCA and Hollywood land specifically. HATE it. Sure I'll ride the attraction, and the new Raccoon animatronic grabbing the Walkman is pretty cutting edge, but they are gimmicks to compensate for HORRIBLE theming, poorly conceived, and badly executed storyline. Bring back TOT... It makes me so angry Disney made this poor decision.

Look at that beautiful chandelier..

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Disney could have cut this terrazzo out with a concrete saw, thrown it on the Disney store and I would have bought it in a heartbeat. It's classy, it is reminiscent of Hollywood's golden age unlike that travesty which occupies the spot today.

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Every ounce of the lobby and costumes... simply perfection.

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Wish I had got to see the Silver Lake Sisters

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The lighting...so good

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The queue so creepy and well-done.

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Even the GOTG storyline was poorly conceived. It's an attempt at tying IP to an existing attraction and a poor attempt at it. Falls flat.

Even the after-theming... so good. I'm going to have to get a print of this made up. Long live TOT.

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Classy theming. ..even after the attraction..

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I wonder if the guy wearing my Trader Sam's tiki shirt was as upset about the looming GOTG overlay based upon his hand gesture..

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Haha, that guy is so obvious, I'm surprised Disney didn't catch it!

I agree with you about the tower... RIP. It was my favorite attraction in DCA because of all the details, the music, the way the CM's were allowed to be creepy, and the way people clapped at the end!

Thank you for updating your TR's! The way you capture details makes me feel like I am AT the parks, even the crowd pictures make me smile and remember my trips.
 
It didn't take us long to make it through and off the attraction. They had some scenes set up outside as TOT was being ruined by the GOTG overlay. We took advantage of it all and got some photo ops.

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While we were snapping pics, who showed up by Joe, Teresa, Kelly and Sean!!

These two kids have a pre-arranged marriage ahead of them... they just don't know it yet..

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HATE seeing one of my favorite attractions die...

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Why TOT is a VASTLY superior attraction yet again... IT JUST FITS!!! It has supreme theming even outside of the attraction itself. It was PERFECTION for Hollywood Land.

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I agree with you about the tower... RIP. It was my favorite attraction in DCA because of all the details, the music, the way the CM's were allowed to be creepy, and the way people clapped at the end!
It was the BEST. GOTG is more up-beat, but it sticks out, doesn't have a good much less great story line and DOESN'T BELONG. It should have lived in a third-gate.

Thank you for updating your TR's! The way you capture details makes me feel like I am AT the parks, even the crowd pictures make me smile and remember my trips.
Thanks. They bring back such fond memories for me. I go to them when I'm feeling down to remember the good times.
 
And afterward... it was time for some Toy Story Midway Mania...

Pea was obsessed with Amy's face..

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Katherine was loving it.

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Soph was making faces..

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Ian and T were one of the first to load.

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Leaving Joe, Alli, and I behind..

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It was a fun shoot.. As we made our way down the pier, I snapped a couple off the cuff pics..

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We ran into Jessie out doing pics..

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What could possibly be next? The FUN WHEEL OF DEATH!!!!

We split up. Joe, K, Ian, Amy, and I went in one car, T, Alli, Soph and Kelly went in the other while Sean took Pea to grab a table at Cove bar..

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The NON-swinging car..

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We were having MORE FUN!!!

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Afterwards, we parted ways with Joe and the family so glad to have seen them again. Amy and Katherine decided to do Single Rider on Screaming while I went to meet up with Sean at Cove.

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He had scored a SWEET spot at the bay side.

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My new hat, which I wear ALL THE TIME these days. LOVE it.

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Not sure what Sean just ate, but he was enjoying it.

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Amy and my lobster Nachos..

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Sean's GREAT looking drink.. looks like the remnants of a Manhattan..

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We wrapped up at Cove Bar at 12:23. Katherine wanted dessert so we meandered over to Fiddler, Fifer & Practical for a Kitchen Sink Sunday.

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Let me just say that Disney hit it OUT OF THE PARK with Buena Vista Street makeover. It is SOOO good. Even the HVAC vents are beautiful.

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And this stained glass and chandelier...

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Decorated for the holidays... so beautiful.

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Katherine was SOOOO happy to FINALLY get a Kitchen Sink.. it is her first one ever.

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Amy grabbed some spoons for us too!

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And with always, some Disney story telling accompanied us..

This 1930s-era eatery was established by Dolly, Dottie and Ethel Bounds, known professionally as Fiddler, Fifer & Practical (aka the Silver Lake Sisters). They spent a good part of their lives performing the vaudeville circuit, entertaining the troops in World War I and becoming minor celebrities in nightclubs along the then‐emerging Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

After 20 years of singing, dancing and playing their instruments (Dolly on violin, Dottie on flute, Ethel on piano), the sisters decided to put down roots on Buena Vista Street. The idea came from Ethel, the practical one. She had always handled the trio’s business affairs and was constantly urging her sisters to settle down and open a legitimate business. They finally agreed, joining together to open Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café, with its name an homage to their act.

A wall inside the restaurant features photos, posters and memorabilia from the days when Dolly, Dottie and Ethel performed as Fiddler, Fifer & Practical – the Silver Lake Sisters. You can see them in publicity shots and in photos showing them performing on stage and relaxing or prepping backstage in their dressing rooms. A map of California shows the various places they’ve performed throughout the Golden State, and above the front window, marquee letters, spell out “Silver Lake Sisters.”

So the next time you’re getting a great deal on a square meal at Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café, take a look around and discover the story of these talented ladies for yourself.

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Not sure what Amy was doing here... so I took a pic anyway.

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Loaded up with ice-cream, I washed out the Kitchen sink and we headed over to Soarin’ to use our fast passes. Let me say, I'm not a fan of Soarin' Over the World. BRING BACK SOARIN' OVER CALIFORNIA!!!! The CGI is completely unnecessary to good storytelling and quite frankly, the new version just doesn't have the charm, mystique, and greatness of the previous one. Two thumbs down on this one Disney... not quite as bad as GOTG, but it’s still a letdown compared to the previous iteration.

The queue however...still awesome.

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Good ole Amelia... did you know she was a member of Plus Ultra?

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And James Doolittle. His daring raid on Japan in WWII showed the Japanese they weren't invincible and had bitten off far more than they could chew when tangling with the USofA!!!

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