Uploads from Todd Hurley (Todd_H), tagged ride

Tomorrowland Layers

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:24:21 -0700

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom

This is quite possibly my favorite shot from the last trip as it incorporates multiple layers of Tomorrowland attractions in one single frame. I also really love this composition with the Tomorrowland Speedway sign at the bottom right balanced by Space Mountain at the top left. A lot of times at WDW, I try so hard to seek out photographic opportunities that I miss shots like this... the shots that come to you or are happening all around you. The Peoplemover and Speedway ride vehicles lined up perfectly for this one as I was just passing by headed to Space Mountain. Now, if I had framed this in advance and had been waiting for them to line up like this, it wouldn’t have happened.

Don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve recently become guilty of treating photography like work when I’m at WDW and that’s not the way it should be. This shot is telling me to simplify my approach... don’t try so hard that it takes the fun out of it.

The Sea Captain

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:39:59 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion

One of the original concepts for the Haunted Mansion centered around a murderous sea captain who killed his bride and hanged himself from the rafters. The captain was to emerge through a window to greet the HM guests and tell them his story. Toward the end of his story, his ghost bride would appear through a brick wall and start chasing him around in circles. Frightened, the sea captain was to turn into a puddle of water, flooding the scene. The water would then disappear with the bride. The HM guests would then begin walking through the mansion. This idea was scrapped due to the time it would take to set up the scene, which would have also drastically reduced the capacity of the ride for daily guests. However, the sea captain eventually found his place in the mansion. The picture above used to appear in the first room of the HM where all of the portraits' eyes followed your doombuggy down the hallway. It now resides in the hallway just after the stretching room and before you board your doombuggy. Also, apparently the sea captain can be seen again at the end of the ride at the graveyard tea party.

Thanks for looking!

A Swinging Wake

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:40:11 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion

I found out yesterday that I will be headed back to WDW in May of this year (woohoo!), so I started going through my shots to find ones that I really want to improve on for this next trip. This is one of those shots.

Continuing with my Haunted Mansion theme of late, this is one of those dark ride scenes that has continued to laugh in my face for even attempting it (I may even have a shot of this scene where the organist is looking up at me and flying the bird). This one is my best attempt so far, but I think I can do better. One very cool part of this scene are the skulls that are emerging from the organ pipes, but the projection of them has become very, very hard to see in recent years. Also check out the bat music holder... pretty cool.

Short of the ride E-stopping, this may be the best I can do, but we'll find out in May (where I may lean out of the doom buggy and E-stop the ride just to grab this shot ;) ).

Click here at your own risk to view on black

Thanks for looking!

Waiting for the Guests to Arrive (or have they arrived already)?

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:58:06 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion

I haven't spent too much time looking through the dark ride shots I took in November. I took a closer look at this one last night and really liked the detail that the 50mm f/1.2 helped me capture here. I also noticed something in this scene that I had never noticed before until this past trip... there is a ghost who has passed out under the table (his legs appear right beside the chair that's turned over when the other ghosts are visible). That's one thing I love about Disney... I always see something that I haven't seen before.

It's noisy, but click here to view large on black and check out those details!

Thanks for looking.

"Any Volunteers?"

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:39:06 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion

-Canon 5D2 + 50mm f/1.2L
-f/1.2, 1/20 sec., ISO 12800, manual focus

I decided to post another dark ride shot today. This scene from the Haunted Mansion graveyard is right after the opera singers and just before the skeletal arm scraping the brick. I think the little guy on the far left is actually "Gus," one of the Hitchhiking Ghosts that appears only seconds later in their famous scene.

Meant to be viewed small.

Thanks for looking!

Haunted Mansion Spectre Holding a Hidden Mickey

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:32:02 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion graveyard scene

As you scrolled through the flickr shots that show up for your contacts and groups today, you probably saw this and wondered "WTH is that?" Hopefully you clicked on it and are now reading this :). While riding the Haunted Mansion through the graveyard scene at the end and just before you reach the opera singers, your Doom Buggy briefly passes by an open crypt with this guy (or gal) looming inside. If you look at his left hand carefully, you will see that he is holding a Hidden Mickey. You have to look fast because he's only in view for a quick second!

Nothing to this shot in the way of creativity. I just like the challenge of trying to photograph the dark ride scenes because you only see them for a brief moment during the rides. Capturing them gives you the chance to study them in more detail, which is where Disney excels.

Thanks for looking!

Fishin' in the Mansion

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:02:28 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
Liberty Square
The Haunted Mansion

-5D2
-Zenitar 16mm f/2.8 fisheye at f/2.8, 1/25 sec., 16mm, ISO 2500

I wasn't able to quite get the composition I envisioned for this shot. That would have required me to push several people out of the way and lie flat on my back in the "dead" center of the room and shoot straight up. So I had to settle for a little off center and not quite flat on my back. Oh well, maybe next time ;).

Thanks for looking!

I Hear a Distant Splash

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:02:37 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Liberty Square

Looking across to Splash Mountain from Liberty Square.

Please view on black

Thanks for looking!

The Boiler Room

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:38:22 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
Disney's Hollywood Studios
The Tower of Terror

After this shot, I really need to post some daytime (or at least brighter) pictures. I just don't have that many because during this last trip, I was in a conference all day only to be let free to play in the parks around 4pm.

No, this isn't Freddy's boiler room, it's the boiler room/service elevator room of the ToT. You know, the one where you board a service elevator and...

Looks better viewed on black

Thanks for looking!

Fun with the 70-200

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:33:51 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean

Continuing with a dark ride series from my November trip to the World. This shot is nothing special from a creative standpoint, but I love how my 70-200 picked up colors that my smaller prime lenses couldn't see. And the IS definitely came in handy!

Thanks for looking!

They're Waiting For You

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:40:45 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
Disney's Hollywood Studios
The Tower of Terror

I know it's not quite straight, but I love how eerie this one turned out. I had to set this one up quickly as the bellhop was trying to get me out of there.

Looks more claustrophobic viewed on black

Thanks for looking!

"Be a nice kitty and 'ave one with ol' Bill"

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:21:49 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean

I love this scene on PotC where Bill the pirate, in his drunken state, is trying to get the cats to party with him. I read somewhere that the shadow cast by the cat standing on the higher barrel is supposed to form a classic Hidden Mickey in the corner of the walls behind it. Not sure if that was the intent of the Imagineers, but you never know.

Thanks for looking!

The Face Off

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:53:18 -0800

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland
Peter Pan's Flight

I haven't put up a dark ride shot in a while so I decided to put up this shot from Peter Pan's Flight as today's entry. As a child, Peter Pan's Flight was my favorite ride. As an adult, I still love the ride for nostalgic reasons and am grateful to have had the opportunity to introduce my children to it. This ride (along with most other WDW rides) has held up quite well after all these years (for what it is). It's just as captivating to children today as it was when first opened for my generation in 1971 (WDW version, that is). Now THAT's Disney Magic coming full circle.

-5D2
-Canon 50mm f/1.2L
-f/2, 1/40 sec, ISO 12800, -1EV, manual focus and one run through Noise Ninja

Thanks for looking!

Dead Men DO Tell Tales

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:03:23 -0700

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean

Of all the ride rehabs Disney has done over the past couple of years, this particular addition is probably my favorite. The Davy Jones waterfall is a non-destructive addition because it replaced... nothing. There wasn't anything at all in this part of the ride except darkness and some mood music (I think). Two thumbs up for WDI on this one!

Thanks for looking!

IMG_1194

nobody@flickr.com (Todd Hurley (Todd_H)) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:16:12 -0700

Todd Hurley (Todd_H) posted a photo:

Walt Disney World
The Magic Kingdom
Adventureland

Having the 35mm f/1.4 on the dark rides during my last trip helped in a couple of situations. One was the obvious wider angle than most of my previous dark ride shots done with a 50mm. Therefore, it was much easier to capture entire scenes in one frame with the 35mm.

This was one scene from PotC that I had not yet captured "decently."