Everyone Hail To The Pumpkin Song! October '14 TR **Cadaver Dans 11/24

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Great pics and description of parade! can't wait to see it in person next month so awesome

Hope you enjoy the parade as much as we did! Plus it'll look extra good with all of the holiday decorations up!

Joining in! Very excited to see all the beautiful photos.

FoF is, besides Wishes, my favorite Disney experience. I didn't even notice the pile of treats behind Merida, so many good details!

I love that second bubble girl picture, they are my favorite costume in the parade!

Thanks for joining in again!

I think those treats behind Merida are there to entice her bear brothers. I think there's one on top of the bag pipe reaching for that plate

The costumes are amazing. Like you said there's a lot of details that re easy to miss on first viewing.

 

[teekathepony]

Sorry I'm a little late but I am definitely in! Going back to read.

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[teekathepony]

Ok back and have read the Festival of Fantasy update.
WOW!! Amazing pictures of an amazing parade! I didn't get to see the parade much so it was nice to get to see some of the details. Thank you so much for sharing!

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[DaveinFallsChurch]

Sorry I'm a little late but I am definitely in! Going back to read.

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Thanks for following again, Wendy!

Ok back and have read the Festival of Fantasy update.
WOW!! Amazing pictures of an amazing parade! I didn't get to see the parade much so it was nice to get to see some of the details. Thank you so much for sharing!

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You'll have to go back and take a closer look at the parade on your next trip. I would say it's worth the effort of staking out a curbside viewing spot.

 

[204charity]

Of coarse I am subbing in Dave!!!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Of coarse I am subbing in Dave!!!!

Thanks for joining, Charity!

 

[khertz]

Oh my goodness, it's good to see you back on the DIS, Dave!

Your description of Celebrate was pretty spot on. I guess the parade didn't bother me much since we had only seen it a couple of times, and I thought I would miss it...until I saw FoF and realized what a parade really could be! It's just so amazing, and you hit the nail on the head with the COLORS! The whole parade is so fun and vibrant! Great way to start the TR. Can't wait for more!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Oh my goodness, it's good to see you back on the DIS, Dave!

Your description of Celebrate was pretty spot on. I guess the parade didn't bother me much since we had only seen it a couple of times, and I thought I would miss it...until I saw FoF and realized what a parade really could be! It's just so amazing, and you hit the nail on the head with the COLORS! The whole parade is so fun and vibrant! Great way to start the TR. Can't wait for more!

It's good to be back! I still have a ways to go to catch up on everyone's TRs.

Yes, I'm totally with you that a side-by-side comparison makes Celebrate a Dream Come True look pale next to FoF!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I had not originally planned on doing back-to-back parade updates but decided to go ahead with the Boo To You Parade for this post because a) it’s just that awesome, b) I need to unload a gazillion of these photos before Thanksgiving because let’s face it, no one wants to look at Halloween photos when Christmas is just around the corner, and c) it’s just that awesome.

This was the first time DW and the kids got to experience MNSSHP. I had such a great time last year during my conference visit that I wanted to share this wonderful event with my family. So not only did we plan our trip to coincide with Halloween but I decided that we should attend two nights worth of MNSSHPs so that we could do everything that the kids would. And of course, Boo To You Parade without a doubt would have to be one of the centerpieces of this experience.

My overall plan was to focus on trick-or-treating, rides, and some character meet and greet for our second MNSSHP on Halloween. This meant that we would have to make sure to fit in Boo To You along with Hallowishes on our first night of MNSSHP on the 30th.

Even though the second parade of the evening is considered to be less crowded I didn’t think DS would be able to stay awake that late into the night. So we went with the first parade. After making sure the kids got a sufficient break in the restroom we walked deep into Frontierland looking for a spot. It was 7:30pm and already most of the good spots on Liberty Square and front half of Frontierland were taken. We found a spot right by the crossover walkway between Adventureland and Frontierland close to the Diamond Horseshoe. I also strategically picked a spot that was right across from a snack cart. Yes, the key to keeping the kids happy and entertained for 45 minutes was to keep the snacks flowing. We started with popcorn then moved on to cotton candies. I had to get one of those cotton candies that were colored like candy corns. I got an unexpected but pleasant surprise when I found out that the orange portion of the cotton candy tasted like orange sherbet. Score! DD and DS did remarkably well and I once again was thankful how much the kids had grown up. Disney trips were becoming easier and easier each time.

Our snack supply dried up around 8:05pm and DS was beginning to get a little restless when he spotted the cart selling the light-up toys passing in front of us. Yes, Disney knows a little something about product placements! Needless to say both of the kids got a souvenir from that cart and that entertained us until the start of the parade when the Headless Horseman trotted through.

Before I roll out the photos of the parade, I’ll just say upfront that everyone LOVED the parade! Everyone agreed that it was well worth the 45 minute wait. The kids continue to hum the tune of Boo To You long after returning home. I should also point out that I didn’t take many photos during this particular viewing because I wanted to enjoy the parade with the kids rather than through my viewfinder. So while you’ll see a handful of photos of the parade from Frontierland, most of the pictures you’ll see were taken on the following Halloween night from a viewing spot in front of the Harmony Barbershop after DW decided that the kids were about to pass out and took them back to the hotel room while I stayed behind to watch and photograph the 10:30pm parade which also happened to be the very last Boo To You of the year.

From a photography standpoint, I continue to find this parade a challenge. The lighting is so dark and dim and yet the characters move extremely fast. This forced me to push the camera exposure settings into areas that I’m usually not too happy with. After a couple of test shots using my speedlite flash I decided against it because even with a warm colored gel on it white washed away a lot of the beautiful colors and tones that give this parade its Halloweeny ambience. Anyway, this is just to say that I would love to go back again someday and do another photo shoot of the parade. Ok, enough yapping, here are the pics!

The parade started off with the Headless Horseman. This was pretty much the only element of the parade that the kids were a little spooked about. DS was a bit more inquisitive about the origins of the Headless Horseman asking questions about what really happened to his head.





Five minutes later the parade officially began.



Yes, she’s posing for my camera.



Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum gave DS a small jolt of surprise when they approached him with his mask on. DS gave out a small whimper of sorts and they tried to reassure him by taking their masks away.



I’m still trying to figure out what’s on Pluto’s head.



Next came the pirate crew. Leading the way was the Jolly Roger. I’m fairly certain that Wendy and the Lost Boys being tied up to the mast is new this year.





The flag crew was still the same.



It included a happy pirate……



……and a not-so-happy pirate.



......and a goofy pirate.



Jack and Barbossa's float.



That Captain Barbossa really does like his apple.





Continued in Next Post

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Continued from previous post.

Those of you who know me, it should come as no surprise that my favorite section of the parade is the Haunted Mansion. So brace yourselves because here comes a LOT of photos!

If I ever get to see this parade again I’m going to make it my mission to take a photo of the Groundskeeper’s Hound as the central subject.



When I watch the Grave Diggers rake their shovels across the street creating those sparks, half of my brain is thinking “That is SO cool!” while the other half is thinking “And THIS is why they have to refurbish the street surfaces!”



And then the favorite of my favorite. The Ghost Dancers!



I find it amusing that even though I took these photos of the dancing ghosts during two different parades from two different spots I somehow managed to lock my viewfinder on the same ghost dancer out of the dozen. Something about her that makes her photogenic?









Loved this guy.



He has that special zombiesuqe flair.



When a photo gets too grainy because of the low light settings, that’s when I convert it to black and white. Then I can claim the graininess was actually an intentional artistic choice. Yep, not afraid to admit it



The Hitchhikers.





The hoedown always felt like an odd choice of theming for this parade perhaps because they’re so lively? (Insert Ghost Host pun voiceover laugh)





I know this is Chip because his nose is black.



I’m probably being ignorant of a very well known character but can someone tell me exactly who this chicken is and why he’s spasming up there? I mean he was going nuts shaking that white towel. Gotta love his energy though.



I think the addition of Venellope and Ralph to this year’s parade was a nice touch. The whole Sugar Rush theme totally fits with the Goofy’s Candy Co floats. Now why they stopped handing out candy this year remains a puzzle.





Going to be honest. The hyenas from the Lion King not only freaked the kids out but me as well. That head swivels in very unnatural directions and when one of them suddenly swiveled its head right into the kids and my face I may or may not have let out a yelp.



Wonder if these guys do weddings. Now that’s a wedding reception I would love to see.



The Villains Float. I have mixed feelings about the new Maleficent look. I think I preferred her previous look.



So as this last float passed us by, we gathered up our things, loaded DS into his stroller, and started following the end of the parade from Frontierland down the rest of the route with the aim of securing prime Hallowishes viewing real estate on Main Street. Whether that worked or not you’ll have to wait for the Hallowishes update but I can tell that following the last Villain’s float for 10 minutes and continuously watching the Evil Queen was almost worth the effort.



This is such a fun parade and I think works so well for Halloween. I’ll end this update by describing what I saw while viewing the last Boo To You of the year on Halloween night. I mentioned before that I was standing in front of the barbershop which meant we were right by the Car Barn area and essentially the finish line for the parade. At that finish line, CMs were lined up to greet, applause, and cheer each group of CMs and floats as they arrived acknowledging the final performance of the year which I thought was a nice gesture. I hope it’s not too long before I get to see this parade again but honestly don’t know if and when we’ll go back during Halloween.

 

[khertz]

I’m fairly certain that Wendy and the Lost Boys being tied up to the mast is new this year.

You're right! Peter, Wendy, and the Lost Boys were running ahead of the float last year. I remember that part of the parade so distinctly because Peter commented on DH's Michael costume.

I’ll end this update by describing what I saw while viewing the last Boo To You of the year on Halloween night. I mentioned before that I was standing in front of the barbershop which meant we were right by the Car Barn area and essentially the finish line for the parade. At that finish line, CMs were lined up to greet, applause, and cheer each group of CMs and floats as they arrived acknowledging the final performance of the year which I thought was a nice gesture. I hope it’s not too long before I get to see this parade again but honestly don’t know if and when we’ll go back during Halloween.

I love that they did this! It must be so fun to be a performer in WDW. Great photos. Makes me so sad that we missed out on the party this year after enjoying our first party last year so much. I will continue to live vicariously through your photos!!

 

[teekathepony]

Great parade pics, again! I love the Boo To You parade, and I'm not even a real Halloween fan. It's just a really cool parade! I do agree that those hyenas are just odd and exorcist-ish. Those heads! LOVE the ghost dancers, they are amazing and you got some great shots of them.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I love the idea of multiple MNSSHP's. Much easier to fit it all in at a good pace.

I'll say this. The fact that you find photographing Boo to You challenging makes me feel a TON better about my own crappy photos, lol.

And yes, Boo to You is the absolute best parade ever!!!

Yup, Wendy tied on the boat is new, and I really don't like it.

YES, the Haunted Mansion section is insanely good.

The hoe-down is so peculiar, yet this time I found myself liking it more for some reason...

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Great parade pics, again! I love the Boo To You parade, and I'm not even a real Halloween fan. It's just a really cool parade! I do agree that those hyenas are just odd and exorcist-ish. Those heads! LOVE the ghost dancers, they are amazing and you got some great shots of them.

Exactly, very exorcist!

The Ghost Dancers are the best and I believe what gives the parade its real Halloween flavor!

I love the idea of multiple MNSSHP's. Much easier to fit it all in at a good pace.

I'll say this. The fact that you find photographing Boo to You challenging makes me feel a TON better about my own crappy photos, lol.

And yes, Boo to You is the absolute best parade ever!!!

Yup, Wendy tied on the boat is new, and I really don't like it.

YES, the Haunted Mansion section is insanely good.

The hoe-down is so peculiar, yet this time I found myself liking it more for some reason...

Last year when I visited by myself I had only purchased tickets for one party. I had such a good time and yet had nowhere near the amount of time I wanted to do everything. I belatedly decided to try to go to a second party the following night but it had already been sold out so I had learned my lesson and made sure not to repeat it on this trip for the kids.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

It felt very odd not watching the Festival of the Lion King when we visited Animal Kingdom last January. This show quickly became a favorite after our first viewing and since then has become a routine for our AK touring plans. But as you know the show was on hiatus as they tore down the old theater in Camp Minnie and Mickey and built a new one over in Africa. I was very excited to see the show in its new venue. When I sold this trip to DW I told her that we would take things very slow with lots of breaks because all I really wanted to accomplish for this trip were MNSSHP, Mine Train, Festival of Fantasy, and Festival of the Lion King.

We entered AK at 10:00am and believe it or not that was my original plan. Once again I was totally fine with missing rope drop. The kids were up late the night before once again after spending Halloween at MNSSHP. The first item on our agenda was FotLK. After a very leisure stroll up to Africa we made a left into unfamiliar territory. I really liked what they did for Harambe Theatre. It really opened up the space for Africa in general which always felt small and cramped. The exterior of the building was perfectly in tune with the rest of the theming of Africa and once again I appreciated the small details in and around the building.

I had FP+s for the 11:00am show and we got in line at 10:25am. I know, these FP+s for shows at AK are known for not giving you a huge advantage in terms of seating compared to the Stand-By crowd and this is especially true for FotLK with its circular theater design which makes the most of the seating locations about the same. The FP+ guests are let in earlier than the stand-by crowd and what I was hoping for was trying to nab seats in one of the first two rows of any section so that DD and DS would have a chance at being picked to parade around near the end of the show during the The Lion Sleeps Tonight portion. Plus with our relaxed touring plans for the day using up a FP+ in this manner was not as big of a deal.

We were about the third group from the front of the FP+ line. The kids were perfectly happy playing and relaxing in the queue. There was a family of three standing next to us who were new to Disney World. Their 1 year old toddler had a “first visit” pin on him. We chatted with them and answering some of their questions about attractions and tips for their day in AK. Our kids once again loved playing with the toddler.

The doors eventually opened and we filed in dutifully following the directions of the CMs who to my dismay were all shuttling over to the Elephant section only and would not let us deviate to go to a different section. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway as I was quickly reminded that the first two rows for all of the sections were labeled as “reserved” for those parties traveling with someone with a disability. So we found a third row seat in the mighty pachyderm section. I’m pretty sure this was the third time in a row we were seated in this section. Next time I would really like the giraffe section. I’ll spare you the suspense and tell you right now that our kids didn’t get picked to go on the parade. The animal CMs during the show did not look further than the second row when they picked out the children. Oh well. Can’t win them all.

We didn’t have to wait too long before the show began. While the visuals and the sequences of the show remains exactly the same in the new venue, the show did receive a significant upgrade in its lighting and sound equpiments which only enhanced the magic of the show.

For our particular show there was some kind of malfunction with the Elephant Float and it never entered the theater. I’m going to guess that had something to do with the fact they skipped the monkeys trapeze act a little bit later. The stage for the monkeys seemed to be all set without any obviously missing component but there must have been some safety related equipment that was not available.

Regardless, the rest of the show was just as good as I remembered.

The introduction of our hosts. I didn’t have the best of angles but I did capture images of the Good Looking one and the Gift. Don’t ask me their names because I can never remember.





Lights go down, fog machine starts up, the animals enter the stage, and start dancing like crazy as the drum beats speeds up. Or as I like to say this is where the animals “go nuts”. It’s also probably my favorite part of the show to photograph because I never get the same look each time I try.



The very abbreviated Hakuna Matata portion of the show with no monkeys flying around.



We quickly transitioned into Be Prepared and Fire Guy.



After having watched an awesome fire show in Oahu at a luau this past summer where there wasn’t just one but six fire guys on stage, this felt slightly tamer but at least the Oahu guys didn’t set the floor on fire!

Or do this!





My favorite shot of him during this viewing.



Yeah, I still love the Fire Guy.



Next up was DD’s favorite part of the show. Can You Feel the Love Tonight portion. Or what I like to call as white-balance-nightmare portion of the show when it comes to photography thanks to the extreme blue tinted lighting schemes.







This one if my favorite shot of her.







The Circle of Life portion and this is when I start pointing the camera at the animal CMs as they circle around the stage and dance their heads off. Just a great scene.



The Lion Sleeps Tonight which my kids did not get to parade around. No, I’m not bitter at all about that



All kidding aside, do you know what’s a tell tale sign that I’ve seen this show a lot? That I recognize the individual CMs playing the animals, especially this CM who plays the zebra. I’m pretty sure this is the third time I’ve photographed her.



And finally, the medley which takes us to a rousing and goosebump inducing finale.









What more is there to say? Our favorite stage show in Disney.

 

[courtneybelle]

So sweet of the Tweedles to try and comfort your son

HA it is funny to see the contrast between the Haunted Mansion dancers and the cowboys!

You'll hear no complaints about the pictures of Good Looking

My sister wants to be the bird that flies around during Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Love the action shots!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

So sweet of the Tweedles to try and comfort your son

HA it is funny to see the contrast between the Haunted Mansion dancers and the cowboys!

You'll hear no complaints about the pictures of Good Looking

My sister wants to be the bird that flies around during Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Love the action shots!

I remember a couple of years ago the town crier in front of Columbia Harbour was talking with another guest how his daughter was the blue bird from FotLK and how proud he was of her.

Totally agree with you about the contrast between the ghost dancers and the cowboys/cowgirls. I think the difference is even more enhanced because they're back to back in the order of the parade.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

blank page posted in error.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Could not agree more Dave regarding the new FOTLK building. Perfect location and it really does open up the area quite a bit. I absolutely love the new building and everything now fits so much better.

WOW, the "Can You Feel The Love" photos... Yup, I can indeed feel the love. Just beautiful.

 

[starousse]

What beautiful pictures.