DDW Pic 1057. Winged Encounters

Winged Encounters

I had the chance to see the new Winged Encounters show at Animal Kingdom today. It is a short but fun experience involving several species of macaws. These birds come flying in from a location outside of the park to a perch across from Flame Tree Barbecue. There appeared to be about 15 macaws involved in the show today, which was narrated by a bird expert. There were several handlers who were there rewarding the birds with food when they showed up. It was quite a sight to see these large, colorful birds come flying in over the unsuspecting crowd below. It was even more fun to see them all leave simultaneously.

DDW Pic 1056. Fantasmic

Fantasmic 

Last week, I had a great seat to enjoy Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios. I took a bunch of pictures, but this was my favorite. I love the way the lights appear as straight lines beaming from the snake's eyes. This is certainly one of my favorite scenes of the show.

DDW Pic 1055. Heritage House

Heritage House

The Heritage House used to be a fun little gift shop full of patriotic items. Guests exiting The Hall of Presidents could purchase a piece of Americana after enjoying the show. However, this space turned into a FastPass+ service center for a short time. Recently, it went through another transformation and is now an indoor seating area for guests who get food from Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. Although I miss the gift shop, it is nice to have an air conditioning seating area in this part of the park.

DDW Pic 1054. Morocco

Morocco

Morocco is probably the most unique country in World Showcase. Due to strict religious rules, it was built under the supervision of the Moroccan government and had no corporate sponsor. Also, it is not adorned with lights for Illuminations, as this would go against Islamic rules. I took this picture of the Koutoubia Mineret (prayer tower) last night while walking around World Showcase.

DDW Pic 1053. Disneyland

Disneyland

Once in a while, I need to post a photo from a spot outside of Walt Disney World. Today is the 59th anniversary of the day that the general public was first let into Disneyland in California. I took this picture of Sleeping Beauty Castle on a trip last year. I just added the black and white filter to give it more of a 1955 look.

DDW Pic 1052. Frozen Fireworks

Frozen Fireworks

Tonight I had the chance to see the special Frozen fireworks show at Hollywood Studios. It is part of the Frozen Summer Fun event going on thru the end of August. The show was well done, mixing in live characters on the main event stage. The fireworks were entertaining and similar in scope to the ones from Star Wars Weekends.

DDW Pic 1051. Magic Kingdom Hub

Magic Kingdom Hub

This is the view of the Magic Kingdom Hub from the stage in front of Cinderella Castle. I took this shot while giving a tour last week. You can see straight down Main Street to the Railroad Station. The Hub has changed over the years and many trees have been removed. Disney is also in the process of a major refurbishment, creating a much larger area for fireworks viewing and foot traffic.