DDW Pic 1973. Pete's Silly Sideshow

Pete's Silly Sideshow

Pete's Silly Sideshow can be found in Storybook Circus. Because of its location, this is an often overlooked meet-and-greet spot, where guests can meet 4 of the quintessential Disney characters. Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Minnie are all in their "circus" attire. If you visit this spot early in the day, you can usually meet all of them with minimal waiting.

DDW Pic 1972. Double Hidden Mickey

Double Hidden Mickey 

I always love pointing out "Hidden Mickeys" to my tour guests. I call this one a double, since you have the larger one created by the marker and rocks, and the smaller one engraved in the metal. It is located in the Little Mermaid area of Fantasyland.

DDW Pic 1971. Gorilla

Gorilla

My favorite area of Animal Kingdom is Gorilla Falls. A few days ago, they were all very active while I was bringing a tour group thru the area. This "baby" gorilla was enjoying a snack, high atop these rocks.

DDW Pic 1970. T-Rex

T-Rex

The T-Rex Cafe is a popular spot located at Disney Springs. It is part of "Landrys," which also owns Rainforest Cafe and Yak & Yeti. We ate in the Ice Cave room of the restaurant tonight, where I took this picture.

DDW Pic 1969. Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Earth

It is always fun to see how the entrance area of Epcot will be decorated. There are many festivals and holidays, where you will see different flowers, characters, and signs. This month, Epcot is featuring the brand new Festival of the Arts.

DDW Pic 1968. TriceraTop Spin

TriceraTop Spin 

TriceraTop Spin is one of the few rides for young kids at Animal Kingdom. It is part of the "carnival" area in Dinoland, USA. I took this dino shot a few days ago, while giving a tour.

DDW Pic 1967. Wedding Pavilion

Wedding Pavilion

Disney's Wedding Pavilion is located at The Grand Floridian Resort. It is the most popular spot at Walt Disney World to get married. However, there are many locations on property where weddings take place. The last number I heard was that there is an average of 6 weddings per day at Walt Disney World.

DDW Pic 1966. Harambe

Harambe

Harambe is the African village found in Animal Kingdom. This canon can be found on the walkway to the Festival of the Lion King theater. I took this shot yesterday, while my tour guests were enjoying lunch at the nearby Tusker House restaurant.

DDW Pic 1965. Hippo

Hippo

Normally, being this close to a Hippo would be very dangerous for a human. However, a closeup view is possible at Animal Kingdom. I took this shot while guiding my tour guests through Gorilla Falls today. The glass was so clean, that there didn't appear to be anything between me and this powerful beast.

DDW Pic 1964. The Contemporary

The Contemporary

Here is another shot from my visit to the Grand Floridian Resort from a few days ago. There is a great view of Bay Lake Tower and much of The Contemporary, from the shore near the Boca Chica building. I like how the tree branches and leaves helped to act as an upper "frame" for this photo.

DDW Pic 1963. King Louie

King Louie

Animal Kingdom is the obvious spot for the Jungle Book characters. The success of the 2016 live action film has made these characters even more popular. I took this shot of King Louie on a bridge to "Asia" last week.

DDW Pic 1962. Polynesian

Polynesian

The Polynesian Village Resort is one of the original hotels (along with The Contemporary) at Walt Disney World. They recently added the "bungalows" as part of a DVC expansion. I took this shot yesterday, from the shore of The Grand Floridian Resort.

DDW Pic 1961. Grand 1 Yacht

Grand 1 Yacht

The Grand 1 Yacht is a large vessel that can be rented by guests to enjoy time on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. It is a 52 foot long "Sea Ray" Yacht that can hold up to 13 people. It is based at the Grand Floridian Resort, which is where I snapped this shot today.

DDW Pic 1960. Timothy Mouse

 Timothy Mouse 

Timothy Q. Mouse is one of the stars of the classic 1941 film, Dumbo. He can be found in the Storybook Circus area, sitting atop the Dumbo entrance. I took this shot on Monday, while giving a Magic Kingdom tour.

DDW Pic 1959. Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is such a popular movie, that it's characters are present in three of the four Walt Disney World parks. This is actually a small display in a window of the Emporium, on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. I took this shot while visiting the park with my family last week.

DDW Pic 1958. Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest

It is hard to believe that the Be Our Guest restaurant has been open for more than 4 years. This spot seems as popular as ever, and it is still difficult to get reservations. I took this shot of one of the statues on the bridge today.

DDW Pic 1957. Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a popular attraction in Tomorrowland. It is always fun to try to achieve the max score of 999,999. I took this shot of the Buzz figure in the queue, while riding with a young tour guest today.

DDW Pic 1956. Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

When walking around Tom Sawyer Island  this week, I noticed this interesting view. I liked how Cinderella Castle lined up behind Harpers Mill. After looking closer, I realized I captured three different lands in this shot, with Hall of Presidents visible as well.

DDW Pic 1955. Porcupine

Porcupine

There some unique animals at Animal Kingdom that many guests don't often see. The porcupines, found near an exit path from "it's tough to be a bug," are usually asleep near the back of their enclosure. Today, I saw this guy awake for the first time in many years.

DDW Pic 1954. Turtle Talk

Turtle Talk

Turtle Talk with Crush has been entertaining guests at Epcot for years. It is a simple, interactive show utilizing some great technology. I took this shot today, while enjoying Turtle Talk with my tour guests.

DDW Pic 1953. Art of Animation

Art of Animation 

Art of Animation has several well themed pools. This one is in the Cars area, and features the "cozy cones." I took this panorama shot a few weeks ago, while walking around the resort.

DDW Pic 1952. Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion

Yesterday, I spent some time on Tom Sawyer Island. While sitting at "Aunt Polly's," I noticed that I had the best possible view of my favorite attraction. You can really see Haunted Mansion details from this angle that you can't see well in the queue, such as the black wreath on the front door.

DDW Pic 1951. Pinocchio

Pinocchio 

A few years ago, Disney added the Plaza Gardens areas on each side of Main Street USA. They included these bronze statues of many beloved characters in these new spots. I took this shot of Pinocchio this morning, using the "depth effect" on the iPhone 7 Plus.

DDW Pic 1950. Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain

Many of my guided tours start with a ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Visiting this spot early in the morning provides for some nice photos. Also, the winds are typically light during that time of day, so water from the geyser doesn't spray guests that are walking by.

DDW Pic 1949. Port Orleans - Riverside

Port Orleans - Riverside

Port Orleans - Riverside is a large resort, with numerous pathways and a river that runs right through it. There is a lot of natural beauty to be found here. There are several bridges that provide a good vantage point to take photos like this one.

DDW Pic 1948. Festival of Fantasy

Festival of Fantasy

My favorite float in the Festival of Fantasy parade at Magic Kingdom has to be Maleficent as a dragon. It is one of the more elaborate parade floats in Disney history. Although I've taken many photos of it, I like how this "breathing fire" shot looks against the background of the blue sky.

DDW Pic 1947. Sumatran Tiger

Sumatran Tiger

The Maharajah Jungle Trek is home to two Sumatran tigers. They are on the critically endangered species list, with only about 500 left in the world. There is one female and one male here, and Disney hopes to breed them in the near future. I took this shot of the male Sumatran a few weeks ago.

DDW Pic 1946. Stormalong Bay

Stormalong Bay

Stormalong Bay is an impressive pool complex located at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club resorts. At over 3 acres, it is more of a water park than a pool. It contains nearly 800,000 gallons of water and features a lazy river, as well as a 230 foot long water slide.

DDW Pic 1945. Star Tours

Star Tours

I was standing in the area outside of Star Tours tonight, waiting for our son to participate in the Jedi Training Academy. I liked the way the way the sun was setting behind the Ewok village, as it made for a nice photo opportunity. Also, you can never have too many pictures of an AT-AT!

DDW Pic 1944. Magic Kingdom Entrance

Magic Kingdom Entrance

At first glance, this appears to be a normal nighttime shot of the Magic Kingdom entrance. However, if you look closely you will see security guards manning the bag check stations, and very few guests nearby. In fact, this isn't a nighttime photo at all, but actually a pre-dawn shot. During the weeks around Christmas, the park opens at 7:00 am. Guests start arriving around 6:30, which is about the time I snapped this picture.

DDW Pic 1943. Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle

Since it is the first day of the year, I thought it would be appropriate to post a photo from the first Walt Disney World park. Cinderella Castle has been an American icon for 45 years, and it looks even more spectacular during the Christmas season. On a side note, today is the 6th anniversary of Digital Disney World, and I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who continue to visit the website!

DDW Pic 1942. Christmas - Grand Floridian

Christmas - Grand Floridian

We come to the end of the Christmas season, and I saved one of Disney's best displays for last. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house has become an "attraction" unto itself. This amazing creation seems to get better each and every year.