Category Archives: Scott Wolf

Disney's Hollywood Studios, Photography, Scott Wolf, Walt Disney World

Snapshot Sunday: Great Movie Ride (For Disney’s Hollywood Studios anniversary)

Snapshot Sunday: The Great Movie Ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World - shot with a Sony RX100 II
Snapshot Sunday: The Great Movie Ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World – shot with a Sony RX100 II

Since today is the anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which opened on May 1, 1989, I thought I’d choose a photo from that park for today’s Snapshot Sunday. This scene out of the Great Movie Ride takes you out of Kansas and sets you on the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and her new friends.

Although the Great Movie Ride has been in Disney’s Hollywood Studios since its opening, many changes have occurred in the park over the years, including the park’s name. It was originally Disney-MGM Studios, and the Great Movie Ride featured many scenes from both Disney and MGM films, with The Wizard of Oz, of course, being one of MGM’s classics.

Since the vehicle comes to a halt and the characters don’t move too quickly, I was able to use an ISO of 1600, a shutter speed of 1/100 and as usual in dark rides opened my aperture fully to 1.8.

Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

Disney California Adventure, Disneyland Resort, Photography, Scott Wolf

Snapshot Sunday: Monsters, Inc. at Disney California Adventure

Snapshot Sunday: Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in Disney California Adventure - shot with a Sony RX100 IV
Snapshot Sunday: Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in Disney California Adventure – shot with a Sony RX100 IV

Today’s photo is a scene from the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction in Disney California Adventure. Disney sure has seemed to have perfected the art of making you feel like you’re in the middle of one of their animated films, and the Monster’s Inc. attraction is chock full of beautiful scenes!

Shooting in dark rides is a challenge. Using a flash is not only frowned upon by Disney but it would totally wipe out the carefully chosen lighting of the scene. Just look at how the characters pop out in this scene, thanks to the lighting. I wanted to capture the characters, but it was also important to capture the doors which are much more dimly lit.

I chose an ISO of 3200 which I thought was the lowest I could go. The difference between 3200 and 6400 can be quite noticeable with this camera, and although you would see a bit of grain if you blow this up to poster size, it’s relatively low for such a high ISO. In rides, I almost always want to use the lowest aperture simply because it gives me the chance to use a higher shutter speed which works well when you’re moving on a ride. The first time I went through this I tried a shutter of 1/125 and this scene was just too dark for that.  Although I was in a moving vehicle, I know the characters weren’t moving much so I took a gamble and tried a bunch in this scene at 1/60  and this one came out really well.

Give it a try, and if you get any monstrously good photos, share them with me!

Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

Disney Resorts, Disneyland, Disneyland Resort, Scott Wolf

Disney’s music man Stan Freese retires after 43 years

Stan Freese conducting the Disneyland band in 1990
Stan Freese conducting the Disneyland band in 1990

After 43 years, Stan Freese is retiring from Disney today. Stan began his career in the Walt Disney World band for the resort’s opening in 1971 and he became their first band leader! He soon moved to Disneyland where he led the Disneyland band and even fronted his own Disneyland big band at Carnation Plaza Gardens. Stan is retiring today as the director of talent booking for Disneyland.

I’m so grateful to Stan, not only for his friendship and all that he’s done for me over the years, for which I’m so grateful, but also for his support of Mouse Clubhouse! He’s responsible for a number of the interviews you see on here, and has been so kind to let me record some of his own stories, despite that there’s no way I can share some of them with you until he’s loooong retired from Disney! 🙂 You can read Stan’s interview here.

One of the things I love about Stan is his attitude – he’s just fun! I’m sharing a video below from a day where Stan and I were wandering around Disneyland, visiting some of the groups he hired, and we went over to the historic Tomorrowland Terrace stage, and the next thing I know, Stan pulls out a harmonica and is up on the stage with the band. And the crowd loved it! It’s such a wonderful memory for me, too!

Stan is truly responsible for helping to shape Disney entertainment as we know it today, and Shani & I wish him all the best in this new adventure in his life!

Our family with Stan & Tera Freese at Christmastime
Our family with Stan & Tera Freese at Christmastime 2013
Disney Interviews, Disneyland, Disneyland Resort, Scott Wolf

Interview: Lee Fugal (Disneyland’s “Golden Horseshoe Revue” entertainer)

Lee Fugal in the same 1965 Mustang he drove each day to Disneyland
Lee Fugal in the same 1965 Mustang he drove each day to Disneyland

I just posted my interview with Lee Fugal on my Mouse Clubhouse website.  In this conversation, Lee discusses his time as the pre-show entertainer for Disneyland’s famed Golden Horseshoe Revue, and how he ended up in an episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.  CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos

 

 

Disney's Animal Kingdom, Photography, Scott Wolf, Walt Disney World

Snapshot Sunday: Disney’s Animal Kingdom information

Snapshot Sunday: Disney's Animal Kingdom information
Snapshot Sunday: Disney’s Animal Kingdom information – shot with a Sony NEX-5N

This isn’t my fanciest photo, but I just love this art style around Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I took this photo when the sun was hitting it just perfectly and giving me the bluest sky for the background. Whenever I take photos of signs I try to step as far back as I can and zoom in on the sign. This gives a much better perspective than standing close and pointing your camera up to the sign.

I used an ISO of 100 with an aperture of 5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/800 for this.

Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

 

Disney Cruise Line, Photography, Scott Wolf

Snapshot Sunday: Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic show

Snapshot Sunday: Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic aboard the Disney Wonder
Snapshot Sunday: Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic aboard the Disney Wonder – shot with a Sony RX100 II

This Snapshot Sunday photo was taken on a Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. The ship’s show, “Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic” is a Broadway-style spectacular which includes all the best of what Disney has to offer.

I took this photo with my Sony RX100 II and used an ISO of 800. On my RX100 IV I probably would have gone up to 1600. I used the minimal aperture, which was 2.8 since I zoomed in a bit. I purposely kept some of audience silhouette to show it was a live show. Because there was some quick action I should have brought the shutter up at least to 160 and then brightened the photo later, but I got lucky with a shutter of 100 and still retaining sharpness. I love the how the natural lighting helped make Mickey and Minnie the focal point.

Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

Epcot, Photography, Scott Wolf, Walt Disney World

Snapshot Sunday: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Snapshot Sunday: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros at Epcot
Snapshot Sunday: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros at Epcot on a Sony RX100 II camera

Today’s Snapshot Sunday photo is of the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros at Epcot in Walt Disney World. The Three Caballeros, José Carioca, Donald Duck and Panchito, tend to pop up all over the attraction and I love these Mexican children playing with a Donald piñata.

I always try to take photos without a flash to preserve the carefully designed Disney lighting. Since this attraction is pretty well-lit and we’re not moving too fast in our boats, I used a 1600 ISO on my Sony RX100 II camera. I’ve gotten great low-noise results up to 3200 on my RX100 camera and up to 6400 on the RX100 IV. I tend to intentionally underexpose the photos a bit in attractions so I can use a higher shutter speed and then I brighten it up either in ACDsee or Photoshop.

Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

Epcot, Photography, Scott Wolf, Walt Disney World

Snapshot Sunday – Epcot Flower & Garden Hook and Pan

It's Snapshot Sunday! Floral versions of Captain Hook and Peter Pan in 2014 at The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
It’s Snapshot Sunday! Floral versions of Captain Hook and Peter Pan in 2014 at The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (Camera Sony RX100 II)

It’s Snapshot Sunday! On Sundays, I’ll be posting some of my favorite photos I’ve taken at Disney Resorts and on Disney Cruises. Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.

With The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival going on now, I thought I’d post my favorite of the festival topiaries from 2014. In the United Kingdom pavilion, you see floral versions of Captain Hook on the lookout for Peter Pan, who’s perched high on a rooftop above him.

With the beautiful sun and skies in Florida this was a pretty easy photo. In fact, the sun was lighting just the right parts for the image. Nothing too fancy, I used an ISO of 400 and a higher aperture just to be sure the Peter Pan was in full focus in the background.

 

Disney Interviews, Disney Resorts, Disneyland, Disneyland Resort, Epcot, Other Fun Stuff, Scott Wolf, Walt Disney World

Jack Lindquist, Disneyland/Disney World marketing genius has passed away

During the Disney employee Christmas parties, you never knew who might be working or where they'd be. I took this photo in 1993 when Jack Lindquist was driving passengers on a Main Street vehicle. The party hadn't started and Jack was just sitting in the vehicle waiting. I was in, since I was also going to work on an attraction and I asked him for a ride. This was the first time I got to talk with Jack, being driven by him up and down Main Street in Disneyland.
During the Disney employee Christmas parties which were held at Disneyland, you never knew who might be working or where they’d be. I took this photo in 1993 when Jack Lindquist was driving passengers on a Main Street vehicle. The party hadn’t started and Jack was just sitting in the vehicle waiting. I was in, since I was also going to work on an attraction and I asked him for a ride. This was the first time I got to talk with Jack, being driven by him up and down Main Street in Disneyland.
Jack Lindquist and Scott Wolf, with some pretty snazzy shirts on!
Jack Lindquist and Scott Wolf, with some pretty snazzy shirts on!

We’re so sorry to hear about the passing of our friend Jack Lindquist. We’ll sure miss getting together with him and hearing his wonderful stories, but we’re pleased to share some of them with you below! He was truly Disney royalty!

Jack Lindquist was Disneyland’s first advertising manager, beginning in 1955. He continued with the company in marketing for Disneyland. Walt Disney World and international Disney resorts. His many accomplishments include the creation of the Disneyland Ambassador program, the creation of the Walt Disney Travel Company, the international waters ceremony for the opening of the it’s a small world attraction, Disney Dollars, and in 1990 Jack became the first president of Disneyland.

Below are links to four conversations I had with Jack, that I think you’ll really enjoy!

LISTEN: Jack’s pre-Disney days in Hollywood
LISTEN: The opening ceremony for the class it’s a small world attraction
LISTEN: Creating the Walt Disney Travel Company
LISTEN: The opening of Walt Disney World; World Showcase; Jack’s work philosophy

Also, LISTEN to Jack and others talk about their experiences at Disneyland on opening day