Daily Photo Tour - The Smile That Comes Out Mad

I always crack up at the Enchanted Tiki Room pre-show. The Tikis mostly all have humorous introductions but I think my favorite is Pele's. Her voice is so intense when she explains how she's so sad that her smile comes out mad. Texting translation - >:(

Notice how the bromeliad flowers around Pele are all red, the color synonymous with anger... and fire... and lava...? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the bright folks at Disney did that intentionally, which is awesome. Interesting anecdotal note - pineapples are a member of the bromeliad family and the only one to produce edible fruit. Dole whip sure sounds good on a warm night like tonight.

Daily Photo Tour - The Office of Dr. Jones

This is my happy place. I would love to have a workspace that looked just like this! Of course I'd replace the typewriter with a 27-inch iMac, but everything else would remain the same. This was taken in the queue of Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye just before you enter the projector room. It's a spot that sometimes get's passed up because of re-direction of the line. You should however with the permission of cast member jump out and take a look. It's one of the most amazing parts of the queue, and includes several unique props!

Daily Photo Tour - Why Did it Have to be Bats?

I love the Temple of the Forbidden Eye and it always bums me out to have go through it so quickly. The queue is every bit as good as the ride itself. When you make it to this point, the bat cave area, that's when things really get interesting. The path gets crooked. The walls and ceiling close in on you a bit so that there's a level of discomfort. That discomfort is always offset for me by hearing Jim Carey as Ace Ventura shouting "Guano!" Just me? Dangit...

Daily Photo Tour - Hidden Beneath the Foliage

Tucked away so concealed within the jungles of Adventureland rests The Temple of the Forbidden Eye. I love Adventureland because it is cozy, and oh so very green. The midway opens and narrows at various points, allowing foot traffic to funnel, and then breathe. That's just the character of Adventureland, and I like it. The walls of lush foliage give a sense of mystery beyond the point of civilization. It makes you wonder, what is out there? Without even knowing it, you're already wanting adventure. Well, that's just perfect now isn't it, considering you are in Adventureland.

If it's excitement you're looking for, you'll find it hidden beneath the foliage in a secluded temple that remains the source of peril and terror for many explorers. There is one experienced and seriously strong archaeologist however, that can get your through it. No, seriously. Think about it. Continuously holding back those gigantic stone doors, hanging from a rope 24/7. Dr. Jones has his work cut out for him. I'm just saying, lay off the roids Indy.

Daily Photo Tour - Colonel Nedley, at Your Service for a Coin

Shrunken Ned is a great source of unexpected entertainment. Whatever your ailment may be, he's got a prescription for you, but it doesn't come cheap. Great minds can't just hang around all day. It'll cost you a coin or two.

Daily Photo Tour - Trader Sam

With all its corny humor, the Jungle Cruise is not without air of dark mystery looming beneath its lush canopy. It is, after all, a jungle. Case in point, Trader Sam. This head salesman would love nothing better than to make you a bargain - two of his heads for one of yours.

Daily Photo Tour - Enthroned in the Jungle

As some of you may have noticed, we've been a little sparse with our posting lately. We promise it's with good reason. We've been working very hard and diligently on other things the past few months and it will very shortly make up for the lost photos these past few weeks. Until then, we truly appreciate your continued support and encouragement. It gives us strength to continue working as hard as we do. Now for tonight's post, we take you through the jungle to find some lost ruins.

Daily Photo Tour - The River Hunter

Crocs are abundant in the jungle rivers of Adventureland but there's no need to worry. The Jungle Cruise skippers have got it handled.

Daily Photo Tour - The Lost Temple

I love exiting Indiana Jones from that dark, rocky tunnel into the dense foliage that rises high overhead. There's something really neat about the way light moves in this adventurous jungle. It peeks through the leaves and branches where it can, dancing around their movements and flickering like a set of heavenly twinkle lights arranged in no particular fashion. And that's just what happens overhead. The idea of discovering and exploring ancient lost ruins is thrilling. Even though I've been on the ride a hundred times, its facade still lends mystery to the imagination and I constantly find myself dreaming up myriad scenarios of my own archaeological adventures. Oh what wonders await you, my friend!

Daily Photo Tour - The Forbidden Jeep

Once a movie prop, this vintage Mercedes Benz is one of the first things you'll spy through the dense foliage shrouding the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Sometimes I wish I could just climb in and sit in the driver's seat for a while.

Daily Photo Tour - Morning Refuge

The Union Jack hangs high in the Everblooming Disney Tree (bet you didn't know it had a name, did you?) from what would appear to be bits of refuse, mysteriously suspended. It is, in fact, not a heap of refuse but rather a refuge. The story of Tarzan is not one I've been all that familiar with until recently. Sure I have seen the Disney film, a few cartoons, a comic or two all loosely based on the creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs. My dad happens to love ERB and recently, thanks to my handy dandy books app, I've dug into Tarzan of the Apes. Admittedly, I don't read anywhere near as often as I'd like or should. After experiencing other's takes on the story, it's nice to get lost in my own imagination for a change.

Daily Photo Tour - Too Much Fun in the Shower

One of the classic scenes of The World Famous Jungle Cruise is also a good reminder of what happens if you take your time and have too much fun in the shower - you turn into an elephant.

Daily Photo Tour - The Tablet of Eternal Youth

Ah, the tablet of eternal youth at the site discovered by famed archaeologist, Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. It's quite an adventure seeking after a treasure of your own in this gem of an ancient booby-trap laden temple. With three to choose from, four if you count the "Gates of Doom" and enjoy that sort of thing, who could decide?

Daily Photo Tour - The Adventureland Market

Tropical Imports is Adventureland's market. Bananas, clean water and mosquito nets can all be found here at a reasonable cost, cash or barter. Just don't stop in thinking you'll find Earl Grey tea because a pack of angry gorillas got all of it during the last shipment up the river.

Daily Photo Tour - Enchanted Mornings

The inspiration for this picture evolved directly from a Disney artist whom I admire greatly. His paintings, for me, evoke that magical feeling you get when visiting Disneyland. George Scribner started his career at Disney as a character animator. He's worked on films such as The Lion King and Fantasia. He directed Oliver and Company, and is currently commissioned by the Republic of Panama to paint the various construction phases of the Panama Canal Expansion. He's painted many scenes of Disneyland that are some of my favorite pieces of art that reside inside the galleries around the Resort. One of those paintings is a scene of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. When I first saw the painting I thought that the actual angle of the attraction didn't exist. But after a few moments of pacing back and forth like a crazed maniac across the Frontierland entrance bridge, I found the angle. Inspiration is funny. It comes and it goes, but it's always reinforced by other artist's creations.

Daily Photo Tour - Headed for Adventure

There's nothing like getting on a boat and heading off into the jungle for an adventure, where danger waits around every turn, with the possibility of angry, angry hippos, headhunters and a few bad jokes along the way. Adventureland finds its magic in the depth of its immersive jungle environment. It offers, perhaps, the greatest contrast from the nearby, outside world. There's rarely a time that we're not up for a ride down the exotic rivers of The World Famous Jungle Cruise. We even bring scissors with us just to cut in line!

New Excursions on the Horizon

We've been posting pictures of the Disneyland Resort for nearly two years. In that time, we've endeavored to share a few creative projects to supplement the hundreds of photos. We really enjoy those types of projects and will be posting them much more frequently, keeping you updated along the way. Something we have yet to branch out with, in the past two years, is sharing some of our non-Disney pictures. Recently the idea has persistently crept up on us, "Why not?" While we spend much of our free time at the Park, we do occasionally find time for other fun places and taking pictures is a habit we just can't seem to quit. This Saturday, for the first time, we will share a batch of photos from places outside the Disneyland Resort (they do exist!). This won't take over the website or change our daily posting of Disney photos. It's simply another creative outlet for us that we hope you will enjoy. There's a lot of beauty in this world and we want to share some of it through these excursions.

Daily Photo Tour - The Family Treehouse

Wandering through Tarzan's Treehouse is always a fun adventure. It doesn't matter how old you are, you still get to be a kid climbing a tree. Realizations like that somehow always bring me back to family. When I think about being a kid, I think about the fun I had, the bumps, bruises and scars I earned. More than that, I think about the shelter I was given by my family, their love and the memories that came from special moments reinforcing I truly mattered in this world. Somehow, this particular scene in the treehouse captures that notion of family for me.

Daily Photo Tour - Alone in the Jungle

I really treasure the quiet evenings we have at the park together shooting. It is something that we seem to experience less and less as we make our way into summer, but it is very special. I still remember the first night we went to the park to take pictures together for the first time. It felt as though we were the only people in the entire park and we completely lost ourselves behind our cameras. Nothing else mattered. That night something changed, a desire and a passion grew inside of each one of us that we didn't even realize was there. From this, the blog was born and this adventure. No matter what happens, we do this because we love it. We love sharing the Disneyland Resort with you as we see it, as idealistic as it may seem sometimes, we never lose sight of that fact. We wouldn't trade all the incredible people we have met by doing this for anything and we are so grateful to all of you who allow us to be a part of your day.

Daily Photo Tour - Sunset Over Adventureland

Daylight slowly starts to fade away in Disneyland. The clouds give one last glow of color and the Happiest Place on Earth turns into an adventure into the darkness. The entrance to Adventureland has always fascinated me. It's torches provide enough light for a patient wait in the Dole Whip line, but are adequate enough to entice your curiosity to further you into the jungle. It's surround by massive amounts of foliage, enough to give this desert rat a run for his money, and last but not least, it is the gateway to one of the best attractions in Disneyland, The World Famous Jungle Cruise. Need I say more?

Daily Photo Tour - The Jungle Book

Climbing through Tarzan's Treehouse, you're bound to finding something new on every trip. I have seen this book a number of times and it's actually quite hard to miss, but I have never thought to take a picture of it. As we came across the bridge, I nearly passed by it again, but was stopped by the incredible light reflecting off of it. It immediately transported me to the openings of classic Disney animated features, pressing in on an elaborate mysterious book, knowing there's an incredible adventure waiting within it's pages.