Daily Photo Tour - 'Tis an Elegant Merry-Go-Round Horse

This beautiful carousel piece can be found in the Jolly Holiday Bakery as you make your way through the line deciding what sort of yummy thing to eat. Just about everything in there is a reference to the film. It's hard to imagine a better way to get around than on a merry-go-round horse with Mary Poppins. You might say that it's practically perfect in every way.

Daily Photo Tour - Lighting Up the Emporium

If you haven't gathered already, I'm a fan of the light fixtures throughout the Disneyland Resort. This chandelier especially caught my eye with the beautiful glass mosaic and woodwork framing it. It's definitely cause to look up once in a while when you're in the shops. Just watch out for the racks in the process; I learned this the hard way.

Daily Photo Tour - A Balloon Vendor on Main Street

One of the best parts of walking through the tunnel into a world unlike the one outside it is happening upon the street vendors selling their wares. The magic to be found for sale is easily lost on us as we grow older and have to figure out paying for it but as kids, we aren't concerned with that, our parents have got it covered. As far as we're concerned, those vendors might as well be selling gold. You can tell by the way kids carry balloons and the like, bouncing up and down, waving them in the air with such enthusiasm and freedom. The magic, of course, isn't in the object itself but in the imagination given it and the opportunity to bless a child with something that brings them joy.

Daily Photo Tour - Now it's Time to Say Goodnight

It had been a long, wonderful, rainy day. We'd come prepared with umbrellas and plastic bags for covering our cameras. It was an adventure.

Whether we like it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, life is an adventure. I know that many of you reading this know that. It's part of the reason we love Disneyland. It's an ideal adventure; a day filled with opportunities, missions and decisions. You can expect the unexpected. You can do the impossible. Good always triumphs over evil. (I don't know about you, but for me, that is a prerequisite for a good adventure. What would Raiders of the Lost Ark be if the Nazis had beaten Indiana Jones? It may have still contained elements of adventure, but it would be a tragedy.) I think Walt, ever the optimist, intended for Disneyland to not just be an ideal adventure, but to inspire us to live our own ideal adventures. In everything he set his hands to, he aimed to entertain, but more importantly, to bring out the goodness in people. That's remarkable. So often, we look to the future, thinking that someday things will get better, things will be better. It's great to be hopeful for the future but let me ask you this - why not today? Why shouldn't "better" be right now? We have a tendency to procrastinate when it comes to taking charge over our lives and sometimes we get caught up with the failures of the past or, perhaps, the nostalgia of it, all of which prevents us from making the most of the present. Adventures don't happen in the past, though we can look back fondly on them and learn from them, nor do they happen in the future, though we can do our best to prepare for them. So quit talking and lay hold of that wonderful thing called "life". Adventure happens now.

Daily Photo Tour - Walt & His Lilly Belle

This framed picture of Walt & Lillian Disney resides in the Lilly Belle presidential car. Even with all of the interesting things inside, I'm always drawn to this photo the most.

Daily Photo Tour - The Light at the End of a Rainy Evening

We haven't had many outings to Disneyland on rainy days but we always enjoy when we do. It sets a different tone in the park. The crowds are certainly a lot lighter and that, of course, is wonderful. Aside from the that, the attractions and theming take on a whole new disposition. Colors against a gray sky. Lights glistening on soaked pavement. Wiping a bench off to get a dry seat after a day of running around a park you have to mostly to yourself. Each of these things, and more, creates a unique experience and contribute to some great photo opportunities.

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Daily Photo Tour - An Evening at Carnation Cafe

There's an interesting atmosphere at Carnation Cafe in the late evenings. It's reminiscent of a small town cafe filled with regulars or maybe a small coffee shop off the beaten path. It's quaint and familiar. It's easy to pass by because somewhere in the back of your mind is the reassurance that it will always be there, waiting for you. I guess that's how Main Street is supposed to feel as everyone's hometown, the heart line of America.

Daily Photo Tour - Stormy Day at the Emporium

The stormy weather today reminded me of the day I took this shot. It had rained heavily most of the morning. The Park was quiet and peaceful. Eventually the rain stopped and the clouds began to shift, revealing patches of sky and rays of light. Moments like these force you into a state of awareness and make you feel alive.

Daily Photo Tour - The Lamp in Walt's Window

This light will never fade while there are dreams and imagination in the world. May we all strive to be a source of joy and inspiration to others.

Daily Photo Tour - Partnership in Bloom

One of the hardest and most rewarding things I've experienced over the last few years is learning how to work creatively with people. At face value it may seem like a simple concept but it can be much more complex. When it comes to brainstorming ideas and figuring out practical execution, compromise can be your saving grace. It's learning how to make a precious idea of yours vulnerable. Laying it on the altar for your fellow creatives to dissect or dispose of it completely. The first few times it can feel like a blow to your ego, but you soon learn that to truly create anything beautiful, ego must take a back seat. It's through the collaboration of many that something beautiful is formed. As the saying goes, "two heads are better than one". It couldn't be more true. Our best ideas for things in the works have come from each one of us laying down our ideas and allowing each other to pick them apart and piece them back together. You learn to welcome it with excitement knowing there is something better that will evolve from the simple act of sharing ideas. It's yet another example of why I am so grateful to be working with the people I am. We teach each other something new every day.

Daily Photo Tour - Where the Magic Happens

We all know Disneyland as the happiest place on Earth and it takes no small amount of magic to make that happen. In order for the magic to work, we need faith and trust. At the very least, we need to suspend our disbelief and engage in believing that dreams come true and happily ever afters are possible. If it weren't for this intoxicating idealism, shared with those around us, Disneyland would not be what it is. It may be where the magic happens, but it shouldn't be where it ends.

Daily Photo Tour - A Jolly Penguin

Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, there's no denying it. It's been rare that I've doubted this statement, having some of my fondest memories there. As they say, however, the proof is in the pudding. The pudding that I'm serving in this case is the penguin before you, a jolly chap and empirical evidence in support of the prior referenced statement regarding a certain theme park and happiness. Disneyland... where even the penguins are happy. 'Nuff said.

Daily Photo Tour - The First Look Down Main Street

Millions of people have visited Disneyland since it first opened in 1955 and there is one thing I think most of us could all agree on. The love of this view. For me, it has always been that first look down Main Street that hits home. It doesn't matter what kind of day it is. Nothing compares to that moment you come around the corner and you see the castle for the first time. You know, it just makes you feel like a kid again. I like that. I do believe though I'm not the only one who feels this way, and there is a reason for this.

It's interesting how Town Square, Main Street, and the Castle are all laid out. Have you ever thought about it? Sleeping Beauty Castle isn't the first thing you see when you walk into Disneyland. You have to pass under the train tracks from either side, walk through the tunnel, where you'll "leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy", and then follow the path around the flag pole sweeping from either side towards the center. But, the view of the castle is blocked by the height of the buildings and forcefully by the path the sidewalk takes as it circles the flag pole. When you reach the beginning of Main Street you finally see Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the perspective of the street leads your eye right toward the epic icon. It is an ingenious design, and a great way of telling a story by simply designing the path a guest will take through the park. Maybe that first look is so engraved in everyone's mind for all the same reasons.

Daily Photo Tour - An Evening at Plaza Inn

Whether you are a fan of fried chicken or not, you can't help having a bit of a soft spot for the Plaza Inn. It takes not much more than the moment you enter to see that it's rife with history and history means memories. For the people who've dined there, the cast that have worked there, it serves as a landmark at the end of Main Street, marking a day that served up at least a bit of magic.

Daily Photo Tour - Just the Right Light

I have been so very privileged to be standing on Main Street at this time at night. Seriously look at the time on that clock! It's rather difficult these days to close out the park like this, but I always cherish the times we do. The easiest part about what we do when we shoot in Disneyland is the lighting. You just have to look for it. We don't have to spend hours setting up fancy lighting equipment and figuring out how we want to light a scene. All that hard work has already been done for us, by the imagineers of course. We get to do the easy part, set up and take the shot. The exterior lighting around Disneyland at night is a mix up of simplicity, mood, and focus. If you think about it, everything in Disneyland is lit either to draw your attention to it, or to create an ambiance and set a mood. And this is all done in the simplest form. And then we come to Main Street U.S.A., which is one of the most heart-warming and beautiful places in Disneyland. I love watching guests leave the park as they skip down Main Street and enjoy the lighted spectacle. There is always that mood when you're leaving the park, the soft cast of all those tiny little bulbs that radiate just the right amount of light.

Daily Photo Tour - Walt Disney Presents

A somewhat hidden gem lies about halfway down Main Street, on the East side. It's not hidden because there isn't a proper advertisement outside. Perhaps it's hidden because there's not a line gathering to enjoy this attraction. I'm speaking, of course, of the Main Street Cinema, home to the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons, still dazzling and engrossing after all these years.

Daily Photo Tour - A Resolution for the New Year

Well, here we are, January 1st. Another year has passed. I'd like to think that today is just any day, but it isn't. I always pretend that the first of the year is just another holiday, but I'm totally lying to myself, it is much more than that. I tend to look back on the entire year, as I'm sure most of you do on this day, and think what has changed. Not geographically or physically. Not even financially. But how I have changed? How I have grown? What have I learned, and who have I learned it from? How have I affected other people? Who has affected me? What have I sacrificed this year, and how have I loved? These always prove to be the hardest questions to ask, but the answers will give you a deep understanding of your character this past year, what needs to change, and what needs to stay constant.

For me, I have learned that I need to guard my heart. Not to be so vulnerable, and to be patient and realistic. I've learned to not bottle up my feelings, but rather to bring my emotion to the front of my mind, so I can understand it and deal with it in a healthy way. I've learned that my actions speak volumes, and even more, my lack of action has sometimes an even greater effect.

I've learned so many things from so many people. Whether it's an epic conversation in a living room, or a meaningful yet difficult talk that I really needed to have sitting in a parked car with a great friend. My friends have made such an impact on my life and it's because they were honest and truthful with me about my actions and attitude.

I don't know how I have affected other people, but I would hope that I have caused some to follow their passion, believe in their dreams, and to do the right thing. This year I have sacrificed my pride in a way that I never thought I would have to do. And how have I loved? Well, that is the most important question of them all, and the one that has left me silent this year. If I can be completely honest with myself, I can't think of a moment this year that I have truly loved. Not the romantic type of love, but the giving, sacrificial love that is most apparent and relevant relationally. I have been given so much from so many people, but I have given back so little. Relationships are so important, and it is love that is at the center of them. This will be the very thing I change this year. A resolution to love.

Daily Photo Tour - A Fond Farewell to the Passing Year

Though we have escaped apocalyptic doom this year, we have not escaped tragedy or heartache. It's easy to get enraptured in the idyllic scenes of Disneyland and forget a somewhat cold reality around us where bad things happen. Forgetting, at least momentarily, is part of the appeal; we can leave today and enter a world of fantasy. Don't mistake me, I don't mean this in a negative way at all, quite the contrary. Disneyland is a place where you can go and slough off the refuse of everyday life, a kind of detox for the soul. Walt's hope that his park would be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world was fulfilled exceedingly and in abundance. But wouldn't it be wonderful if everyday life were better? I pray the new year will be filled with inspiration to make it so and joy to strengthen us in getting there.

Daily Photo Tour - Spending Christmas in Disneyland

Christmas at Disneyland is one of those unforgettable experiences. The atmosphere is like no other place I have ever been. The warm glow along Main Street, the streams of garland, the Christmas lights that hang a top the facades, and the classic tunes that ring down the street make Disneyland a very special place to be during the Holidays.

Daily Photo Tour - Cruisin' on Towards Christmas

Well, it seems like we are moving through December at a pretty steady rate now. The Thanksgiving hangover seems to have almost left, and it won't be too long until we are shoveling our faces again with delectable treats. Everyone this time of the year seems to focus there attention toward that merry date at the end of December. It's fascinating that an entire society, a country, can focus there attention on one thing. A holiday. It must mean something. One thing is for sure, Christmas is coming and there is no stopping it.