Daily Photo Tour - A Splash of Christmas

Disneyland pulls out all the stops this time of year. Garland is strung throughout the park and Christmas trees can be found in almost every corner. Or in this case, hanging from the rafters of a barn.

Daily Photo Tour - The Night Mill

I've always been fascinated with this little mill. I'm not exactly sure why. I've kinda always wanted to live in small little cottage in the middle of the forest. And, if I ever did, it would have to have a mill right? And, I'm pretty sure that it would look exactly like this one from Splash Mountain. Wow. I have a fantasy about living in a cottage in the middle of the forest, with an attached mill. Either I have taken a gander at one too many Thomas Kinkade paintings, or I've just been single way too long. I think we all know the answer to that question. Dang it...

Daily Photo Tour - The Mountain Across the River

I've always enjoyed this view of Splash Mountain. It seems to always be a great surprise to see the riders splash down through the tunnel. I don't know about you, but I keep getting that feeling that fall is just right around the corner. It's always the feeling of change that gets me every time. Soon the green leaves will be fading, and the hot summer nights will turn into cool autumn chills. I honestly can't wait.

Daily Photo Tour - A Splash of Sunset

For some, Splash Mountain is the highlight of a hot summer, providing a sweet respite from the heat. As much as I enjoy the ride, my favorite thing about this mountain is the way it glows at sunset. The peak itself almost seems ablaze. Beneath the cool cast trees of Critter Country it is truly a sight to behold.

Daily Photo Tour - Plenty of Sunshine Headed My Way

In the midst of darkness, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, it's there. It's always there. Whatever the goal might be, you just have to keep pressing on towards it. It's true, hard work pays off, and there is not such thing as luck. Luck is that magical thing when preparation (the hard work) meets opportunity. So make sure you are prepared. You never know what opportunities might arise. It is definitely safe to say there will be plenty of sunshine headed your way.

Daily Photo Tour - Remain Seated Please

The outer queue of Splash Mountain has so many neat spots to peek through and see bits of the ride.This little sign is a reminder to keep your bottom in contact with the flumes. It reinforces the safety spiel - "Remain seated please". If you're a Disney lover, you can't hear those words without following them up in your head (or aloud) with "permanecer sentados por favor". Such a simple phrase that carries with it the joys of riding the many wonderful attractions at Disney Parks.

Daily Photo Tour - Splash Mountain at Dusk

I can't remember the last time I rode Splash Mountain. I suppose the fact that I rarely make it to the park without my camera has something to do with it. That or the fact that one of my least favorite things is walking around in wet clothes. That doesn't stop me from hanging around the queue watching people plummet, screaming the whole way down. There's just something about the screams and laughter that puts a smile on my face. I'm continually amazed by the number of people that ride Splash Mountain late at night and in the cold. As I was getting this shot close to midnight, swarms of people continued to rush through the line for the chance to find their laughing place, albeit a cold and wet one.

Daily Photo Tour - A Golden Splash

To this day, I still remember my first experience riding Splash Mountain. It's as if it were yesterday and that is probably due in large part to the fact that I was beyond freaked out through the entire queue. I must have been 5 years old and I was riding Splash with my dad. I became tense as soon as we entered the queue and I began to tear up the closer we got, My dad comforting me the entire time. I had calmed down enough to stop crying by the time we boarded, but the nerves wouldn't let up. Even the cheerful singing throughout the ride seemed to taunt me. The ominous music right before the precipice and then the drop, inevitable destruction. I quickly found out that total annihilation was not our fate. Splash Mountain was nothing more than a large steep slide of sorts that was really quite fun. I ended up having a blast and the relief I found from surviving something I was so afraid of was priceless. My Dad is very much responsible for most of the risks I've taken in my life. He taught me fearlessness. Ok, so Splash Mountain may seem like a small feat, but at 5 years old, it was huge. It was one of the many ways he taught me to dive into things regardless of how afraid I was and I will be forever grateful to him for that.

Daily Photo Tour - Steamy Splash Mountain

Leaving Critter Country one day I noticed that the perilous plunge (no Knott's Berry Farm reference intended) of Splash Mountain was filling up with steam between logs. Each log full of screaming riders would cause the steam to disappear with a rush of air and a splash. Within moments the steam would almost completely conceal the water flowing behind it. I was quite intrigued by this phenomenon and perhaps it's not as rare of an occurrence as it seemed to me to be. I stood there for quite a while waiting for a moment like this all the same.

Daily Photo Tour - Everybody Has a Laughing Place

When it's been a long day full of good times and great experiences, and the laughs keep on coming, you know that you are with good friends. Splash Mountain is a ride that will bring you closer to someone, push you farther apart, or will just leave you soaked. Splash Mountain isn't a ride the three of us get on too often (mostly because our cameras don't operate after water damage), but when we do it's always a great ride that leads us to some sort of laughing place. Whether that's laughing at someone's wet rear end, or laughing because we had such a great time, at the end of it all, someone is always laughing.

Finding a Laughing Place

The Briar Patch

The Sun Sets With a Splash

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Daily Photo Tour - Springin' onto Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is finally open, and just in time too. The warm Southern California weather is upon us! I captured this shot about a little over a year ago while wandering around the nooks and crannies of Critter Country. There are some very interesting angles. It's a lot of fun to grab Coca Cola and a Churro (A Disneyland staple) and get lost in the foliage in front of Splash Mountain.

The Google +1 Button & Flickr Too

So Google has introduced this nifty little button. It's similar to the Facebook 'Like' button, except it helps us show up in Google. So if you enjoy our site and want to help us out, give it a click! We would sure appreciate it. We've placed one at the top of our E-Ticket sidebar as a permanent spot for it, so you could even invite your friends to help us out and it will be easy to find.

We have been hard at work making little changes to our site and trying to get our pictures 'out there' and our most recent effort is joining Flickr. We've posted a number of pictures to our photostream so if Flickr is your thing, or just want to check it out click here.

Daily Photo Tour - One of Those Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Nights

Critter Country is one of those areas at Disneyland that can be a really peaceful escape from the crowds. I took this picture late one night while Splash Mountain was still closed, which left a wonderful tranquil feeling to the glow on Brer Rabbit. It was one of those Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah kind of nights. Of course, now that Splash Mountain is open again from its long refurbishment, there's a whole lot more reason to take a trip to Critter Country. And rumor has it, it's wetter than ever!

Daily Photo Tour - The Mill

At first glance you might not have recognized where this photo was taken. Of course the rocky texture of Splash Mountain in the background might have already given that away. I love this little mill. It really gives Splash Mountain that peaceful atmosphere, until you hear the screams of plunging passengers!

Daily Photo Tour - A Winter Splash

It's always interesting to see the passengers on Splash Mountain, especialy during the winter. I honestly can't remember the last time I rode this ride. Probably because I have my camera most of the time I am at the park. I gotta get on this thing soon. But, definitely not in the winter. It takes a certain animal to conquer Splash Mountain in the cold. I am surely not one of them!

Daily Photo Tour - Splash Mountain Illumination

Splash Mountain at night is a photograph I have been contemplating to take for a while. I have been waiting for the right moment to finally capture it in its night time essence. Well, what was I waiting for you ask? For me, taking a photograph is very special. I believe that no photograph can ever be taken twice. So, I usually wait until my artistic fluids start to boil to take a picture that may be a little more special to me. Finally the night came, and I felt "it". I don't know what "it" is, but for anyone who has ever participated in any artistic activity you know exactly what I mean. On my first attempt I managed to balance the tripod on the queue rail, and the stone wall that separates the boundaries of the ride to the queue. I got it pretty stable and snapped a few shots of a landscaped style picture. I was very happy with what turned out, but not satisfied. There was an angle I wanted to get, but could only get with a portrait framing, and not a landscape. There was no way I could position the tripod in such a way that didn't get a little bit of the fence in the way. So I walked back to Matt and Michaela, who by the way were taking some pretty sick Haunted Mansion photos, and cried to them about how I couldn't get my shot. Matt, being the awesome guy he is, patiently walked me over to the angle that I couldn't get. We talked for a while (mostly me whining), and he eventually saw what I wanted and gave some great advice. "Just shove your camera in the fence so that It supports itself", he said. Brilliant! No, seriously. There are places in the park where you can literally wedge the camera in a portrait style so that it will "stick." In no way do I recommend this as a technique (I don't want you to lose your camera), but it worked for me in this situation. So I turned the camera and put it in a spot that ended up framing the picture just perfect! Only problem, It wouldn't wedge properly to support itself. I was determined, now able to get the shot, I had to make an attempt. For the lighting conditions, and as you see from my settings, I was trying to get as much light in the camera as possible without slowing my shutter. I braced myself, pushed the camera between the fence, and let the three exposures fly. I ended up with 1 sec, 4 sec, and 15 sec exposures, staying still for a total of 20 sec. Somehow, I got the shot off. I never would have been able to do it without the help of my best friend. So now instead of the shot being something personal, it is an artistic collaboration with my best bud that we can share together. Thanks Matt.

Daily Photo Tour - Splash Mountain

Why is Splash Mountain so epic? I mean really. I've seen kids jump on Space Mountain or the Matterhorn like nothin'. But Splash Mountain just has this ominous, I'm about to die, feel about it. Maybe if Disney hid the drop, no, maybe if they quieted the screams? Splash Mountain is just one of those rides that is incomparable. There isn't any log flume that even has a chance. Splash Mountain is the original log flume. Seriously, I dare you to walk by the drop and not stop and look. You can't, it's almost impossible. I've ridden roller coasters and rides all around Southern California, several times over. I could tell you every twist and turn in order on most of Magic Mountain's steel behemoths. Sadly, because of this, these rides have become predictable, and they lose their intensity and suprise. I can't figure out for the life of me why this doesn't happen on the drop of Splash Mountain. Everytime, I lose my stomach. I have probably ridden it a hundred times over. Evertime as I climb the hill and crest the top that feeling enters, and my stomach ends up in my throat. I love it.

Daily Photo Tour - Splash Mountain Tunnel

This is one of the most missed opportunities for photographers in Disneyland. Seeing the reactions from riders of Splash Mountain at the end of the drop! Think about it for a second. Have you ever looked up after plummeting through the drop, and blasting through the tunnel? Well you only have about 3-4 seconds, and if you do, you'll see the exact location this shot was taken! That is, across The Rivers of America, at Pirates Cove, formerly Tom Sawer Island. There are some very unique and amazing photo opportunities in this area of the park.