Daily Photo Tour - A Walk in the Park

This was the best day I have ever had at the Disneyland Resort. It was one of those moments in life you never expect to have the opportunity to have, but somehow it manifests itself. For me, this picture encompasses the essence of that day. We had the amazing opportunity to spend the entire day at the park with Disney Imagineer Dave Durham. It really was one of those moments I had to stop and ask myself if it was really happening.

Dave is one of those people you really look up to, technically, professionally, and especially as a mentor. He really is the full package. You just get a sense that he goes into work every day truly loving what he does. He has such a passion for his work that it just bursts forth from his character. To be able to walk through Disneyland and California Adventure with an Imagineer was a surreal experience, one I will never forget.

Daily Photo Tour - A Storm Breaks in Paradise

On a day that seemed to be dull and dreary at DCA, we found ourselves wandering to Paradise... Pier that is. As we did, the clouds began to break and the sun shone through for quite a dramatic scene. Even Mickey seemed happy about it.

Daily Photo Tour - Screamin' Into the Evenin'

While the sun sets upon Paradise Pier, the screams from California Screamin' echo across the bay. The glow from the boardwalk lights seems to invite guests a little farther down the pier to take a chance at some interesting games. When the sun goes down the contrasting sky becomes a great addition to the amazing atmosphere. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening than barreling down a track at 55mph. Okay, I can think of a better evening. Barreling down the track holding a Venti Caramel Macchiato and a brand new iPhone 5. Yeah, that's it.

Daily Photo Tour - The Gleaming Zephyr

The Golden Zephyr is not a ride you often have to wait for. It's pretty tame and short. Despite this, I always find myself drawn to it. I especially love the way light glistens off the sleek shape. Keep this one in mind if you head to DCA this summer. It'll be a relaxing break from the crowds!

Daily Photo Tour - West Coast Sunsets

Summer is almost here, and I can't wait! The beach is one of those very special places for me. It's a way to de-stress, have some fun, and really embrace the beauty of the ocean. Paradise Pier is such a great foreground to the amazing sunsets that grace the west coast. It blows me away everytime I see a sunset. Yeah, I'm a sucker for them. I always have been, and photographing them never gets old. Long walks on the beach, no thank you. Set up with a tripod in the sand waiting for the sun to go down, now that's my kinda date!

Daily Photo Tour -The Calm After the Storm

Life has a way of throwing curve balls our way and even though it's inevitable, it seems we're never really prepared. Opportunities for us to question what we're doing and why seem to spawn uncontrollably. Opportunities to listen to the doubting suspicion nagging at us from the inside, encouraging us to question things we were so sure about a week ago. Through these times I think the most important thing to remember is to be true to yourself. To know your course and to stick with it regardless of how things may appear. If you can do this, you can weather any storm with a confidence and tenacity that is not easily extinguished. This is where the true reward lies, in the journey.

Daily Photo Tour - Between Boardwalk and Sky

This picture came minutes after a storm began to clear. The warmth of the sun was quick to dry the boardwalk. The clouds broke quickly in all kinds of interesting textures and varying speeds. It was easy to be mesmerized by the scene, which strongly reminded me of one of the beautiful billboards over by Screamin'. I never grow tired of the atmosphere of Paradise Pier. What's not to love about a nod to the beachside amusement parks of yore?

Daily Photo Tour - The Big Things in Life

Today I took a moment, and closed my eyes. I wondered what it would be like if I lost my eyesight, if my vision ceased and I could never see again. I honestly would be devastated. I depend on my eyes to guide me everyday without even thinking about it, and I am so inspired and overstimulated by what I see.

And even more I am so grateful for what some people call "the little things in life." They are the sunsets and sunrises, the enormous cliffs and peaks of the mountains, the endless feeling you get the first time you see the ocean and the way the sun glistens off it. They are the vast array of stars that fill the night sky. And then there are clouds. Oh my, the amazing beauty of the ever changing clouds.

And then I thought of the scene you see here. What if I couldn't see this? I would be missing out on so much. What if all the amazing beauty of the earth was shut from my eyes? It didn't take me long before I came up with a solution. I'd probably ask Matthew and Michaela what it looked like. I'd ask for them to explain to me in detail the amazing things they saw. And then it hit me. It's being able to experience what we see with someone else that makes it so much more profound. It's not just what we see that means the most, it's sharing it with others. It's being able to experience the "little things in life" with the people that mean the most to us. I am so grateful for my sight. I am so thankful for Matt and Michaela. I am so thankful to be able to experience life with these two people. They definitely are the two big things in my life.

Daily Photo Tour - Mickey's Sunny Day at the Beach

This has become one of my favorite spots inside Disney California Adventure. It is the culmination of all the boardwalk attractions that surrounds this spot that probably gets me the most, and the fact that it is in itself pretty secluded from the main midway. Oh, and that amazing long beach grass really is the icing on the cake isn't it? You may be wondering why this picture looks so familiar. Well, it's because I have taken it before! It is very reminiscent of Mickey's Gloomy Day at the Beach. The sun opened up a few weeks back, and I couldn't resist to head to my favorite spot. A little cliché yes, but sometimes in photography you have to wrestle in the mud with cliché for a while until you really get what you want out of it. And then after a few rounds, cliché taps out and you find yourself to be a little more refined, a little more resilient, and to have progressed far more than you had ever thought. Take that cliché!

Daily Photo Tour - A Cloudy Day at the Pier

Cloudy days at the Disneyland Resort are always exciting. We usually find ourselves rushing around from place to place trying to find new angles that take advantage of it. This shot was one of the many we took that day with our new wide angle lens. I really loved the lines leading from the pier to the Golden Zephyr and the wide angle gave me just the right amount of room to fit it all. Ahh, the joys of a new toy.

Daily Photo Tour - An Afternoon in Paradise

Winter just can't seem to make up its mind here in Southern California. A cold, wet weekend has turned into a midweek bordering on hot. It's alright though because we know how to have some fun in the sun and Paradise Pier perfectly embodies that spirit. This area is one of my favorites with a small world of colorful flowers soaking in the warmth.

iPad Wallpapers

Yesterday we launched a gallery of iPhone Wallpapers. Today we are pleased to announce our iPad Wallpaper Gallery. We hope it's an easy way for you to have some Disney magic at your fingertips. If you are an Android user, don't feel left out. We'll be launching wallpapers for Android devices in the very near future!

Daily Photo Tour - Midway Mania

It's the perfect time, when the lights of the boardwalk start to glow against the background of a vibrant sunset. The midway of Paradise Pier is just that - Paradise. It's especially true with sunsets like this, which are really seen best here. There's just something about it that screams "California!"

iPhone Wallpapers

We are very pleased to announce that we have launched the beginnings of a Tours Departing Daily iPhone Wallpaper Gallery. Sometimes you just want Disneyland right there on your phone's wallpaper, right? Well we hope that we've made it easier for those of you with iPhones to have just that. You can get there by clicking here. We'll be putting up a bigger and shinier link on our sidebar soon. We'll also be expanding to have an iPad Wallpaper gallery in the very near future, so watch for that!

Daily Photo Tour - Get Ready Screamers

I love roller coasters and I'm grateful that Disney California Adventure has one. But it's not just any roller coaster. It's California Screamin'. It features so many wonderful elements I often wonder why the line isn't longer than it is. As you make your way through the queue, the anticipation builds. Trains keep leaving the station, returning and leaving once more until, finally, it's your turn. You step down into the car and pull the shoulder restraints over you. They click into place to assure you of your safety, but just to double check a ride attendant gives it a good pull. Then comes the "go ahead". You leave the station only to stop again over the water. A somewhat antagonistic voice comes over a set of loud speakers instructing, "Get ready screamers!" and in an instant, the massive train you're in is launched without hesitation. It's a marvel and I love the anticipation. It's awesome to think that we live in a world where brilliant people can apply their intelligence to facilitate an amusement that brings satisfaction to the brave and daring. Are you ready?

Daily Photo Tour - Christmas in California

It's always interesting during the middle of December and the weather is still in the 70's. It occasionally reminds me that maybe us Californian's are an unfortunate bunch as we don't get to experience a real Christmas in the snow, or with the extremely cold weather. But, then again, Christmas isn't all about the weather now is it? Being close to family and friends is always at the center of the Holidays. But, I guess the cold weather does help to get everyone indoors all cozy in front of the fire!

Daily Photo Tour - The Time Between Seasons

The seasons are changing and it's finally starting to feel like fall in Southern California. With the weather only bumping down to 67 degrees in some parts, its funny to see people walk around in pants and overcoats as if it were 20 degrees and we lived on the east coast or something. I don't have a favorite season, rather the time between seasons is my favorite. This picture of the bay, although very autumn like, was actually taken between fall and winter. I feel the most inspiration during the changing of the seasons, and for some reason I feel the most alive.

Daily Photo Tour - Details of Disney California Adventure

The richest rewards of the Disneyland Resort are certainly in the details. There is so much thoughtfulness and planning in each and every one of them. It's an adventure just finding them. We're really excited for all the details that are coming to Disney California Adventure and wanted to share some that are currently there.

Dot on the Lookout

Employment Office

Twilight Around the Bend

Daily Photo Tour - Standing at the Golden Zephyr

In the evening, when many of the attractions surrounding Paradise Bay close, there is a calm from those spots that would normally find guests shrieking with merriment and delight. The energy all focuses on the preparations for World of Color and the buzz from guests waiting for the fantastic water show is electric. We recently took a stroll through Paradise Pier as this was happening and I found myself drawn to the grounded Golden Zephyr. The area was completely vacant save one cast member. It really resonated the classic boardwalk theme with me, part of which I am certain came from the cast member's costume, which wonderfully reflects that feeling. The Golden Zephyr itself is an attraction that I love, not necessarily for the experience, but for its look and what it represents. The way the bluish light from the onset of evening brought out that sleek chrome on the zephyrs was really what I was drawn to most. I love the feeling of the Pier and really felt this scene captures it.

Daily Photo Tour - Step Right Up

It's hard not to feel like this ringmaster, tucked away in a shop along Paradise Pier, is looking down on you. I'm not sure if it's just because he's so tall or if his curly mustache has something to do with it. There's something about a curled mustache that always makes me think that some nefarious plot is being hatched. Either way I am completely intrigued by this showman and love the touch he adds to the boardwalk. It's another one of those pieces that help make you feel like you're somewhere else entirely. If you'll excuse me, I need to go get some wax to curl my mustache.

Daily Photo Tour - A Field of Flowers

So it may be more of a bed than a field, but the flowers at the Disneyland Resort could certainly fill a field. These flowers were in Paradise Pier back in the Spring. It didn't seem like they were there for long before the next batch of beautiful flowers was brought in. It's amazing to me how seamless the transitions are. An entire bed of flowers will be completely transplanted, yet without prior knowledge, you would never know those particular blooms hadn't been there all along. It's one of those details I get excited for with each trip to the park, to see what those creative geniuses will have planted next.

Daily Photo Tour - Strike Up the Band

The Silly Symphony Swings ride has been a welcome change in California Adventure. From the moment Mickey strikes up the band, the music gallops its way across Paradise Pier to persuade smiles on the faces of park goers young and old. The ride itself is a beautiful work of art that serves beautiful views of Paradise Bay as you swing out over the water, the air rushing over your face.