Disney World Video Camera

I am in the very early stages of looking for the perfect camera for a trip to Walt Disney World in 2015. I do have some very specific requirements for the camera. For example, many rides in the Magic Kingdom are in low light, so the camera should work great in low light conditions.

I created another webpage of the various cameras that I have found. If your looking for the perfect YouTube camera for your Blog, or a camera for Disney World you don't want to miss the why some cameras are better than others.

I plan on picking the perfect camera by September. This will give me plenty of time to learn how to use all the functionality of the camera. In addition, I'll be able to learn how to take excellent video with the camera.

Note: The review page is constantly changing as new cameras are announced and as I discover different cameras that is worth looking at.

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Haunted Mansion Refurbishment

This year the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland will be closing for refurbishment on August 26, 2013 for it's annual seasonal changeover. Disney closes this popular attraction to turn it into the Haunted Mansion Holiday through the Christmas season.

Disney adds characters from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare before Christmas" into the the ride. This year it's extra special since this is the 20th Anniversary of the movie.

To get ready for the celebration, you can buy t-shirts at the Emporium on Main Street. Also be sure to check out some of the stores in New Orleans Square for additional Haunted Mansion merchandise.

The ride will be open on Friday the 13th of September, which seems like a perfect time to visit the Haunted Mansion!

If you should be at Disneyland when the Haunted Mansion is closed for the Refurbishment, you can use the opportunity to take some pictures of the Haunted Mansion. It's very hard to take pictures of the attraction with no one in the picture, and this will be a good opportunity.

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Latitude and Longitude

Couple of trivial Latitude and Longitude for Trivia Users:

DisneyWorld Haunted Mansion:
Latitude, Longitude
28.420448,-81.583137

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Using the X-Shot

I recently purchase the X-Shot for our trip to LA and Las Vegas. Here are some notes:

• I suggest packing the X-Shot in a suitcase, I don't think airline security will allow it on the airline.
• There was no problem bringing the X-Shot to Disneyland. Several Cast members saw me using it and didn't say anything. Some online post suggest that Disney doesn't like people bringing tripod into Disneyland, but that was not the case with the X-Shot.
• In Disneyland, you can use the XShot to take some good pictures of the parade.
• The X-Shot works really well with the Fuji FinePix e900 digital camera with the 2 second delay.
• The X-Shot fit perfectly into my video camera bag and was very easy to use when the opportunity to use it came in handy.
  

Try the X-Shot on your next trip!

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Travel Book

I have been busy working on my booklet for a nice vacation to California and Nevada. There's a few remaining item that I would like to get in the book before it gets compiled in the next 24 hours.

Creating a personalize travel book is a way that I like to get ready for a vacation. I design this book to be a reference guide to our trip. I look for things such as the best restaurant to eat, driving directions to attractions and stores, and so much more. Usually the book doesn't get compiled until a few days before the trip, so that all the information is fresh.

Remaining Items for the California Portion of the trip:

• Pink Berry - Information on locatations in Anaheim and Los Angeles
• Griffin Park
• Mr. Chow - 344 N Camden Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5112
• 90210 Sites on WB - Complete list of exterior shots used on the orginal 90210 on Fox.
• Oldest McDonald's - Located in Downey CA
• Walk in Walt's Shoes in Disneyland

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Haunted Mansion turns 40

Hard to believe that Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion is turning 40 years old, actually its the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland that turns 40.

Many people don't know that the Disneyland opened its doors the Haunted Mansion was still being developed. Walt Disney was undecided on how to implement the Haunted Mansion as a ride. The Imagineers did a great job creating a memorable ride.

If your a Haunted Mansion fan you should check out Extinct Attractions, they have a really good walk through DVD. 

I am looking forward to visiting the Haunted Mansion next month and seeing other sites in Southern California such as, Mann's Chinese Theater, Universal Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This should be a fun trip!

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Disneyland 2009

Are you planning on going to Disneyland on September 15, 2009? Please let me know!

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Disneyland Haunted Mansion

Microsoft Live has a great birds eye view of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland.

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Disney Animal Kingdom

This morning we visited Disney's Animal Kingdom.

This park does involve a lot of walking and this was the first park where I noticed a lot of visitors using electric wheelchairs. Some of the attractions were walk around attractions.

Kilimanjaro Safaris
This attraction is to mimic the African safari. I was pretty surprise that there were a lot of animals walking around near the safari vehicle. The driver does not stop to allow people to take photos, they instead slow down to allow people to focus and center the animals.

DINOSAUR
This ride is almost a duplicate of the Indy Ride at Disneyland. If that is your favorite ride then you'll sure to enjoy this one.

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Universal Studios Florida

Today we visited Universal Studios in Florida. This is about 5 miles from the Marriott's Cypress Harbour Club Resort where I am staying.

Universal charges $9 to park in their parking lot, compared to $8 charged by Walt Disney.

There are a couple of popular rides in this park that should be early morning targets or at least use the Express Plus option.

1. Revenge of the Mummy
2. Men in Black - Alien Attack
3. Back to the Future

Also there isn't much information on the internet on some of the landmarks around the park. One of the houses on Park Ave is the Cosby Show house. I am unsure which one, but I'll check my notes from my previous trip to see what other landmarks are around the New York lot.

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