I Just Want to See the Dancing Lights Gleam! Nov 2015 TR *COMPLETE* 3/29

[DDuck4Life]

How are you taking these pics?!

This was done with a wide angle lens and holding the camera all the way up in the corner of the room.

You guys take some beautiful shots. What camera do you use? My poor DSLR has been neglected for a while now. I remember in 2010, I took my video camera, DSLR and my P&S. Every trip it seems i've dropped an item out of the 'list' so it would be less to carry around. This was the first trip ever in history, I only used my iPhone to take pics/video with! But boy was it nice not having to carry multiple items!

Thank you. I certainly try my best to get good shots. I'm currently shooting with a Canon 70D. But the lenses is really where it's at. For any in ride shots you really need fast glass, something with a low f number to really capture the details on the dark rides. I tend to carry a ton of gear with me but I always want to be prepared for any situation.

Ugh, so jealous, I'm always trying to get this shot but never succeed!

Thanks, it's really hit or miss on me being able to get something usable here.

I find every trip I get better but it still find it harder then ever to get the shots when your worrying about the kids and watching their reactions to the rides as well as trying to catch the photos before you fly past them. Really have to balance taking the shot and just taking in the moment.

 

[khertz]

Day 3 Continued: Saturday November 28th

Once we were done eating, we left to go over to DHS. And boy oh boy, if we thought getting into MK that morning had been tough, it was nothing compared to trying to get to DHS!! We left around 5, and soon realized that getting into the parking lot was going to take a while. I still don’t really understand why they have that park’s only entry gate on property with only one cashier station! But the way we were coming from CBR would require us to take a left into the parking lot. And the line of cars waiting to turn left was ENORMOUS! Backed up for at least a mile, maybe more. So we kept going straight and saw the line of cars coming from the opposite direction and waiting to turn right was just as long!

So we kept going and figured out how to get to the bigger entrance that is outside of the Disney gates. There was NO ONE trying to go in that way, so we thought we had made a genius decision as we cruised up to an open CM. In fact, we were practically laughing at those poor saps sitting in their cars or on Disney buses waiting to get in at the other entrance!

But then the CM crushed our hopes and dreams by telling us the parking lot was closed!!! Are you kidding me right now?!? He suggested we drive through the lot and exit, either going back to our hotel or to Epcot and taking a bus to DHS. However, we had just seen buses sitting in all that traffic and knew it would take at least an hour if not more to do that. I was about to admit defeat, though it pained me to do so and miss seeing the lights one more time. But DH miraculously found a parking spot on the LITERAL very last row of the parking lot!! And even though they had all of the rows you normally turn down to get to the spots blocked with cones, he was able to back right into that spot. Our evening was saved! Soon enough, we were walking into the park.

Nov 03-105 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

Of course, the parking lot being closed and people still coming in by the bus load, the park was obviously pretty crowded.

Nov 03-106 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

We stopped for a Photopass photo before going over to the Streets of America.

PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7622525262 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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I also found this one I had forgotten to post from our first night at DHS.

PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7578845937 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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We weren’t really there for anything but the Osborne Lights, so we walked straight over to see them. It was terribly crowded as you come up around the corner by Lights Motors Action where people would just stop to look at the lights from the end of the street. But once getting past that blockade of people, it wasn’t that bad.

Nov 03-107 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-108 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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DS went nuts when we encountered the snoap falling from the sky!

Nov 03-110 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-111 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7533301002 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
Another Photopass!


Nov 03-118 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-119 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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DS wanted to find baby Sinclair again!


Nov 03-125 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
And Jack Skellington​

I think we ended up walking out and making a loop back around because it was easier than trying to work our way back up the street. We stopped for a photopass pic again, but I don’t really understand the setup because they got hardly any of the lights behind us!

PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7533410492 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-126 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-127 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


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On our second pass down the street, we stopped to buy the souvenir Osborne Lights mug. We could have gotten it with gingerbread hot cocoa in it, but it was too warm for that so we just got the cup.

Nov 03-133 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

By then, we were about ready to leave, but we stopped for one last Photopass on the way out.

PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7533348245 by disneymom1024, on Flickr
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All in all, we had spent about an hour and a half just walking around, soaking up the atmosphere, taking in the beauty of watching the lights dance. It was incredibly sad to leave there knowing it was the absolute last time we would see them in person! To ease the depression, I stopped for a Mickey bar on the way out of the park.

We had missed seeing the tree up close the last time we had left because we had gone out the side entrance, so we made sure to go the other way this time. We stopped for Photopass, but they came out so freaking dark.

PhotoPass_Visiting_Disneys_Hollywood_Studios_7533364862 by disneymom1024, on Flickr


Nov 03-135 by disneymom1024, on Flickr​

And then it was time to go. We made the long trek back to the very last row of the parking lot to leave, and saw cars still pouring into the lot!

We got back to CBR, packed and took baths and got to bed around 10. We had a long day ahead of us in the car. We got up at 5 am to load up the truck and get on the road home. Most of the day went by great, but in the afternoon my dad called to let us know we were likely getting close to a section of the Interstate that was completely shut down because a truck with hazmat material had crashed. Our detour took us about 2 hours out of the way, so it made a long day even longer. But we still managed to get home at a fairly decent time Sunday night, which was good considering we were all going back to work and school the next day!

I can’t even express how glad I am we took this opportunity to see the lights in their final year! When we heard they would be going away, I was so sad to hear the news and to think that holiday trip we had been putting off and putting off might not be so special now. I am so thankful for my DH who pushed and pushed for this trip and brought it all together for us, because we had an incredible time in just a few short days. I’m happy that DS got a chance to experience the lights when he is old enough to remember it, and I just wish that DD would get the same opportunity. For weeks after we came home, DS told me how much he had loved the lights and how he didn’t want Star Wars land to come because that was the reason the lights were going away! He is a true Disney Junkie at heart!

Just like the trip did, this TR went by way too fast! Thanks so much to everyone who followed along and commented. If you're not already checking it out, I'm still working on my October 2015 TR, Yes, We're Satisfied With Our Care. And be on the lookout because I should hopefully be starting my February TR soon!

 

[Dugette]

Great last night (minus the parking madness). Love that you just wandered around and took in the atmosphere and enjoyed the dancing lights.

So glad you made this trip happen and have those wonderful family memories!

 

[missangelalexis]

What a nightmare getting to DHS! So glad you were able to get a spot!

Such cute PP pics in front of the Chinese Theater.

Of course you got more amazing photos of the lights! Love the joy on DS' face with the falling snow

I'm so glad you were able to take this trip and see the Osborne Lights one last time! I can't believe this TR is over already! Thank you, as always, for sharing!!

 

[disneybarbie]

Somewhere between moving house and not having internet for a while I stopped getting Dis board notifications and missed all your updates!
All caught up - what a lovely quick festive trip for you guys! Your photos are always incredible, DH should be a photographer for Disney
Love that you got a Mickey bar on the way out of DHS - I might have to do that next time we go (hoping for Nov 2017 for DD's first trip!)

I was listening to a podcast just this morning and they said there's a rumour the Osborne Lights might be moved to Disney Springs... Let's hope so! It would seem strange for Disney just to archive such a huge amount of decorations..


Looking forward to your next TR xx

 

[Gracefulskinny]

WOnderful trip to read about! Glad you got to experience the lights one last time!

 

[afwdwfan]

I was about to admit defeat, though it pained me to do so and miss seeing the lights one more time. But DH miraculously found a parking spot on the LITERAL very last row of the parking lot!!

Whew, what a relief. But seriously, I don't understand how DHS can have such a small, screwed up parking lot. It was a nightmare for us trying to get out of there a couple of years ago one night. They just don't have it set up to handle the traffic that the park can receive on a busy day/night which is surprising because you hardly notice the traffic getting to and from the other 3 parks and they're all handling more volume!


But I'm glad you got in there. It really made me happy getting to see all the pictures of the lights this afternoon!

To ease the depression, I stopped for a Mickey bar on the way out of the park.

That usually does the trick.

We stopped for Photopass, but they came out so freaking dark.

Yuck! Looks like your DH should have set the camera up for them.

Most of the day went by great, but in the afternoon my dad called to let us know we were likely getting close to a section of the Interstate that was completely shut down because a truck with hazmat material had crashed. Our detour took us about 2 hours out of the way, so it made a long day even longer. But we still managed to get home at a fairly decent time Sunday night, which was good considering we were all going back to work and school the next day!

Wow... I'm glad it didn't turn out any worse than that. I'm glad you were able to get around it and avoid getting stuck.

DS told me how much he had loved the lights and how he didn’t want Star Wars land to come because that was the reason the lights were going away!

That's great! I'm looking forward to Star Wars land, but I can definitely understand where he's coming from.

 

[Leshaface]

But then the CM crushed our hopes and dreams by telling us the parking lot was closed!!! Are you kidding me right now?!?

Oh geez!

All in all, we had spent about an hour and a half just walking around, soaking up the atmosphere, taking in the beauty of watching the lights dance.

That is great that you were able to spend so much time there! There was seriously no way we could stay around for that long when we went this year, it was just way too crazy with people! That said, I'm still really happy we went to see them one last time.

To ease the depression, I stopped for a Mickey bar on the way out of the park.

Mickey bars always help alleviate the pain

Our detour took us about 2 hours out of the way, so it made a long day even longer. But we still managed to get home at a fairly decent time Sunday night, which was good considering we were all going back to work and school the next day!

Agh what a day of driving for you guys! And you still managed to get up and go to work the next day?! No thanks man! I never go in the day after a trip, there's no way I could function. You guys are champs!

For weeks after we came home, DS told me how much he had loved the lights and how he didn’t want Star Wars land to come because that was the reason the lights were going away! He is a true Disney Junkie at heart!

Aw! Hopefully one day he'll like Star Wars Land?? I had heard though that they were considering bringing the lights to Epcot...not sure what became of that but it's not being talked about anymore so i'm guessing it was just a terrible rumor. I'm super sad that they're leaving but geez, they could have relocated them to another park like Epcot! How perfect would that be! Especially over in Future World so they could still have Illuminations on one side of the park and lights on the other.

 

[khertz]

Great last night (minus the parking madness). Love that you just wandered around and took in the atmosphere and enjoyed the dancing lights.

So glad you made this trip happen and have those wonderful family memories!

Despite all of the people on Streets of America, there was something so peaceful about spending the evening just enjoying every moment of the lights that we could.

Although I was hesitant to pull the trigger on this trip, I ended up immensely glad to have done it!

What a nightmare getting to DHS! So glad you were able to get a spot!

Such cute PP pics in front of the Chinese Theater.

Of course you got more amazing photos of the lights! Love the joy on DS' face with the falling snow

I'm so glad you were able to take this trip and see the Osborne Lights one last time! I can't believe this TR is over already! Thank you, as always, for sharing!!

It was terrible! So glad DH managed to spot that last parking space.

Thanks! I love those pictures of him enjoying the snow. He had a blast!

The trip & the TR went by way too fast! So glad we did it, just wish we could have spent more time there. Thanks for following!

Somewhere between moving house and not having internet for a while I stopped getting Dis board notifications and missed all your updates!
All caught up - what a lovely quick festive trip for you guys! Your photos are always incredible, DH should be a photographer for Disney
Love that you got a Mickey bar on the way out of DHS - I might have to do that next time we go (hoping for Nov 2017 for DD's first trip!)

I was listening to a podcast just this morning and they said there's a rumour the Osborne Lights might be moved to Disney Springs... Let's hope so! It would seem strange for Disney just to archive such a huge amount of decorations..


Looking forward to your next TR xx

No worries, happy to see you back!

I wouldn't mind DH taking a job like that...more park time for me!! lol

Mickey bars are appropriate any time! They definitely softened the blow of leaving that night.

WOnderful trip to read about! Glad you got to experience the lights one last time!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Whew, what a relief. But seriously, I don't understand how DHS can have such a small, screwed up parking lot. It was a nightmare for us trying to get out of there a couple of years ago one night. They just don't have it set up to handle the traffic that the park can receive on a busy day/night which is surprising because you hardly notice the traffic getting to and from the other 3 parks and they're all handling more volume!


But I'm glad you got in there. It really made me happy getting to see all the pictures of the lights this afternoon!

That usually does the trick.

Yuck! Looks like your DH should have set the camera up for them.

Wow... I'm glad it didn't turn out any worse than that. I'm glad you were able to get around it and avoid getting stuck.

That's great! I'm looking forward to Star Wars land, but I can definitely understand where he's coming from.

I don't get the parking situation there. AT ALL. It was even worse than Epcot on a Food & Wine weekend! I remember seeing online that the parking lot closed most nights there until the lights went dark.

Glad it perked up your afternoon! A little Osborne Lights is always good for the soul.

I said the same thing about those dark pics when I saw them! We always seem to stop for those photographers at night, but they never turn out good.

Us too! Even though going so far out of the way and adding on time in the car sucked, it was better to at least feel like we were moving. Just sitting while they cleaned up the spill would have been WAY worse!

Oh, I REALLY burst his bubble when I told him the Lights Motors Action show was also going away because of Star Wars!

Oh geez!



That is great that you were able to spend so much time there! There was seriously no way we could stay around for that long when we went this year, it was just way too crazy with people! That said, I'm still really happy we went to see them one last time.



Mickey bars always help alleviate the pain



Agh what a day of driving for you guys! And you still managed to get up and go to work the next day?! No thanks man! I never go in the day after a trip, there's no way I could function. You guys are champs!



Aw! Hopefully one day he'll like Star Wars Land?? I had heard though that they were considering bringing the lights to Epcot...not sure what became of that but it's not being talked about anymore so i'm guessing it was just a terrible rumor. I'm super sad that they're leaving but geez, they could have relocated them to another park like Epcot! How perfect would that be! Especially over in Future World so they could still have Illuminations on one side of the park and lights on the other.

That CM totally took the biggest pin in the world and burst our bubble dramatically!

The lights were pretty busy Thanksgiving week, so I can only imagine how crowded it was when y'all were there and they were really coming to a final end!! There were spots that were wall to wall people, but we could usually maneuver our way around and find spots where the street wasn't so crazy crowded.

I used to have it made when I worked 12 hour shifts. I could work my schedule around to where I had almost 2 weeks off without using hardly any paid vacation time and had days before and after the trip at home. Now that I work 5 days a week, it's totally different. And being that I had just come back from maternity leave and hadn't accrued much paid time off, I really couldn't afford to miss any extra! Now that I have been banking more, on our upcoming trips I am able to give myself a little wiggle room before and after.

Right now, he is anti-Star Wars land because it took away the lights and LMA! lol But I'm sure he will be a fan once it is open. He is really excited about Toy Story land, and I hope he still is by the time it actually opens! He keeps asking me to tell him how the Slinky Dog coaster is going to be and gets frustrated when I tell him I have no idea. lol I would LOVE it if they found a place to relocate the lights!! They are too beautiful to just get tossed out or rot in a warehouse somewhere.

 

[Imagineer5]

Awesome final night to the quick trip. So glad you were able to see them and take the time to visit, sounds like you had a really successful trip!

 

[mcgrawfan]

Your pictures are gorgeous! Really enjoyed the night pictures. What camera did you use?

 

[provencio]

Joining in!!!

me too

 

[provencio]

What camera do you use? Your pictures are great!!!

 

[DDuck4Life]

Your pictures are gorgeous! Really enjoyed the night pictures. What camera did you use?

What camera do you use? Your pictures are great!!!

Thanks! I try my best. It's not always easy with 2 kids and trying to take in/be in the moment as well, not just taking pictures of the moment. If you understand that.

My current camera is a Canon 70D. This is a link to everything that I bring with me on our trips. My Camera Bag

 

[hokieinpa]

But DH miraculously found a parking spot on the LITERAL very last row of the parking lot!! And even though they had all of the rows you normally turn down to get to the spots blocked with cones, he was able to back right into that spot. Our evening was saved!

Crazy parking situation! But glad you found a spot and got one last chance to see the lights.

It was terribly crowded as you come up around the corner by Lights Motors Action where people would just stop to look at the lights from the end of the street.

This was exactly our experience! Crazy crowds that made it hard to navigate with the stroller.

I love this picture - so sweet!

Great family picture! Are you wearing one of the "It's a Wrap" shirts? I got a long sleeve one and I love it!

All in all, we had spent about an hour and a half just walking around, soaking up the atmosphere, taking in the beauty of watching the lights dance. It was incredibly sad to leave there knowing it was the absolute last time we would see them in person!

That sounds like the perfect last night for this holiday trip!

To ease the depression, I stopped for a Mickey bar on the way out of the park.

And a Mickey bar makes a good night even better!

I can’t even express how glad I am we took this opportunity to see the lights in their final year!

What a perfect short and sweet little holiday trip! Great memories!

 

[mcgrawfan]

Thanks! I try my best. It's not always easy with 2 kids and trying to take in/be in the moment as well, not just taking pictures of the moment. If you understand that.

My current camera is a Canon 70D. This is a link to everything that I bring with me on our trips. My Camera Bag

Do you have a go to setting for the night pics?? I am still trying to figure out my Rebel after several years!!

 

[DDuck4Life]

Do you have a go to setting for the night pics?? I am still trying to figure out my Rebel after several years!!

All the photos in the last post were taken with an aperture of f2.8 with a shutter speed of 1/30 - 1/40 and auto ISO.

Best thing to do is just jump into it and be prepared for some bad pictures. I have plenty of missed shots because I was playing around with settings and completely blew it getting nothing useable. But it helped me for the next time. You can start looking at the exif data from the shots you like. Whether it was one you took or someone else it will give you an idea of what works for certain shots. If you looking at this TR on a computer you can click on any of the pictures and it will open it up in Flickr and if you scroll down under the photo on flickr it will show you all the data. The camera used, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, if a flash was used. digital film is free so just keep trying different things to see what works best.

One recommendation that was given to me and I pass along to anyone looking to start moving away from auto and picking their settings is pick up a copy of Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It has a lot of basic information broken down to help understand what setting to use to help achieve the look you are going for in your photo. It's a cheap book to help get started. It's only like $15 on Amazon. I think our library even carries it too if you didn't want to buy anything you might want to check your local library to see if they have a copy.

 

[khertz]

Awesome final night to the quick trip. So glad you were able to see them and take the time to visit, sounds like you had a really successful trip!

It was a great end to a great trip! I couldn't be happier that DH pushed so hard for this trip, despite my reservations at taking such a long car ride with 2 kids for such a short trip. And during Thanksgiving week!! It ended up being a wonderful trip and I was so happy for the chance to see the Osborne Lights one last time.

Your pictures are gorgeous! Really enjoyed the night pictures. What camera did you use?

Thank you!

me too

Welcome!

Crazy parking situation! But glad you found a spot and got one last chance to see the lights.

This was exactly our experience! Crazy crowds that made it hard to navigate with the stroller.

I love this picture - so sweet!

Great family picture! Are you wearing one of the "It's a Wrap" shirts? I got a long sleeve one and I love it!

That sounds like the perfect last night for this holiday trip!

And a Mickey bar makes a good night even better!

What a perfect short and sweet little holiday trip! Great memories!

I have never been to a park when the parking lot was totally full! I couldn't believe it. And after that trip, I read about the same thing happening night after night as people went to see the lights every night.

Both nights we went for the lights, we ended up parking the stroller and not even bothering with it. I knew it would be too packed to try navigating a double through those crowds! Luckily DD is still small enough to wear, but with older kids, I'm sure that was difficult.

Seeing the pure joy on his face as he experienced the snoap and the lights together was enough for me. No matter what else happened, the trip was totally worth it for that moment alone!

Yes! DH and I got the AP versions online as soon as we saw them go on sale because we couldn't pass up the opportunity for an O Lights farewell shirt. Once we had the shirts, DH was like, "Well since we have the shirts, we should go see the lights one last time!" lol I ended up buying the green long sleeved version when we were there too.

It was a perfect ending to an almost perfect trip. I'm so glad we ended up going!!