Tag Archives: Walt Disney World Resort

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Photo Shoot

Posted in Reviews, The Finer Details, Wedding Planning by

The following post was written by Disneymooner Vanessa.

Many couples choose to add a Bridal Portrait Session at the Magic Kingdom to their wedding plans; however, many do not realize that you can also have photos taken at the other parks.  My husband and I decided to add-on a shoot at Disney Hollywood Studios too.  Since we were married inside Epcot that meant that we would have photos from three of the four parks at Walt Disney World.

One of the best things about adding on an additional park is the flexibility you have in backgrounds for your photos.  The photographers are willing to be creative and work with you to get the types of pictures you want at that park.  The majority of couples only choose a Magic Kingdom Portrait Session, so adding on another park gives the photographers a chance to be more creative with their shots.

We were picked up at our resort hotel at 5:30 a.m. and then headed over to take our photos at the Magic Kingdom.  Since it was March this was well before sunrise allowing us to get some photos in the dark with the lights on the castle.  By the time we left the sun was up and we had some additional pictures taken in the daylight.

Our photographer and his assistant had us climb back in their van and then drove us over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  We arrived long before the park was scheduled to open to the public giving us the flexibility to take pictures throughout the park.  We entered in near the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith making our first stop for photos.   My husband loves this ride, so we were able to get pictures with the large guitar at the park’s entrance behind us.

From that point we walked through most of the park.   We had a lot of great pictures taken with us walking down Sunset Boulevard with shots of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the background.  We were also able to have photos taken with a vintage Hollywood feel in front of several of the shops on Hollywood Boulevard.

The photographer took a number of pictures in front of the Sorcerer Mickey Hat.  We also had photos in front of the Great Movie Ride since we were having a Hollywood theme for our at-home reception just a few months later.

At this point the photographer let us pick where we wanted additional pictures in the park.  Since I collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia I asked for a picture near the block dedicated to Judy Garland with imprints from the Ruby Slippers in front of the ride.

We then asked for some pictures in the courtyard for Muppet Vision 3-D.  I remembered looking at photos from fellow Disneymooner’s Julie wedding reception that was held in the courtyard and I knew that it would provide great pictures.  Plus, we grew up during the era of “Muppet Babies” and Miss Peggy was one of my favorite characters.

As we were leaving the Muppet courtyard the photographer took us over to the Streets of America to have some photos taken with the New York backdrop and near some of the buildings.  These photos are so unique because they look like we were actually in these locations without having to travel thousands of miles.

We were also given the option to have photos taken near the Star Tours ride.  Since neither of us are huge Star Wars fans we opted out of having any done in that section of the park.  However, this is a great thing to know for any Star Wars fans who would like to have wedding pictures there.

The current pricing for a Magic Kingdom Portrait Session is $1,500.  Adding on a second park only costs an additional $200.  While the cost is only $200 more, the prints that you receive do change with the two park package.  Instead of receiving a 12 print album, proof disc and 4×6 keepsake prints you receive thirty 5×7 prints in a Disney-themed album.

If you decide that you only want a portrait session in Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom without any photos in the Magic Kingdom the cost is only $850.  Disney Fine Art Photography also provides options for resort portrait sessions and Trash the Dress sessions at the water parks.

Disney Fine Art Photography gives couples the chance to have photos taken in some of their favorite areas inside the Disney parks.  So, if you are a Star Wars or Muppets fan or you love riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror consider adding Disney Hollywood Studios to your portrait session.

For more stories about theme park photo shoots please join our private forums Disneymooners

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Vendor Reveal: Chapman Photography

Posted in Vendor Reveal by

WELCOME to the next in our new series of “Vendor Reveals”.  Through our Disneymooner forums we’ve found our members have used a number and variety of Vendors for their Disney Wedding and we’ve been asking those Vendors to reveal just a little more about their business……. and themselves!

Our next Vendor Reveal falls to an “outside” wedding photographer…. a very popular choice amongst Disney Brides

What is the name of your business/service and what is your offering?
Chapman Photography ~ Randy Chapman, specializing in Disney Fairytale weddings and honeymoon Photography.  We also photograph Disney Vacations and Family Reunions!

What is your name? – Randy Chapman

FantasiaSam “shoots” Randy at her own Disney Fairytale Wedding

What makes your business/service unique?
With 17 years shooting Disney Fairytale weddings, I have a great reputation for capturing unique, creative and natural fun moments. Over these years I have extensively communicated with and worked alongside Disney’s staff which aid towards a seamless day for the Bride and Groom!

How did you get started and how long have you been doing this?
I discovered my talents when shooting in New York City,, after shooting great upcoming models for 2 years, I moved back to my native State and City, Orlando Florida, where I pursued my talents in the wedding field.

After shooting weddings for 6 years, I was recognized by Andrea Rotondo in 1997. Andrea was a past Disney Bride in 1996 and founded the Disneymooner list and Unofficial Disney Wedding Guide… Andrea posted a link to my website and from there, history was in the making!!

After 17 years  numerous awards and thousands of Disney weddings, Disney Fairytale Weddings and Honeymoons is my home of 90% of all my weddings.

When not working a wedding at Walt Disney World (or another venue for that matter) what are you doing?
On my days off from shooting Disney weddings, I love shooting Family sessions, Honeymoon couples, engagement shoots, and try to get in 14 miles of biking every other day!!

What is your favorite part about your job?
The favorite part about my job is everything!! What better job can you have, do what you love to and go to work, where that day is one of the happiest days of another person’s life!! Then to see how excited a Bride and Groom are when receiving their photos!!

I also love shooting the engagement this is a great way to get to know my couples before the big day

What types of wedding packages do you offer Disney brides?
My Photography packages are customized for each Couple to fit their budget, in some cases full wedding coverage will include engagement session or Honeymoon session.  There are printed packages on my website www.chapmanphotography.com or email info@chapmanphotography.com   407-841-2300 cell 407-341-0761.  All the Packages include the master DVD with all the copyrights!

What is your favorite wedding trend right now in relation to your business/service?
My Disney couples are less traditional and using a lot of bright colors, props, Trashing the Dress, shooting Honeymoons, Social Networking Facebook for Sneak Peaks. Checkout my Facebook.

What’s your favorite thing about doing Disney weddings?
One of many favorite  experiences of shooting Disney Weddings is working with Disney Fairytale Weddings Staff, they all do a great job. Another is shooting Cinderella’s coach, all the Charters and Monorail.

What was your strangest request when working a Disney Wedding?
I could write the top 10 strangest requests but I will keep it short   A reception at the Grand Floridian  approximately 200 guests and everyone is at their tables eating Cake… the Bride then had the DJ announce my name and request a dance with me…..eeek not a pretty site !!! Hips don’t lie!!!

What’s your most memorable moment that you have taken away from a Disney wedding?
The most Memorable Moment was at the last-minute of a wedding I was shooting my Bride asked me to walk her down the aisle at the Wedding Pavilion as her brother was delayed at the airport.

Also a family of 3 sisters and 1 brother all had their wedding at Disney which I photographed and I’ve been shooting their family portrait sessions every year since!

JUST FOR FUN – we asked Randy to answer these questions

If you were getting married at WDW where would you have your ceremony and reception and why?
If I was to get married at WDW it would be at the Disney Wedding Pavilion this being Florida and the weather changing by the hour, there’s no need for a back-up location plus it has A/C and an awesome location for photos.

My reception would be the Atlantic Dance Hall, because the location is at the Boardwalk which makes for great photos outside.

It also has an outside Balcony great for viewing the Illuminations at Epcot and I can make the photos look like we were there!! The inside is great, no need  for a whole lot of decorations and it has a great dance floor… perfect!

Who is your favorite Disney character and why?
Pluto has always been very playful and fun with photos!!

Which is your favorite Disney attraction and why?
Favorite Disney Attraction is Haunted Mansion, it brings a lot of memories, being born and raised in Orlando, our family went to Disney a lot in the 70’s even though the Haunted Mansion had a 45 min wait I was there. Not really an attraction but I love Eating Around The World at Epcot.

FINALLY

Why should a member of our Disneymooner Forums choose your service?
I believe with my vast knowledge and 17 years specializing in shooting Disney Fairytale Weddings, under very affordable packages, I can be of a great advantage for my future Disney Couples. My Experience in knowing all the great locations for photos whether you choose a Wishes, Escape, or Memories Wedding, I will keep the Wedding Couple on the required timetable throughout the day.

All the Disney Fairytale Wedding Staff  know me and we work great together as a team. I enjoy, being a part of making dreams come true with beautiful wedding photos.

90% of all my weddings are at WDW! I have a great following of past, present and future Disney Wedding Couples including many from the Disneymooners that will give you their experience with me, many have continued to come back to me after their wedding for Vacation shoots and/or Family Sessions around the Walt Disney World Properties, which I believe is a great testament to my work! We also offer Engagement and Honeymoon sessions at any of Walt Disney World Resorts.

Randy Chapman
Disney Weddings  Chapman Photography
Studio 407-841-2300
Cell 407-341-0761
Fax 407-841-2193

www.chapmanphotography.com
Info@chapmanphotography.com
Facebook

Thanks to Randy, Chapman Photography for answering our questions as part of our Vendor Reveal series, if you would like your work revealed to our readers please contact yourfairytalewedding@disneymooner.com

California Grill to Close for Renovations

Posted in Disney Fairytale Wedding News by

It has been recently announced that the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will close on January 6th, 2013 for renovations.  As of right now, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings says that the California Grill is blocked out until July 20th, 2013 but that date could be pushed back even further.

Disney’s California Grill is home to the Napa and Sonoma rooms. These are popular reception choices for their gorgeous panoramic views of Bay Lake and the Magic Kingdom.

The Napa room is a coveted choice for it’s access to the observation deck which makes the nightly “Wishes” fireworks show, at Magic Kingdom, a magical ending to your Disney wedding.

We’re pretty excited to see what the new California Grill will look like when it’s all finished, how about you?

Keepsake Floral: A Disney Bride’s Review

Posted in Reviews by

I’m admitting right here, I wasn’t a bride that was that into floral.

I know that sounds like blasphemy, but I wanted to spend money on other areas. So naturally, I never thought I’d want to save my bridal bouquet and spend money on having it professionally preserved.  I made no plans prior to the big day and was completely content with letting the bouquet sit in the hotel room after the festivities and wilt away.

The morning of my wedding, Disney Floral delivered my bouquet to my room.   I opened the box, let out a giant sigh and fell instantly in love.

I looked up and said: “I need to have this preserved.”  It was a spur of the moment decision and one I still don’t regret.  So the day after the wedding my parents dropped off the bouquet at the Grand Floridian concierge desk and contacted Keepsake Floral.  Keepsake Floral works with Disney brides and will come and pick up your bouquet at your resort. Typically brides arrange this service prior to their wedding and the bouquet is taken away after the reception.

After the wedding, I worked with them to customize my shadow box and Keepsake got to work on my display.  Brides can keep their preserved floral simple with just their bouquet or add in many items from their wedding day. I added in my husband’s boutonniere and a favorite wedding image. While their services are not cheap, I felt that having my actually bouquet was worth every penny spent.  I was really pleased with the final results.

My shadow box is hung in our dining room and not a day goes by that I don’t glance at the flowers. This bride is very happy she made the last minute decision to create a keepsake I can cherish forever.

Many other Disneymooner brides have used Keepsake Floral and have shared their own reviews and photos.

Disneymooner Julie’s Keepsake Display

Disneymooner Carrie’s Keepsake Floral Display

Totally happy with the finished product. They were great to work with and you can have as many phone consults as you think you need.  And Disney did the hard part – getting the flowers to them after the reception.

– Carrie

Be sure to check out the forums to find out more about the experience and pricing.

Visit Keepsake Floral for details on their service.

Have you used this vendor?  Have you used another floral preservation vendor?  Share your experiences with us.

Featured Venue Fridays: Grand Floridian Ballroom

Posted in Featured Venue Fridays by

This week’s “Featured Venue Friday” post was written by Disneymooner Tiffani. Tiffani used Ballrooms C&D  at the Grand Floridian Resort for her wedding reception. Photographs are from Disney Event Photography.

It’s Disney World and there are a thousand possible locations from the exotic to the entertaining.  So why did I end up with a ballroom at the Grand Floridian?

The ballrooms may seem the most safe, and perhaps a traditional choice but when we sat down with our sales person, we went over the things that were important to us.  For us, we wanted killer food, but a plated formal affair over a buffet, which immediately nixed a lot of locations that were buffet only.  We knew that the Wedding Pavilion was our ceremony venue and we wanted something convenient, that we wouldn’t have to worry over how to transport guests to and without leaving them stranded at our location, offering them the option to come or go as they pleased, so we pretty much ruled out in park locations.  We also knew that there was no way we would hit certain guest minimums nor did we want time constraints placed by possible event locations. Although it wasn’t a concern for us at the time, but Disney’s constraints on having outside photographers only allowed at non-theme park venues would be another reason to look at the hotels.

Truthfully, for us, the ambience of the Grand Floridian, which flows of course, so well with the ambiance of the pavilion was the feeling that we were looking to extend so we chose the St. Augustine Ballrooms C&D, based on our guest count of approximately 60 people.  The elegant look of the hotel and the ballroom, while still having that old Florida feel appealed to us.  We also like the blank slate of the ballroom, allowing us to truly customize our event, without having to work around existing decor or furniture.  The ballrooms are an excellent opportunity to free a bride from any restrictions.

Want a giant candy bar that spans the length of the room? Go for it! Want a large dance floor with lots of little nooks for sitting, socializing and drinking? Not a problem!  Looking for a reception that accentuates the “blush and bashful” theme from Steel Magnolia, with pink everywhere? You have the room to do it. Bunting in rich fabrics with twinkle lights can be hung from every inch of the room, ceiling and down.  With the ballrooms, your only limit is your imagination (and, of course, your budget)

Here’s what Disneymooners  are saying about the Grand Floridian Ballrooms on our forums:

Our theme was “Happily Ever After, in blue” with Cinderella’s castle front and center, and when the dimmed lights came on and everything was bathed in blue, I couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.  Or anything more perfectly personalized to us.

– Tiffani