Weekend Update – New Posts? Beyond Disney? Gratuitous Question Marks???
It’s been way too long since I dropped in with a random ‘housekeeping’ style of post, and I figured I’m long overdue. One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about blogging is getting a chance to personally “connect” with readers (well, besides the ones who just lurk), and I’ve always tried to write with some personality to be conducive to that. Sometimes that gets me in a bit of trouble, as I’ve discovered with my divisive opinions on the Sorcerer’s Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (I still cannot believe some of you liked that thing 😉 ), but what are ya gonna do?
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to do a few things: ramble aimlessly for 1,000 words to waste a few minutes of your Saturday, solicit feedback on what you’d like to see on the blog, give you an idea of what’s to come, and share some links to some exemplary Disney blog post that others in the community have written recently. The first aim will accomplish itself, so let’s skip to the second goal…
I’ve tried a variety of different styles of posts on the blog, from trip reports to photography tips to vacation planning. I have a pretty good idea of what “works” in terms of what is read, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. I’m more curious as to what regular readers might want to see more of, particularly if those are the types of posts that I enjoy writing. For instance, I recently started a series of posts called “Scenes From Disney Parks” as a place to share some of my new photos, and although these posts aren’t all that popular, I really enjoy doing them (even though I haven’t done one in 2014 yet, I do plan on doing more…I just need to get back to editing some photos!) and regular readers seem to enjoy them, at least based on the comments, so it’s win-win.
To cut to the chase, are there are particular types of posts that you’d like to see more of? Specific topics about which you’d like me to write? Should I purchase a selfie stick and turn this blog into nothing but photos of Sarah and me wearing crazy hats with our favorite Disneyland goats?
Okay, moving on…
One thing I do plan on trying out is “themed weeks” here and there, during which time I write a bunch of posts on the same topic. For instance, this coming week, I’m going to do “Disney Dining Week” this coming week, which will be a series of restaurant reviews from different parks. After that, I might do a week with nothing but posts about “hidden gems” or posts about a specific park or “The Many Masterpieces of Michael Graves.” Who knows…it seems like a fun idea right now, but we will see how it works out.
I also want to try more of these ‘Weekend Update’ style posts. In the past, I used these to share some random thoughts that didn’t fit elsewhere, point out links to great blog posts I’ve read, and run giveaways. They were a nice change-of-pace post, and I’m not sure why I stopped doing them (perhaps I have a short attention span). We also have another project on which we’ve been working that we’re not quite ready to share. (Cue foreboding music…)
Anyway, hopefully that gives you some of an idea of what’s to come and an opportunity to have your; here’s what else has been on my plate of late…
Beyond Disney
If any of you are crazy enough to have been tolerating me following this blog from the beginning, or even before the beginning, you probably know that the blog grew out of my passion for photographing the Disney theme parks and us sharing reports from our trips. It’s sort of grown and morphed beyond my original intent, but today I wanted to share another way my passion for photography and travel has sort of grown beyond Disney…
Growing up, my family always took two annual vacations: Walt Disney World in the spring and camping road trips, usually to National Parks, in the summer. Our college visit to Walt Disney World rekindled my passion for the parks, and the rest is pretty much history, as documented in excruciating detail almost daily on this blog! My desire to grow as a photographer (and a freak airfare price mistake!) led us to take a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago, and that sort of had the same effect on me with those parks, and really opened my eyes to other places I might want to go outside of the Disney parks. I don’t really know where I’m going with this, so I’ll just skip ahead with the “story”…
Since then, that passion for the National Parks coupled with my wanderlust has led me to spend a lot more time in the National Parks, among other places. I’ve jumped in the car at pretty much every feasible opportunity for new experiences and new photos, even if that meant driving 14 hours in a day or sleeping overnight in a car in a parking lot. I’ve really kicked that into high gear as of late (the photo above is a “selfie” of me in Joshua Tree National Park shot this week) and started taking photography more seriously, and I have a long list of places within an 8 hour drive that I really want to visit and photograph.
The point of this all (yes, there is a point!) is that as I’ve been branching out, I’ve been sharing a lot of these experiences over on my other blog, TravelCaffeine.com. I’ve actually had this other blog for a couple of years now, but had only posted sporadically as life, work, etc. (darned responsibilities) kept getting in the way. I’m placing a renewed emphasis on it now, as I’m really having a great time getting out, seeing, and shooting different places.
I’ll be honest with you–a lot of this renewed focus on TravelCaffeine is for purely selfish reasons: it’s a great way to showcase new photos from my photography portfolio for licensing and other purposes (and by other purposes, I basically mean “a place where companies can go to steal my photos” 😉 ). To be fair, it’s not entirely selfish. I do love to blog, share my experiences, rant about various insignificant things, unleash my terrible sense of humor on my unsuspecting victims readers, help others plan, etc., and it’s really rewarding to have others read, view, and take interest in what I have to say. So, I guess in a way that’s also selfish, but as the great philosopher Joey once postulated, there’s no such thing as selflessness. Sorry, already off on a tangent…
I’ll be posting a lot about random places I visit, photography tips, and location reviews & tips over on TravelCaffeine, so if any of that interests you, please check it out. If you’re into Florida, there’s already some content on Universal Orlando Resort (including my Universal Orlando Trip Report), with much more to come. If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland, there will be a lot covering potential Southern California excursions. If Disney is your primary travel focus, no worries. I’m not abandoning Disney to grow a ZZ Top style beard and live in the woods, and I’ll still be posting near-daily here.
Anyway, that’s probably enough random rambling here. The basic point is that I would love if you’d take a moment to visit TravelCaffeine.com, peruse the site, and see if there’s anything you might find worthwhile. If so, maybe share it with your friends…or tell your 34 cats about it if you don’t have any friends. (I’m not judging–the more cats that know about this blog, the better!) You’d be doing me a favor, and that’s basically selfless community service.
Cool Linkage
There are some amazing Disney bloggers on the internet, many of whom deserve far more attention than they receive. One such blogger who puts is Foxxy over at Passport 2 Dreams. Do yourself a favor and check that site out if you’re a fan of Disney history and appreciate scholarly research. I haven’t had a chance to read the latest series there on Western River Expedition yet, but I’m sure it’s great. Oh, and do yourself a favor by downloading Another Musical Souvenir of Walt Disney World.
Here’s some interesting insight on the intersection of business and creativity (or lack thereof?) at The Walt Disney Company.
This post covers the possibilities for the future of Disneyland Paris.
Here’s a great review of New Fantasyland from a different perspective.
Yesterland recently expanded its look at an intriguing extinct attraction, Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland.
If you can’t get enough Frozen, here’s a look at what Tokyo Disneyland is doing for its “Frozen Fantasy.”
Can’t get enough of Tokyo Disney Resort? Here’s the only (as far as I know) TDR Podcast in English.
I know there are a lot of other great posts I’ve read in the last couple of months that I’m forgetting, but I hadn’t planned on writing this post, so I haven’t been bookmarking posts to share. I’ll do a better job next time. If you have read/written something good, please feel free to share it in the comments.
I think that about wraps it up for this Weekend Update. If you’re new to the blog and this is the first post of this nature you’ve read here, hopefully learning a bit about ‘how the sausage is made’, so to speak, didn’t bore you too much. If you’re a longtime reader…well, you’re used to being bored here! Regardless, I hope you can provide some feedback in the comments below.
If you’re not following along via social media, here are the relevant links: Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter/Blog | Twitter/Tom.
Your Thoughts…
Have any post suggestions or more of a particular type of post you’d like to see? Any other feedback on any of the above? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I can’t emphasize enough my appreciation for everything you post to this site Tom. As somebody whose two main passions in life are photography and Disney, this is pretty much my holy grail of websites (well besides amazon which allows me to buy things for both photography and Disney!)
I’ve taken my annual Disney Parks trip every year now since graduating college 10 years ago yet I still learn a ton from this site. This is my go to place anytime i’m thinking of trying a new restaurant / hotel or any other kind of Disney Park experience. My girlfriend and I have pretty much adopted an “In Tom we trust” mentality as we seem to agree with you on almost everything (our 3 favorite attraction at WDW are the Peoplemover, Country Bear Jamboree and Carousel of Progress.) So generally if you recommend (or don’t recommend) something, we feel pretty good about following your advice. I know that doesn’t really help with your question but just wanted to let you know that your hard work here is greatly appreciated.
In an attempt to actually answer your question now, a few random comments:
* Love top 10 lists, would love to see more.
* Love the “scenes from the parks” posts; keep em coming!
* Would like to see some more in depth ride reviews, particularly for the international parks.
* I am enjoying your travelcaffine posts as well!
Personally I would be interested in some Disneyland Paris posts. I’m heading back there in April and just want to be more prepared than the first time. I didn’t feel that your recent planning post really applied because I’m more going to Paris with a day at Disneyland rather than I’m going to Disneyland Paris, I guess I should go to Paris since I’m already there.
Tom,
I love the blog and have been following since I started planning my Feb. 2014 trip. I have definitely incorporated some of your tips into my trip planning and your photos have influenced some of my own work in the park. I also just ordered the Rokinon 8mm fisheye based solely on your work and recommendation.
Here’s what I’d like to see in the blog:
– More photos. I can never get enough.
– More technical posts. How to shoot sunrises, silhouettes, using filters, etc.
– More posts similar to your one on not taking “typical” Disney photos. I’m sure you have tons more to share on that subject.
– More restaurant reviews. And have you considered doing video? My wife and I love to search for video reviews of restaurants at WDW we want to try, but most are pretty horrid.
Keep up the good work.
As someone who has visited Disneyland Paris many times, I enjoy reading about the parks from your perspective – plus your photos are gorgeous!
Also, I am taking my first trip to Disney World in September so reading all your restaurant reviews has been super helpful, as well as all your hints and tips on visiting.
Hi Tom,
Truthfully I like all your posts, but that’s probably of no help since everybody seems to as well. I definitely really enjoy the trip reports, I would love to read more but I can understand why they come slightly less frequently now.
Have you ever considered vlogging? Likely not everyone’s cup of tea but has potential to be a fun way to document a Disney trip.
Also, I love your photography tips and reviews. I can’t tell you how much your book suggestions have helped me. I would always be open to more photography posts. 🙂
How ’bout, for a change of pace, a “Top 10 Dislikes”? From reading many of your articles I’d put money on Saratoga Springs and Downtown Disney making the list.
A couple thoughts. 1. I suggested a post on food photography tips a while back. So many people post pictures of food that don’t look appetizing at all. Your public needs you!
2. And how about an update on iPhonography with the iPhone 6? The camera is a tremendous improvement (certainly over the 4s I had before). If Sarah doesn’t have a 6, well. This is a good excuse for her to get one. It’s for your loyal readers!
Whatever you do, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. Your blog has been so useful for our Disney trip planning. I know you really improved our experience.
I’m a longtime lurker and got the Disney bug as an adult when my husband and I visited Disneyland on a whim in 2012. We had zero plans! Surprisingly, we had a great time and decided to actually plan our first trip to Disneyworld. I found your blog when I did a Google search for “cool Disney blog” and your site was the 3rd or 4th hit. OK, I don’t remember what I searched exactly but DTB came up and has been a favorite resource of ours ever since. The restaurant and resort reviews have been invaluable, and I think the “themed week” posts sound great! Your post about 3 x Disney destinations on one airfare really motivated us to plan our grand Pacific Rim trip this summer (we are going to TDR and HKDL for sure – we are still waffling on Aulani since we were there fairly recently) so it would be fun to see a post about how you would go about visiting all 6 US Disney parks in one day and other challenging vacation feats (Snacking Around the World Showcase, while not necessarily unheard of or that hard depending on your hunger, is another example). Looking forward to whatever future posts come out of the woodwork though!
I’d love to see a post on a “plan of attack” for the Disneyland 60th anniversary. We are going a week after the celebration begins and I hear it grad night season and will also be bats day…with all the “events” going on, curious to know how you would handle the situation. Also would be neat to see if you think the world of color dinner packages are worth the money. Love your page!
Hello
Just wanted to add my opinion to the others.
I really do enjoy this blog. The pictures are amazing and the rambling blog is funny! My husband and I especially love the travel reports and also the “how to spend a day at _____.”
Though we go to WDW quite frequently, the odds of us going overseas are quite low, so it’s nice to visit them through your stories!
We are also strong National Park advocates and appreciate you trying to encourage others to take advantage of these national treasures
Thanks again. 😀
Hey Brickers. I’ve been reading your blog since the beginning – back when you had less than 300 followers! I stumbled onto your site after reading some of Tom’s posts on Touring Plans’ website. The trip reports were what got me interested in your site, and while I really miss them, I understand they are a lot of work. In their absence, I’ve spent more time on the Travel Caffeine website. I’m also a big fan of the National Parks (Glacier is my fave), and I enjoy hearing your thoughts/seeing your photos of these. Aside from the trip reports, I like your top ten lists. The only posts of yours that I skip entirely are the restaurant reviews from the international parks. A little too specific to someone not planning an international trip in the near future 🙂 Keep enjoying life and all things travel related. And the next time you go to Glacier, stay at the Evergreen Motel. Don’t be deceived by its appearance or lack of a real website. It, as well as the nearby Glacier Grill are right up your alley.
Count me as one who misses trip reports being the main attraction, but I totally understand the “been there, done that” feeling. I think what a lot of us like about those is the personal touches… Your guides are really helpful, of course, but for people who are big fans and don’t necessarily need that information, the enjoyable thing is your personal experience there and the guides can feel… impersonal. But your travel habits have also changed, it seems, so I’m not sure that a TR would be the same as it was years ago when this blog was born.
Why not come up with some photo challenges? You can challenge yourself and encourage others to do the same. I’m thinking something like use up a disposable camera in the parks and see what kind of photos you end up with, take a photo for each letter of the alphabet on a trip, take one of your coffee table books and try to recreate some park photos featured in it to compare how things look today… Recreate old photos from when you were a kid! Re-imagine shots you took years ago when you were just getting into photography… Or take a shot that didn’t work then that you have the skills to pull off now. I don’t know, just spit-balling!
Is there anything left that you HAVEN’T done for some reason that you could do? Enough to do a series like that?
I’m interested in more “fluffy” posts. Ones that are just for fun and that you have fun writing. Also additional dining and hotel reviews… Despite not needing the more basic guides, I do find myself referencing those quite a bit. There’s just something about your style that I find easy to read–the right information without sounding like I’m reading from a guide book.
Loved your RunDisney review, too. Like someone said above, the “special event” posts are always fun to read.
Oh and hey, you should do tent-camping at Fort Wildnerness! That would be an experience I would love to read about.
Well anyway, I suppose I’m rambling at this point. The best posts will always be the ones that you obviously had fun writing. 🙂
Good morning
It almost sounds like your bored or burnut. you still enjoy doing this blog butare ready to venture out and try new things since youve “been there done that” with most parts of the world wide Disney parks. It must be very difficult to come up the quaility content that you present week after week. If your looking for ideas to keep this fresh and new and exciting for you which will in turn remain exciting for your fans i cant help you. I would say shorter posts with more focused content. point out the small features. those things that when you take your time and enjoy the park you have the time to find or little known photo spot. Love the photos so keep those. I look forward to seeing what comes next
Thanks for all of the feedback, everyone! Even though I was looking more for suggestions and not soliciting praise, it is good to hear that I’m doing some things right.
I really appreciate all of the comments, and also that so many of you trust my feedback and take time out of your day to read the posts here. It truly means a lot!
I’ve said this before, but I do wish there were more trip reports.
I don’t know if this would much interest you, but I’d be interested in seeing a report on Knott’s Berry Farm on Travel Caffeine. It’s not super great but it is close to Disneyland and does contain two excellent themed rides in Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride.
In fact, I’d love to see occasional reports on other theme parks around the country. Places like Busch Gardens (either), Sea World, Silver Dollar City, or Dollywood. Other theme parks that I feel have something to offer people that mostly visit Disney but are either unknown to most people or unfairly (in my eyes) treated as completely inferior and dismissed out of hand. I’m sure I’m in the minority, and I don’t know that that’s really what you’re interested in, but I would certainly enjoy seeing your take on some of these other parks.
Coverage of all Knott’s is coming soon. Ditto Universal Studios Hollywood. Other parks, in the immediate future, are unlikely.
I just visited your other blog and il first impression is wow. The photos are amazing.
I read a lot of Disney blogs and yours by far I value you the most. Reason being is that you are honest in your reviews, and time and time again I’ve found I usually always agree with your assessments. I’ve used a lot of your food and resort reviews to help me make decisions on what to do during my vacations. I also really like your trip reports. I especially like to read the trip reports for the overseas Disney locations since I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go there! I will definitely be reading your other blog now that I know about it. I hope you put a lot of info about Yellowstone as I will be going there for my honeymoon next summer!
Have you ever considered writing an e-book or
guest authoring on other sites? I have a blog centered on the same topics you
discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my visitors would enjoy your work.
If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
–Continued from above. Sorry!
I like the special event coverage you can finish in a post or two.
What I really love and want more of is your insightful analysis. Your post about whether to buy DVC is really well thought out. I’ve recommended it to several people who were not sure about DVC. I like your insights about what Disney is doing well and needs to do better (like those you expressed in your Spice Road Table review). I know it will be part of posts about other topics, but keep it coming.
I generally read your restaurant reviews as they come out, and I will read all of your DLR stuff before we take a trip there. I was interested in your cruise experience. I feel like I’ve done almost everything in WDW, so if you do unique experiences there, I’d really like to know about it. I know this blog is a labor of love, so thanks for doing it.
I’m not a fan of trip reports (no offense– this applies to all trip reports, not just yours). I find them tedious and time consuming. The exception is your coverage of very special events. I read and enjoyed your coverage of the first 24-hour event. You made me feel like I was there. More special event coverage, especially those that you can fin