Disneyland Cast Member Magic


 
  So, who are you Britt?
Why are you doing this?
Are you getting paid for this?
Are you a Cast Member?
Do you work for Disney at all?
Okay, are you an obsessed Annual Passholder?
Now that I know you're a normal person, how can I find you in the park?
Do you have any experience working with characters?
Well, what if I don't really want my photos on here?
How can I get larger versions of the photos?
When are you going to be in the park next?
Is it okay if I link to an image?
You were there on a day I was, but there's no photos of me. Why?
I know you snapped a photo of me, where is it?
I'd like a specially done photo of me, how can I do that?
Can I submit my photos of characters I took to the site?
How often is the site updated with Galleries?
How come you never shoot over at Disney's California Adventure?
Will you guys ever shoot the Block Party Bash?
What's up with the Monster Lens?  Is it also a satellite dish?
You seems to always be at the park... how often do you go?
How long does these galleries take to make?
How are you able to see the first and last stop?  Are you cloned?
How many shots do you take on a day when you're there all day?

I'd love to meet you! How can I go about doing that?

- NEW -
What do you look like so I know who you are?

 
 

 
  So, who are you Britt?
  Well, I'm a long time Disneyland fan! I'm a character hunter who likes to go to the park and snap photos of the characters. It's always fun to hang out with the characters and watch them as they interact with the crowds. Photography wise, it's a challenge and a great skill to take really good character photos. With the crowds, intermittent character appearances, and difficult to find locations, it can be quite a challenge getting really good character photos. Odds are you've already seen me in the park snapping photos.
 
 

 
  Why are you doing this?
  Why not? Without this site, all of these photos would probably never make it online and end up collecting cyber-dust in the boundless space of DVDs and CDs. This website allows me to showcase the photos in one specific location for all Disneyland cast members to enjoy. And more importantly, it's an easy way for cast members to find photos of themselves. Mickey loves to see photos of himself from time to time, but it could be difficult for him to take photos when he's climbing the Matterhorn! After being questioned by a host about how a character could go about getting photos that I was taking, I realized that I needed to find an easy way for characters to have access to the photos that I enjoy taking so much. This is my way to give back to the characters and cast members for providing all Disneyland fans with great experiences and being the real magic of Disneyland. Of course, if Mickey is on dial-up, he'll probably want to switch to cable if not only to make his myspace to load fast, but this site as well!
 
 

 
  Are you getting paid for this?
  Nope, not at all. So why should I bother with this if I am not getting paid? And who's paying for the hosting of this site and domain? Well, at the moment, I am paying for the hosting/domain. I might add google ads to the site at some point for hosting costs, but I'm not going to start charging people to view the photos. And I'm never going to have pop-ups... pop-ups are more annoying than being stuck in Small World for a week straight. Well... maybe not AS annoying. There's no hidden things here or membership required. I'm just a friendly photographer who wants to share the photos I take with the cast members and characters of Disneyland!
 
 

 
  Okay, are you a Cast Member then?
  No. Although, I'm at the park so much, most of my cast member friends say the only
thing I'm missing is a Disney paycheck! I do know a lot of cast members (especially entertainment and guest control) in all areas of both resorts and have much of their full support of this site. While I have heavily considered trying for a photographer for Disneyland, I prefer the more freelance way of snapping photos rather than what the park offers.

 
 

 
  Do you work for Disney at all?
  No.
 
 

 
  Okay, are you an obsessed Annual Passholder?
  Not at all, except for the fact that I'm at the park quite often during the week. But why not make full use of a pass that costs quite a bit each year? I also understand that it's a privilege to have a pass, not a luxury. I appreciate the jobs every cast member has to do, and I never take the pass for granted. I don't own the park, nor pay directly for the salaries of cast members. I don't get special VIP benefits and I certainly don't get to go wherever I want in the park (ie backstage). The day I would abuse my AP is the day I don't deserve one.
 
 

 
  Now that I know you're a normal person, how can I find you in the park?
  Well, I'm not all that hard to spot. You've probably seen me around the park before... everyone always says I'm easy to spot once you've seen me for the first time.  I usually wear a hat (which is a excellent shade source for viewing LCD screens when shooting photos), have a big black flash battery going from my belt to my camera's flash, and
have a big black camera that scares anyone who seems to look at it.  Or just ask other cast members, they probably know who I am.

 
 

 
  Do you have any experience working with characters?
  More than most people think. I have been a member of Star Wars costume groups for many years and have been around countless Star Wars characters at conventions and other special events. Britt is the official photographer for the 501st Legion, a world-wide Star Wars group that has a membership of hundreds of Star Wars characters. He travels to events and conventions all over, directly working with characters and playing host to many of them much like Disneyland's character hosts. He's played several Star Wars (Darth Vader, Boba Fett, & Luke Skywalker) characters at conventions and local events.
 
 

 
  Well, what if I don't really want my photos on here?
  I HEAVILY respect privacy of any cast member. There may be times when Ariel may not like certain make-up she had on that day or a certain pose. I have no problem pulling the photo off the site. The best way to do that is to contact me and give me the name of the image and what day it was on. As soon as I get the message, I'll pull the image off. It may take a little time for me to get to it, but I'll do the best we can.  Furthermore, know I will NEVER use names in the park or on this site.  I have no need for names unless you are trying to get to know me or trying to get me to know who you are, so rest assured I will keep your identity totally private if you want.
 
 

 
  How can I get larger versions of the photos?
  This site revolves around images that are 1000 pixels long. My 'monster camera' outputs images at 7-14 megs in size and are so big right out of the camera that they can be made into 20x30s without any work. Because of these sizes, and the fact that there's only 20 gigs currently on the server, I can't offer full res images of every photo I post. And while I'd love to send full res images to people, imagine if every character and cast member in the park asked me for a large photo! I have a full-time job outside the park and actually (surprise! Inside joke for those who know) have a live outside the park as well, so we can't honor all requests. You're more than welcome to try and contact me, but please keep in mind I do have a very busy schedule.
 
 

 
  When are you going to be in the park next?
  Providing I don't get too busy, it should be several times a week. Obviously, visits are subject to weather, health, camera battery levels, and transportation (among other things). Often times I just pop into the park after work.  My work isn't far from the park and is actually on the way home.  Although, some cast members would say Disneyland IS my second home.  But odds are I'll be at the park on the weekends almost all day, and on the weekdays after 5pm.
 
 

 
  Is it okay if I link/repost to an image?
  Well, I can't allow hotlinking. I don't have unlimited bandwidth unfortunately, and even though I have a terabyte of bandwidth, I can't foresee what the future requirements will be for this site if it really gets larger. So I must ask that if you want to post the image somewhere, please save the image locally and then upload to a free uploading service such as http://imageshack.us/ or http://photobucket.com/. If you want to link to the image and not repost the image, that should be fine as long as the image is not loading
on the other site. It might be better to just link to the entire gallery for that day.

 
 

 
  You were there on a day I was, but there's no photos of me. Why?
  Well, I can't be everywhere at once! Often times I'll hang out with a character for a while and might miss several characters in the park. Remember, mostly I'm just at the park to have fun with cast members and characters and snap some photos. And although I love characters, it’s not the only thing I like to enjoy when I'm in the park! But don't worry, eventually I'm bound to snap a photo of you! There have been days where I've been dragged by characters to certain areas for hours at a time, and because I have many friends in the park, I often will hang around with them for a while to try and brighten
their day.  I'm just one person doing this and not getting paid in the least, so please be patient.  I do my very best.

 
 

 
  I know you snapped a photo of me, where is it?
  Lots of possible things could have happened. Camera movement, blurry photo, the flash didn't fire, it was too dark, it was blown out, error when the camera was taking the photo, etc. While I'll try and put up as many photos from the days I go as I can, it all depends on how things turned out. Often I pick the bests of the batch to put online. However, you're welcome to contact me if you’re looking for something specific. Unfortunately, I have high standards for my photos
(perfectionist + photographer = bad), so often I am very picky of what goes online.

 
 

 
  I'd like a specially done photo of me, how can I do that?
  I have to follow the park rules of course. I don't want you nor myself to get into trouble. I'm more than happy to snap photos of you for fun if I know where you are, but only as long as it doesn't violate any rules, disrupt traffic, disrupt normal Disneyland Resort operations, jeopardize your job, or jeopardize revoking my pass! Remember, the type of photos that I showcase on this site are characters and cast members doing what they do best!
 
 

 
  Can I submit my photos of characters I took to the site?
  I'd love to make this a massive community of character photos, but unfortunately I'm limited on space with only 20 gigs total. Things are going to add up quickly. However, depending on how big this site gets, that is an option down the road. A very long road... that leads to chaos for me... and my wallet.
 
 
 
 
  How often is the site updated with Galleries?
  I try and add a new gallery at least 2-3 times a week.  It's generally on weekdays when
I add new galleries, and usually between 4pm and 8pm. Keep in mind I do everything myself, and I'm just one person who has a life and normal job outside of Disneyland.
And being that it's just me, it's possible there will be times where I take long breaks from updating the site just so I don't burn out.  The temp folder is updated nearly 2-3 times a week however and will continue to operate that way.

 
 
 
 
  How come you never shoot over at Disney's California Adventure?
  I'd love to start shooting over there, but there's no real schedule of characters
when they come out and where they will be.  There's a wide assortment of non-face characters that appear, and some famous ones... but it's just knowing when to be in
the park.  It's not like Princesses at Disneyland when you know about when they will be out.  During the summer things will expand a bit more to encompass DCA.  I shoot Electrical Parade now, and often am requested to the Hollywood Backlot area to take photos... but that's about it for DCA at the moment.

 
 
 
 
  Will you ever shoot the Block Party Bash?
  Undecided... I will probably make it a point to travel over to DCA to capture the
Block Party Bash parade rarely, but for the most part the most characters are at Disneyland.  It's difficult for me to park hop a ton of times throughout the day
(exhausting to say the least), so often it's just Disneyland for me.

 
 
 
 
  What's up with you monster lens? Is it also a satellite dish?
  As Push, the talking tomorrowland trashcan, put it... 'You must be a spy!'  There are two types of lenses that I will use with the camera at the park.  Often, I will have the smaller lens, a Canon 28-135mm USM IS F4.5, that's used for more close subject photos.  I bring the 'monster lens' (as it's now called) to get really close and get the best quality.  The lens is a Canon 100-400mm USM IS F4.5 lens.  What in the world does that mean?  Well, it's the lens I use at Airshows to capture military aircraft in flight.  It's got a ultrasonic 9USM) autofocus motor system on it and a high tech image stabilizer (IS) gyro built into it.  It costs more than most people's really high end computer. What it allows me, especially during the day, is to really capture the performers in the parade with a beautiful blurred background and to get very very close to the performers and park characters from very far distances.  Remember, it's used to capture a high speed military jet fighters that might be several hundred feet away.
 
 
 
 
  You seem to always be at the park... how often do you go?
  I have the luxury of working just a few blocks from the park.  Going to the park after work to catch the evening parade is just taking a few side streets for me.  I try and go every weekend I'm not at Airshows or Air Events.  Some weeks I'm able to do 5-days in a row (which are killer), other weeks I can only fit one trip after work. 
 
 
 
 
  How long does these galleries take to make?
  It can take me several hours to do.  It's a very long process, which starts at just picking out the best photos to put online.  A good 20% or much more never make it online.  Doesn't mean they are bad photos... just if I shot 25 shots of Ariel at her stop, there doesn't really need to be 25 shots posted in the gallery.  5 will do just fine.  If the gallery is just about 60 images, it can take a few hours.  If the gallery is 300 or more, it can take 3 days.  From there I tweak many of the images and give them special touches.  From there, I have to make the thumbnails and images with the watermark, and then finally upload them to the site and make the gallery page.
 
 
 
 
  How are you able to see the first and last stop? Are you cloned?
  I do that every parade viewing now.  It allows me, in often cases, to catch both sides of the parade so I don't miss the performers and characters on the other side.  Plus, often there's a difference in lighting, and I can catch a different unit stop.  It's a lot of work
and usually requires walking fast and/or running to the third stop.  There's certain
routes that I can take that will get me there just as the third stop is moving.
Often times you can tell if it's a crowded day because once I reach the second stop I'll
be out of breath and looking very tired. If only I really were cloned...

 
 
 
 
  How many shots do you take on a day you're there all day?
  It really depends on how many characters I see and where I am for the parade. 
Usually, when I'm there from 10am till 12am... it'll be around 900 to 1,500 photos.  I have 8 gb, 4 gb, 2gb, and 512 mb compact flash cards with me... so I could take much more.

 
 
 
 
  I'd love to meet you!  How can I go about doing that?
  Just find me in the park!  If you talk to other cast members, they can predict where I'll be for the parades, which is the best way to find me.  Come by and say hello, I don't bite!
 
 
 
 
  What do you look like so I know who you are?
   Here's a photo from the November 2006 Nellis AFB Airshow with a F-22A Raptor:
CLICK TO SEE FULL SIZE

 
 
 



 
THE LEGAL STUFF
All photos are © their respective owners.  Website Design. layout, & Graphics © Britt Dietz
Disneyland Cast member Magic is not affiliated nor a part of Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney company in any way.
Disney characters, fonts, and Disneyland Resort are © the Walt Disney Company, Pixar, Touchstone, etc.
It takes a lot of effort and time for us to keep this project going, so please respect the photos on this site!  If you wish to use them in some shape or form, please contact the respective photographer for permission.  It's just a nice thing to do and we really do appreciate it!