Cast Members of Disney Parks: #02 in a Series

Continuing my spotlight on the unsung heroes of Disney...the hard working and personable cast members!

I remember my original purpose of taking these photos was to capture and document the various costumes/outfits found through out the parks. A simple thing really, but it's contribution to the immersive theming is invaluable. What really drove that point home to me occurred while visiting one of Disney's competitors...Knott's Berry Farm. I've always found this amusement park quaint and somewhat "folksy" when compared to Disneyland, but on my last (and maybe final) visit in 2010, two things immediately hit me. First was the jarring transitions between "lands" so to speak. One moment you're in an old western ghost town, the next you're overshadowed by a colossal rollercoaster. Turn the corner and it's a Snoopy camp scenario. And the workers? While friendly and professional, they all wore the same generic Knott's uniform, regardless of their station or duty. It was that precise moment that I really began to appreciate the extra mile Disney takes in paying close attention to detail.

For this installment, I have folks from Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Coronado Springs. Epcot, especially, is a treasure trove with its variety of costumes thanks to the different cultures and countries. I could probably spend a good month there and not photograph every unique clothing attire.

Taking these type of photos has really become an enjoyable part of my Disney park visits. Until my next installment, be safe and enjoy!

(Photos Copyright 2017 Len Yokoyama)

Cast Members of Disney Parks: Collect the Entire Series!

One of my favorite aspects of amateur photography is portraitures. Even more so than landscapes, taking people's pictures is always a highly rewarding and personal experience. There's almost an unspoken connection between the subject and the photographer, even if it's a total stranger. With the camera, I am preserving a person's moment in time in a digital image...a mythical, timeless realm where things always remain unchanged.

The Disney parks are my favorite place to snap portraitures, especially of the cast members (not talking about those who portray Disney characters). Although these people are playing a "role", it's not like they're pretending to be something or someone else. Yes, Bob or Phil of the Barbershop Quartet doesn't really live on Main Street USA, but I'm pretty sure they're still Bob or Phil when they go home after work.

And because customer service is strongly ingrained into the Disney culture, it would be hard for a cast member to turn me down when I ask to take their photos (there have been one or two who were unsure, but otherwise, everyone has been more than happy to pose for a pest like me).

I've decided to start a series of posts dedicated to featuring these fantastic workers from the various Disney parks. I 'll do maybe two or three a month and see how this series fares.

For the first spotlighted cast members, I turn to the Photo Supply Co located at the tail end of Main Street USA in Disneyland. There, I ran into a very friendly and charismatic group of cast members while redeeming my free 5 X 7 print. From left to right are Bella, Brenda, Marcus, & Ryan.

I initially asked Bella and Marcus pose, but she asked if I could get the whole group into the shot which I was more than happy to oblige. Thank you Photo Supply crew for really spreading the Disney magic and for giving this poor photog a chance to snap some pics!

         (Photos Copyright 2017 Len Yokoyama)