It has been awhile since I addressed the topic of photographing on a ride at Walt Disney World. First and foremost, you must…MUST…safely secure your camera so neither you or anyone else on the ride will be harmed. I would say this is one kind of photography, you will not be able to use a smart phone camera with unless it is a very calm ride.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland is not a calm ride. I made sure to wrap my camera strap around my body and wrist to get a good tight grip.

Guests riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland.
Nikon D750/16-35VR, 1/250s, f/3.2, ISO 100, EV +0.3, 16mm Focal Length.

When doing ride photography, I put my camera in Shutter Priority shooting mode so I can control how fast or slow the camera’s shutter operates. For Big Thunder, I went with a fast shutter of 1/250th of a second to get sharp photos with little to no blurring from movement.

In contrast, Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus at the Magic Kingdom is what I would call a “calm” ride. It is the perfect ride to introduce a very young Disney fan to the fun of motion.

Young family riding Dumbo the Elephant in Fantasyland.
Nikon D750/2-120VR, 1/50s, f/20, ISO 100, EV 0, 24mm Focal Length.

Notice I went with a slower shutter speed of 1/50th of a second as I wanted to show blurry movement behind the Dumbo ride vehicle. While it is not a fast ride, it sure looked like it here. Since I was moving as fast as the trailing vehicle, it was in sharp focus.

Young family riding Dumbo the Elephant in Fantasyland.
Nikon D750/2-120VR, 1/50s, f/22, ISO 100, EV 0, 66mm Focal Length.

By zooming in a bit, the motion is even more pronounced. Seemingly, the little one is not impressed. Well, maybe next time he will be!

For more information on how to photograph while on a moving ride, click here –> Photographing While Riding at Walt Disney World