Scenic tour

Once in a while even those of us who document every inch of Walt Disney World stumble upon a really intriguing picture opportunity. One such photo found its way into my collection purely by accident, but creates a magical feel of the past meeting the future.

Covering the storied grounds of Adventureland and Frontierland, there are many fabulous photo opportunities between the Main Street U.S.A. train station and the outpost in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Guests boarding at Mickey’s Toontown Fair and disembarking at Main Street U.S.A., however, rarely see any of these elements. Instead, they are treated with views of more attractions than any other leg of the railroad, including Space Mountain, Peoplemover, and Tomorrowland Speedway. The line also happens to pass around the backside of the Tomorrowland Arcade, which is where today’s photograph was taken.While attempting to capture a picture of the bubble windows that dot the rear of the building, I realized that the reflection in the darkened window illuminate the train and Space Mountain. To my mind the photo captures the true heart of the Magic Kingdom, the spontaneity of the image captures the nostalgia of yesterday and the promise of tomorrow in one succinct moment.

Pictures with tucked away elements are almost better than a well-framed, plotted photograph. What about all of the readers out there, what photograph in your collection gave you the most pleasant surprise?