CAn anyone tell me what camera they use for Disneyland. I want one that has a good Zoom om it so I can get close-up of the boys from far off.

We just got the Canon Powershot S3 IS - it's a GREAT camera - I love the zoom and the swivel screen on it! And the neck cord is GREAT! I haven't taken it to disney (YET), but I've taken it to the beach - it's WONDERFUL!

I love it - put it in sports mode when you're outside...and you can snap one pic after another - and with two little boys, that's a MUST!

ETA: here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Image-Stabilized-Zoom/dp/B000EMWBV0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/104-9455246-0661551?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1187810365&sr=8-4

Its funny that you should mention this camera right off the bat as my sister in law has given it great reviews... I just want something that won't turn the action photo's blurry. I also would liek to get some pictures of the night shows.

I suppose it depends how much you're wanting to spend. I'm saving up for either (and I keep going back and forth on which) a Nikon D40x (http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6G-Zoom-Nikkor/dp/B000NOEDGK/ref=sr_1_10/102-8904694-5299318?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1187819406&sr=1-10) or a Canon Digital Rebel XT (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Rebel-XT-f3-5-5-6/dp/B0007QKN22/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8904694-5299318?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1187819542&sr=1-1). I have relatives that have both and have borrowed/used them (in the parks and out), and both are really excellent cameras. :)

I got the Nikon D40 with the second lense for my birthday. I'm still learning how to use it, but, so far the pics I have taken with the auto setting have been real good. I'm looking forward to our next trip to Disneyland (hopefully in February) so I can compare pics from my old Kodak digital.

I have the Canon S3 IS and have gotten some wonderful pictures at WDW and elsewhere. The only major complaint I have with it is that once the batteries (double A's) start getting low as they tend to do after a full day, the flash can go from annoyingly long to recharge to excruciatingly long and there's no hot shoe for an external flash.

The S5 (there's no S4 because four is the Japanese "13") has a spot for an external flash, but if you're spending that much in the first place, you might want to go the extra distance for a low-end SLR.

10x zoom feature and the pics I have taken have been very clear. I am taking mine for our trip in November to DL. No lenses to swap out. Fairly small and lightweight.

If you're up to taking more creative photos, buy a digital slr camera (DSLR). It gives you more options on "how" a photo is to be taken.
I have the entry level DSLR, the Nikon D40X. If you'd like to see what types of photos it takes, look at my website at:

geocities.com/disneycastmagic

For those of you who've carried the S3-IS cannon around the park... Is it very heavy? I will have the camera plus two boys ages 4 and 6 to manuver around the park and want to be as comfortable as possable. My mom has the Rebal and its just way to heavy to carry all day at the park.

For those of you who've carried the S3-IS cannon around the park... Is it very heavy? I will have the camera plus two boys ages 4 and 6 to manuver around the park and want to be as comfortable as possable. My mom has the Rebal and its just way to heavy to carry all day at the park.

If you're taking a 4 year old with you, rent a stroller for $10 and carry the camera in there. That should help cut down on the time spent hauling a heavy camera on your shoulder.
Also, buy a larger memory card. I have a 2 gig card and you'll find that taking 500 photos isn't that hard to do at a place like Disneyland and California Adventure. If you'd like to see my photos, here's the link:

http://geocities.com/disneycastmagic

For those of you who've carried the S3-IS cannon around the park... Is it very heavy? I will have the camera plus two boys ages 4 and 6 to manuver around the park and want to be as comfortable as possable. My mom has the Rebal and its just way to heavy to carry all day at the park.

It's rather light and much lighter than the Rebel. I'll echo Disney Resort's comment about the 2gB card. (About 1100 photos at maximum resolution). The camera comes with a 16mB card that only holds about half a dozen photos.

Why not go with a point and shoot?

Yeah, I hear y'all saying point and shoot, phah!

SOME are better than others... I personally own a Rebel XT and dragging it around Disney isn't my idea of fun... so I figured, lets try out a point and shoot.

Initially, I tried the Olympus 770SW (cause its rated to take a bounce and it's waterproof)... problem... the shutter action was a little slow so that got traded right back in

NEXT (and finally) the Pentax Optio W30... I can use it underwater, it has a fast shutter response and is very lightweight. It's got a multitude of settings for action shots, camera shake reduction and at 7 megapixels it's almost as good as the Rebel BUT much lighter. Yes, I did put a screen protector on there and as of yet haven't noticed any real issues with it