Why You Should Watch the Disney Sunrise Series
Right now, we all miss the soothing nature of a morning spent at a Disney resort. There’s a reason why some Disney cast members say, “Welcome home!” when they greet us.
During a vacation, the hotel works as a home away from home, a safe space where we can gather our thoughts and plan our day of Disney adventure.
One Disney enthusiast has captured the magic of these moments and wants to share it with you. Let’s take a look at each video!
About the Sunrise Series
For the past several years, a diehard fan and videographer named Ashley Fasso has embraced the sanctity of early mornings at official Disney resorts. She’s created the Disney Sunrise Series, which you can watch on YouTube.
The videos possess the perfect length, as they’re between six and a half minutes and 12 minutes long. Whenever you’re missing Disney, you can pull up a clip on your phone or television and relax like you’re starting a day at the park!
Each clip comes with its share of surprises. Fasso hasn’t merely stuck a camera in a single spot and left it running as a time-lapse video. Instead, she has an eye for the hot spots at each resort.
When you watch the Sunrise Series, you can see the morning unfold around the campus. At the start, nobody’s around, which creates a unique perspective. You’ll feel like you’re the only person at the hotel.
Then, activities begin, as cast members show up and perform duties like readying the coffee machines or cleaning up workspaces. Finally, early rising guests start to appear, usually at the end of the videos.
Also, every part of the Sunrise Series comes with its own surprises. I won’t spoil it for you, but one video includes an armadillo! Have you ever noticed one at a Disney resort? Me either!
Fasso captures the guest appearance while causing the viewer to wonder whether other animals visit Disney before the break of dawn.
A Quick Virtual Tour
We can divide the video playlist into four sections. You can watch the entire thing here, of course, but I’d recommend a different approach. Let me explain.
The Monorail Resorts
One of the advantages of breaking the videos into groups is that you get to experience each one as if you’re there.
For example, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is the crown jewel of Walt Disney World resorts. The problem with its success is that you rarely experience it when it’s empty.
During this video, Fasso lovingly displays all the elements that differentiate the Grand Floridian. And she does it at a time when there’s nothing else to distract you.
The calming elements make this one an excellent choice to play in the background each morning while you get dressed.
Meanwhile, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is more active than you might expect in the mornings. Pay attention at the 6:20 mark to understand why.
Then, there’s my favorite Disney property, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Having spent many mornings here, I still wasn’t aware of how breathtaking the hotel grounds are at 4:30 in the morning.
The lakefront beaches look pristine and serene. However, the most unexpected part of this video happens by the pool. For whatever reason, the overflowing hot tub and its steam provide powerful imagery for me. I’ll watch this clip often.
The All-Star Resorts
Fasso clearly has an eye for all sorts of vacation experiences, as you’ll appreciate in the final section. She has spent enough time at the All-Star Resorts to unearth their beauty, too.
Many Disney fans deride the housing at these places as low-budget and cookie cutter. Fasso proves those sentiments wrong. In her footage of Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, the illuminated signage seems untouched by time. The arcades pulse with life, too.
At Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, the Radiator Springs theme has never felt more realistic. In the lobby, you can finally study the animated cels on display without feeling rushed by other guests.
Also, the lights shine down on Ursula as if she weren’t a horrible menace to society. It’s disconcerting.
The Sunrise Series also highlights Disney’s Pop Century Resort from a different perspective. Fasso captures many of the iconic pop cultures throughout the campus…and a lizard jumps into the picture at one point, too. Oddly, that moment reminds me of a Disney resort as much as anything else.
The Deluxe Resorts
I suspect that Fasso is a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member, as she’s spent a lot of time at Disney’s priciest resorts.
I’ll lump them all the Walt Disney World properties together as the Deluxe Resorts tier. And having stayed at these hotels, I must say that she does a terrific job in capturing the unique vibe of each one.
Anyone who has walked down the Boardwalk at night will love the early shots from Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. They encapsulate the classic Americana vacation that inspired the hotel’s design.
Fasso’s work transports guests to the BoardWalk when nobody’s there, giving us a chance to look at the signs and appreciate their symmetry. Then, she takes us inside the hotel lobby, where Imagineers have chosen strange objects as decorations.
Next, we head across the water to Disney’s Beach Club Resort, one of my top three Disney hotels. The water and accompanying views are obviously the stars here.
However, I also get a kick out of the birds enjoying the pool at a rare time when no humans are around. I suspect Fasso started the playlist with this video because she knows it’s the most visually engaging.
Another pristine video setting is Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which resides next to Disney Springs. Fasso grabs a few images of resort-side perspectives of the entertainment complex. The rest feels like a stroll across the expansive hotel grounds.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge provides a more rustic experience. Fasso wanders the lavish lobby and presents gripping footage of the remarkable constructs that define the building’s epicenter.
Still, the videographer captures the essence of the rest of the campus, too. The foliage, recently constructed themed structures, and watery settings all receive a fair amount of attention.
The other Deluxe Resort in this playlist is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. I won’t say much for fear of spoiling it. Suffice to say that you should watch until the end, and you’ll be thrilled by it. Yes, a couple of permanent residents get stuck together!
The Other Disney Locales
Fasso’s playlist includes locales beyond Walt Disney World.
For starters, you can explore the sandy beaches at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. Unfortunately, it’s not turtle season during this clip, but the soothing backdrop will calm you whenever you watch it.
Later, the scenery changes to Hawaii. Yes, Fasso has captured some of the magic of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa as well.
I’ve never visited this particular resort, but the video makes me feel like a frequent guest. Also, I’m showing it to my wife to persuade her to agree to vacation in Hawaii…finally.
To my mind, the highlight of the playlist takes place at sea…and the accompanying port of call.
Fasso has recorded an early morning of activity on the Disney Fantasy. If you’ve ever wondered what a Disney cruise entails, this clip is enlightening.
The various stores, pools, restaurants, and theaters aren’t open, allowing the viewer to appreciate how breathtaking these facilities are.
Not content to stop there, Fasso also transports the viewer to Castaway Cay. This video differentiates itself from the rest, as the videographer couldn’t very well jump ship to visit the port early. So, it takes place later when more guests are visible.
This quirk in no way impacts the video. If anything, it makes the clip feel more authentic, as the camera scrolls through the significant landmarks that Imagineers have constructed on the island.
Without spoiling anything, the 7:30 mark provides a pure delight.
Fasso’s Disney Sunrise Series provides the perfect escapist opportunity right now. You may start your day with these videos or watch them when you need a pick-me-up.
Either way, you’ll feel happy while viewing, and that’s more than anybody could ask right now, isn’t it?