** I'd like to start this blog post with a THANK YOU to Ron at Kingdom Camera for letting me interview him, as well as an apology that it took so long to post it!**
Recently I learned of
an awesome company in the Orlando area that was opened with the intention of
making it easier for vacationers to use great cameras and get amazing memory
filled photos without the hassle of lugging a ton of camera equipment from home
to the parks. Ron of Kingdom Camera was nice enough to sit and talk to me and
tell me how he and his wife Lenise came up with this amazing business idea.
Ron grew up as a military kid and spent his life traveling the world, or at least
the parts of the world the military sent his father and the rest of his family
to. His interest in photography came from his father. Originally Ron was a film
photographer, even winning a few photography contests, and was resistant to
take up digital photography, but once his wife picked up the habit, he found
him self coming around to the concept. After Lenise gave him a digital SLR for
Christmas his passion for this new format took off, cause them to travel
sometimes with up to ten lenses, four camera bodies and tripods, equipment you
do not necessarily want to check. While on vacation in Hawaii their camera
broke, forcing them to scramble to find a repair place, and as luck would have
it not only did they find a repair place, they stumbled across an ingenious
idea. The repair place they found not only fixed cameras, they rented out
camera bodies and lenses as well.
Being
regular travelers these avid photo takers would travel with up to four camera
bodies and ten lenses as well as luggage.
After returning home to Orlando, they realized ton of people come to
Disney and have the same issues as amateurs and pros when it came to traveling
with camera gear.
They started
investigating this idea and tested various camera bodies and lenses for hours
and hours. They also had to decide what bag or backpack or tripod would be best
for travelers and started testing them as well.
One of the final steps was meeting with a website developer that could
help them set up and run a website and blog.
All of this research and set up took about a year. They started renting
out equipment and delivering it to customers in August 2012. They started
averaging about 30 rentals a month, which was more than they had initially
expected, but due to their large inventory they were able to accommodate all
their customer’s needs.
A part
of their program is they don’t deliver to local photographers; their specialty
is concierge level service and packages for vacationers. They also don’t ship
their cameras, and their rentals are strictly theme park rentals. Their rental
packages include bags, cameras, tripods, and memory cards (which the client
keeps). Other companies in the area rent out camera equipment but don’t deliver
to the client, and Kingdom Camera prides themselves on the fact they are always
on time when meeting a client for drop off and pick up. They even go over the
camera with the renter and will help out and rent in camera emergencies.
A typical day with Kingdom
Camera starts at about 5:30 am, with deliveries starting at the hotels around
7-7:30 am, and ends about 5pm. Cameras are delivered to renter personally
instead of being left with bell stands to ensure items are 100% perfect when
the client receives them. Meetings for delivery occur in the clients hotel lobby
where Ron goes over camera with the client to make sure they are comfortable
with using it. There is also a quick start guide in the bag just in case the
client forgets something. The client
then signs the rental agreement which also sent to them in an email, and a pick
up time is set up with enough time to keep people from missing a flight home etc.
When I asked what
happened if a camera isn’t returned, Ron told me that has never been an issue
and that all their clients have been a joy to work with. At the time of the interview only one piece had
come back damaged, and that was a filter.
Magic Kingdom’s has gone above and beyond to try and protect the camera
equipment as much as they can by only renting out branded lenses, UV filters,
and LCD protectors on screens.
With three packages
options that include cameras, accessories, and SD cards, there is a package for
every level of photographer from
beginner to professional. Kingdom Camera also offers great camera add-ons like tripods, filters, battery grips, filters and flashes. I definitely recommend
this awesome company if you are traveling to Walt Disney World. They can be
found online at www.kingdomcamerarentals.com
and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KingdomCameraRentals.
Kingdom Camera Package Info as of 7/2013:
Fun Package: Canon Rebel SL1, Camera w/ HD Video, Canon 18-55 IS STM Lens, 2 Batteries & 2 Chargers, Camera Bag, 4 GB SD Card (Yours to keep!)Adventure Package: Nikon D5000 Camera w/Video, Nikon 18 - 200mm Zoom Lens,Camera Bag, Battery & Charger,4 GB SD Card (Yours To Keep!)Enthusiast Package: Nikon D7000 Camera w/Video, Nikon 18-200mm , Compact Tripod, 1 Battery & Charger, Camera Bag, 4 GB SD Memory (Yours to Keep!)
