SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos of 2024 (EPIC Universe, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and more!)

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” However, over the years I have come to the conclusion that there is something in our lives that is just as unequivocal and definite: @bioreconstruct.

The ultra mysterious blogger-in-the-sky — who at times appears to defy every single law of time and space — never ceases to amaze us with the spectacular photos he gets from the air (and the ground!) Over the last couple years Bio has also transcended our little theme park community and received world wide attention thanks to his comprehensive coverage of Universal’s Epic Universe construction.

Compiling the year end BEST OF BIO article is something we look forward to, as so much happens over the course of 12 months that most of it turns into a blur. BEST OF BIO gives us a moment to reflect on everything that we have all collectively experienced over the last year and appreciate the shots that no one else seems to get, despite the theme park community being home to an amazing amount of great photographers. Reminder that clicking on any picture will bring up a larger version, and  with that out of the  way let’s check out our favorites, starting with…

# 6 – To The Moon

In another timeline, their version of Bioreconstruct is definitely an astrologist or possibly an astronaut, because there is no one better in the theme park world photographing celestial objects.

While the Moon is what he captures the most, any time another planet makes an appearance in the sky above, Bio is there to photograph it.

How many theme park fans even know when something like Venus is in the sky above when they are enjoying the parks? Not only does Bio know…not only does Bio get the photo…but Bio takes the time to properly place the object in his picture as well to tell a fun story. Bio is playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers.

In his captions, Bio will also give the reader valuable information so that they too can be prepared.

Check out the following photos taken in DreamWorks Land, subtle but amazing work.

The beauty of the photo below is almost indescribable and it also combines multiple elements of great photography. However, after admiring it for a while I had a single question in my head, “how is a tweet from a theme park photographer the first time I’ve ever heard of the Belt of Venus?!!!”

# 5 – Mirror Glass

One of my personal favorite photos from Bio is his use of “Mirror Glass.” In photography, mirror glass is a term used for when water ends up reflecting an image in the same way a mirror would. Since both Disney and Universal have a lot of water features, they can lead to some pretty cool-looking photos!

I mean, c’mon how gorgeous is this?!!

We even have a theme park mirror glass shot from OUTSIDE the parks!

Meanwhile, over at Universal Orlando…

# 4 – Coasters

Not only do roller coasters provide a lot of thrill, they also give theme park photographers a chance to get some great photos from a wide variety of angles. Say what you will about Walt Disney World’s “blessing of size” and not being able to see almost any of their attractions from streets in the Real World, it’s pretty cool to be in a hotel near Universal and see stuff like the VelociCoaster from your window. Coasters are cool, period.

Speaking of looking cool, does anyone make coasters look cooler than Bio? I THINK NOT!

2024 was a pretty big year in the world of Bioreconstruct personally. After a pretty rough 2023 health-wise, Bio got the OK this year to get back to all his normal activities, which includes riding the very coasters he photographs so well!

Bio and the VelociCoaster have a special relationship because its the first coaster built at Disney or Universal where he was there photographing its very creation. In fact, thanks to Bio, we got to see the absolutely amazing battle between Universal Orlando and an Osprey during the construction of the VelociCoaster (which you can read about in the 2020 Theme Park Turkey of the Year Awards.)

 Rip Ride Rockit

There are not many coasters at Disney or Universal which you could say are maligned. Almost all are beloved or celebrated; including Space Mountain, Slinky Dog Dash, and even that nondescript coaster themed like India or whatever. Not Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit though. NAY NAY. It’s name is constantly BESMIRCHED by the theme park community. In fact, back in 2021 I wrote an article IN DEFENSE OF ROCKIT trying to explain why it meant something to me. However, not long after that article Universal knee capped me by taking away the ability to choose from a wide variety of songs. That act didn’t ruin the ride, but it took away something that was truly special (and we also found out recently that if you don’t choose a song, the banger selection that you get by default is titled “Last Ride,” is timed to the ride, and was created by Universal Creative’s own Greg Prodigy.)

ALL THAT SAID, Universal announced that Rip Ride Rockit will be closing in 2025 to make way for a new experience. We’ll return in next year’s In Memoriam to pay our last respects, but for now we’ll just appreciate some looks at Rockit taken by the best person to EVER photograph this coaster, Bioreconstruct.

The artistry in the shot above and the one below is pretty damn stunning to behold.

Keep in mind, all of these amazing shots were taken this year!!

# 3 –  Fireworks

As cool as coasters are, not everyone appreciates them. Fireworks though, the approval rating on them has to be almost as high as you can get. Of course Bio is going to be there getting the great shots.

Bio was even there to get the ultra rare shots of fireworks at ESPN Wide World of Sports.

LOVE this shot of Tinker Bell starting the Magic Kingdom fireworks show.

Universal debuted it’s new CineSational nighttime spectacular this year, and of course Bio was on the ground  inside the park getting great shots.

Bio also got shots of the show’s fireworks from OUTSIDE the park.

Bio was even there to see fireworks testing for the upcoming Epic Universe theme park!

Here’s something Bio does that is incredibly underrated, he gets photos of the fireworks launch sites when he does his aerial photos. Here is a look at the launch site for Epic Universe.

The launch site is located directly behind the Grand Helios Hotel, which leads us to our next section…

# 2 – Epic Universe

At this point, Bio may be synonymous with Universal’s Epic Universe theme park. His seemingly weekly flights have given us a look at theme park construction in a way that we have never seen before. I asked Bio if he could give us a little behind-the-scenes thoughts on his Epic Universe aerial flights…

Imagine a visit to a theme park, and you have a goal to get photos of all of it, in only a half hour. That’s what an Epic Universe full survey flight for aerials is like.

If you’ve played Villain Con: Minion Blast a few times, you probably start to develop a rhythm of knowing where to aim next. Epic Universe full survey aerial photography is similar. As the pilot circles the park, there’s a rhythm of knowing where to aim the camera next, and a split second to get the shot. ” – Bioreconstruct

For me personally, one of Bio’s biggest strengths is his consistency. He gives you shots that allow you to easily compare what  you have seen in the past.  Take this photo below that gives an overview of Epic Universe that was taken on January 16th, 2024…

Compare that photo above to this shot below that features the park as it was seen on December 21st, 2024. Even without zooming in to see the details, you immediately can process the amount of work that has taken place throughout the year.

If we just got the “Big Picture” look at Epic Universe – like the two above – that would be enough. Its definitely more than we deserve. But Bio goes the extra mile. He gives us closer looks at every possible element of the park. This shot alone of the park entrance is straight E-Ticket. I encourage everyone to click on the photo to see the larger version of it and zoom in to see some of the details. I can already tell that the Chronos Portal that you pass through to enter the park is going to be my all time favorite theme park icon.

Let’s check some comparisons of each land of the park, starting with Super Nintendo World…

…How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk…

…Dark Universe…

…Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic…

…and Grand Helios Hotel.

For all of us theme park fans, Bio is who gets us THE SHOTS WE NEED. When Rumors and Innuendo online suggest that the ride vehicle for Stardust Racers have suddenly appeared on the track, Bio gets the blogger-in-the-sky copter gassed up and heads out for photos. In fact, back on March 9th, we saw our first ever photos of this amazing coaster train, and the absolute CLARITY of this photos is jaw dropping. Keep in mind, Bio is HUNDREDS OF FEET IN THE AIR in a MOVING HELICOPTER and getting us photos with details like this…

…ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!

The shot below is a helpful reminder of where Bio is when taking all his aerial shots. The copter doesn’t fly closer to the ground to get the photos, he just expertly works his camera equipment and knows where to look.

Let’s go back to Bio for a moment to get some more insight on what a flight above Epic Universe entails…

It takes about 24 hours total, usually over 3 days, to organize photos and tell a concise story. World by world. Also in other topics like the parking lot.
– First pass is to identify the good photos of a topic.
– Second pass breaks up topics into individual areas. For example, collecting photos of Bowser’s Fortress together, photos of Peach’s Castle together.
– Third pass is posting. I’ve decided on where to start in the photos selected, and have a flow in mind. Area by area I flag photos to publish, and photos that might be needed for reference later. As construction stories unfold over weeks and months, there might be photos with a different perspective that show progress better. There might be 20 good photos, and only 3 are published.
– Captions are as concise as possible, and sometimes numbering or a famous yellow arrow or two is added to the photo.
– I copy-paste the caption and duplicate the post in Twitter/X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
– Each world is about 4 hours to post. Isle of Berk is the largest world and usually takes 6 hours to post. Adding time in the process is looking back at previous posts or previous photos, to illustrate the story more completely.” – Bioreconstruct

Bio does all that, for YOU. Read all that again and try to fathom the planning involved, the monotonous and time consuming effort (cross posting countless posts to THREE different social media platforms?!) just so we can get shots like the ones below. We are truly not worthy.

We’ve already proven Bio always goes the extra mile, but in 2024 he decided to add a second mile on and expanded his content to include video.

After the flight video is the first thing I work on. I usually have a score ready to edit to. However, when there’s a surprise I have to quickly create additional music. An example is the night testing of Stardust Racers, which needed a separate video from the overall park at night video. Video is as concise as possible, with just several seconds to show what’s new and interesting in a topic.” – Bioreconstruct

# 1 – Framing

There’s about two dozen reasons why Bioreconstruct is the best in the business, but let’s take a closer look at what really separates him from the pack. Bio ALWAYS puts in the effort to make sure his shots look as good as they can, combining creativity, thoughtfulness, and a touch of whimsy.

Its one thing to get a photo of Venus when you are in a theme park, but making sure you line it up with stuff like this? That’s why they create Hall of Fames, because some people are just better at things than you and me.

Honorable Mention – Our Fine Feathered Friends

The amount of wildlife that Bio captures in the parks each year is just BONKERS. These are also the type of shots that Bio the photographer seems to have the most fun with when writing captions.

Can you believe Bio saw a PELICAN at Universal?!

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO BOOT! I’ve been going to Universal Orlando since it opened, I’ve never once seen a pelican.

Bio – and the ducks – were the first back at Universal Orlando after Hurricane Milton blew through Florida.

This is a great shot, but how in the world does Bio know this is a Eurasiasn Collared-Dove? Is he also a birdwatcher in the free time that he isn’t documenting theme parks and studying the world of astronomy? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!! Is Bioreconstruct less a “person” and more a collection of people under one name. No one can know this much stuff.

By the way, Bio also got the bird in this incredible shot too.

Who does action shots better than Bio? No one, that’s who.

If you don’t smile seeing baby ducks at a theme park, you’re not human.

Let’s end this section on a “wow” moment.

Double Secret Honorable Mention – Only Bio

We’re about to go Inside Baseball for a moment and give you all a look at a world you didn’t know even existed. You know that Bio is getting your the amazing construction photos about Epic Universe. You know that Bio has boots on the ground getting us amazing shots in all the Walt Disney World theme parks, Universal Studios Florida, and Islands of Adventure. But did you know that he has fully documented the creation and every iteration of the “flowing graphics ribbon” that advertises WDW that sits outside Universal Orlando?

I’m not sure if any other human on Earth has taken a photo of this ribbon. If they have, I’ve never seen them, but Bio has taken COUNTLESS PHOTOS of this ribbon every single year since it was created…along with video!! Or should I say LOTS OF VIDEOS!

Another “literally no one else is covering this” subject is the intersection on I-4 that looks like me as an 8 year old creating an area for my Hot Wheels cars to drive around on. Apparently when all this is finished it will help drivers in Orlando but I can’t make heads nor tails of it, despite the comprehensive notes that Bio includes.

I joke on social media often about the “Bioreconstruct Maintenance Report,” but there is a lot of truth behind these jokes as Bio documents each and every little thing that WDW and Universal Orlando should take care of .

While I don’t understand how he has the time or inclination to document all those subjects above, I have to appreciate that he’s the only person who also getting shots like the one below.

While others wouldn’t even consider taking a photo of a electrical pole inside a park, Bio is there providing invaluable insight with his pictures.

Bio’s photos show us “behind the magic” and getting a glimpse of how these theme parks come together to amaze us all on the ground.

Not that you needed another reason in your list of “how can he possibly have the time to do that?!” but on social media Bio regularly compares shots he took of the Epic Universe scale model (that is in the Epic Universe Preview Center in CityWalk)…

…to their counterparts in the actual park!

Even better, he’ll explain the changes he sees between the actual park and what he saw in the model.

I love shots like the one below which just come out of nowhere in Bio’s feed and just blow me away. I feel like I’m there.

There are times that I think that Universal and Disney just theme some things only for Bioreconstruct, because there is no one else on this planet who would ever see it.

Of course my personal all time favorite photo type of Bio is his Big Picture shots, that really give us a unique perspective on the parks and resorts that we love.

Triple Threat Honorable Mention – Indescribably Beautiful

Bio gets it.

So there you have it: Our FAVORITE 2024 Photos from BIORECONSTRUCT! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out the THEME PARK ENJOYMENT INDEX, giving a monthly recap of all the theme park news you need to know (and a lot more you don’t need to know, but we’re gonna tell you anyway). You can also follow Your Humble Author on BlueSky (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

The SATURDAY SIX Celebrates TEN YEARS of @bioreconstruct

SATURDAY SIX Presents: @bioreconstruct’s Favorite Aerial Photographs (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Volcano Bay, and more)

SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos of 2020

SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos of 2021

SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos of 2022

SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstreuct Photos of 2023

The SATURDAY SIX Takes Three Flights in a Single Day with @bioreconstruct (MCO, Disney at Day/Night, MK Fireworks and more!)

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, Digital Maestro Scott Walker, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, artist @SonderQuest, the mighty maven of merchandise Hedgehog’s Corner, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, the permit princess Alicia Stella, master cartographer Tommy Hawkins, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Absolutely no help was added by SeaWorld Influencer @SuperWeenieHtJr. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHyde and you Potterheads will  enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

RUMORS AND INNUENDO: We get many emails asking us, “who is the real Bioreconstruct?” The truth is, even we don’t know for sure. However, the SATURDAY SIX Special Investigation team, have put together a top secret dossier on Bio that do reveal some details on the man behind the camera. ESTABLISHED FACTS – 1) We know that Bio is always equipped for ANY situation at ANY moment. When it comes to being prepared, a Boy Scout has nothing on Bio. 2) Despite being in the hospital – including the ICU – for a good portion of 2023, Bio is already back in peak shape and hauling camera equipment around during his multiple 50,000 step days inside the parks during each and every week. 3) On multiple occasions, Bio has been caught breaking the time/space continuum, including being inside a theme park and taking pictures of himself shooting aerial photos in a helicopter above. It’s risky behavior, but for people like Bio, “the action is the juice.”

Using everything we know about this enigma of a man, Digital Maestro Scott Walker has come up with what we are relatively confident The Man Known As Bioreconstruct looks like…