10 Tips for Great Disney Vacation Photos

Disney vacation photos are my favorite souvenir from all of our trips.  Today, I’d like to share with you 10 Tips for Great Disney Vacation Photos!  

Upon returning from any of our Walt Disney World vacations, I always have hundreds, yes literally hundreds of photos to go through.  They’re on my phone and we get MemoryMaker….and they make me so happy!  I LOVE capturing our family memories while we are on vacation.  

Take a FAMILY picture in front of the park icons.  The key here is FAMILY picture.  There are MemoryMaker Photographers at the entrances to each park, and I have no shame in handing over my camera for them to take some pictures of the 5 of us when we enter the park.  Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, the topiaries at the entrance to Hollywood Studios, and the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom provide a classic and perfect backdrop for a great family photo.  I love looking back to see how our family has grown and changed over the years, but the background for the pictures stay the same!

Photograph your child on their level.  When interacting with your children, the characters get down on their level.  You should too!  By getting down on their level, you are shooting them directly, which will give you a better angle in your photo.  Shooting from standing up and pointing down isn’t flattering for anyone in a photo, your child included. Taking Disney vacation photos should be fun, and getting those candids is a must!

Photograph the signs, attraction decor, and other small details at your resort or in the parks.  I’ve used these for backgrounds in my scrapbooks, or even on letterhead or notecards.   Disney adds so many magical touches and details to everything they do, and you’ll want to capture it on camera.

Hand over the camera.  I learned early on, that if I wanted to be in any photographs, I had to hand the camera over.  I will give it to the MemoryMaker photographers, complete strangers, and even my kiddos sometimes.  It’s my mission during each Disney trip to take many photos that include the 5 of us.  I also love taking pictures WITH my children, not just OF my children.  We come home with lots of selfies of us enjoying an attraction together!

Get MemoryMaker.   You will not be sorry!  The MemoryMaker photographers are spread out all over the parks. They will even take photos with your own camera!  Plus, when you get home, you can add so many cute touches to your photos. I love the borders, autographs, and special holiday aspects that can be added to our MemoryMaker photos.

Be on the look out for unique vantage points.  One of my favorite Disney photos EVER is from our view out the window during our meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table.  We had this perfect view of Fantasyland.  And then combined with the details on the glass and the morning sun, it ended up being a great shot!

Take photos while on the attractions or enjoying the shows.  What about the first time your child becomes a Galactic Hero on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin?  Get a shot of that score!  Or their absolute enjoyment when looking bright eyed at all the details in the Living Seas with Nemo and Friends, as they swim along in their clam shell.  There are so many opportunities right in front of you that you won’t want to miss.  Not every picture has to be posed.

Photograph those “firsts”.  We’ve been to Walt Disney World numerous times.  But, there’s a first for everything. Enjoying your first Mickey shaped rice krispie treat, your first ride on the monorail, or your first time staying at a Deluxe resort.  There are so many firsts, and you’ll want to capture those memories.  Many of my favorite Disney vacation photos are of food, our kids seeing their favorite character for the first time, or our first view of the castle.

 

Get to the Disney Parks early in the morning.  My favorite photos are taken early morning at Magic Kingdom. On several trips, we have had a practically empty Main Street USA as we entered the park for a pre park opening breakfast.  These photos are priceless, with hardly any crowds around.   Check out the photo at the top of my post.  That was taken on our way to Cinderella’s Royal Table early in the morning.  I mean, how cool is that?!

Wear matching shirts or Disney bound for some great photos!  When my daughter and I did Disney together, we had matching shirts for each day of our trip.  As a family, the kids wear Disney shirts, and then my husband and I coordinate in Disney colors for that park.  I know not everyone is into Disney clothes, but for a trip to Walt Disney World, it really makes for great photos!  

 

Have you visited the Disney parks?  If so, what is your FAVORITE photograph from one of your trips?  Do you have anything to add to this list?