The Disney Photos You Actually Want

A Disney vacation is a big moment for your family. You'll want to capture so many pictures of the visit. But of all the shots you take, this is the one that matters most.

Mickey Mouse and friends during the live show at Magic Kingdom in Florida.

There is so much to see at Walt Disney World. The amazing detail in each park is simply mind blowing.

The Magic Kingdom is truly a photographer's dream. I could spend days just capturing the buildings, the characters, the gardens, the sculptures, etc.

I'm so happy there I feel this crazy urge to document every element of the experience to bring it home with me.

The Most Important Thing to Remember:

All those Disney details will still be there during your next visit.
What changes between now and then is your family.

The best photography tip I know is to turn your camera towards your children and document their reactions to the experience rather than the parade/show/castle in front of them.

There is nothing in the world like the smile and excitement of seeing Mickey for the first time:

A young girl wearing Mickey ears waves at Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

That's the picture you really want to bring home, not an image of something that could be purchased in the gift shop as a postcard.

What to Look For:

If you want to capture your kids' reactions to a Disney parade, do just a little prep work before the parade starts.

I found a great open shade spot for us to watch the 1 p.m. live show in front of Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom featuring Mickey & friends.

Here's a pullback so you can see what it looked like:

A shaded spot by the Disney castle where you can watch the parade.

My family stood in the shade facing out towards the sunny area for the parade.

We arrived 20 minutes early to save our spot under the awning and it gave us a perfect view of the show.

From there I was able to move around and to the side of my family to capture their reactions in nice even lighting.

A toddler watches the Disney parade from her stroller.

This is a much more flattering light than out in the open sunshine where your kids will be hot and sweaty and squinting to see the show.

A dad holds his young daughter up high so she can see the Disney parade better.

I love this image of my daughter clinging to my husband's neck as he holds her up for a better view of the parade.

They are all snuggled in and enjoying the show. Beats a shot of Mickey in front of the castle any day!

Of course, I did capture just a few images of the parade characters so I would remember what it is they are looking at but none of them catch my heart strings like these do.