How to Take Great Pictures at Disney...

Sharing a great guest post today… great for three reasons…

1. It is about Disney and y'all know I love Disney.

2. Gives some photography tips… an area I always need some help with...

3.  Last but not least, my friend Leah wrote it.  She is a fabulous photographer that specializes in weddings and senior photos.  Plus she is awesome :)

So, without further ado...

I am not a children's photographer at all. I know this because I worked for one for five years. It takes a special person to do that job and it just isn't me. But I went to Disney World with my husband's family, that includes our niece and nephews. Since Disney is just more fun when experienced through the eyes of the kid I put aside my typical avoidance of kid pix and documented with my phone.  You don't need fancy equipment to end up with fun and memorable shots at a place that awesome.  I received good feedback from the few photos I posted to Instagram so I decided to write some thoughts on how to get pictures you will love on your trip.

Things to Keep in Mind. 

*Your number one job doesn't have to be to get the shot of your kid in front of the castle. Use the photographers they have stationed around the park to get these moments. Save your phone battery for the in between moments.


*A major part of a professional photographer's job is to know how their photos will be used and shoot with that in mind. The tiny picture of Instagram is not going to show how awesome the Epcot Ball is. Besides everyone already knows it's there, no need to remind them. When in doubt when it comes to Instagram think "Little picture, Little Moment."


So on to how to get better pictures of your kids while at the parks. 
*This is a tad repetitive but show what your kids did, not where they were. Again let the pros take the picture in front of the attractions. I don't know what the six year olds in your life are like but my nephew has never stood still in front of something by his own volition in his life.  Instead of getting that squinty forced picture, watch them in between rides and characters and see what they do on their own.  This particular one is my nephew being a kid and letting a fountain shoot him the face. It's more fun that making him pose in front of a sign. 

*Bonus tip: Kids are typically shot from above because that's how we see them. But getting on their level often makes a more interesting angle and a truer representation of them. Take a knee before you snap a photo next time and see what you think. 
*Good light is usually what will make or break a photo. Try taking the most pictures when you have it. Avoid the middle of the day when everyone has to squint and has dark shadows around their eyes. Most of the indoor rides and characters have terrible lighting so take those moments to enjoy where you are and let the Disney Photog take the pictures.
I have found the places with the best lighting were the restaurants. Look around when you sit if everything is bright and illuminated from the windows you will have better pictures.


*Bonus tips: Backlighting makes photos more interesting and dramatic.



*Know that taking a lot pictures doesn't mean you documented the trip well. I have many of pictures of this trip (probably hundreds and many not taking the advice I just gave) but I know most of these will continue to get pushed farther back into the cloud and forgotten.


*Be intentional about the moments you capture then print them as soon as you get home. Put them in phonebooks and 5x7 around the house. If you're really proud of one print it even bigger and hang it on the wall. Photos on walls don't get shoved away in bins in the attic. *Finally be okay with breaking the rules. Because having terrible selfies in dark ride is just fun :)

Thank you Leah for sharing… I think we will need to go to Disney soon try these tips out ;)

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Top Ten Tips for Doing Disney with a Toddler...

I recently posted my tips about doing Disney while pregnant… and here are a few more about doing Disney with a toddler.  You may notice some are the same… but there are definitely some new ones!!! :)

One- Know your child…

This may sound silly, but it is true and probably the most important to planning your trip. Is your child go with the flow?  Or do they have to have their regular routine?   How do they do in crowds? With characters? Take these things into account and plan accordingly. On that note…

Two- Come with a Plan…

It does not have to be exact, just a general just of where you will go each day and what order you will do things in.  This way you can plan around naps, wake times and bedtimes.  

We came early and with a plan. Yep, we are those people. You know the ones. Lined up outside the gate before the park even opens! But I am telling you friends it is so worth it. You can get through the major attractions while the lines are short, have your fast passes scheduled for some of those rides that you know you want to do but don't want to way the crazy 65 minutes later in the day (aka Peter Pan at Magic Kingdom). Then the hot, busy part of the day you can chill in some shows, grab some food, catch a parade and not worry about waiting in crazy lines. Seriously I don't think we EVER waited more than 20-30 minutes! We used the The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2015 to loosely plan our day.

Three- Let them catch sleep (and just rest) when they can…

One of my favorite things about walking around Disney… see all the kids sleeping in their strollers!  They are in the funniest positions and just beat from all the fun.  Also just have them rest while waiting in line or eating. It will be necessary!!! As I mentioned on my last post we would sit and take pictures in line:) 

Four- Water and Snacks…

Water and snacks… lots of water and snacks. There are actually lots of water fountains so we just brought a couple camelbacks and refilled them. We also brought a lunch box with an ice pack in it. Just FYI…our food strategy is always one meal and one snack in the park each day… and bring our own stuff for the rest. This let's you enjoy the experience without letting cost get out of hand. So for example we would eat breakfast at the hotel/on the way to the park with stuff we brought, buy a a couple Mickey ice cream bars, eat packed lunch, buy dinner and eat our snacks in between. Snacks/foods I recommend? Granola bars, nuts, pb and j, fruit, cheese sticks, goldfish, animal crackers and anything else that is semi healthy that will give you energy!

Five- Rest Days…

If you are going for an extended period of time (for me this was more than three days) plan a rest day. You hear this again and again from blogs and books on Disney, but we thought we were super heroes. We did not take any rest time and we regretted it!

Six- Height Requirements…

Know the rides your child can and can't go on.  I used the height list in the The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2015 or you can check the Disney website.

Seven- Characters…

Know which characters are must see and which you can pass.  For example… Elsa and Ana… the lines are RIDICULOUS, if they are not a must see, skip, if they are a must see then early or use fast passes! Or maybe your child does not like characters at all and you can just sneak up on a few and grab pics :)!  For us BD is still at the age where she does not care.  We just grabbed a few here and there for the pictures!

Eight- Scare factor…

Know the scare factor on different rides and how sensitive your child is to scary.  Again we used the descriptions in  The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2015, but you could definitely do your research on the Internet.  Our little does not get too phased *right now* by scary things.. she went on Pirates of the Carribian at MAguc Kingdom with us no problem.  However she did not want to wear 3-D glasses again for a while after we saw its tough to be a bug at Animal Kingdom.  We would skip that one if we went back again!

BD actually rode her first dollar coster… she said she had fun… but did not want to do it again...

Nine- Fast passes…

Schedule your fast passes early! They do fill up and then you can only get them for times or attractions that you don't need them. We found that afternoon time was the most busy and we tried to schedule then if we could. Also, Disney has just started offering fast passes for the fireworks at MK, Fantasmic at DHS and the fireworks at Epcot. I have really mixed feelings about this because they have taken some of the best spots and said you can only sit there if you have reserved a fast pass… womp womp. Fantasmic is a zoo but probably my favorite evening show. You have to get there early no matter what, and trust me when you have been on your feet all day you DO NOT want to end up in the standing room only crowd!

Ten- Have Fun…

Just enjoy yourself!  You don't want to be that crazy stressed family at Disney… just like anything it is what you make it.  Say let's have fun and roll with things :) Is there anything that I missed? What advise would you give????
And if you have not check it out already here is my post with doing Disney while pregnant! :)

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Top 9 Tips for Doing Disney While Pregnant...

About a month ago we did Disney with a two year old and while I was 27 weeks pregnant!!! People thought we were crazy… but guess what??? It was awesome… we loved *almost* every minute of it.   so here are my tips for enjoying Disney while pregnant...

one

Wear what you are most comfortable in.  I tried to wear "normal clothes" and quickly realized I was much more comfortable in running shorts and a tee-shirt.  When you are already… ahem… not quite yourself… it is once to be as comfy as possible!

two

Comfy, supportive shoes… enough said.

three

On the note of clothes… bring a complete change of clothes each day, including under garments.  Considering sweat and all… trust me, you will be glad you did!  I changed everyday.

four

Take rest when you can even when you are not tired yet!  Anytime we were in a line that stopped… I would sit.  We like to get there before the park opens and stay late so this helped me conserve energy for the whole day.  Usually BD and I would take some fun selfies while chillin :).

five

Water and snacks… lots of water and snacks.  There are actually lots of water fountains so we just brought a couple camelbacks and refilled them.  We also brought a lunch box with an ice pack in it.   Just FYI…our food strategy is always one meal and one snack in the park each day… and bring our own stuff for the rest.  This let's you enjoy the experience without letting cost get out of hand.  So for example we would eat breakfast at the hotel/on the way to the park with stuff we brought, buy a a couple Mickey ice cream bars, eat packed lunch, buy dinner and eat our snacks in between.  Snacks/foods I recommend? Granola bars, nuts, pb and j, fruit, cheese sticks, goldfish, animal crackers and anything else that is semi healthy that will give you energy! 

six

If you are going for an extended period of time (for me this was more than three days) plan a rest day.  You hear this again and again from blogs and books on Disney, but we thought we were super heroes. We had planned four days in a row at the park which went as follows… day one- Animal Kingdom… GREAT! day two- Disney Hollywood Studios… Great! day three- Magic Kingdom… great, though I was starting to feel pretty spent for the late night fireworks  Day four- Epcot… I was SPENT, still had fun but would have had much more if I was rested Take it from me… if you can take a day or two to rest in the week… your body is already doing so much!

seven

Know the rides you can and can't go on.  According to Disney this is what you can't ride... MK Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Splash Mountain Space Mountain Tomorrowland Speedway The Barnstormer Seven Dwarf's Mine Train   AK
Kilimanjaro Safari***
Dinosaur
Expedition Everest
Primeval whirl
Kali River Rapids*** DHS Tower of Terror Rock n' Rollar Coaster  Epcot Mission Space Test Track Sum of All Thrills ***Soooo… I am not a doctor and I am not officially recommending that you ride Kilimanjaro Safari or  Kali River Rapids.  But I sought a lot of advise before we went and people said they were safe to do.  These rides are tame and I rode them 27 weeks preggers.  Not sure if someone was supposed to stop me, but seriously felt like I was under no more risk than normal.  

eight

Come early and come with a plan.  Yep, we are those people.  You know the ones.  Lined up outside the gate before the park even opens!  But I am telling you friends it is so worth it.  You can get through the major attractions while the lines are short, have your fast passes scheduled for some of those rides that you know you want to do but don't want to way the crazy 65 minutes later in the day (aka Peter Pan at Magic Kingdom).  Then the hot, busy part of the day you can chill in some shows, grab some food, catch a parade and not worry about waiting in crazy lines.  Seriously I don't think we EVER waited more than 20-30 minutes!  We used the Unofficial Guide to Disney to loosely plan our day.

nine

Schedule your fast passes early!  They do fill up and then you can only get them for times or attractions that you don't need them.  We found that afternoon time was the most busy and we tried to schedule then if we could.  Also, Disney has just started offering fast passes for the fireworks at MK, Fantasmic at DHS and the fireworks at Epcot.  I have really mixed feelings about this because they have taken some of the best spots and said you can only sit there if you have reserved a fast pass… womp womp.  Fantasmic is a zoo but probably my favorite evening show.  You have to get there early no matter what, and trust me when you have been on your feet all day you DO NOT want to end up in the standing room only crowd!

Is there anything that I missed? What advise would you give????
And if you have not checked it out, here are my tips for doing Disney with a toddler…

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5

one

My breakdown of how to do Disney… on a budget… with a baby!  :)

two

When BD's two bottom teeth came in, I didn't even know she was teething… she just let out a few yelps one day and there they were.  I wouldn't say she is too fussy… but the 6 teeth that are trying to come in at once have been a bit of a game changer.  BD has never been much for actual "chew on these" teething products.  She just never keeps her interest in them, but I have found I love her amber teething bracelet and Hosie's Naturals teething cheek balm.  The bracelet is so cute… people comment on how "stylish" she is and then I tell them it is for teething.  We have seen an improvement since we have invested in these items :).

three

BD is 11 months old… and I realized since February is so short, this is the shortest month we have… then she will be 1YEAR OLD!  It feels impossible.  I have been looking back at my Instagram #baileydrew with laughter and tears a lot lately.  How can they change this much in a year?  How do you make it slow down?

four

Speaking of BD's birthday, planning is in full swing.  I am trying not to go to crazy with it… it is just a baby's birthday after all… but first birthdays only happen once.  I wrote this post a while back on our plans to do it on a budget.  Right now it seems like we will be under!  I will give a full report after!

five

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:19-24

There is no middle ground here.  God really reminded me of that this week.  But he also reminded me that there is grace, and that this will be a daily battle with my own materialism.

A Day at Disney… With a Baby… On a Budget

These days we value experiences more than things (we already have too much stuff... can I get an Amen).  We also have a very *high* probability that we will be moving somewhere further from Florida this summer.  So we have been thinking Disney is just something we should squeeze in…. right? Both Andrew and I got tickets {toDisney}for our birthdays... And BD gets in free:). Disney is one of those places that "costs less" the more days you do it. And by costs less, I really mean costs more, just less per day. But what if you don't have the time or money for a long trip.   A day or two at Disney… totally worth it. And here are some thoughts about doing it on a budget... This is how it went down for us... and the recommendations I would make...

Tickets/Where to go...

*The tickets are just expensive no matter how you do it. Deals are few and far between and usually only for multiple days. If you know any deals on tickets... Share with me and I will add them here. *One way to save is by not getting a hopper pass.  With a baby you really need to go to Magic Kingdom, and MK has more than enough to do in one day.  That being said, we had a hopper pass and used ours to go to Hollywood Studios and enjoyed it... but it really is not a necessary option if you want to save! *Magic Kingdom is definitely the way to go with little ones. If you have time for another park I would recommend Disney Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. * Another option if you don't have a ticket for a day is Downtown Disney... It is an option, but I am not sure it is a good one, especially for a Saturday or Sunday evening.  It is *craziness* to park, just to enter the crowds and see a larger than life Disney store.  When just Andrew and I went a few years ago, we made it happen on a weekday during lunch/early afternoon.  It was a totally different experience.  No crowds!  So I would only recommend this if you can make it happen on an off day.  Otherwise, I would avoid it.

Food…

*The great thing about Disney is that you can bring any food you want into the park!  So you can really  save money by packing all sorts of meals and snacks in a cooler, that you can throw in a book bag or stroller. *Andrew and I do think that part of the experience is their food, so here is how we did it on a budget.  First we came up with a tentative plan of the things we would want to eat.  For our short trip we planned one meal and a few snacks.  This is a great site if you want to see the food options at each park.  Then we did an envelope system- we put the money we were planning on spending at Disney all day into an envelope.  Then we only used that money.  This also made sure we did not spend money on souvenirs and such that we did not need. *Our favorites if you are wondering... -Snacks- Mickey ice cream bar- I promise it is better than the ones you get at the grocery store- worth $3.75 :), the Nutella Waffles at Sleepy Hallow in the MK-$6.99, it comes with a pile of fresh fruit :), the Sci-Fi Dine-In at DHS.

What to bring…

*Stroller AND baby wearer.  To be honest, the stroller acted as our storage point for the day.  I wore 27 lbs+ BD almost all day… and I was fine  This is why I love my Ergo :) BD napped/ slept in both. *Snacks/meals as mentioned above. *Diaper supplies packed into a book bag.  We did use disposables instead of cloth for the day and survived :). *Depending on the time of year, layers!  For us it was very cool in the morning, but hot in the afternoon.  Definitely a change of clothes for the baby… just in case. *Water bottle. *Camera… for all the magic moments :)

Attractions…

*There are tons of attractions babies can enjoy at MK... I would venture to say almost all of them.   *Switching off is available if there is no one else with you.  Just tell the cast member at the entrance of the ride.  That being said it is not quite as fun to ride things by yourself. *Download the line app. *Our suggestion for ride order.  

1. Get your fast passes set up for the busiest time of the day- I would say between 12-5.  What you get them for I think is a personal preference.  Since our little does not have favorites yet, we picked ones we like.  In the future we might reserve these for rerides of her faves!
2. Look at the parade/show schedule and see if there are any you want to do/see.
3. Go straight to Fantasyland.  Ride everything you want here first thing because 1) your baby will be most awake and alert then and these are some of the rides they will really enjoy and 2) Fantasyland lines get long and rides are short, the whole area becomes a stroller traffic jam by 11:00.  We were able to do everything we wanted in Fantasyland by 10 am!
4. Go and ride other big ticket rides before the lines get long (I would say less than 20-30 minutes is perfect).  Keep riding until you notice all the lines are longer than you wish to wait in.
5. Once the lines get long, it is time to grab lunch and go to some attractions that usually have no wait like Country Bear Jamboree and the Enchanted Tiki room (both of which were some of BD's favorites:)).
6. Make sure to see some characters and get some pictures.  We kept saying "since BD is so young it doesn't matter," now we are sad we didn't get more pictures.
7. As the evening approaches you will notice the rides getting shorter.  BD slept in the Ergo while we did almost everything we did not get to earlier.  

Souvenirs and stuff…

*Most rides dump you in some sort of gift shop... just avoid buying things. Overpriced and not necessary.

Accommodations…

*We were going to stay with my grandparents, then at the last minute Andrew used Priceline to get a nice hotel really in expensively. It was nice to have our hotel so close.

Over all… I think Disney is a magical place for children (and adults) of all ages.  It is a fun place to go and make it happen on a budget.