Click! Whirrr! Zzzzzzzap! Clack! Whatever sound a still camera or camcorder makes, you can be sure you’ll hear it at Walt Disney World. Disney characters wrap little ones in warm hugs, Nikon Picture Spots swim before beleaguered eyes, and everyone scrambles to capture images of the legendary magic. Many vacationers bring a camera or a camcorder to record their trip, or simply use their smartphone. Here are our tips for great vacation photos:

You’ve finally got your family lined up in front of Cinderella Castle for the biggest photo of your trip of a lifetime. “OK everyone, stand right there!” And you back up. And you zoom in. And back up some more. And zoom all the way in. But now that you can see everyone’s faces, you can’t see enough of the castle. So you back up until the entire castle is in view. Now you’re 20 feet away from your family, and when you get your prints you need a microscope to see those happy faces. The trick is to get closer to the people and the backdrop, not farther away. Zoom the lens out to maximum wide angle, and walk in until the castle fills the viewfinder as desired. Now have everyone stand close to the camera, so they’re all heads and shoulders (or at least waist up). That’s right, get in their faces! When you frame things right your family will now loom as large as the World around them.

Here are some ideas for fun photograph collections: Disney puns and visual gags that often go unnoticed (try “holding up” Spaceship Earth in your photos); your favorite spot at different times of the day; all of the “Picture Spot” signs; and pictures through the eyes of your children (give them their own camera). How about a photo of each family member next to their favorite attraction? If you take these same photos on return trips, you can make a “growth chart” over time.

Another idea is to hold a family photo scavenger hunt for fun things and places around Walt Disney World.

You’ll find many ideas for fun and magical photographs in our photo supplement at the back of this guidebook and in the large PassPorter Photo Archive online at http://www.passporter.com/photos.

Please Note: Selfie sticks and drones are banned at Walt Disney World theme parks. Monopods and tripods must be small enough to fit in a standard-size backpack.

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