Photo Tips for Disneyland and California Adventure
Tenley and I are Disney Adults through and through, and we have gone to the parks many times over the course of our 10 and 12 years as parents. Everyone always asks how to get good pictures at Disney and the answer is to avoid crowds at all costs! I mean, of course, you take some pictures regardless of who is in them, but there are some key spots that make for amazing photos without the crowds and we are sharing them today!
The best was to get great pictures with the characters if to download the Disney app. You can change the search from ride times or show times to character times. Line up 5 minutes before and you are good to do! You can also wait around after shows to meet them!
If you go to It’s a Small World and head towards Toon Town, on your left, there is a huge blue and white wall. It’s perfect for pictures because it’s usually shaded, the colors are amazing, and no one is ever there!
Everyone tries to get a picture with the castle head on, but there’s a better way. On both sides of the castle, there are little benches that you can put little ones on and get a picture with mostly no one in it.
Toon Town is packed with awesome spots to take pictures. From the character houses, to the area right next to the Rodger Rabbit ride, it’s such an amazing spot to get traditional old-school Disney pictures. Our favorite is the wall right before Mickey’s house on the right by the wishing well.
California Adventure is less crowded in general, and there’s lots of little spots that you can pop into to get great pictures. Cars Land is full of them. For my favorite, head to Radiator Springs Racers, and before you get to the line, turn right. There will be a little path and you’ll get this awesome view without anyone there! It’s also a great place for little ones to rest.
Just like the castle, everyone tried to get the same shot on Paradise Pier. Instead, at the bottom of the pier, turn right and go down the stairs to the water. There is an unobstructed view of the Ferris Wheel and the water. It’s a must-have shot every time we go.
While these are our go to photo tip spots for Disneyland and California Adventure, next time you are at Disney, we recommend just looking around every place you are to see if there's another angle you can get without people in your images. There usually is!
Tenley has made a few videos of our times at Disney together, and you'll see these spots, as well as some others featured. You can see our first trip video here, our Halloween adventure here, and you can follow us on instagram at @cristin_more and @tenleyclark to watch our newest trip together happening next week!
If you are wondering how you can take awesome pictures of your kids (with you in at least a few!) as well as make videos like these, you can get your copy of our online photography course for parents to learn to take better pictures of their kids, Capturing Everyday Magic here!