Going to Disney World or Disney Land can be overwhelming, especially when in pursuit of capturing unique and enviable photos for Instagram. With that in mind, we turned to influencer and Disney fan Courtney Quinn AKA Color Me Courtney to reveal her tips to creating the best content after seeing her recent Disney World and Disney Cruise adventures.
Change your perspective!
The cool thing about the disney community is there are so many iconic places at the park that everyone snaps a photo of, go to that spot but switch it up by playing with angles or perspective. We took our first photo at the purple wall in tomorrow land, but instead of keeping in simple we took some on the diagonal with unique perspectives to give it a unique twist! The same can be applied for a caste photo, we took a cool one in tomorrow land with the castle in the background and have taken a few around the side of the castle, from a below angle on the lawn and in front of the castle for less people in your photos!
Scout first, then snack!
I love a good snack shot, but if you get your treat and then look for that perfect place to take your picture, you’ll be out of luck. We like to scout first, then snack to prevent our snacks from melting or our sweet tooth getting the best of us. Taking a few minutes to pick out a place for the photo you grab the snack will help you get the shot without the added stress or pressure of snapping it quick!
Extra Magic Hours!
Some people use extra magic hours and rope drops for the ride, but we do it for the photos! Showing up early to the parks can help you guarantee minimal crowds and the best light for getting the shot, we always take advantage of this perk when staying at a Walt Disney World hotel and rise early to get the shot!
Lockers are your Besties!
Since we don't live in Orlando and shoot content for two Instagram accounts, one blog & our youtube channel we make the most of our disney trips and shoot like crazy! We’ll often shoot anywhere from 4 to 8 looks a day at the park, and last time we were at Magic Kingdom we did 10 looks in one day + 2 youtube videos. It was crazy, but we love it. The only way we can do that without breaking our backs is to use a locker. They’re right when you enter in #MagicKingdom and you can store your stuff there all day for a reasonable price. There is a limited supply so getting there early to secure your locker during magic hours is always a great help. We like to rent the jumbo one but can get by with the large if need be.
Cruise Life!
A #disneycruise is an amazing time to capture unique and magical content. You can take advantage of special character moments and fun nautical theming! A cruise ship can make for a great back drop for a photo, especially up on the deck but its also crawling with people. Make sure you do one early AM to scour the ship when it’s empty and snap all your pictures without the crowd!
Don't forget the hotels!
The parks are always going to be crowded, but there are some great photo spots at the #WaltDisneyWorldHotels ! Go check them out for a unique shot with a sprinkle of Disney magic! We’ve taken some really amazing ones at #AnimalKingdomLodge and #PolynesianResort! I also love pop century for bold solid colors and backgrounds. More quick tips: Make it match! If you’re doing a bound or dressing up as your favorite character, coordinate your look with your location for an epic photo!
Don't forget Main Street!
So many people go for a castle picture that they forget about the cute store fronts on Mainstreet! Some of my favorite photos were taken in front of the yellow watch shopLaugh out loud: a fake smile usually looks just like that, fake! I usually laugh out loud for a better looking photo! You’ll feel crazy but that energy translates into a better picture.
Be patient!
The biggest key to getting a great photo of the attractions is patience! You will have to wait for people to pass by, but it’s worth it! If you have a 3rd person (one modeling, one snapping and one extra) you can have your extra person help buffer or direct people around for a second so you can get your shot. When in doubt, add a snack! If your photos aren’t looking right, zoom in a bit and sell it with a snack! A tighter shot is usually easier to pull off.