Updated April 29, 2024
Disneyland provides us with so many amazing opportunities for photography.
Today, I’m sharing many locations – beyond the castle – for you to document your visit to the happiest place on earth.
Let’s get started!
First, a map. Check out these locations and then the descriptions that coordinate with the numbers, below:
1. Flower Mickey – Right as you enter the park, he welcomes you.
2. Main Street – I like to have a child stand in the middle of Main with all the busyness of Disneyland behind her.
3. Tomorrowland entrance.
4. The Matterhorn – One of the few Disney icons you can see from outside of the park.
5. The King Arthur Carrousel.
6. The Tea Cup
7. The Actual Tea Cups – They’re just so lovely. Don’t zoom in too close. Include the lanterns.
8. Dumbo – A rite of passage for so many children.
9. Iconic Dark Rides in Fantasyland – The Pinocchio building is so charming, it’s almost painful. I love it so.
10. The White Rabbit’s House – Another ridiculously charming feature of Fantasyland. I’m a big fan of ‘ridiculous’ and ‘charming’.
11. The whale, Monstro, from The Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction.
12. “it’s a small world”
(Sorry that you’ll be singing that song in your head all day today.)
13. Walt Disney and Mickey – Where it all started.
14. The Adventureland entrance
15. Jungle Cruise – An old school ride that is so very much Disney.
16. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Stand to the left of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for this shot.
17. The Mark Twain Riverboat – So beautifully set on the Rivers of America. I encourage you to actually board this boat during your visit. You can capture some lovely images from the top deck.
Want to go one step further? Ask if you can pilot the boat. More on that and other quirky things here.
18. The Haunted Mansion – Spooky never looked so pretty. Stand near the entrance or to the far right of this attraction for your photo.
19. Any of the 4 Disneyland Railroad Train Stations – I prefer this main entrance station or the one in New Orleans Square.
20. From Above the Train Station with Main Street behind you – We took this photo at Walt Disney World, actually. But, you can do a similar version at Disneyland.
Additional Photo Suggestions
Character interactions – Take them unposed and posed to capture the magic. For tips on finding characters, visit this link.
Look at these happy kids.
One of my all time favorites – When my Jack met Jack.
Meltdowns – I’m a big fan of photographing real life. Sometimes a pout like this deserves to be cemented in time.
Snap photos of the small details. You’ll want to remember the little things later on.
For example, my then 5 year old daughter, Lainey, INSISTED on wearing heels to Disneyland for 10 hours. Why? They’re cute! But, more importantly, because I suggested she wear something more reasonable. And, because she lives to defy me. Her feet literally bled before she conceded and changed into the TOMS I had stashed in my park bag.
Classic Mickey hats.
And, finally, don’t miss capturing the end of your day – Be it a parent carrying a sleeping child or little ones bundled up in their stroller.
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Oh no! Why did they remove the tea cup in front of the Mad Hatter? </3
Great Suggestions! I have seen people take pictures holding the bunch of Disney balloons, is this possible? Or an outdated tradition?
Current tradition! Just ask a cast member selling balloons and if he or she isn’t occupied with other guests, you’re good.
Love that you dress your daughter in Matilda Jane!!! Thanks for the suggestions!
I wish I had read this before I went last month. When I got home I realized that I didn’t stop rushing around long enough to get memorable photos. Dang it. Next year I will do better. I liked your ideas. And I have found your website to be one of the most helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to help all of us newbies out!
Thank you, Robyn!
I love taking pics in all of these spots, and taking them each time we visit so that we have a “timeline” of the kids as they get older! ? And of course who doesn’t just LOVE those tantrum photos and exhausted kiddos (& parents) pics to show just how much we all love the house of mouse!! ??
With the railroad currently closed, is it possible to take a picture from above the train station looking at Main Street?
Thank you for all the great info. I’ve been to DLR many times but there is always more to see!
Yes, at several times during the day, you can still go up the steps to visit the station and take photos. Go in and check things out. It’s fun!
Great post! Really hoping I can go to Disneyland soon! Just curious, are some of these pictures taken at Walt Disney World? I noticed Cinderella Castle in a picture or two haha.
Thank you! Should be all DLR pics. Except for one on Main at WDW. Good eye!
Love the suggestions! I agree with the other people who have commented! I am really looking forward to our first DLR trip and have been soaking in all the information on your site. Do you have this list in a checklist format?
Thanks!!
I don’t, but I’ll make one. Great idea!
The entrance to Aladdin cave!
Loved all the info and the Matilda Jane!
I have been to Disneyland four times in the last two years and I STILL haven’t had pictures taken in ANY of these spots. Not because I don’t want to but because we are so busy rushing to the rides that I just forget. My husband and I are going again in March 2016 and I hope this time around we will get at least of a few of these. I also think in front of Pirates of the Caribbean would be cool! It’s my favorite ride and I just love the way it looks. I definitley want to get a shot in front of the flower Mickey and standing in the middle of Main Street with the castle in the back ground. Gotta keep this post fresh in my mind when we go so I don’t miss out this time around.
Great suggestions! I’ve been to Disneyland literally 100 times and I completely agree with you. Don’t listen to that jerk that took the time just to be mean. Keep doing what you’re doing!! Most of us appreciate it, and I think your pictures are beautiful.
Thank you so much for all these ideas. Even though we have been to Disneyland a few times now, we are always at a loss as to where would be the “best” iconic photo spots to take our pictures! We are going this next week so this was perfect for me to come upon!
I loved these suggestions and will be bringing them with when we go! Sometimes with all the hussle and bussle, child as well as grown up tantrums, you do not think of these photo ops! Thank you for your suggestions and I enjoyed your photos.
Don’t. Forget the wishing well next to the castle and Tom Sawyers Island
Sorry, but these “suggestions” are amateurish and pedestrian. Who in the entire history of Disneyland hasn’t thought of these on their first trip? Judging from the terrible quality of the photos — and the Instagram filters that make the photos worse, not better — it’s pretty obvious why you don’t make suggestions for interesting and different photo opportunities.
I’m so sorry that you don’t agree with my suggestions. I was hoping to provide some classic and iconic photo ops for first timers and those who don’t know the park well. There are plenty of other Disneyland sites out there if you’d like to find some better options.
I would like to say thank you for ALL of your suggestions! I’ve been reading your site a lot lately as we are planning our first ever trip to Disneyland! Neither my husband nor myself have been and we will be taking our older children, 7 and 15 🙂
Just going into a place so busy and large blind seems like it will be overwhelming but I am becoming very excited the more I read and study your site. Seeing the pictures, I’m hoping will bring some familiarity once we get there so that I remember to STOP and take some pictures and take it all in instead of being so caught up and overwhelmed.
Thank you for sharing!
These are great photos! I will be keeping this list in mind when we go for Christmas, thanks for the great tips!
Love the info (and the Matilda Jane!!)
Thanks for the awesome list! I took tons of pictures on our last trip, but when we got home, it still didn’t seem to be enough. Looking forward to checking these off on our next trip!
Hi, Jaime!
Glad you like this list. Please let me know if I can help with anything else!