But First, DISNEY! [Clarksville Family Photographer]

It's no secret that we LOVE Disney World. Our kiddo actually has been there every six months since he was born, haha! So to celebrate his second birthday, we decided to go back and stay for a whole week! Traveling with a toddler is a LOT of work, and doing Disney with one can be hard sometimes, but it's also the BEST place for little kids since no one really cares if your toddler decides to throw a tantrum and lay down on the ground crying, haha. It was really, really, REALLY hot in Florida, but we made do with lots of cool beverages, an awesome stroller fan, and a "can do" attitude. 🙂

For our trip, I wanted to bring my camera but not stress out over trying to take perfect photos and just live in the moment! I also challenged myself and used a lens I generally don't use for my sessions (my 24mm; and I don't use it for most of my sessions solely because it doesn't have a super low aperture and I prefer to shoot wide open....if this sounds like mumbo jumbo to you, just by pass this part!). This lens is super duper small though and weighs practically nothing, which is why I brought it with me for my trip. My camera is pretty heavy as is, and if I were to add my fave lens to it, it would weigh a TON (like I dunno, around 8lbs or so I'd bet...seriously, imagine that extra weight while walking around the parks all day)!

All that being said, I took a pretty good mix of photos with both my camera and my crappy cell phone camera (I have a super duper old iPhone so the quality is pretty poor)! But all that being said, some of the best advice for photogs that I could have about doing Disney... take photos but don't be afraid for them to be selfies or not the best quality. Some of my fave photos from the trip are my cell ones and they are grainy or out of focus but I don't care because I love seeing my sweet fam in them!

And as for Disney advice.... here are my top three (general) tips on bringing little kiddos:

Just do it. They may not remember it, but you will. Plus they are free till they turn like 3, so it's a lot cheaper!
Go with no expectations. They may have a meltdown, but that's ok! Just laugh it off and wait it out!
Be sure to fast pass your allotted three rides for each day. Use the Disney app and check wait times for the rides. We managed to do like 5-6 rides a day with 3 fast passes and then just strategically going to the rides with short lines. Even ones that say 45 mins (like pirates of the Caribbean for example) may be way shorter than that, so don't be afraid to wait in line if ya want to do one! Have snacks and candy as distractions for this. You'll notice our kiddo was on my hubs shoulders a lot at Disney (this kept him contained and semi entertained as we waited in lines!). I also won't lie, we gave him our cell phone to watch youtube kids or play a game while we waited. It worked out great!

If you have questions or would want to know more about bringing kids to Disney, let me know, I'd love to try and help!

And now, enjoy some of my fave photos from our trip. xoxo!