How long has it been since your last vacation? At our house the day starts at 7am (if we’re lucky). And there’s no sleeping in on weekends. The daily grind of school, work, meal prep, sports, and baths can get tiring.

If we see an opportunity for a long weekend getaway, we take it. With Disney World just a couple hours away from my home in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, it makes the perfect trip.

I’ve lost count of my visits to It’s a Small World. And I’m on a first name basis with most of the princesses. Yet, it doesn’t get old. We always return home with a special memory from those few days. I call these little trips our comfort food vacations. We get away from the day to day routine to spend some quality time together in one of the best family vacation spots in the world! As the kids grow, I’m sure the priorities will change, and spending time with mom and dad might not make it to the top of the list. In the meantime, I’m always up for a spin on the Tea Cups.

Everyone has their own favorite vacation spots. The important thing is to take that next trip. You never know what special memory you’ll come away with.

Here are some family portrait tips for your next trip:

At Disney, follow the character's lead. They are trained professionals. If Rapunzel tells you move over, do it! If you’ve seen the movie, you know not to give her a hard time. Seriously, all the staff is pretty good at helping you through the basics.

Stow your carry-on. As you make it up to a character spot, take an inventory of your backpacks, fanny packs (yes, you’ll see them), sunglasses, hats, water bottles, etc. Odds are you probably don’t want these items featured in your photo. So be ready to set them aside.

The Disney Photo Pass service is a great option to take the stress off the moment. Just hand your card to a photographer and let him do the work. If you ask nicely, he’ll even take a shot with your phone.  Make sure you get some photos with the whole family. Being the family photograher doesn’t get you out of all the family photos.

Probably the most important tip — just enjoy the moment. Don’t get so caught up in trying to capture the perfect photo that you miss making the memories with your family.