The way we preserve memories from family trips has undergone a significant transformation. What was once a treasured photo album filled with glossy memories has given way to a culture where experiences are validated only if they are shared on social media. The joy of curating visual keepsakes has morphed into creating digital displays, which can be more stressful to assemble. When photos and videos are simply uploaded to the cloud without being chronicled, it can be challenging to reflect on even the most significant moments from our experiences.

My favorite childhood albums were those from our annual theme park and museum adventures. Attempting to recreate this with my own child has proven to be quite daunting. The stress of finding the right filter and the preference for vertical shots over horizontal ones becomes apparent when trying to compile them into photo books. It’s a frustrating experience. Moreover, the anxiety of having deteriorating home videos as my storage fills up with footage of my child’s first theme park visits is overwhelming.

Prior to the birth of my daughter, my husband and I had many theme park adventures together. I enjoy taking pictures that make it seem like we’re inside a Disney fairy tale, a Universal Studios movie set, or a Meow Wolf sci-fi portal. Capturing the perfect shot, with the fewest tourists in the background, is an art form. It has taken me numerous trips to Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge to find the ideal photo spots, but it’s worth the effort, especially since the theme park’s photo pass program doesn’t always deliver the best shots and is quite pricey. When I decided to create albums of themed stories, I quickly settled on Star Wars and wondered if I could piece together my own adventures with datapad scans, essentially using my phone’s pictures.

Between attending the opening of Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, visiting Batuu with friends in lightly in-universe inspired outfits, and taking a trip aboard Disney World’s now-defunct Galactic Starcruiser, I tried out a book from an unnamed service, but the print job was disappointing. As my family grew, I became determined to find the best options to chronicle our new journey.

To create my own physical library of photos, I’ve started by committing to print pictures every quarter of my child’s life as she grows. At six months, I’m ordering many more photos for albums, utilizing various printer models, and snapping instant Polaroids to determine which will have the best lasting quality, while also exploring online photo book albums.

Most of my pictures are taken on my iPhone, as learning the intricacies of a professional camera is too time-consuming at the moment. However, nothing beats the classic feel of a Kodak Polaroid camera, which is compact and perfect for on-the-go instant pictures that evoke a summer vacation scrapbook feel. I prefer the 600 model, which I acquired from the retro-tech hub Retrospekt. There are, of course, newer Polaroid models with the capability to connect to an app for uploading images, if that’s more to your liking.

I recently tried to get into the 35mm trend after seeing teens and bachelorette parties using them around Walt Disney World. I didn’t expect the market for 35mm cameras to be so intense, with the younger generation embracing the uncertainty of not knowing how their photos will turn out until they’re printed. What a fascinating concept! The resale market for those Canon and Sony battery-operated cameras is overpriced, making you want to dig out the old family camera from the attic. For my baby shower, I used Hello Kitty collaboration 35mm cameras from Retrospekt, which the guests loved. However, getting the film rolls processed has become more challenging with Costco shutting down its photography stations.

Thankfully, services like Shutterfly make getting photo album prints a lot less complicated. Out of the various companies available, it has produced the best results for me. The app syncs easily with my phone’s camera roll, allowing me to select photos after hours of reviewing them. It also reminds me to take more artistic shots, such as capturing droids wandering around Galaxy’s Edge or the Sleeping Beauty Castle. When I did my baby name reveal at Disneyland using both my own photos and Disneyland’s Photo Pass, I ordered a book from Shutterfly and was impressed by the matte feel of the pages and the quality of the cover. It felt like a childhood picture book that I’d want to have in my library.

Single image printing is a different story altogether. I’ve tested some smaller picture printing technologies to print wallet-sized images, and I’ve found that the Canon SELPHY series has solid print quality. However, it operates off its own app, which requires buying ink rolls and photo paper specific to the model. This can be tedious, as the paper and ink tend to run out at different times. While it’s not easy to take on the go, I did enjoy using it at home during the holidays to print pictures of Universal Studios Grinchmas. Kodak has more straightforward model options, like the Barbie Step Slim Wireless Photo printer, which doesn’t require ink and is lightweight for travel, although the smartphone image quality can vary.

Albums are becoming increasingly harder to find in person, with craft stores like Michaels typically carrying the scrapbook type that requires sticky corner edges. Online, you can find albums to fit your collections of photos from special trips. The Ceremony Club has released a wedding series that’s perfect for Disney destination wedding parties, giving each chapter of your fairy tale a modern, book-bound aesthetic. For other trip prints, I’ve found that Topdrawer’s photo albums come in various sizes, including Polaroid-friendly options, and have designs that can fit beautifully on a coffee table or showcased in your library.

From rediscovering analog photography tech thanks to cute pop culture collaborations to experimenting with online scrapbooking, making theme park trip memories can still be interesting, albeit a bit more tedious than expected. Thankfully, the market is seeing a shift as younger generations crave more tangibility to document their lives outside of social media uploads, and brands appear to be listening. There are various instant cameras on the market that provide immediate prints and also have the capability to point, shoot, print, and save onto a device to share online. I’ve tried Kodak’s Printomatic, which is a bit too sensitive, and my model doesn’t have a preview window before printing, so the results have been chaotic. I’m only six months into my mission to capture my little one’s childhood as cinematically as possible, and I’m willing to try what’s out there, except for AI.

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