Some of my fondest childhood memories are from the vacations my family took to Walt Disney World Resort.

During a recent visit to my parents’ home, my mom was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to pull out the photo albums she compiled when I was a child. At first I cringed at such a cheesy activity, but when we started looking through the albums, my attitude changed: Almost every album had photos from my childhood vacations to Walt Disney World Resort, and the memories started flooding back to us as we were transported back in time.

#DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories #DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories

We spent hours pouring over the photos, laughing and reminding each other of the moments that led up to these photos and the stories behind each of them.

#DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories

I’m so thankful that despite absolutely loathing taking photos when I was a child and grumbling almost every time I was asked to do so – which is highly ironic given that I now support Disney PhotoPass Service – that my parents had the persistence to make me take photos during our Disney vacations, knowing how cherished they would be when I grew up. Yes, Mom and Dad: Both of you were right.

#DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories #DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories

While I can’t remember every second from these vacations, especially since I was very young during some of our visits, I’m so thankful that I have these albums to remind me of the special moments my family experienced at Walt Disney World Resort. Now every time I visit a Disney park, I’m able to recall the specific moments, both large and small, I enjoyed there with my family when I was younger. These photos have allowed my family the thrill of reliving and hanging on to our Disney memories for longer than we could have without the photo reminders.

#DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories #DisneyKids: Capturing and Reliving your Disney Memories

So the next time you visit a Disney park, I implore you to take as many photos as you can so your family can have these wonderful memories to cherish (and laugh about) years later.

If you’d like the entire family to be in your photos, be sure to take advantage of Disney PhotoPass Photographers. They’re located throughout the parks at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, and they love making sure that every member of the family is included in your photos!