I love Disneyland parades. Love them. Disneyland parades are fun, fantasy and all of our favorite characters all in one exciting place set against lively, happy music. But there’s one thing I love even more than watching the parades and that’s watching the looks on my kids’ faces while they are watching the parades.

“Wow!” says my little guy, dressed as Mickey Mouse as he watching Mickey’s Soundsational Parade at Disneyland.

Pictured here is my youngest son at 2 1/2. Oh my… that is such special age; everything is magical and enchanting. He was in love with everything Disney–from Mickey to princesses to Pinocchio to Peter Pan. While I’ve always loved to get lost in the magic of it all at Disneyland, I’ve found that turning the camera away from the Disney action and pointing the lens at my kids’ faces is where the real magic can be found. Admittedly, these pictures are usually shot at an awkward angle or catch the moment a second late, but once in a while, you catch that look of wonderment and that moment is memorialized.

Of all of the Disney magic I’ve ever experienced, none is more special than the look in my son’s eyes as he watches a Disneyland parade in sheer amazement and wonder.

I encourage you to begin turning the camera away from the Disney magic and focus on those reaction shots. Twenty years from now, it will be nice to see what Disney parades looked, but I promise you’ll be even more happy to see the look of wonderment on your baby’s face when he’s a grown man because of those parades. My boys are now 12, 9 and 7, and while my 7-year-old still gets excited, that wonderment does begin to fade and those moments of pure magic are sadly fleeting. I can tell you that a mere four years after these photos were taken, my heart aches and my eyes fill with tears every time I look at them. I can tell you that I don’t feel the same way when I look at the photos of parade floats.

Hold on to the magic with all you’ve got!!!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2017.