Smithsonian looking for your Disney vacation photos

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is asking travelers to share photos about their visits to Disneyland and Walt Disney World for possible display at the museum.

The "future project" is looking at how the Disney theme parks looked and changed over the decades. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 14.

"Did you pose for a picture in front of Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella Castle?" the museum asks on its website. "Maybe take a selfie eating an iconic Mickey Premium Bar or getting an autograph from a famous character? If so, we want you to share your photos with us!"

The photos can be from any decade or time period and do not have to be works of art. "We love candid and posed, even fingers on the lens are A-OK. We can crop photos for composition, so don't hold back on blurry or double-exposed photos," the museum says.

Related: 10 new attractions and offerings coming to Disney World in 2022

More specifics

The museum wants: "Photos of you, your friends, and your families at Disneyland or Walt Disney World and the story of what the photograph and visit mean to you. When was the visit, and with whom? What feelings did it evoke for you?"

The idea is the Disney parks as you experienced them, "posing with characters, kids worn out and sleeping, families, couples, individuals, people of all abilities, ethnicities, ages, on rides, eating together, looking at maps—everyday stuff!" the museum says.

Action shots, color, sepia and black-and-white photos, cellphone images, anything that can be scanned for "exhibition-quality images" is being sought.

The museum is requesting the highest-resolution images you have available. You may send images in jpg, pdf, png or tiff format, to NMAH-DisneyStories@si.edu.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Email address

Sign up

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Related: The best restaurants for outdoor dining at Disney World

The museum is also asking for a few sentences about the photo "and your Disney park story," as well as your name and the best way for the museum to get in touch with you.

Keep in mind for privacy and permission reasons the museum can't use photos of identifiable children unless the photo is of you or you are their guardian. The same goes for identifiable Disney cast members.

Not every photo submitted will be used. Due to the overwhelming response, the museum team has added a notice on its website noting that it may not respond directly to every message – though adds that all submissions will contribute to "ongoing research."