If you're using your own photographer within the family, you can certainly take shots anywhere you want and at any time, so you can be creative and loose. There are very obvious standard shots in the parks and such...but here's a few of my ideas that might make it easy to get 12 people together and organized and take lots of photos without worrying about people walking through the shots or getting upset at you blocking the pathways and such.
In MK:
Head over to the Tomorrowland Terrace...there is a dining area that hangs over the small lake, with the castle across from it, and during the morning and afternoon hours there is almost never anyone there. It's a great place to gather everyone and take shots of the castle backdrop, and you can spend all the time you want setting up and taking multiple shots.
Another usually-empty spot with nice backdrops is Aunt Polly's, the riverside cafe/seating area on Tom Sawyer's island. It has the Haunted Mansion and the riverboat as backdrops, and is usually closed for food service during most afternoons - you could fill the waterside gazebo with all your family and likely noone else would even be there.
A few fun shots it might be worth trying:
Don't forget that all family shots don't have to be face shots/portraits. A great shot with lots of impact is to head up to the second floor of the Main Street Station, to the balcony overlooking Main Street and the castle (don't even think of trying it anytime near the parades). Get all the family to stand side-by-side along the balcony, looking out to Main Street...you can put arms around shoulders if you're close, or just stand beside eachother...with your backs to the camera. Have the photographer get the castle and Main Street in the shot, preferably with a wider angle...possibly using a fill flash. You'll get a nice shot of everyone looking longingly down Main Street from behind - it's a neat shot.
Another fun one that might take a little more planning...The Tomorrowland Transportation Authority ride. The ride vehicles are 4 cars long, with each car seating 4 in forward and backward facing seats. If you ask the ride operator to seat the whole family in one set of cars, the photographer can sit at the front car facing backwards, and all the rest of the family can load into the other cars (4 will have to face backwards and turn around). You can take a shot of the full ride car in motion, with all the family. Another fun shot.
In Epcot:
Some good gathering spots with enough room to get everyone together and take shots without blocking paths or bothering anyone include:
Along the garden path between Imagination and World Showcase, there are some 'pullover' areas off the path where they set up for Flower & Garden festival - the rest of the year they are empty and can be used, with backdrops of Imagination, the Innoventions halls, the main world showcase entranceway and lakes, or towards World Showcase.
In Canada, there's a nice overlook inside, before you head down to the movie, with the waterfall as a backdrop.
In France, there's a lower level under the bridge on the lagoon side that has sweeping views across the lagoon to all the rest of the world showcase...it's huge, and noone is there.
In Morocco, check out the rooms to the left for the tile and prayer room areas - they're beautiful and expansive, and even when the parks are crowded, few people walk through and take in all the details.
In Japan, head up to the tea house on the hill to the left - there is a seating area back there which is empty unless it's lunchtime - and it's set among waterfalls, gardens, and a hilltop overlook behind the pagoda.
In Italy, you can usually get everyone gathered on the raised piazza by the restaurant, dead center - though you may have to be patient for some other folks to shoot there too. But you can also cross over the lagoon side, where there are little Venetian bridges, canals, boats, dock ties, a fountain...and either the World Showcase as a backdrop, or looking back to Italy.
In Germany, there is a great lagoonside overlook with stunning and perfect backdrops of the Epcot globe across the lagoon.
In China, the photographer can head to the garden path on the right that goes past the smoking area (hold your breath if it's an issue!), while the family can line the wall along the pond headed up the center path into the temple. The shot of the family will be across the reflecting pond, with Chinese architecture in the background - a lovely setting.
In between Mission Space and Universe of Energy, along the path that goes by the defunct Body pavilion, there is a sunken stone seating area that is quite large - sometimes smokers bleed down there, but usually it's empty. There are raised planters all around, but also the Monorail track goes directly overhead, and the Spaceship Earth towers over the plants - it's a nice gathering spot for everyone with some cool backdrops of monorails and SSE.
In Animal Kingdom:
The seating areas of Dawa bar in Harambe, along the back of the bar and behind Tusker House, gives you lots of empty space and no people, but all the cool African architecture and foliage.
Flame Tree Barbeque's seating area is vast beyond belief. Follow it all the way in to the gazebo seating sitting right on the lake. Avoid lunchtime, and you can have one all to your family. And the backdrop view is Everest mountain across a beautiful lake!
Some restaurant/refreshment seating areas are overlooked - but fantastic for photos - the one near Drinkwallah, on the river by the docked boat and bridge to Anadapur, and the temple area on the way to Everest.
In Old Key West:
That should be easy, as the docks in front of Olivia's at the main building are wide and not too populated. A nice shot would be to send the photographer down the road, across the river, and take a shot of everyone lining the dock in front of the main building.
In Saratoga Springs:
The lakeside viewing area in Congress Park, in front of the pools, looks across the lake to Downtown Disney, and is a beautiful spot with rocking chairs and a fountain...should be no problem getting the family there without bothering anyone.
Also, the long wooden bridge across the big lake to the Paddocks area is a beautiful setting - you could gather everyone on the bridge in the middle of the lake, with Saratoga all around you, and have the photographer stand on the shore in the paddock area to photograph everyone.
Just a bunch of ideas to try! I'm filled with them, so if you need any details on locations or other ideas, feel free to ask. I'm a fairly local Disney guy and avid photographer, so I shoot up there 6-8 times a year at least. I've tried nearly every shot there is!
, thank you for sharing. I'm going to print this out and keep it with my WDW vacation folder.
