The best Disney World photo ops aren't at the theme park. Here's why you should take your vacation pictures at its resorts instead.

• I visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida, this past August.
• While there, I found that I got some of my best vacation photos at my hotel - not the theme parks.
• The All-Star Movies hotel in particular is great for Instagram-worthy shots.

Whenever I visit Disney World, I always make sure to spend a full day at the resort I'm staying in.

There's different food to try, free activities to do, and unique spots to take pictures, which is one of my favorite things about staying on Disney property.

Whereas the parks are often crowded with tons of people, resorts are much quieter, meaning you can take pictures without strangers standing in the background. There are also more options for standout images that won't look like everyone else's vacation photos.

Here are some of the best spots that I found at the All-Star Movies resort - Disney World's cheapest hotel - when I visited in August.

Character meet-and-greets are still on pause at Disney World, but you can pose with statues of your favorites at hotels

The All-Star Movies resort is home to numerous larger-than-life characters that you can take pictures with. I stayed in the "Toy Story" section, and my room was only a few steps away from this giant Woody statue.

That area also has statues of characters like Bo Peep and Rex, with stepping stones in front to show you the perfect place to stand.

That's not to mention the giant props that make for standout photos

Because Disney World hotels are themed so intricately, you can find magical details just about everywhere you look. At the All-Star Movies resort, that includes hotel entrances, pools, and more.

In the "Fantasia"-themed section, there's a giant Sorcerer Mickey hat. While it actually serves as a pathway between rooms, vending machines, and a staircase, I also saw tons of people using it as a backdrop to their family photos.

Similar props can be found across the All-Star Movie resort - like giant director's clapboards - and at other Disney World hotels. At the Pop Century resort, for example, you can take pictures alongside huge yo-yos, cans of Play-Doh, and Mickey Mouse phones - all of which represent trends from earlier decades.

You can also step into scenes from your favorite Disney movies at some hotels

If you're someone who likes to get a little more creative with your photos, there are some stations across the hotel that can help you do so.

One spot is in the hotel's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" section, where you can stand behind a prop TV to make it look like you're on screen. Or if you're traveling with multiple people, you could have some stand there and others pose with one of the movie's pups.

Another is in the "Toy Story" area, where you can sit inside RC Car and pretend you're racing down the road.

Throughout my stay, I saw tons of people - from small children to grown adults - doing exactly that.

There are even options for people who don't want all of their vacation photos to scream Disney

Within Disney World's theme parks, you can find colorful walls to serve as clean backgrounds for selfies or family photos. But because many of those spots have become increasingly popular online, they're often crowded and difficult to get a picture in front of.

But in my experience, I never had that problem at my hotel. I posed in front of a heart-print wall in the resort's "The Love Bug" section, and a Dalmatian-spot wall in the "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" area. Both were perfect for Instagram, and I didn't have to wait for other parkgoers to finish taking their own pictures.

Of course, nothing beats a classic Cinderella Castle photo, or a selfie with Winnie the Pooh.

But if you're looking for unique shots without thousands of other Disney fans in the background, Disney World's hotels are the way to go.