Orange County Register

Confession: I’m not big on holidays. I used to be — when my parents and brother lived closer, and I allowed myself to be swept up by the cuddly, romantic atmosphere of it all. But the past year and a half has been rough, and holidays have a tendency to evoke a heart-stopping bitter sweetness.

I try not to let it get the best of me, and recently decided I’d do my best to find the happy in Happy Holidays — for my son — even if it does seem a tad too early.

Yesterday, Disneyland made that happen.

Surrounded by three- and four- and 12-member families, my monster and I were lost in a sea of ornaments and lights and, at the end of the fireworks show, even snow. (OK, soap, but still.)

We were invited to a special holiday event just for parent bloggers. Treated to a day at Disneyland — complete with a wristband to get us in front of the line at “it’s a small world,” a buffet dinner, and access to a little roped-off area on Main Street to watch the fireworks — Sam and I strolled for hours around the Magic Kingdom.

I’ve been a pass holder for years, so this was far from our first time at the Happiest Place on Earth. Last year, though, the holiday decor was beyond lost on my then 3-month-old.

This year, his mouth was literally agape as the sky and castle lit up. He couldn’t stop waving at Mickey, Minnie and Goofy during dinner, and kept pulling me along to try to get a closer look. Of course, he’s still a little cautious when the characters pay any attention to him, but he’s definitely curious.

We previewed the new holiday fashion — can’t wait to get my hands on these adorable Mickey jammies, by the way — and tried out the new Mobile Magic app made for Verizon phones. We noshed on chocolate yule logs and slices of turkey. I even got my own Disney name tag.

Yes, we were spoiled. I feel a little unworthy of such VIP treatment, but my son’s happy giggles eased the guilt.

And I’ve decided: Disneyland is my favorite part of Christmas.

We’ll surely make at least a couple more trips before the holidays are over.

How often do you and your family visit the Magic Kingdom during the holidays?

Check out more of my pics from our special day at Disneyland:

Hear more about the event from OC Family blogger Suzanne Broughton and Peace Love and Momminess blogger Debbie Lavdas.

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