There is nothing more magical than visiting Disney's Magic Kingdom, or at least that was what I thought for many years. Then I took my family there for the holiday season and I truly saw what magic was.

During this wonderful time of the year, you can purchase special nighttime tickets that get you into the park in the late afternoon and allow you to stay until midnight! Seeing all the rides and attractions lit up and riding Aladdin's Magic Carpet and the Pirates of the Caribbean in the dark was amazing!

My kids had never been to Disney prior to this trip, and I had only been once myself. Of course, my first visit was a 'do all three parks in one day' rush job, so it didn't really compare!

We saw so many Disney characters, but we didn't want to take the time to stand in line to meet them all. Instead, we quickly waved, captured a few pictures, and continued on our way to the next attraction on our list.

We went on many of the rides...Who knew my mom could survive Space Mountain with two of her grandkids so many times??!!!!! My favorite was It's a Small World, although it took FOREVER to get the song out of my head after that!

At the end of the night, we lined up to watch the parade and danced along, before grabbing a snack and watching the fireworks. As we walked down Main Street one last time, the snow came down to blanket us in a wintery wonderland. It was the perfect way to end a perfect night.

Well, that and the fact that I had some exhausted kiddos that slept really well when we returned to the hotel!

If you have never been to any of the Disney parks or Universal Studios during the holiday season, you don't know what you are missing! I highly recommend that you take the time this year and spend some time with the holiday magic that quickly appears each year. It is amazing what the employees do to transform each one of the parks and you will not be disappointed with any of your experiences.