Turns out we're not the only ones who just got back from Disneyland

So here's the thing. I hate crowds. I really, really hate crowds. I hate crowds the way I hate sites like Groupon and Living Social. I like a bargain as much as the next person, but I hate the feeling of "OMG, I have to buy this oil change for my car and $20 worth of drinks at a bar that I have never been to rightthisveryminute before the deal passes me by!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!" It's why I will never, ever be caught dead at a Black Friday or even a Cyber Monday sale. Crowds and the frenzy of people searching for DEALSOMGDEALS!!!!! is not for me.

Crowds turn normally nice, lovely people into annoying, pushy people. Throw a huge mass of people into an amusement park and they are even more annoying a pushy. Everyone is clamoring to be the next person in line for a corn dog or running to the new roller coaster or to make sure their child is the next in line to have their picture taken with a giant mouse in red shorts.

We took our kids to Disneyland this past week. They did not return to school until yesterday and I read somewhere that the first week of January is apparently the third least busiest week at the happiest place on earth. Well, it is now clear to me that they meant the first week of January during a normal year, when all the kids are likely to be back in school. It turns out that lots of schools did not return until yesterday, not just mine. Hindsight.

Here is what Disneyland looked like while we were there.

We make the trek to Mickey-ville every three years and this was our third trip. Both other times we've pulled the kids out of school and the crowds have been non-existant. We wandered at our own pace through the park and had a great time. This was an entirely different experience. I turned into a person I really wasn't too fond of.

"OK kids, stay right next to me and don't get distracted"

"Seriously? You have to go to the bathroom again? Jeez."

"OK, you HAVE to hold my hand. You blend right in with 50 million other kids in Yoda t-shirts"

"If I buy you cotton candy, will you promise not to whine while we stand in line for 45 minutes to ride Space Mountain?"

"I said stay right next to me!!"

"Stop touching me, mommy needs some personal space."

"No seriously, stop touching me."

"Stay close to your dad and yes, you HAVE to hold his hand."

We learned some valuable lessons though, like how to make the most of Disneyland fast passes, green cotton candy is gross, you get more wet on Grizzly River Run than you do on Splash Mountain, one should never ride the Matterhorn if one really has to pee and has given birth to three children, pancakes shaped like Mickey just taste better and sometimes all you can do is just laugh and enjoy the ride.

Although our trip wasn't ideal, we made the best of it and according to my son, "made some family memories." The look on his face after riding Star Tours for the first time made it all worth it for me. No matter how anti-Disney you may be, they do know how to create magic -- for kids and adults.