Disney Princess Castle Extravaganza + Giveaway

Guess who's excited about her Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle

UPDATE: Congrats to April G, who won Mattel's Cinderella 2-in-1 Ballgown Surprise doll! I'll send you an email to get your address. Thanks to everyone who participated (and to Random.org), and stay tuned for more giveaways!

There was more than a little excitement at home when we received the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle. As a member of Mattel's Disney Insider Program, I've had the chance to check out a few toys. And gauging from CC's above reaction, I'd say this one is a hit -- and it wasn't even out of the box.

The castle ($149.99), which has three levels and is just a bit taller than CC herself, includes different rooms that are decorated to match the various princess's personalities. The kitchen is styled for Princess Tiana, and Ariel's bathroom sports a bubbling seashell tub. There's even a staircase, complete with secret glass slipper compartment, just for Cinderella.

CC and Ian build the castle together.

What took me by surprise was how much Ian enjoyed building the castle with CC. As a guy who grew up loving G.I. Joe, Ian still looked right at home as a castle creator for his little girl.

Once it was finished, CC opened the Cinderella 2-in-1 Ballgown Surprise doll ($19.99), which arrived separately, and played in her room for what seemed like hours. (To a tired parent, even a few free minutes must be cherished.) She loved changing Cinderella's ballgown (which turns from blue to pink with simple flipping and folding) and having the princess doll move through her glorious estate.

What I loved the most was seeing CC use her imagination to create stories, set up tea time with her other dolls and handle small pieces with care.

In that way, Christmas came a little early for me, too.

*** GIVEAWAY ***

I'm giving away 1 Cinderella 2-in-1 Ballgown Surprise doll.

To enter, please leave a comment telling me your child's favorite Disney princess or which princess room your child would like to play in the most.

For more chances to win, follow me on Twitter and retweet this giveaway. I'm at @la_story. Or you can "Like" the L.A. Story Facebook page.

Just be sure to leave extra comments telling me you did so.

Good luck, and I will announce the winner on Monday, Dec. 5!