One thing our family loves to do is travel! We usually travel by car, making for some LONG road trips. But, it gives us time to take in the scenery...to talk...to play road trippin' games...to stop at gas stations and load up on overpriced snacks! The memories, though - the memories are always priceless! I was happy to partner with Mall of America to help promote all that they have to offer, at just a little over a five hour drive from my Milwaukee home. It's a great vacation destination for all of my Wisconsin readers!
We recently had spring break. Now, we have four children in two different school districts, so they had different spring breaks. This lead to some pretty chaotic times in our household, but it also lead to some great opportunities for all of us to spend some quality time together. On Good Friday, all of the children had off, so we wanted to plan something fun for that weekend! We decided to head out on Thursday to visit family and the Mall of America in Minnesota on that Thursday. So much fun was had by all!
We headed out on Thursday morning and got to Minnesota in about five and a half hours. It wasn't a bad drive. The kids had their devices, of course, but we also had paper, pens, books, and the typical road trip essentials - my favorite? A ton of snacks! When we got to Minnesota, we were all overjoyed...as you can tell!
When we got there, we checked in and got situated in our room. Let me just tell you...these rooms did NOT disappoint! Because we have a larger family (there's 6 of us), we had to share two rooms. We checked in to adjoining rooms - the kids stayed in an Urban Room and my husband and I stayed in the luxurious Junior Suite The Urban Room was spacious and gave us plenty of room for all of our things. The Junior Suite left my husband and I feeling a tad spoiled as it seemed to be a step up from the Urban Room. Both rooms were great, comfortable, and left us feeling at home! We had a great stay!
The night we checked in we were told about the Blu Kids Club at Radisson Blu Mall of America!
At Radisson Blu Mall of America, children are more than just guests, they are invited to be explorers of the hotel with Marty the Moose, our friendly (and a bit clumsy!) hotel mascot. The whole family will enjoy taking journeys with Marty and his friends in the original Adventures of Marty the Moose, available on our Blu App and in-room TVs.
Upon check-in, children will receive their very own Blu Passport to destinations around the hotel and Mall of America®. There are three sets of passport activities for children 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12, so there is plenty of exploring and adventures to be had for the whole family! Children who earn four stamps will receive a special prize!
This is a great way to spend time with the kids doing some exploring of the hotel...all while having a great time! My husband took the boys out to explore and get a few of the activities done while I was able to enjoy some time in a quiet, peaceful room with my daughter...and do a little exploring of our own (note hat awesome lobby chair swing in the pic above - THAT was the highlight for my daughter!).
There is a pool, fitness room, spa, and more to help you enjoy your stay! The biggest problem after staying in luxury such as this is that you never want to leave! We found ourselves wanting just one more day...of course!
We spent a day at Nickelodeon Universe. We were given All Day Wristbands to enjoy our day. We have family that lives in Minnesota, so they came out to spend the day with us! There is so much to do and so many rides...so little time! We got in as many rides as possible and were absolutely exhausted by the time the day was over. But, it was all well worth it! The kids were exhausted and so were we all!
My boys are not as daring as most their age, so they weren't too crazy about going on all the rides. But there were PLENTY of rides that they loved and went on again...and again...
Favorites for the not so daring:
Back at the Barnyard Hayride
Backyardigans Swing-Along
Big Rigs
Carousel
Crazy Cars
My daughter and my husband went back after we all went back to the rooms and for a swim. My daughter is more daring and loves roller coasters!
A few favorites for the thrill-seekers:
Shredder's Mutant Masher
SpongeBob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge
TMNT Shell Shock
Pepsi Orange Streak
There are many more rides worth checking out, but these were just a few of the favorites for my family. Check out all of the rides you can experience at Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America HERE!
One other experience that we were able to check out is the new ride FlyOver America! This ride requires a separate ticket and fee. Head over HERE to buy tickets online and save 10%! Every one of us (even my not-so-daring ride-goers loved this ride! My youngest grinned from ear to ear and giggled the whole time we "flew" over America! The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and you really felt like you were a part of nature.
Set inside Mall of America, FlyOver America is an experience where guests can soar through mountains, plunge deep into valleys and rushing rivers, buzz about urban cities, and even get a bird’s eye view of the wild west, all at once. Guests feel the wind in their hair while their feet dangle, as the ride takes them on a 10,000 mile long journey across the country!
FlyOver America is the ultimate flying ride at Mall of America which uses the latest technology to give guests a virtual reality-like experience, making them feel as if they are truly flying through America’s expansive country sides.
One cool addition that we didn't know about until my husband and daughter walked into it on accident is the Universe of Light! This is held Monday - Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
Mall of America® guests will be brought together nightly for an experience that will take visitors on an emotional journey through music and lights. Universe of Light will underscore the unexpected and surprising characteristics of MOA, combined with the fun, playful nature of Nickelodeon Universe. The nine-minute light show is an ongoing attraction for mall visitors. Lights, music and smoke effects will transform the air space into a Technicolor dream that is sure to excite and engage.
Universe of Light uses strobe lights and smoke effects.
We spent a day at Nickelodeon Universe. We were given All Day Wristbands to enjoy our day. We have family that lives in Minnesota, so they came out to spend the day with us! There is so much to do and so many rides...so little time! We got in as many rides as possible and were absolutely exhausted by the time the day was over. But, it was all well worth it! The kids were exhausted and so were we all!
My boys are not as daring as most their age, so they weren't too crazy about going on all the rides. But there were PLENTY of rides that they loved and went on again...and again...
Favorites for the not so daring:
Back at the Barnyard Hayride
Backyardigans Swing-Along
Big Rigs
Carousel
Crazy Cars
My daughter and my husband went back after we all went back to the rooms and for a swim. My daughter is more daring and loves roller coasters!
A few favorites for the thrill-seekers:
Shredder's Mutant Masher
SpongeBob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge
TMNT Shell Shock
Pepsi Orange Streak
There are many more rides worth checking out, but these were just a few of the favorites for my family. Check out all of the rides you can experience at Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America HERE!
One other experience that we were able to check out is the new ride FlyOver America! This ride requires a separate ticket and fee. Head over HERE to buy tickets online and save 10%! Every one of us (even my not-so-daring ride-goers loved this ride! My youngest grinned from ear to ear and giggled the whole time we "flew" over America! The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and you really felt like you were a part of nature.
Set inside Mall of America, FlyOver America is an experience where guests can soar through mountains, plunge deep into valleys and rushing rivers, buzz about urban cities, and even get a bird’s eye view of the wild west, all at once. Guests feel the wind in their hair while their feet dangle, as the ride takes them on a 10,000 mile long journey across the country!
FlyOver America is the ultimate flying ride at Mall of America which uses the latest technology to give guests a virtual reality-like experience, making them feel as if they are truly flying through America’s expansive country sides.
One cool addition that we didn't know about until my husband and daughter walked into it on accident is the Universe of Light! This is held Monday - Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
Mall of America® guests will be brought together nightly for an experience that will take visitors on an emotional journey through music and lights. Universe of Light will underscore the unexpected and surprising characteristics of MOA, combined with the fun, playful nature of Nickelodeon Universe. The nine-minute light show is an ongoing attraction for mall visitors. Lights, music and smoke effects will transform the air space into a Technicolor dream that is sure to excite and engage.
Universe of Light uses strobe lights and smoke effects.
This entire Spring Break getaway was incredible! We all had a blast and would head over again in an instant! No one wanted to leave. We were there from Thursday afternoon through Saturday early afternoon. Honestly, if I could do it again, I would have given myself a little more time. Either we would have gotten there earlier or left later. However, it was Easter weekend, so we had to get home early. This is one vacation destination that is worth the drive...and all monies spent! I love that it isn't too far of a drive and that there is so much to attract everyone in the family.
My children all had such a great time...and they were all so sad to go! Thank you, Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe, FlyOver America, and Radisson Blu for an amazing getaway! We will be back!
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