2012 February

LEGOLAND Florida with Kids: Fun Family Visit for LEGO Lover Kids or Any Kids

February 29, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 5 Comments

By now, I’m pretty sure most of you either have visited or have heard about the LEGOLAND Florida, brand new theme park in Winter Haven near Orlando.

The grand opening in October of 2011 was a huge success with many coverage from media and family travel bloggers. I have read and know that we will visit soon. Even though we have already been to LEGOLAND California but with the driving distance from Atlanta, it is a must-do for us especially with Mr. Z being so obsessed with all things LEGO. So here is our detail review post on our visit to LEGOLAND Florida. Be warned that this is a long post. I tried to provide as much information as I can to other parents who look into visiting in the future.

Where to Stay when Visiting LEGOLAND Florida

Winter Haven is actually about 45 minutes drive from Orlando area. Most families opt to stay in Orlando area so they can take advantage of other attractions in the area. Plus the options for accommodation will increased ten fold staying in Orlando or Kissimmee area. We stayed at the Residence Inn Orlando International Drive which proved to be a great choice for family.

Other family friendly hotels and resorts that we have stayed and will be a great choice are the Omni Orlando Resort which is closer than typical hotels in Orlando or the Holiday Inn Club Vacation Orange Lake which provides plenty of amenity and space for the whole family.

There are several options for staying in Winter Haven but it means you will be far from everything else. Plus with the operating hour of 10 AM – 5 PM (double check website for special hours and date), it’s very doable to just wake up early and drive from Orlando area.

LEGOLAND Florida Tickets Price & Discount

With the listed price online for $75 per adult and $65 per child, it seems very pricey comparing to other theme parks that have longer operating hours and more rides or attractions. However, there are also more discount and coupon code available from LEGO to help offset the cost.

When we went, we use the Pepsi promotion (which already expired) to snag Buy one adult ticket, get a FREE child ticket, a saving of almost 45% off. Check out MouseSavers.com for the most current deals or discount on LEGOLAND Florida tickets. There are still deals to have.

Inside LEGOLAND Florida: First Stop Ford Driving School

Plan your LEGOLAND Florida visit by arriving early before the park open at 10AM. We arrived around 9AM and they already let you walk into the park even though many areas are roped off waiting for the official opening hour. We were able to take pictures and get that out of the way before start trekking to LEGO City for Ford Driving School.

Our friends gave us a tip to head directly to the Ford Driving School because the line will get longer as more families arrive. And we did just that and we were the first group to get on the driving track. It’s another dream fulfilled for Mr. Z since last time we visited LEGOLAND California he was too small to partake in the Volvo Driving School. For parents of younger kids, no fret, Ford Jr. Driving School is available for 3-5 years old to enjoy their driving skill.

More School Time with Flying School & Boating School

We didn’t waste any time in checking off each ride on our map. Kids hopped to the next school for some flying time. Being one of the first in the back of the park has its perk. We got on the ride with no line. This kid-friendly roller coaster is just what I need. If you are the dare devil who loves the fastest or the scariest ride then don’t waste your time in LEGOLAND. Most rides have enough fun and excitement but it’s not gonna turn your stomach upside down.

Kids have no sign of slowing down. After the flying school, they zoomed to the next school but this time on the water at Boating School. It’s a good way to take a little break. We started to see more people and the line started to form. Luckily it’s a covered area so it wasn’t so bad. But during the hot months in Florid (which will be pretty much almost all year long), come prepare with fan or battery-operated fan to tame those heat down.

Another fun interactive stop for the whole family is the Rescue Academy where family will have to work together to compete with other teams. Then we headed out of LEGO City and stepped into LEGO Technic zone.

LEGO Technic Zone: Heart Stopping Fun at Test Track

In LEGO Technic Zone there are several fun rides that kids will enjoy. With the heat beating down on us, we made a beeline to the Test Track. It doesn’t seem to be scary at first but that little car on top of the track moving at the fast speed with no guard gave me a heart stopping thrill. I’m sure it was safe but when I was on the track I wasn’t so sure about that. Or maybe it was the momentum and physic at work at our vehicle that Mr. Rojo and I rode had more speed than the kids’ vehicle.

We took a lunch break at the Lakeside Sandwich Co before the lunch crowd started to come in. The space wasn’t big so it can be hard to find table to sit if you plan to eat during lunch. Plan ahead and take a break sooner than normal to avoid this problem. Another plus is the Lakeside Sandwich is indoor with A/C, a must for Florida fun day.

More Lands to Cover in LEGOLAND Florida

The Land of Adventure is another favorite for kids with Coastersaurus, the wooden roller coaster setting in Dinosaur theme, and the Lost Kingdom Adventure, where kid fires laser blaster at target to unearth treasure in the Egypt Kingdom. For parent of younger kids, Safari Trek and Beetle Bounce provide excitement and fun that tame enough for the little ones.

At this time, we already knew that we won’t be able to test every ride to go to every single attraction. We took a break at the DUPLO Village for some ice cream and playground fun at DUPLO Farm. It was a great way to break up your go..go..go day in LEGOLAND. Next to DUPLO Village is a stand for Granny’s Apple Fries which many of my travel blogger friends raved about on their blogs.

After the quick break, we made a few stops in Fun Town, checking out the gifts and toys in LEGO Studio Store, before taking in the bird’s eye view of LEGOLAND Florida on the Island in the Sky.

Great Place to Refuel: The Market Restaurant

For a quick refuel to recharge the crew battery so we can tackle the rest of the park, we headed to the Market Restaurant. It’s a food court style that offers various options from Asian Market to Kids’ Choices. Too bad many food selection had dwindling down to only a few choices from each station.

Another great reason to consider Market Restaurant for family dining option was the LEGO station where kids can enjoy limitless time to build their own masterpieces. We were there during the non-busy hours so it was fun for kids. But I don’t know how hard will it be during lunch time.

Last but Not Least Stop: Miniland USA

My favorite part of LEGOLAND Florida but not so much for the kids. Yes, they did enjoy looking at each part of the town in Miniland USA but they just ran around so fast competing to be the first one to push the button! It was also dark when we got to this part of the park. Luckily, it seems the park did extend the hour for another hour instead of their regular closing hour at 5 PM.

Even though I have heard many people say this park can be done in one day. To fully experience and enjoy all the rides, it will take more than a day. We had already skipped many kiddie rides that were too small for our school-age kids. But we still missed many parts of the park like the Cypress Garden or the Pirate Cove area where you can catch the Live Water Ski show.

Based on many resources, it seems you can easily upgrade your one day pass to include the next day admission for a fraction of the price. I couldn’t confirm this information on LEGOLAND Florida website so you might want to call ahead or ask the customer service.

I know this is a long post so thank you to stay with me till the end. I will try to work on another post with family tips for LEGOLAND Florida soon. In the mean time, check out my friend, Jen from Pensacola With Kids on her detailed review of LEGOLAND Florida that has a lot of great information and tips.

Have you been to Legoland Florida? Any tips or experience you would love to share?

Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, Florida Tagged With: blogsherpa, Family Adventure, family travel, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Florida, LEGOLAND Florida, Legoland Florida coupon, Legoland Florida discount, Legoland Florida discount code, Legoland Florida review, Legoland Florida tips, LEGOLAND Florida with kids, Orlando, Orlando with kids, The South, Things to do with kids, Travel with Kids, usa

Family Ski Vacation in North Carolina @ Appalachian Ski Mountain

February 27, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 4 Comments

After our first ever family skip trip to Keystone Resort, our family is hooked to this new winter sport. However, it’s hard for us to find a good ski resorts within driving distance to Atlanta. I did a little search and found that there are several ski areas near Atlanta that we can drive up over a weekend. So the plan was in motion to go for another ski trip.

We were fully aware that the snow, the trails or even the facility will not be anywhere near what we had experienced in Keystone like my friend, Kristin mentioned on her blog :) . But as beginner skiers, we just want to learn the art and skill of skiing at this time. Appalachian Ski Mountain is located in Blowing Rock, North Carolina about 5 hours drive from Atlanta, not too bad for a long weekend.

More Fun with More Friends

This trip we planned it with a group of friends that have kids similar in ages to Miss J and Mr. Z. Traveling or planning a trip with group of friends can help save on family ski vacation and kids will have instant playmates.

We had enough in our group to even get the discount group rate for our ski lift tickets and rentals. Another bonus of group traveling.

Cabin Stay in the Snow

There were different types of accommodations available in Appalachian area. Most popular ones are cabin rentals or hotel stay. We chose to rent a cabin since it can accommodate all of us and we had extra space for kids to hang out and play.

Kitchen was a center of our action during our whole stay. We cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner all throughout our stay. With a bit of pre-trip planning, each family just had to prepare minimum about of work and it was more fun cooking with friends.

We were lucky to get snow the night we arrived. Kids couldn’t dress up in layer fast enough to enjoy the snow flake and play outside.

In the morning, we woke up to several inches of fresh, untouched, white snow surrounding our cabin and covering our driveway. Here’s where we learned one valuable lesson in choosing a cabin rental (make sure that the driveway is not too steep to get in and out during snow or properly maintain with salt & gravel) or preparing for staying in a cabin rental during winter. Living in Atlanta, we don’t have to worry about snow tire or anything in that nature. So we were quite unprepared to handle this situation. We ended up stuck inside the house half a day before we could go anywhere.

But it’s not exactly a big problem for us or the kids. There were fun things to do all around the house in the snow. They built a fort, had a snow ball fight, sled down the hill and enjoyed time together.

The Appalachian Ski Mountain Experience

Our cabin was only a few minutes from the Appalachian Ski mountain entrance. So it was a quick hop in the car to start our day at the ski area.

The rental process for group rental was very efficient and fast. A coordinator gave us a quick overview and provided our group with lift ticket. After a few minutes, we were off to get our ski rental gears.

I loved the fact that there were plenty of staffs to help direct people to where they need to be. Many instructors even helped us out to put our ski boot on. With many kids on our trip, some of them took a basic lesson to refresh their learning and some headed to the magic carpet.

There are not many choices for the trails if you are an expert who frequent much higher elevation slopes in the West or the Colorado mountain but it’s sufficient for first time skiers family especially for kids. We (ok.. *I*) stick to the only slope I could manage while Mr. Rojo and our friend who is more experience skier than us took the kids to try out different slopes.

We spent the whole day there and lunch time was a challenge. We didn’t pack lunch as we should so the line was long but moved at the reasonable speed. After several more runs on the trail, it was time to say goodbye to the slope.

Kids had a wonderful time partly because they had many friends to share their fun experience with. I would be lying if I say I hardly compare this family ski experience with our family ski trip in Colorado. But knowing that this experience provided us with different experience and allowed us to improve our skill within a budget, I’m okay with that.

We actually planned another trip to try out another ski resort in North Carolina soon.

Here are family ski vacation tips we learned from our trip:

If your schedule allows, try to ski on non-holiday and non-weekend day. We went during MLK day and ski on Monday and got a great discount in addition to our group rate.
Choose your accommodation wisely. Check to make sure that you can get in and out of your cabin during snow. There are hotels in Boone area which is about 15 minutes drive from Appalachian Ski mountain.
Pack your own lunch to avoid paying steep price for food.
If you plan to buy food, eat early or later than normal lunch time.
Enjoy!!!

So have you been to Appalachian Ski Mountain in North Carolina? Any tips you would like to share?

Filed Under: North Carolina, Ski Tagged With: Family Adventure, family ski trip North Carolina, family travel, family travel tips, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Ski vacation with kids North Carolina, ski with kids, Things to do with kids, Travel with Kids

My Dream Vacation for Less: Spring Family Vacation at Breckenridge

February 8, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 11 Comments

As many part of the country are still battling the cold and snow, we at the Q Family already are dreaming about our next adventure in Spring and Summer. Our recently family ski trip to Keystone resort put the Colorado mountain resorts on the map for us and Breckenridge is one that we want to visit on our next family vacation.

It’s without a doubt that Breckenridge is well known for winter sport and ski family vacation that comes with quite a price tag for family who looks to travel on a budget. However, there are many ways to enjoy great family spring vacation for less. As we are dreaming about our next spring adventure, we would like to share with you how we plan our next family vacation for less!

Home Away from Home

When travel with kids, accommodation is a big factor in make or break your dream vacation. Choosing the right type of accommodation for your family is crucial part of travel planning.

We always look for vacation home rental as our first option. Most home rental provides extra room for family so we are not on top of each other. The homey atmosphere provides kids (and adults) a more relaxing environment after a long day of activities or fun in town.

Breckenridge has a lot of lodging types to choose from. With a quick search on Homeaway for Breckenridge, we know we will have no problem finding the right place to stay for our family.

Friends Make Travel more Fun

Another way to help save on your next family trip is to make it a group affair! We recently took a quick long weekend getaway during the holiday break with a group of friends who also have kids that are in the same age range as our kids. The cost of home rental is considerably lower than renting traditional hotel room in the same area.

At dinner time, we enjoyed our dinner as each of the family showcase their favorite dish. Kids had a blast because they had friend to play with. So we know that if possible our next spring vacation, we would love to go with our friends again.

Feast fits for the King

Food is a big part of our life and we wouldn’t have enjoyed much of our vacation if food is blah.. So to have our own full kitchen during our vacation is a big plus and one that we always love!

Cooking during vacation doesn’t have to be painful or too much work. We plan simple family favorite meal that everyone loves. The time to prepare and cook our meal is typically shorter than the time we wait at a restaurant. Plus kids can be kids and running around the house until the dinner is ready instead of having to sit quietly (most of the time) in a restaurant.

One Last Run on the Slope

Spring in Atlanta means warmer weather and short sleeve shirt. But in Breckenridge, it means discount rate from ski resort for the end of the season discount. The resort season doesn’t end until mid April so it’s a great chance to enjoy winter sport while the rest of the country flock to the warmer destinations.

Photo credits: Breckenridge

This post is sponsored post. Bought to you by:

HomeAway offers the world’s largest selection of vacation home rentals that provide travelers with memorable vacation experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. Make memories where you stay, not just where you go. HomeAway.com – let’s stay together.

Filed Under: Colorado, Travel Tips Tagged With: Breckenridge, Breckenridge with kids, Family Vacation Tips, Spring family vacation, Travel with Kids

A Hawaiian Family Adventure

February 2, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 4 Comments

Even though you spend every day with your family, there’s something about taking a trip together that just brings everyone closer. Being away from hectic daily life allows you to have more enjoyable quality time, and it’s a great opportunity to try out new activities or foods you don’t have access to at home.

One of the best places to take a family vacation is Hawaii, hands down. The lush tropical setting and sparkling coastline feel like an exotic foreign country, and the welcoming spirit and laid-back atmosphere make it the perfect place for a trip that pleases everyone.

Waikiki Beach, Oahu

We usually start off at Waikiki Beach. It’s a surefire crowd pleaser. There’s a reason it’s one of the most famous beaches in the world, after all. It’s safe for swimming and wading, close to Oahu hotels and resorts, and offers up many opportunities for surfing lessons, snorkeling, canoeing and beach combing.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu

This safe, calm cove is a gorgeous place, and has been a protected marine environment since 1967. The efforts to return the bay to its natural ecosystem have spawned decades of environmental stewardship throughout Hawaii and have enlightened and educated visitors for years. Just 10 minutes away from Waikiki, the curved bay is home to hundreds of species of fish and is perfect for those who are new to snorkeling or scuba diving. Children love to wade with the colorful fish, and everyone will walk away with a deeper sense of respect for pristine nature.

Dole Cannery Maze, Dole Plantation, Central Oahu

Corn mazes are so mainland. Take a tropical twist on the labyrinthine adventure by treating yourself and your family to a puzzling path through pineapple gardens! Actually, the maze is made up of hibiscus, heliconia, croton, panax and pineapple, so it’s not only breathtakingly beautiful but also pleasantly fragrant. Race with your kids to search for the eight secret stations on the way to solving the mystery of the maze, and try to beat the record-holding time of seven minutes. Most people take about an hour to finish, so don’t feel bad if you find yourself sidelined during the floral journey.

Atlantis Submarine Tour, Waikiki, Oahu

You’ve spent plenty of time staring at the water’s surface. Now it’s time to really see the world beneath with a submarine tour. Skim below the water at a depth of 80 to 110 feet past coral formations, sunken tanker ships and plenty of multicolored sea life.

Waikiki Aquarium, Oahu

Situated beside a living coral reef, the Waikiki Aquarium is one of the oldest public aquariums in the United States. More than 500 species of marine plants and animals reside in the aquarium, which is conveniently located near Waikiki hotels and beaches. Come to get a true taste of all the biodiversity unique to Hawaii!

Have you been to Hawaii with your family? What do you recommend?

This is a sponsored post.

Filed Under: Beaches, Hawaii