Disney With Kids: Conquered the Expedition Everest @ Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest With Kids

Our recent trip to Walt Disney World marked a special milestone for our kids. They are now tall enough to ride most of the roller coaster rides and old enough to enjoy those rides themselves.

After three days of fun hopping between Walt Disney World theme parks from Hollywood Studio to Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is clear that the Expedition Everest ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was their favorite. Even though we didn’t meet the Yeti on the ride since he was on spring break. Maybe next trip we will get to meet him.

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest Ride

Mr. Rojo took Miss J and Mr. Z for the second time on the Expedition Everest ride on the last day. Yeah.. I was too much of the scary cat to take on a roller coaster ride the same day I was going to drive 8 hours back to Atlanta.

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest Shop

After the ride, it was fun to walk around in the gift shop. Yes, it’s a tourist trap to get more money from our pocket but when we talked to the cast member who worked the cash register that day we found out that most of the props inside the shop are the real equipment left behind on the Mount Everest base camps.

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest Can

In order to create the accurate experience and also help clean up the Mount Everest, Walt Disney World had help recycle and brought down some equipments and gears left behind by climbers.

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest Gear

Knowing that it gave me goose bump. I looked around and imagined the life and danger these climbers encountered during their climb. I don’t know if we will ever be that adventurous like our friends at the Planet D who climbed to Mount Everest Base Camp so for now we have at least concurred the thrill ride.

Disney Animal Kingdom Expedition Everest Lantern

You can check out other travelers photo at Delicious Baby.

Disclosure: Thank you Walt Disney World for hosting our family during Disney’s Social Media Moms. We received discount hotel stays and complimentary items like tickets, food and entertainment from Walt Disney World. But as always this post is based solely on our own experience and opinion without any no outside influence.

Disney With Kids: Thrill Ride Video of Epcot’s Test Track

Disney with Kids: Epcot Attraction Test Track

One of the best part for our recent visit to Walt Disney World during Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011 was that our kids are now tall enough to enjoy most of the roller coaster and thrill rides in Walt Disney World theme parks.

Here is an inside look of their experience at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Test Track ride.

The Q Kids on Walt Disney World’s Epcot Test Track Ride

I think they have developed the need for speed now!

Disclosure: Thank you Walt Disney World for hosting our family during Disney’s Social Media Moms. We received discount hotel stays and complimentary items like tickets, food and entertainment from Walt Disney World. But as always this post is based solely on our own experience and opinion without any no outside influence.

Disney Vacation

Experienced the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World Resort Orlando

Disney Social Media Moms 2011- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
As I start to work on improving our blog to provide more information about family travel, I know that one of the best way to share our experience is by video.

Today we want to introduce our video production from Mr. Rojo from our recent visit to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa during our Disney Social Media Mom celebration.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: Thank you Walt Disney World for hosting our family during Disney’s Social Media Moms. We received discount hotel stays and complimentary items like tickets, food and entertainment from Walt Disney World. But as always this post is based solely on our own experience and opinion without any no outside influence.

Tennessee With Kids: Family Indoor Waterpark Resort @ Wilderness at the Smokies Sevierville

Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort

In February, we escaped the cold winter in Atlanta for a quick getaway and thawed ourselves at the fun, family-friendly indoor waterpark resort at the Wilderness at the Smokies Sevierville Tennessee.

I have been checking out and stalking the website for quite some times but have yet to pull the trigger to stay there. It was our friend’s birthday celebration and they invited us to stay with them. So we couldn’t say yes fast enough.

The Wilderness At the Smokies Sevierville TN Hotel & Waterpark Resort

Wilderness at the Smokies Lobby

The resort is located in Sevierville about 20 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg. It’s a great location for family in Atlanta to enjoy a quick getaway on the weekend or holidays. With a short distance from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, family can enjoy nature at the same time as the fun in the waterpark. The resort comprises of hotels, indoor waterpark, outdoor waterpark (seasonal) and timeshare units.

The check-in process was smooth and rather uneventful. One note for family is that you can opt to check in early which allow you more time in the waterpark with extra charge for $50. So I guess it’s up to you to decide whether extra 4  hours is worth the $50. In our case, we only stayed for one night so we decided to pay extra $50 to give us extra time in the waterpark.

Plenty of Room for Multi-Families Vacation

Wilderness at the Smokies Bedroom Bunkbed

We stayed at the one bedroom deluxe unit at the River Lodge building which connects to the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark and Lake Wilderness outdoor waterpark (which was closed for the season).

The room layout is designed with multi-families in mind with one bedroom with 1 king beds and partial wall and another bunk bed. Kids couldn’t get enough of climbing up and down the bunk bed. With in the bedroom itself, there is also sofa bed, small fridge and a microwave.

Our group of 3 families stayed comfortable in this one bedroom deluxe with plenty of room to move around. The kitchen and dining room area was a big plus for family vacation with kids. We were able to cook dinner and have quick breakfast at our room to save money.

Wilderness at the Smokies Living room

In the living room area, there is a murphy queen bed and sofa bed for more people in our group. What I like most is the screen that you can use at night to give more privacy during night time.

Fun Time in the Wild Waterdome Indoor Waterpark

Now, I know what you want to know most is the indoor waterpark. Here is the deal. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation where you can read your book by the pool, then I would say look for somewhere else. But if you want to find a resort where kids will enjoy a full fun day and say ‘this is the best day ever’ to you multiple times a day, then you are in the right place.

Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark

There is no mistake that the Wilderness At the Smokies resort is a family destination seeing from the rows of minivan parked in the parking lot. We went there during the holiday break so the waterpark was quite crowd. But based on my friend who visited the resort a few times in the past, she said this was not at all crowd!! Hmm.. I don’t know if I can take any more people in this space.

The whole indoor waterpark was under the see-through roof so you still get plenty of Sun. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on even though it’s indoor.

Great Fun for Kids of All Ages

Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Toddler Area

With many different sections and features within the Wild Waterdome indoor waterpark, kids of all ages can enjoy the fun. For the toddler and younger kids, the Flying Squirrel Play Area provides the safe area with 2 kiddie slides, bounce/swing tree and teeter totter

Wilderness at the Smokies Wave Pool

The Great Wave is definitely a favorite for the whole family especially the dare devil ones. It reminded me of the Surf Pool at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon waterpark but in a much smaller scale.

Wilderness at the Smokies Tube Slides

However, Miss J surprised me when she went on all 3 tube slides – the Storm Chaser, the Runaway Canyon and the Trail Twisters. Mr. Z was just a couple inches under the limit to ride the Storm Chaser so I guess we will have to go back again for him to experience that thrill ride.

Safety First

Wilderness at the Smokies Lifeguards

The safety measure inside the waterpark was prominent. There were several lifeguards around the park area. But I wouldn’t dare to leave my kids alone just because of how easy it was to loose sight of them in the crowd. Plus there is really no security measure to check-in or check-out of the waterpark area.

Wilderness at the Smokies Floating vest

For kids that still learn how to swim, there are plenty of float jackets available for them at the entrance of the waterpark and at the other end of the waterpark.

It was a great weekend for us to spend with our close friends and celebrated their birthday. Kids truly enjoyed the fun in the water and didn’t want to leave at all. I know we might want to go back and visit again in summer to check out their 2 other outdoor waterparks.

Family Tips:

  • Don’t forget to put on sun screen for kids. Even though, it’s indoor waterpark, the roof is see-through so it means you can still get plenty of sun.
  • The room configuration allows for sharing the room with other families to make it more affordable.
  • The cost of the room includes the waterpark admission. So the price might seem high but if you add the cost of typical waterpark admission, it is fairly affordable.
  • Most room has full kitchen so you can save by preparing your meal at your room.

Check out other travelers photo at Delicious Baby – Photo Friday.

Disney With Kids: Luxury Family Stay @ The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Disney Grand Floridian Carriage

Ah.. The world of luxury travel doesn’t come along often at the Q Family Adventures. As you might have notice, we are the family travel on a budget in quest to fulfill our wanderlust souls to travel all around the country and the world. So whenever we have a chance to travel, we tend to stick to budget accommodations and the like. HOWEVER, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Recently, we had a chance to attend the Disney Social Media Moms celebration in Orlando and stayed at the Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, one of the Deluxe Resorts in Disney and probably one of the top rated in all Disney’s resorts.

We are no stranger to Walt Disney World theme parks as we have visited frequently in the past and stayed at various hotels in Orlando area. BUT we have never stayed at Disney’s resorts with our kids. So this was a first experience for them to stay at Disney’s resorts.

Attentive Cast Members & Inviting Lobby

As soon as we pulled our car to the entrance of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, we were greeted enthusiastically from the valet member. The whole magical experience had begun.

Disney Grand Floridian Lobby Piano

It was during the Floridian spring break so the hotel was totally packed. We checked-in but couldn’t get to our room until later. It was nice to be able to find ample of space to lounge in the lobby while a pianist serenade all the princesses.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Kids

It would be easy to impress all the adults with the Victorian-style decoration with all the detail. But they also didn’t forget about the little ones in the family. There are a special sitting area created just for kids while we waited for our room. How cute is this pint-size TV, chairs and sofa.

I have never seen so many hotel staffs in any hotels we have been to. Everywhere we turned, we always found the smiling face ready to help us in anyway they can.

Fun Things to Do in the Water & Beyond

Disney Grand Floridian Pool

There are 2 pools at the Grand Floridian. The courtyard pool is right in front of our building with large pool, hot tub and kiddie pool. The beach pool features zero-depth entry, cascade waterfall and water slide. There are planned activities during the day.

Disney Grand Floridian Beach pool

Disney Grand Floridian Beachside pool

For Mr. Z, he decisively picked the beach pool as his favorite because it has the water slide. I was surprised to find that Miss J loved the courtyard pool more because of the size of the pool.

Disney Grand Floridian Castle beach

Apart from the fun in the pool, there are other fun things family can enjoy with their kids like watercraft rental, arcade room, white-sand beach of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

There are also other kids activities programs available like Disney’s Pirate Adventure, the Mouseketeer Club, Movie under the Star and Wonderland Tea Party. Most of the programs will require additional fee and reservation is required. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to check out any of these kids-friendly programs. But it’s good to see so many options available.

Best Location You will Ever Get to Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Disney Grand Floridian Monorail

What make the Grand Floridian an AWESOME resort to stay for family vacation visiting Disney’s theme parks is by far its prime location. Situated on the monorail line to Disney’s Magic Kingdom with a stop directly at the resort make it a perfect hotel for family with kids.

As many experts in Disney’s theme parks have pointed out, taking a break during the day helps kids enjoy the park even more in the afternoon. A stay at the Grand Floridian provides such opportunity with ease. A short hop on the monorail and we were back at our room enjoying a quick dip in the pool.

Disney Grand Floridian Boat Dock

Disney Grand Floridian Boat to MK

And to mix thing up and make it more interesting, we boarded the boat back to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. A great way to enjoy the scenery that sure to make any kids happy.

Comfortable Room After A Long Day in the Park

The room at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has all the amenities as you would expect from five stars hotel. The room includes a desk with plenty of outlet which is a nice touch especially for this family travel blogger, a day bed (which we didn’t really know how to open it up) and the arm chair.

Disney Grand Floridian Mickey Towel

The best part of this room is the BED! We typically had a hard time sleeping at the hotel because we were too spoiled with our pillow-top mattress. But not here, as soon as we laid down, there was no toss and turn. Everyone felt fast asleep even before we can say M-I-C-K-E-Y..

Disney Grand Floridian Turndown service

Kids also loved the turndown service at night. The little Mickey is a great reminder of our cruise trip animal towels. And who doesn’t love to find chocolate on their bed at night.

One note I want to point out, the internet access is NOT free at the Grand Floridian. I was provided complimentary internet access as part of Disney’s Social Media Moms. But if you were a paying guest, you would have to pay additional fee to get the internet access.

Luxury Stay Worth a Splurge

Remember the saying of ‘You get what you pay for’. I think it rings true at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Yes, the cost of one night stay here can be as much as a week stay at a cheaper accommodation (and you can also do so with Disney’s Value Resorts). But for the price you pay, you will certainly get to experience a stay with exceptional service, prime location and unforgettable memory. So it’s a stay worth a splurge for a special celebration with your family.

It’s just the total immersion in Disney’s magic that makes the whole trip that much more magical. We love our experience so much that we already plan the next trip to another Disney’s Deluxe resort at the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge this summer.

As I’m dreaming about our next stay at Disney’s resort, check out other travelers dreams at Mother of All Trips.

Disney Vacation

Disclosure: Thank you Walt Disney World for hosting our family during Disney’s Social Media Moms. We received discount hotel stays and complimentary items like tickets, food and entertainment from Walt Disney World. But as always this post is based solely on our own experience and opinion without any no outside influence.

Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011: A Magical Experience for the Whole Family

Disney Social Media Moms 2011

This week we are here at the Walt Disney World resort to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2011. It has been a great experience learning and connecting with other social media enthusiasts.

Disney Social Media Moms 2011- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

We are staying at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa which I will do proper review later. But I have to say all the rave review about the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is not hype at all. I could totally see why this is a five star resort. But what impress me the most is the service and friendliness of all the staffs even during the busy day with many tired customers.

Disney Social Media Moms 2011- Family games

Our first session was hosted by Disney’s Wedding where we learned about new destination wedding (Hawaii for a renewal of a vow anyone?) and wedding on the Disney Dream Cruise Line. In the evening, Disney hosted attendees and their families at the Grand Floridian Lake Front lawn for dinner, drinks and carnival games.

Disney Social Media Moms 2011 - Pluto

And of course, we had special guests appearance from Minnie, Mickey, Pluto and Goofy throughout the evening. Definitely made many little kids happy. Miss J kept saying ‘Today is the BEST day of my life’. Seriously!! This is not her first trip but I guess staying in the Disney’s property does have its magic.

Disclosure: We received discount hotel stays and complimentary items like tickets, food and entertainment from Walt Disney World. But as always this post is based solely on our own experience and opinion without any no outside influence.

Disney With Kids: Top 5 Attractions for School Age Kids @ Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids

Of all 4 Disney theme parks in Orlando, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the smallest park in size which make it the easiest park to manage in one day. But it doesn’t mean that there are few options for attractions and rides.

Our recent visit to the Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we approached the park with the idea that that we would not be able to ride everything or watch every show. As recommended by Frommer’s Walt Disney World and Orlando 2011, you have to have a plan of attack when planning a family vacation to Walt Disney World. Granted that my plan was nothing fancy with just a quick look at what will be the best rides for our school age kids to enjoy.

Since we haven’t been to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with kids for a while, our original list of our favorite rides in Walt Disney World has changed. Now that the kids are older, they have become more involve in the planning and can go to other big kids rides. So here are our top 5 rides for our school age children in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

1. Toy Story Midway Mania: Fun for all ages

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Toy Story Mania

The newest ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also the hottest ride. With the fun, interactive, 3D game type ride, the Toy Story Midway Mania! is one of the most popular ride that you can’t miss. The ride is great for kids of all ages so the line will be extremely long. Fortunately, this is the fastpass ride which means you can insert your theme park ticket to one of many fastpass kiosk outside the entrance of Toy Story Mania ride and the machine will dispense the fastpass ticket which gives you the timeframe for you to come back.

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Toy Story Mania

I would highly recommend you to head to get your fastpass as soon as you arrive. When we arrived around 10 AM, our fastpass time was for 5:55PM-6:55PM. Like I said, it’s one popular ride in this park.

2. Star Wars: Jedi Training Academy: Join the force for kids age 4-12

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Jedi Training

I don’t know that many boys who don’t love Star Wars or dream about becoming a Jedi. This 30-minute live show allows kids to become part of the show. I knew that it was one of our priority. So as soon as we picked up the map and check the time, we walked to Echo Lake area where the Star Tours is located. Just look for the cast member and you can sign up your young padawan for the Jedi Training Academy.

Kids will be a part of the Jedi Training Academy and have a chance to fight with Darth Vader or Darth Maul. After the training, each kid will also receive the certificate. I wish they will let you keep the robe. :)

3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Perfect for the thrill seekers

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Tower of Terror

I didn’t know who screamed the loudest but I knew my throat hurt a little when we got off from the elevator of the Hollywood Tower hotel. We were very lucky that day that there were virtually no wait at all. We didn’t even have to use any fastpass for this ride because the wait time was 5 minutes.

4. Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show: Thrilling show for kids

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Light Camera Action Stunt

This live show was a surprise for us. The arena is large so it can fit a LOT of people so it’s one of the attractions where you don’t have to wait in line for a long time. The show was entertaining and exhilarating. Some of the stunt they did was surreal. It was also nice to see the secret behind the shooting as well. Our kids absolutely loved this show. Even though the show has no age recommendation, with the nature of explosive and loud noise, small kids might get scared easily.

5. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Disney's Hollywood Studio with Kids: Indiana Jones

Yes, it’s another stunt show but this is Indiana Jones we are talking about. Kids got excited at the opening scene cheering for Indy to run fast than the giant rock. The show involved a lot of stunt including several audiences who got a chance to be a part of the scene. Fighting, jumping, climbing and explosion, they had it all. It was especially nice to catch the show at the end of the day with the blue sky as a backdrop. The amphitheater is big enough to accommodate pretty everyone. So there is no need for fastpass here. For parents with young children, you might want to consider whether they can tolerate the loud noise and explosion.

Dreaming of Walt Disney World with Kids (Again)

Walt DIsney World With Kids

This Monday I couldn’t help but getting excited about our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World.

We have been a die-hard fan of Disney for a really long time. We have taken multiple trips over the years from Mr. Rojo’s birthday celebration trip to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon last summer, holiday break to Disney’s Hollywood Studio or Christmas at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

DIsney With Kids: Family Memory

So what make this trip is so different from our previous trips?

This trip we will be staying at Walt Disney World Resort property at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. I mean technically I have stayed at Walt Disney World Resorts before kids. But this will be the first time for our kids. I can’t wait to see their faces and their reaction once we arrive at the resort.

DIsney With Kids: Plan Family Vacation to Walt Disney World

I have been reading a few posts from my blogging friends about their experience in staying at Walt Disney World’s resort which added to my excitement.

  • Jen from Two Kids and A Map shared her experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is the one place that I really really want to stay.
  • Renee from Cutie Booty Cake celebrated her birthday during the Disney Princess Marathon with a stay at Disney’s Polynesian resort. Now, that’s how we should celebrate our birthday!

Business Trip with Kids

This trip is actually my business trip to attend a social media conference hosted by Walt Disney World – The Disney Social Media Moms 2011. We are no strangers to combining business trip with family trip. So I know my kids and Mr. Rojo will have a great time while I’m working.

I have to admit that this is the least planned family trip we have ever done. I just feel like we are going to see our old friends so it’s less planning than usual. At least I have the big 3 main things done. Now just have to figure out what to eat!

  • Accommodation – Checked
  • Transportation – Checked (the beauty of living within driving distance (an 8 hours drive) to Orlando is the saving from flying)
  • Entertainment – Checked (I will be attending the Disney Social Media Moms conference while Mr. Rojo and the kids will enjoy parks hopping)

Check out other travelers’ dream at Mother of All Trips – Mondays are for Dreaming.

Water Fun at Wilderness at the Smokies

Wilderness at the Smokies with Kids

Miss J enjoyed her water roller coaster ride of Trail Twisters Tube Slides at Wilderness at the Smokies, an indoor-outdoor waterpark resort in Severville near Gatlinburg, TN.

It’s a great family resort. Stay tune for more detail review of the hotel and the waterpark.

Check out other travelers Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Disney With Kids: Fun Family Dining at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney With Kids: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Hollywood Studios 2

What’s for lunch? Ah, the old-age question that I really don’t want to hear especially when we travel as a family. Sometimes it’s hard to please everyone in the family for the options we have. I mean technically my kids probably can survive on cheese pizza alone. But who want to eat cheese pizza on your vacation? Ok.. don’t answer that!

Fun Family Dining Option in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney With Kids: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Hollywood Studios Car

So in order to add a little fun to our lunch, we opted for one of theme restaurant inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios – the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre. The restaurant is modeled after drive-in theatre where you can dine in the 50′s car and enjoy B movies on the big screen under the stars.

Sound like something that will please my kids especially after a long day in the Disney’s park.

Food & Flick at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre

Disney With Kids: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Hollywood Studios Movie

After we checked in with the host who took us to be seated at our CAR, we walked through what looked like a backstage of a movie set. Then a little doorway lead us into what I feel like a totally different world. We stepped into the time where families went to the theatre in their cars and enjoyed movie and dinner. That’s what the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre is all about.

Inside you will see rows of cars facing the big screen just like you would see at the drive-in theatre. Car can seat up to 6 people where small car will seat 4 people. So for a big party, you have to be willing to split the group. Since there is no way for them to move the car around. The restaurant might seem a little bit dark because we were dining out under the stars after all. But there were enough lighting at our car for us to check out the menu.

How about Food & Price?

Disney With Kids: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Hollywood StudiosFood serves in the restaurant is typical American fare with burger, pasta and sandwich. Quite frankly, this will probably be the worst review of a restaurant ever because I didn’t remember what we had. But sometimes, the food doesn’t matter as much as the experience and atmosphere in which the Sci-Fi Dine-In theatre certainly provided us with memorable experience.

Kids truly enjoyed eating and watching movies from the 50′s and 60′s. Then again, which kids don’t love to watch movie and eat at the same time. I just had to remind them that it won’t happen at home. :)

With the main course range from $11.99 to $19.99, this is not a cheap eat by any measure. However, I viewed it as an experience that we will not have a chance to do often. So it all depends on how much price tag you put on the experience. For us, it’s worth it for a fun time during lunch with good food.

Disney Vacation

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater on Urbanspoon

Gatlinburg With Kids: Fun Time @ Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

Gatlinburg With Kids: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies

Last year (Gosh, it feels weird to say that when it was just a couple months ago), when we visited Gatlinburg, we also had a chance to visit the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.

Now, living in Atlanta with the world’s largest aquarium, I tend to be a little snobby at the other aquarium. What could be there that I haven’t seen already. But EVERY TIME I always surprised at how much fun both our kids and us enjoying the visit.

The Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

This time was no difference. After a great day which started with hearty breakfast and great walk in the nature, we were a little bit tired, so I didn’t know how much we would be able to keep up the energy. Luckily, the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies opened late during the holidays. We were able to take a quick break at our resort at Holiday Inn Club Vacation before heading out to the aquarium.

Gatlinburg With Kids: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Jellyfish

Just like most aquariums, we followed the path in the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies to view various types of sea creatures. But what I like most about the Ripley’s Aquarium is various stations inside that allows kids to explore more at their own pace in the Discovery Center.

Gatlinburg With Kids: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Fish

Mr. Z loved to get up close and personal with Nemo & Dory inside this bubble tank after he bounced from touching the sting ray, played the interactive games and jumped on the play area.

The Penguin Playhouse

As we walked around the aquarium, we rounded up to probably the best part of this aquarium. The Penguin Playhouse where kids (or adults) can crawl inside the tunnel that will lead you to the middle of their exhibit.

Gatlinburg With Kids: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Penguin J

We literally came face-to-face with them. I bet they were wondered what kind of animal are we.

Gatlinburg With Kids: Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Penguin

Many of them even tried to peck Mr. Rojo and the kids while they were inside.

We had a great time there and the aquarium is the right size that doesn’t overwhelm kids. Plus with many open space for kids to roam around, even during the holiday season, we didn’t feel crowd at all.

Family Tips:

  • There is a locker that you can rent to keep your coats or other personal items. It makes visiting and chasing after kids in the aquarium much easier.
  • We went there a bit late so we didn’t get to see the penguin swimming around inside the penguin crawl tube. So plan your visit during the day might give you more chances to see penguin in action.

Check out other travelers photo from Delicious Babay – Photo Friday.

Disclosure: Thank you Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort for hosting my family over the weekend and providing us with complimentary attraction tickets and expense card. This post is based solely on my experience and my opinion without any outside influence. I will not write about a place we will not visit ourselves.

Orlando With Kids: Experiencing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmede Train Station

Last November we spent a week in Orlando and Kissimmee. Without a doubt one of MY favorite visit was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As much as this blog is all about family travel, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea that we travel solely based on our kids’ need. Yes, we travel as a family but we chose our destination for different reasons and many times we picked them based on OUR own desire.

I have been a fan of Harry Potter Books Series since before we had kids. So for me to be able to walk into the world that I have enjoyed reading and later watching was something that I couldn’t put into words.

Stepping into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

My heart was pounding at the glimpse of the entrance to Hogsmeade. Many people might complain about the crowd and all the tourists that seem to head to the same destination. But for me, it added more to the atmosphere.

Yes, it was crazy busy when we were at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It was so packed that Universal Studio had to implement the ticketing system similar to Disney’s Fast Pass. We had to get the timed tickets for each of us to get inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section.

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Broomstick

By the time, we got in which was just after 11AM. The park (or should I say the WWHP) was packed. It was like the whole Hogwarts students were here on their weekend excursion. We didn’t let that bothered us though. Kids enjoyed their pretend broomstick ride on the Nimbus 2000.

I love all the Detail inside Hogsmeade

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Details

We took our time to check every single little details from store front at Hogsmeade. I was truly amazed at the details Universal Studio have put in. Majority if not all park staff speaks with British accent giving us the impression that we were truly indeed in the World of Harry Potter.

In the bathroom, if you listen carefully, you will surely know that Myrtle is there just like in the books and the movie!

There will be a long line, really long line

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Waiting

I mentioned that I expected it to be a long line but what I didn’t expect was there were lines to EVERYTHING from gift shop to restaurant! So plan your day carefully. Here is a few tips to help you out:

1. Get Harry Potter souvenir at the main gift shop outside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

You can get most major souvenir items (sweaters, books, wands and more) at the main souvenir shop at the front of Island of Adventure. So you don’t really have to wait in line and cram into Dervish and Bangles to get those. BUT, it was nice to walk through the store nonetheless.

2. Avoid eating during lunch time or dinner time.

It’s actually typical recommendation to most theme parks anyway. But it’s even more critical in this case because there was line to get into Three Broomstick, the only main sit down place inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

3. Bring cash to get your own Harry Potter Wand at the cart shop.

If you want to get a wand for yourself, you don’t really have to wait in line to get inside Dervish and Bangles. You can buy a wand from a cart. But it’s cash only based on what my friend who recently went told me.

Lines Worth Waiting for in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

No matter how tired or how cranky you were, one ride that you couldn’t miss is the Forbidden Journey.

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Inside Hogwarts

When we went, the estimate wait time was 60 minutes but it felt more like 2 hours for us. Luckily, our kids were now at the age that they could entertain themselves with a little bit of technology. Since, Mr. Z wasn’t tall enough yet, we skipped the locker and carried all our bags in line.

It was a good thing we did that so I could take a few pictures inside Hogwarts School. I think they should have a separate line just for people who just want to walk inside Hogwarts! I totally would slow down next time and enjoy all the details inside the school.

The ride itself was AMAZING but be warned that if you tend to have motion sickness, this ride might not be for you. With the twist and turn and 3D technology, I was surprised I lasted till the ride end.

Orlando With Kids Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogwarts at Night

In the end I think we spent probably 5-6 hours just inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I still felt that it wasn’t enough for me. :) We went back at night after we walked around the other parts of Universal’s Islands of Adventure. So I just want to leave you with this picture. It’s the one that make me dream about going back there again!

So have you been the Wizarding World of Harry Potter yet? Any other tips to share to other travelers?

Our Family Travel in 2010

Gatlinburg With Kids: Great Smoky Mountains Winter

With many things that are going on with our family this year especially during this Holiday season, it’s hard for me to spend time and sit down to blog about our fun adventures we have done lately. As we approach the end of year 2010, I couldn’t help but feel thankful and grateful for all the opportunities and friendships I have made during this year.

It was a great year for us here at the Q Family Adventures. I don’t want to sound bragging or showing off but then again I want to be able to come back one day and read about our year in travel. So if you don’t feel like going on the walk back in time with us, I completely understand. Otherwise, let take a trip back to see what we have done this year.

January to March: Connecting

Our first quarter was our typical time to stay home and enjoy time together. With 2 birthdays we enjoyed our time closer to home and explored what Atlanta had to offer. I did get to meet many wonderful people in real life and started to get more invitation to events around Atlanta. One of those connection turned into a invitation to a visit our neighboring state in South Carolina.

April: Columbia, SC

Columbia with Kids EdVenture Museum

We had a great fun during spring break in South Carolina with kids. Our quick getaway weekend gave us the chance to check out the Riverbank Zoo, the EdVenture Children’s museum and the Congaree National Park. The time we spent was short but it was a great introduction for us.

May: Family Trip to Thailand

Bangkok With Kids - Wat Pho Thailand Family

This was the trip I had been waiting and planning for the whole year. It wasn’t the first trip back to Thailand for the kids but it was the first trip they would remember. They were at the right age to be able to enjoy and recognize families. We had a great time spending 3 weeks in Thailand and other provinces. I know I have only scratch the surface on our trips to Thailand with post about Saraburi, Ko Samet and Bangkok. But there are still many more posts to come. This was the month when things started to pick up. After we came back from Thailand, we barely had time to unpack before we headed to our next destination.

June: New York City for TBEX

NYC With Kids - Day in Manhattan Time Square

I headed up to New York City for my first TBEX conference. It was so great to finally be able to meet many travel bloggers I have followed online. The conference was a bit disorganized but the networking made up for it. I had only a few hours to spare each day so there was no time to explore the city. The last day, I met up with Mr. Rojo and the kids for a whirlwind day in New York City. Needless to say, it only made me want to plan a trip to properly introduce New York City to my kids soon.

July: Orlando for Summer

Orlando With Kids - Science Center Science Park

In July, we headed down to our family favorite vacation spot in Orlando. As much as I think, we would get tired of the theme parks city, I couldn’t be more wrong. We enjoyed exploring the other side of Orlando by visit the Orlando Science Museum for a day of non-theme park and a couple more days of exploring other free things to do in Orlando gave us a new perspective for this tourist destination.

August: Huntsville for Space & Star Wars

Huntsville With Kids- US Space Rocket Center

As kids were getting ready to start the new year in school, we took the last trip before all the free times would be limited to just holidays and weekend to Huntsville, AL. It was a trip for both kids and Mr. Rojo because Star Wars had a travel exhibition at the Space Center.

September: Asheville, NC

Asheville with kids Mast General Store Candies

I attended my 2nd blog conference for 2010 in Ashville, NC at Type-A-Mom conference. This was my second year attending the conference and I had to say I still learned something new and met many new bloggers that I both admired and followed. Asheville has become one of our family favorite small town. With the second trip, we still found many new things to explore.

November: Kissimmee, FL

Orlando Kissimmee With Kids: NASA Kennedy Space Center

As we headed toward the busy holiday season, we kicked off our celebration of Thanksgiving in Kissimmee. I have yet to write about our trip on this blog but you can read about our experience at Visit Kissimmee blog.

December: Gatlinburg, FL

Gatlinburg With Kids: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We ended our last trip of the year at beautiful Gatlinburg in winter. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort hosted us for the weekend to this fun mountain town where we enjoyed a day in one of the most visited national park at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and spent a night strolling along the downtown street for the festive Christmas lights.

I am thankful that I am able to take various trip throughout the year. It has been an amazing year for me both as a mom and a travel blogger.

I am looking forward to year 2011 and hope that we will be as fortunate to be able to explore different parts of the country or even other countries (Canada is on the horizon for TBEX’2011). I also hope to be able to continue to provide the inspiration to other families out there to get out and explore the world. It doesn’t have to be an exotic place or expensive resorts. There are many many places and many many ways to travel.

I hope everyone a very happy holiday and look forward to hearing from you about your family adventures too!