Legoland Florida

After months of living just an hour from the new Legoland Florida, we finally had a free day to venture over to the new park. Apparently, I’ve been depriving my children of some serious fun! Legoland was built on the former site of Cypress Gardens  (Florida’s first “theme park”) The park does a great job of combining old and new preserving some of the old Florida style of Cypress Gardens.

DUPLO play area

And now, the top 10 reasons to love this place!

1.)   Tons of shady spaces to relax and let toddlers run around.

2.)   Fun rides (I mean really fun) and attractions perfect for kids 2-12.

3.)   Big, clean bathrooms with lots of changing stations.

4.)   You won’t break the bank feeding the family at Legoland.

5.)   While considered a Florida theme park, it still feels small – in a good way.

6.)   We were there on a holiday (President’s Day) with a lot of other people off of school and work. It never felt crowded.

8.)   Lots of toddler/preschooler play areas near “big kid” rides for parents waiting with little ones.

9.)   There aren’t souvenir stands around every corner, but cools shops if you want to pick up a Lego memory.

New York City recreated out of Legos in Miniland USA

10.)You don’t have to be a Lego lover to love Legoland. I can vouch for that!

Attention to detail is the theme at Legoland. It shines through in all attractions, rides, exhibits and even the staff . This is definitely a great day trip from Orlando and a must visit attraction for visitors to the Sunshine State.

For ticket prices and park hours visit the Legoland website. Kids under three are free!

I received complimentary tickets from Legoland for our visit. However, as you all know, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I have FABULOUS news for Central Florida families who love the Orlando Science Center! The Walmart Foundation, has announced the next “Walmart $5 Day” will be THIS Sunday, February 12. All guests to the Science Center on February 12 will enjoy exhibits, films and live programs for $5! General admission fees are usually $17 for adults and $12 for kids (ages 3-11).

Orlando Science Center

This Sunday, guests can participate in the fifth annual Mission Nutrition featuring displays and demonstrations on medical technology, nutrition and fitness. There will even be chefs will be on hand to host cooking demonstrations for healthy eating. Returning this year is the Physical Challenge Arena with activities like Wii Sports active video games and hula hooping.

The new exhibit, Bob the Builder – Project: Build It! is definitely worth mentioning and seeing! Catch laugh-out-loud Animalopolis or the spellbinding Arabia on the giant screen film in the Dr. Phillips CineDome.

For more information on Walmart $5 Day call 407.514.2000 or visit www.osc.org.

See you there my fellow scientists! (I stole that from Sid)

The news of Sea World’s TurtleTrek, opening this spring, excites our family more than you could ever know! Turtles have always been a beloved creature in our home. Not that we don’t love all creatures, but the turtles hold a special place in our heart.

TurtleTrek will walk Sea World guests through the life of a Sea Turtle. From hatching on a sandy beach to their extremely long life journey. The cool part is that you’ll be viewing the journey in a giant 360 degree dome and in 3D! (The first ever of its kind in the world!!) The film goes way beyond the concept of high definition – think 26 million individual pixels at 60 frames per second. Yeah… That’s some serious reality there. Want to be a hero for the turtles? This new attraction will tell you just how you can do that.

I’ll pipe down now and let you enjoy a sneak peek in the webisode below.

Sea World's TurtleTrek

 PS~ Sea World is offering a Pre-School Pass this year for children under five! Yes, that means a free annual pass for your kiddos to enjoy TurtleTrek any time they want.

Finally, someone took the liberty to put all of the things I’ve been thinking together and publish it! Parents please read this and take it to heart.

Rules of the Playground Courtesy of Babble.com

There’s still time left to enjoy one or even two of these events around town! Check out my Top 10 List of Orlando Holiday Activities at SheKnows.com City Guide.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST!

Holidays in Orlando!

Everyone knows I love great products (travel specifically.) Making travel easy, stylish and fun is oh so important. Here are a few travel must haves for your holiday journeys!

Harajuku Mini

Cutest kids suitcase ever! Being comfortable while traveling is important, but never sacrifice style. Words to live by for sure. My daughter Mia is swooning over this travel accessory. We’ll see if Santa delivers! It’s Harajaku Mini, Gwen Stefani’s line, which is now carried by Target.

The Text Hook

I have to talk about one of my favorite products again. The Text Hook is amazing for travel. It secures your smart phone to your stroller (or other travel item with a bar) for easy hands free use. Kids will stay occupied at your departure gate watching their fav movie while your smart phone is perfectly positioned. No holding necessary.

Kiddie Headphones

Super cute DJ style headphones for kids! Mia has the panda bear headphones and loves them. Several websites carry these headphones so shop around for the best prices.

Mia made her TV debut on The Daily Buzz and BodyCheckList.com talking about one of the fabulous Produce for Kids Ideal Meals. Healthy eating shouldn’t have to be hard and getting kids involved in cooking is key. Watch our segment below.

Cooking Healthy With Kids Featuring Mia!

The Holiday Travel Series continues… This deal is more of a staycation for us, but perhaps a few Mamma Mia readers will be traveling to Orlando this holiday season.

I’ve never been to ICE! at the Gaylord Palms here in Orlando, but I’ve heard it is absolutely amazing. The great deal taking place this weekend might just persuade me to go! Guests who purchase advance tickets for Saturday, Nov. 19 will receive 50% off the ticket price and also support Give Kids The World. Half of the cost of each ticket will go to the charity!

ICE! At Gaylord Palms

ICE! features over 20,000 square-feet of ice sculptures in a room that is kept at a frigid nine degrees fahrenheit. This year’s ICE! features friends from “Shrek the Halls.” The crew from Shrek comes to life through huge ice sculptures. There are also five ice slides that are 30-feet tall.

Tickets during the Give Kids The World special are $12 for adults and $8.99 for kids. The discounted tickets must be purchased in advance using the promo code SEGKW online.

If you can’t make the special discount day, ICE! will run through January 2. Regular price tickets are $22.99 for adults and $13.99 for kids.

Even though we are in the sunshine state, long pants and closed toe shoes are required at ICE! Hats and gloves are recommended. A winter coat will be provided to each ticket holder for use while at the event.

Starting this week through Christmas, I’ll be writing a holiday travel series to help everyone get prepared for the upcoming holiday travel season. Expect tips and news that will make your holiday travel  a little easier.

CLEAR at your local airport

Many of us, myself included, are begining to look at booking holiday air travel and figuring out how to get our family from point A to point B. The question I ask myself when traveling with the family is, “How can I get there in the least amount of time, keep everyone moderately happy and not break the bank?”

I have seen the CLEAR lines at the airports and thought these were for “on the go” business travelers only. Think again weary parents in long security line… if a parent has a CLEAR membership, kids under 18 can also utilize the service free of charge. CLEAR members skip through long security lines… saving a ton of time. A one-year membership is $179 and the second family member (over 18) is only $50 per year.

Just in time for the holidays, CLEAR is offering Mamma Mia readers a special 3-month FREE trial! No need to deal with unpredictable security lines, the stress of rushing to your gate, or the time you waste getting to the airport early. Click here to get your pass and try CLEAR’s enhanced travel experience. Just enter The Mamma Mia code (CMNDST11) in the promo code filed on the payment page.

Happy (and quick)Travels!