Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND New York Resort!

in Halloween, lego, legoland, Mid-Atlantic, theme parks with No comments

LEGOLAND New York Brick-or-Treat - Image from LEGOLAND

Who doesn't love a few "bricks" and treats this time of year? LEGOLAND New York Resort is debuting an all new month-long Halloween "spook-tacular" event that you won't want to miss. Here are all the highlights of Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND New York Resort:

Join LEGOLAND New York Resort every Saturday and Sunday in October 2021 from 3:00PM - 6:00PM
Check out all seven themed lands with kid-friendly Halloween activities including trick-or-treating!
Special Halloween characters will be on-site to add to the fun.
Guests ages 12 and under can join an awesome costume contest including categories for:

Most LEGO Themed
Spookiest
Most Imaginative
Funniest
Best of the Best

Best of all, your admission to Brick-or-Treat is included with your single-day ticket purchase, hotel package, or annual pass. Traveling to Goshen, New York to visit? Don't miss the LEGOLAND New York Hotel! Guests at the hotel will be immersed into the fun and scares with Halloween decor adding to the "treats" of the season.

About LEGOLAND New York Resort

LEGOLAND New York Resort Brick-or-Treat - Image from LEGOLAND

AWESOME AWAITS at LEGOLAND® New York Resort, the ultimate LEGO® theme park destination, now open just outside New York City in the beautiful Hudson Valley! At LEGOLAND New York, kids ages two through 12 and their families can ride, climb, splash, and build their way through seven themed lands. Transform into a Minifigure on the world-premiere LEGO® Factory Adventure Ride, master the art of Spinjitzu on LEGO® NINJAGO® the Ride, save the kingdom on the Dragon Coaster, and explore awesome LEGO built cities in MINILAND! Adding to the multi-day destination experience, the bricktastic fun continues at LEGOLAND® Hotel, open year-round! The only LEGO themed hotel in the Northeast, it features 250 rooms in four themes: LEGO® Pirates, Kingdom, LEGO® Friends and LEGO® NINJAGO® – all just steps away from the theme park! The park is easily accessible by car, Metro-North train and direct bus service on Coach USA from Port Authority. For more information visit https://www.legoland.com/new-york/.

Hersheypark in the Dark 2021

in Halloween, Hershey, Hersheypark, Mid-Atlantic, Pennsylvania, rides, theme parks with No comments

Hersheypark in the Dark is back for 2021 and it's SWEETER than ever! If you've never experienced this seasonal favorite in Hershey, PA you have been missing out! We've been to Hersheypark in the Dark several times and it's always a blast. What better way to celebrate the Halloween season then with rides, decorations, festivities, and. . .oh yeah!. . .CHOCOLATE! Find out more about the 15th Anniversary of Hersheypark in the Dark below.

When can you visit Hersheypark in the Dark in 2021?

Hersheypark in the Dark - Image from Hersheypark

Hersheypark in the Dark is open for three weekends in October 2021. Beginning Friday, October 15, guests can visit Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. Hersheypark in the Dark will be open through Sunday, October 31. Guests can visit Friday evenings from 5PM - 9PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 2PM - 9PM.

What attractions are open inside the park during Hersheypark in the Dark?

Say "Boo-to-You" at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

in Halloween, holidays, MK, MNSSHP, parade, party, WDW with No comments

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been delighting guests of the Walt Disney World Resort for more than two decades. Once you've visited this event, it's easy to see why guests return year after year for spooktacular fun. Whether you are looking for unique treats, rare characters, fa-boo-lous entertainment, or more time on your favorite attractions, there is certainly something for everyone to enjoy. So here is a list of my frightful dos and don'ts while visiting this special ticketed event.

Do Arrive Early - Magic Kingdom Park opens to guests holding a ticket to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at 4PM even though the party doesn't start until 7PM. With the cost of the event soaring in recent years, make the most of your party ticket by entering early. Use this extra time to ride some of your favorite rides (you can even grab FastPass+ reservations between 4PM and 6PM!) and grab some dinner. You're paying a lot of money for the special entertainment and characters available during the party so you won't want to waste party time eating dinner.

Don't Miss the Special Treats - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party features many great sweet treats. Throughout Magic Kingdom Park, there are several trick-or-treat locations which generously distribute mounds of Halloween candy. In addition, you can find desserts and unique eats at many of the dining locations around the park. From cupcakes to ice cream and everything in between, you certainly won't go hungry during the party. I tried the Zero Waffle Sundae at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments which was filling and fun featuring the image of Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Do Arrive Early for the Parade - Whether you choose to watch the early or late parade or you choose to watch it from Frontierland or Main Street, U.S.A., be sure to arrive approximately 10 minutes early so you don't miss the Headless Horseman's arrival. Of course, if you want a prime viewing location, you'll probably want to snag your spot up to 30 minutes ahead of the parade, but this also isn't necessary unless you're picky. I went to the 11:15PM parade and watched it from Liberty Square. Arriving at 11:05 still gave me a front row location and I grabbed my spot right on time for the beginning of the parade. Speaking of the parade, Mickey's Boo-to-You Parade is fantastic - probably my favorite on property. You won't want to miss the Grim Grinning Ghosts and the Gravediggers as they captivate audiences along the route. Of course, villains and some other favorite characters make appearances too!

Don't Head to the Party Without a Plan - There is so much to see and do you won't want to come and "wing it." Know what your priorities are before you arrive and make a plan to achieve them. I love meeting rare characters, but no character in my mind is worth a wait of more than an hour so I knew not to worry about Jack Skellington and Sally. I also knew that I only wanted to do rides during the party that were "special" as I can ride the other rides on any visit to Magic Kingdom Park. For example, Space Mountain had a Halloween makeover and Pirates of the Caribbean featured live pirates in the queue and in the ride! I used Kenny the Pirate's Character Locator app to help me plan out the characters I wanted to meet and used his tips for timing to make the most of my evening in the park. I also knew that I'd be able to stay until the end of the party since I was traveling without my little ones so I opted to watch the later parade and the midnight Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular which were less crowded.

Do Dress Up and Have Fun - Halloween is a time for everyone to be kids so don't miss out on the fun! There were plenty of adults and kids alike dressed in full costume and others simply wearing festive attire. I opted for a simple Lularoe outfit using my Maleficent leggings and my new Maleficent ears to be comfy as I ran around the park. If you are dressing in costume, be sure to visit the Walt Disney World Resort website for current guidelines. Costume restrictions are looser during the party, but there are still items that are prohibited for adults.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was an amazing time and I hope to return again in future years. I would still hold off a year or two to bring my kids as I want them to get the most from this special event and I know they wouldn't be able to hang late into the evening. For families visiting the party, I would definitely recommend not visiting another park that day. Enjoy your morning relaxing around your resort to rest up for the fun that awaits you and be in line to enter Magic Kingdom Park when your ticket becomes active at 4PM. Here's wishing you and your family many boo-tiful memories at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

A Day of Happy Hauntings at Dutch Wonderland

in Dutch Wonderland, family, Halloween, kids, Mid-Atlantic, Pennsylvania, theme parks with No comments

Halloween decor around the park!

When that crisp chill hits the air and pumpkin spice is suddenly everywhere, you know it's officially time to start the Halloween season! If you're looking for a place to take the whole family for some festive fun, add a visit to Dutch Wonderland's Happy Hauntings to your to-do list. Dutch Wonderland is known as "A Kingdom for Kids" and it has plenty to entertain preschool and elementary aged children. I was excited to visit for the first time since my own childhood - now with kids of my own!

Welcome to Dutch Wonderland!

My youngest and I set out to explore Dutch Wonderland on the first day of the Happy Hauntings weekends. Happy Hauntings is held select weekends in October on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Caleb was immediately impressed with the decor on the castle as we entered the park and continued to be thrilled throughout the day and evening by all of the entertaining decorations around the park. We arrived around 1:45 for the 2:00 opening, which I would highly recommend. Crowds seemed heaviest between 3:00 and 6:00. By the time we were leaving close to 8:00, crowds were again minimal and Caleb could just about walk on to any ride he wanted. Around the park, guests could enjoy rides, games, shows, character greetings, food, and trick-or-treating!

Riding his very first roller coaster!

There are so many rides that are perfectly designed with little riders in mind. From airplanes to trucks, bulldozers to panda bears - Caleb wanted to ride some of his favorites over and over again! There was also a chance for mom to join in on the ride fun too! Caleb drove me around the speedway and we enjoyed riding together on boats, the monorail, and the train throughout the park. If you're traveling with slightly older children that might be up for more of a thrill, there are 3 different roller coasters from the smallest for those just learning to ride up to Merlin's Mayhem which will certainly keep coaster enthusiasts happy! We never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride all day long - a great perk!

Selfie time with Duke the Dragon!

When you wanted to take a break from the rides, there were several shows and character greeting opportunities. We saw a magic show by Merlin himself which was full of fun songs and cool tricks for kids. The show was short as I'm sure it's designed with little attention spans in mind. There were also several characters you could meet, and I couldn't pass up the chance to take a selfie with Duke the Dragon! There were also several food locations open throughout the park including some familiar favorites like Dippin' Dots and Auntie Anne's pretzels. We visited the Mill Stream Eatery for dinner as it's home to several food locations where guests can enjoy sandwiches, pizza, chicken tenders, hot dogs, fries, and much more! I highly recommend the Pesto Change-o Chicken Sandwich which was a nice change of pace from the regular theme park food.

Trick-or-Treat Time!

And of course, what would a visit to a Halloween event be without trick-or-treating? Here at Dutch Wonderland, Exploration Island is transformed into a trick-or-treat paradise where over 20 dinosaurs are dressed in their Halloween best to greet guests. I recommend heading here early as the line got long pretty fast. Kids were allowed a piece of candy at each station along the trail and adults received one ticket that they could trade in for one piece of candy. It was actually very refreshing to leave a trick-or-treat without being overwhelmed by candy! And the candy was some of the best - Hershey's!

Happy Halloween!!

We loved our mommy/son date day to Happy Hauntings at Dutch Wonderland and hope you have a chance to check it out soon! If you're planning on visiting, be sure to visit this link to get a special discount on your tickets - just $22.95 each for everyone 3 and older! The promo code is "halloweenblog18". I can't wait to hear about the Halloween adventures you enjoy with your family this year!

Our family received complimentary admission to Happy Hauntings at Dutch Wonderland so that we could share our thoughts with you! As always, my opinions are my own.

My Top 5 Posts of 2016

in 10K, Epcot, food and wine, Halloween, kids, preschooler, runDisney, running, toddler, Wine and Dine with No comments

In what has now become an annual tradition on the blog (I think I can call it that if I've done it two years in a row, right?), here is a countdown of my top 5 posts from the past year. Thanks to everyone who stops by to check out my posts and I can't wait to share more memories and magic in 2017!

5. Why We Won't Be Going to MNSSHP - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been on my Disney bucket list for a long time now and we were finally taking a Fall trip that would put us there not only during some of the party dates, but actually on Halloween. So why did we decide not to go? Find out here!

4. runDisney Inaugural Wine & Dine 10K - The inaugural runDisney Wine & Dine 10K was an amazing race. Hosted by Chef Remy, the race featured a familiar course through Epcot and around the Boardwalk with some great characters and all the runDisney fun that you expect from their events.

3. A Beginner's Guide to Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival - One of the most popular events in Walt Disney World can be overwhelming when you don't know what to expect. We attended for the first time in 2015 and I used my experiences to write some tips that I learned which might benefit other first timers.

2. Best Bets for Preschoolers in Epcot - Traveling with the little guys to Walt Disney World has meant seeing the parks through the eyes of my kids. Epcot gets a bad reputation sometimes as not being a kid-friendly park. This post highlights some of our favorite things to do around Future World and World Showcase!

1. Things that May Terrify Your Kids in Walt Disney World - My husband will probably laugh out loud that this is my top post of the year. His biggest complaint about Disney is that our kids are scared of some of the things there. It's a true statement. I don't think that ruins a family vacation - just review some of these experiences that might terrify your kids. Moral of the story, there is so much to see and do in Disney; do what makes your family happy rather than trying to push through things that scare them.

Why We Won't Be Going to MNSSHP

in Contemporary, fireworks, Halloween, holidays, kids, MK, preschooler, special events, theme parks, toddler, WDW with 4 comments

A few disclaimers before I begin tonight's post. I love Disney - always have and probably always will. I recognize that Disney is a business and, while they excel in providing magical vacation memories, they are ultimately trying to make a lot of money as a successful company. I don't begrudge this at all - but even I have to admit that some things are getting a little crazy.

When my husband told me about the Walt Disney World trip that we could plan for the fall, I was even more excited than normal. I had never been to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and couldn't wait to experience it - on Halloween night none-the-less! I did my research about the event and knew that I was going to pay a premium for tickets on Halloween night. In 2015, the tickets cost $87 for adults and $82 for kids 3-9. While these are steep ticket prices, I felt that between the 4pm admission to Magic Kingdom, the parade, the fireworks, the candy, and the entertainment I could justify it. Then, the prices for 2016 were released. Seriously?!? At $105 for adults and $100 for kids, I about fainted. Do you know how much I could do in Disney for that money vs. one evening in the Magic Kingdom???

My favorite pirates!

So in an act that probably astonished my husband, I said "no" to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. I could come up with an experience that would still be new and just as memorable for the kids for a lot less money - I was sure of it. I went back to the drawing board and remembered something that I had been interested in taking the kids to before, but we never had the extra funds. I got on the phone with Disney Recreation and booked the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage for Halloween night. If you're not familiar with this, it begins in the Contemporary with snacks and sweets. There is a special meet and greet with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee before you take off on your voyage. You get a prime view of the nighttime fireworks show with the music piped into your boat. The evening ends with a special goodnight send off back on land from Peter Pan. I think my 4 year old will be more than thrilled to say "Yo Ho, Let's Go!" to this adventure.

And as for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, I'm missing out on treats, a special parade, unique characters, and HalloWishes to enjoy salty and sweet snacks, an up close view of the Electrical Water Pageant, meet rare Peter Pan characters, and watch HalloWishes - for a lot less money. The cost of the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage is $69 for adults and $41 for kids. I'm excited to "sea" what this new-to-me experience has to offer and I'll save some of my gold doubloons in the process. Ahoy mateys!