We woke up this morning well rested. The Things slept way past us until about 10am. Shocking! I may have to move them back and forth through time zones to keep this up.
After breakfast, our sponsor picked us up for a tour of the neighborhood. He showed us some routes around the neighborhood. We drove up to the kids' future school which on the outside does not compare to the buildings of the American School of Warsaw. It is supposedly a very good school so I will wait until August to write about that.
We drove to our permanent house just to see where it is. There are many heurigers in the area. These wine taverns are surrounded by their own vineyards and serve their own wine along with food. There are several in walking distance from our permanent residence. I look forward to checking them out.
Our main destination today is the supermarket. Yesterday, we only bought a few basics to get us through the day. Today was major shopping time. Our sponsor took us to Merkurmarkt which he states is similar to a US Supermarket. It is similar because the aisles are set up similarly. Luckily this is not the first time we've been to a foreign market.
For those who are unaware or have not read my 2006 posts, all the carts are locked and you can only access a shopping cart here if you deposit a Euro. If you bring the cart back and pop it into the lock, you get your Euro back. This helps to ensure there are no stray carts. On a side note, this whole process trained me well as when I returned to the US, I found it hard to leave a cart lying around anywhere and started returning them to the receptacles.
Produce must be weighed and labeled before you check out, a lesson learned from Warsaw. You don't just bag your produce and head to checkout or you get sent back. They have these machines with touch screens where you select what produce you are buying and you put it on machine (a scale) which then delivers a label for you to place on the bag.
I was still familiar with many of the products available here. The Cat was having a free for all in the bakery and had to be told to put things back. It was like a kid at the candy store. Thing 1 found what he wanted: Kinder products. If you have ever traveled overseas you may have noticed these sweets cleverly aimed at children made by the same company that brought us Nutella. The Kinder eggs are the most popular for the kids and consist of a hollow milk chocolate egg with a toy in a plastic canister inside the egg. They are banned in the US because of some law that says you are not allowed to have inedible objects contained in edible ones. I guess someone must have tried to eat the toy. He picked the Pingui which is like a candy bar with some milk like content in between the chocolate layers. he loved them when he was 5 and nothing has changed.
Many of the products available in the US are available here. But while the advertising or packaging looks the same, some products get a name change. For example, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is called Cini Minis here. The Cat was happy to see that Ben and Jerry's is sold here, but he had met his quota for junk for the day.
Checkout overseas is no different. You get charged for plastic bags if you need them and you have to bag your groceries. Cashiers sit rather than stand and their mission is to run every item through as fast as possible. No one can possibly bag that quickly. So what people do is throw the items back into their carts and bag them in a counter area they set up. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. And as I write this, I came up with an idea. Next time, I will just leave my bags in the car and take my unbagged groceries to the car to bag them there.
My gripes about today's experience was with the staff at the supermarket. The floors were pretty filthy and they have these large floor scrubber that they use to clean the floor. The thing is that they choose to clean their filthy floors while a ton of people are shopping and they are not that courteous. The Austrian cashier also was quite nasty with me when she asked for a type of newspaper and I did not know what she was talking about (there were several to choose from). She then spoke to me in English and I got her the right paper. I seriously need to sign up for German because the only newspaper I'm familiar with is Der Spiegel.
We returned home for a late lunch and got started cleaning this place. The place was full of dust and cobwebs. Guess its been empty for a while. We all kept sneezing. The smell of Ajax now permeates the house and it is a most welcome scent ever. And for dinner, we are making Wiener Schnitzel.
Tomorrow we explore!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Adventure Begins
It all seems somewhat surreal at the moment. This entire month has been a whirlwind of packing, sleeping in hotels, saying goodbye to so many friends and family, and vacation with family, all culminating in this move to another country. It's odd because the last time we did this, there was so much to get used to. Not in this instance!
We arrived at Dulles Airport around noon even though our flight was at 5:30pm. We had 6 suitcases, a carry on, 4 backpacks, a Sneetch in a bag, two Things, the Cat and myself, the Mother of all Things. But all the stuff was not the reason for our early arrival.
Despite all the hoops we had to jump to secure our beloved old Sneetch's flight with us, the airline could not confirm whether or not he could join us. This had the Cat in a panic until we got to the ticket counter. I took the calmer approach knowing that in the end everything will work out (those diplomatic passports are useful in these instances).
I can't blame the Cat. He was worried the entire month of June because United Airlines/Austrian Airlines kept giving him the run around. Top that with having to spend an additional $200 to get the health certificate for our Sneetch and then having to a rent a car (ours was being shipped) to drive to Richmond the day prior because apparently the USDA in each state now has to certify the animal for transport. Our Sneetch has traveled all over the world with us and this is the first time we have had to jump through such hoops.
Temperatures also started to warm up in Virginia and I already knew it was hot in Vienna so we opted to get a mesh pet carrier and also bring the hard top kennel with us in case they did not have room in the cabin or cargo. We got lucky and were able to have him fly with us in the cabin. While we waited or our flight, he entertained our kids and other children who were bored waiting for their flights. He did not make a peep on board. I think he was just happy he was coming with us.
The flight on Austrian Airlines was largely uneventful with the exception of being overly hot in the cabin. We wore jeans thinking American planes with their individual a/c's shooting at you but this plane had no such thing. So we were hot and I spent quite some time fanning myself with the safety instructions as if I were having a hot flash.
Thing 2 was the most excited of our group. She had not been in a plane since she was 3 and asking every question you could imagine. She had us dizzy with all the questions. When we were taking off, she threw her hands in the air and let out a "whoo hoo" as if we were on a rollercoaster because, according to her, that is what it felt like. The kids were separated by me to avoid any issues. They played on their iPads, watched some shows and eventually they both went to sleep for a few hours. The Cat stayed up and I only managed to get about 2 hours of sleep. I listened to operas the entire time as read through Fifty Shades Freed. Not quite done, but almost there.
We arrived in Vienna at the ungodly hour of 2:20am EST/8:20am CET. Our sponsor had the Embassy van that was able to accommodate all of us and our stuff. We took about a 30 minute drive from the airport. The last time we were here we explored the city by subway. Driving allows more observations. For example, the Blue Danube may have been blue back when Strauss wrote his waltz but today it is brown. Or the fact that Vienna has actual highways instead of the one way roads we were subjected to while in Poland. There is lots of grafitti, but most of it looks like it is supposed to be there and was reminiscent of the East Side Gallery (the remainder of the Berlin Wall) in Berlin. Otherwise, it was a nice ride through our new city with a nice view of the Alps in the distance.
We are currently in temporary lodging while we wait for our home to be ready to move in. The townhome provided in the interim is quite spacious for European standards. Three bedrooms, two of them as large are the master bedroom we had back home, two baths, a living area, kitchen, dining area and laundry room. The community has a playground and tennis and basketball court and is surrounded by lush trees. The Sneetch had a ball once he was released from his bag.
We were provided with a lodging kit which is two huge boxes of necessary kitchen, bed and bath items brand new that are ours to keep and do what we wish. We will likely keep them stored until it is time to leave. By the time we had a moment to sit, it was lunch time (CET time) and the kids were ravenous.
We have no car until late August so walking will have to do. We walked over to a Pizzeria about 4 minutes from home and had lunch. The place was a hole in the wall restaurant, but the food was good. We refueled with pasta an pizza before heading next door to the Billa mini-supermarket to pick up the basics for the next 24 hours before our sponsor takes us on our trip to the bigger supermarket tomorrow. The kids were pleased to find products from home and Thing 1 was reacquainted with the products he remembered from Poland.
We returned home to shower and relax as we were all very tired. The Cat and the Sneetch passed out first, followed by myself. During the next 2 hours, I am not sure what Thing 1 & Thing 2 were up to, but I heard them running all over the place. Thing 1 managed to put together a Lego set he got at Legoland last week and before I woke Thing 1 said Thing 2 had just passed out moments before. Soon the Cat was up and we got back to the arduous task of unpacking.
That my friends was day one. Very different from going on vacation and venturing out to sight see. The basics need to be procured first and we need to orient ourselves a bit before getting to the good stuff. The best part was that there was some familiarity (the furniture was the same as we had in Warsaw) and some things we were already aware of like light switches located prior to entering a room rather than in the room, etc. Overall, it was exactly what I expected for day one.
We arrived at Dulles Airport around noon even though our flight was at 5:30pm. We had 6 suitcases, a carry on, 4 backpacks, a Sneetch in a bag, two Things, the Cat and myself, the Mother of all Things. But all the stuff was not the reason for our early arrival.
Despite all the hoops we had to jump to secure our beloved old Sneetch's flight with us, the airline could not confirm whether or not he could join us. This had the Cat in a panic until we got to the ticket counter. I took the calmer approach knowing that in the end everything will work out (those diplomatic passports are useful in these instances).
I can't blame the Cat. He was worried the entire month of June because United Airlines/Austrian Airlines kept giving him the run around. Top that with having to spend an additional $200 to get the health certificate for our Sneetch and then having to a rent a car (ours was being shipped) to drive to Richmond the day prior because apparently the USDA in each state now has to certify the animal for transport. Our Sneetch has traveled all over the world with us and this is the first time we have had to jump through such hoops.
Temperatures also started to warm up in Virginia and I already knew it was hot in Vienna so we opted to get a mesh pet carrier and also bring the hard top kennel with us in case they did not have room in the cabin or cargo. We got lucky and were able to have him fly with us in the cabin. While we waited or our flight, he entertained our kids and other children who were bored waiting for their flights. He did not make a peep on board. I think he was just happy he was coming with us.
The flight on Austrian Airlines was largely uneventful with the exception of being overly hot in the cabin. We wore jeans thinking American planes with their individual a/c's shooting at you but this plane had no such thing. So we were hot and I spent quite some time fanning myself with the safety instructions as if I were having a hot flash.
Thing 2 was the most excited of our group. She had not been in a plane since she was 3 and asking every question you could imagine. She had us dizzy with all the questions. When we were taking off, she threw her hands in the air and let out a "whoo hoo" as if we were on a rollercoaster because, according to her, that is what it felt like. The kids were separated by me to avoid any issues. They played on their iPads, watched some shows and eventually they both went to sleep for a few hours. The Cat stayed up and I only managed to get about 2 hours of sleep. I listened to operas the entire time as read through Fifty Shades Freed. Not quite done, but almost there.
We arrived in Vienna at the ungodly hour of 2:20am EST/8:20am CET. Our sponsor had the Embassy van that was able to accommodate all of us and our stuff. We took about a 30 minute drive from the airport. The last time we were here we explored the city by subway. Driving allows more observations. For example, the Blue Danube may have been blue back when Strauss wrote his waltz but today it is brown. Or the fact that Vienna has actual highways instead of the one way roads we were subjected to while in Poland. There is lots of grafitti, but most of it looks like it is supposed to be there and was reminiscent of the East Side Gallery (the remainder of the Berlin Wall) in Berlin. Otherwise, it was a nice ride through our new city with a nice view of the Alps in the distance.
We are currently in temporary lodging while we wait for our home to be ready to move in. The townhome provided in the interim is quite spacious for European standards. Three bedrooms, two of them as large are the master bedroom we had back home, two baths, a living area, kitchen, dining area and laundry room. The community has a playground and tennis and basketball court and is surrounded by lush trees. The Sneetch had a ball once he was released from his bag.
We were provided with a lodging kit which is two huge boxes of necessary kitchen, bed and bath items brand new that are ours to keep and do what we wish. We will likely keep them stored until it is time to leave. By the time we had a moment to sit, it was lunch time (CET time) and the kids were ravenous.
We have no car until late August so walking will have to do. We walked over to a Pizzeria about 4 minutes from home and had lunch. The place was a hole in the wall restaurant, but the food was good. We refueled with pasta an pizza before heading next door to the Billa mini-supermarket to pick up the basics for the next 24 hours before our sponsor takes us on our trip to the bigger supermarket tomorrow. The kids were pleased to find products from home and Thing 1 was reacquainted with the products he remembered from Poland.
We returned home to shower and relax as we were all very tired. The Cat and the Sneetch passed out first, followed by myself. During the next 2 hours, I am not sure what Thing 1 & Thing 2 were up to, but I heard them running all over the place. Thing 1 managed to put together a Lego set he got at Legoland last week and before I woke Thing 1 said Thing 2 had just passed out moments before. Soon the Cat was up and we got back to the arduous task of unpacking.
That my friends was day one. Very different from going on vacation and venturing out to sight see. The basics need to be procured first and we need to orient ourselves a bit before getting to the good stuff. The best part was that there was some familiarity (the furniture was the same as we had in Warsaw) and some things we were already aware of like light switches located prior to entering a room rather than in the room, etc. Overall, it was exactly what I expected for day one.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Nickelodeon Suites Resort: A Review
We broke with tradition and decided to stay at the Nickelodeon Suites hotel on our recent Orlando adventure instead of staying with the tried and true Disney Resorts. You live, you learn.
Let me start by saying that the Nickelodeon Suites hotel is awash with false advertising. Before we decided to book, we checked their website and talked to some people who said there was "so much to do there, you may not want to leave the hotel." I don't know what these people did there, because we really did not understand what the "so much" stood for.
Yes, there was a water park. It looks fancier on the TV commercials and website, but it consists of four slides, low level water area for young kids and deeper pool area for older kids and adults. Every couple of hours they have teams compete to get slimed. Honestly, I have been to water parks in Virginia and Florida that provided more. The other thing I have to say about this water park is that if you are going just for the water park feature and you are planning days at the theme parks, don't bother. We only used the water park one day and it was cut short because it was a bit chilly due to the tropical storm. In their defense, the water was kept warm.
What else? Well there is this area called "the Mall". It consists of the Nicktoons Cafe, a food court (serving Subway, UNO's Pizza, Burgers, hot dogs, etc), a shop and convenience store, Studio Nick and a 4D Theater. The food left much to be desired. I'm not saying it was bad, but there just was not any variety. Maybe it's just me but the thought of eating pizza etc, over and over for 7 days does not appeal to me. The NickToons Cafe featured character meals with Nickelodeon characters. New this summer was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle character dinner. It was an Italian buffet and this appealed to the kids since 3 out of 4 of the kids in our group are in martial arts. Each kid got a ninja turtle mask which they thought was cool. I cannot speak for the character breakfast. I do know that they had different characters show up for pictures. I saw Squidworth and Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants. None of our kids took pictures with them because we were barely at the hotel. Also, I know that if you plan to go to Universal Studios, you can take pictures with the Nickelodeon characters there.
Studio Nick was where they held the Double Dare show and some other nightly entertainment. We went to the Double Dare show being a favorite childhood show for the parents and the kids really liked it. But again their advertising is misleading. They make you think you need reservations, but we walked in about 10 minutes late and there was plenty of seating. There were also other shows to take in, but they cost $40-$60 per person. For that, we could take the family to Disney Quest and know that expenditure would be worth it.
The 4D theater shows about 6 different 4D movies throughout the day. Each movie is $6.95 or you can buy a wristband for unlimited films for $12.95. It sounds like a great deal and we considered it, but we didn't do it. We got to thinking that if you spend the entire day at the theme parks, you get back to the hotel exhausted and the last thing you want to do is catch a 4D film. There's just is no time for that. Our kids did play at the arcade multiple times and enjoyed it.
The hotel itself? In my opinion, they took condos, painted them in Nickelodeon Colors and slapped character pictures and character statues throughout the hotel and added a water park. This does not compare to the thought and process placed into the Disney hotels and their landscape. The suites were spacious, but they felt worn and while it was not dirty per say, it felt that way. The suites are either 1-3 bedrooms. The 2 & 3 bedroom suites come with a king size bed in 1-2 of the rooms with a kids room being themed with Spongebob or the Rugrats and containing bunk beds. The bunks were hard as a rock. Our kids complained about that. Each suite has a kitchenette with a sink, microwave and 3 foot refrigerator. Disney has a new hotel that just opened called the Art of Animation that features the same set up. I have not been, but something tells me that it will be better than this hotel.
Last but not least, let me mention the crowd. On several occasions, I just sat in the food court observing. I am not fitting everyone into this category, but there was a fair share of lower class folks here than I have seen at other resorts. By this I mean, I would not let my kids play with or associate with these other families' kids. One night, my brother had to go scour the area because someone somewhere was having a party in their room at 1 am and we could hear everything coming from their suite. They are probably annoying neighbors in their hometowns too. And it was not the night that the Heat won the championship - that would have been excused:-)
Overall, I am not going to say it was the worst experience, but it was certainly not the best. If you have never been to a Disney Resort or the Gaylord Palms, you may have a different experience. But once you have been to either of these other resorts, all others pale by comparison and you are bound to be somewhat disappointed.
Disclaimer: This is only my opinion based on my experience. Feel free to experience it for yourself and make up you own mind.
Let me start by saying that the Nickelodeon Suites hotel is awash with false advertising. Before we decided to book, we checked their website and talked to some people who said there was "so much to do there, you may not want to leave the hotel." I don't know what these people did there, because we really did not understand what the "so much" stood for.
Yes, there was a water park. It looks fancier on the TV commercials and website, but it consists of four slides, low level water area for young kids and deeper pool area for older kids and adults. Every couple of hours they have teams compete to get slimed. Honestly, I have been to water parks in Virginia and Florida that provided more. The other thing I have to say about this water park is that if you are going just for the water park feature and you are planning days at the theme parks, don't bother. We only used the water park one day and it was cut short because it was a bit chilly due to the tropical storm. In their defense, the water was kept warm.
What else? Well there is this area called "the Mall". It consists of the Nicktoons Cafe, a food court (serving Subway, UNO's Pizza, Burgers, hot dogs, etc), a shop and convenience store, Studio Nick and a 4D Theater. The food left much to be desired. I'm not saying it was bad, but there just was not any variety. Maybe it's just me but the thought of eating pizza etc, over and over for 7 days does not appeal to me. The NickToons Cafe featured character meals with Nickelodeon characters. New this summer was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle character dinner. It was an Italian buffet and this appealed to the kids since 3 out of 4 of the kids in our group are in martial arts. Each kid got a ninja turtle mask which they thought was cool. I cannot speak for the character breakfast. I do know that they had different characters show up for pictures. I saw Squidworth and Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants. None of our kids took pictures with them because we were barely at the hotel. Also, I know that if you plan to go to Universal Studios, you can take pictures with the Nickelodeon characters there.
Studio Nick was where they held the Double Dare show and some other nightly entertainment. We went to the Double Dare show being a favorite childhood show for the parents and the kids really liked it. But again their advertising is misleading. They make you think you need reservations, but we walked in about 10 minutes late and there was plenty of seating. There were also other shows to take in, but they cost $40-$60 per person. For that, we could take the family to Disney Quest and know that expenditure would be worth it.
The 4D theater shows about 6 different 4D movies throughout the day. Each movie is $6.95 or you can buy a wristband for unlimited films for $12.95. It sounds like a great deal and we considered it, but we didn't do it. We got to thinking that if you spend the entire day at the theme parks, you get back to the hotel exhausted and the last thing you want to do is catch a 4D film. There's just is no time for that. Our kids did play at the arcade multiple times and enjoyed it.
The hotel itself? In my opinion, they took condos, painted them in Nickelodeon Colors and slapped character pictures and character statues throughout the hotel and added a water park. This does not compare to the thought and process placed into the Disney hotels and their landscape. The suites were spacious, but they felt worn and while it was not dirty per say, it felt that way. The suites are either 1-3 bedrooms. The 2 & 3 bedroom suites come with a king size bed in 1-2 of the rooms with a kids room being themed with Spongebob or the Rugrats and containing bunk beds. The bunks were hard as a rock. Our kids complained about that. Each suite has a kitchenette with a sink, microwave and 3 foot refrigerator. Disney has a new hotel that just opened called the Art of Animation that features the same set up. I have not been, but something tells me that it will be better than this hotel.
Last but not least, let me mention the crowd. On several occasions, I just sat in the food court observing. I am not fitting everyone into this category, but there was a fair share of lower class folks here than I have seen at other resorts. By this I mean, I would not let my kids play with or associate with these other families' kids. One night, my brother had to go scour the area because someone somewhere was having a party in their room at 1 am and we could hear everything coming from their suite. They are probably annoying neighbors in their hometowns too. And it was not the night that the Heat won the championship - that would have been excused:-)
Overall, I am not going to say it was the worst experience, but it was certainly not the best. If you have never been to a Disney Resort or the Gaylord Palms, you may have a different experience. But once you have been to either of these other resorts, all others pale by comparison and you are bound to be somewhat disappointed.
Disclaimer: This is only my opinion based on my experience. Feel free to experience it for yourself and make up you own mind.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
LEGOLAND Florida: A review
We finally got a LEGOLAND Theme Park on the east coast, and having a LEGO fan among us, we decided to included on our Orlando vacation.We have experience with LEGOLAND Deutschland so we have something to compare to.
LEGOLAND Florida is situated on the site of the Cypress Gardens Theme Park that graced Winter Haven, FL with its presence since the 1930's. I went there with my parents circa 1980 and some of the carnival rides that were once there are still there mixed in with the new LEGO theme rides. The park is located about 45 minutes southwest of Disney World. Like its German counterpart it is small and can easily be done in 6-8 hours. Your feet will still hurt but little legs can easily do this park.
Most rides except perhaps one can be enjoyed by children as young as 3 although 4 and 40 inches tall is probably best. My nephew is 4 years old and was able to ride everything with us. The best age for this park in my opinion is 4-10 years old, maybe some preteens depending on maturity level. Teenagers would be bored easily here.
Every ride has an adjacent play zone for kids to build while parents hold their place in line. However, being that this park is new, the lines are minimal. The longest wait was about 15 minutes which is nothing compared to the 60+ minute waits at other Orlando parks.
There are a few coasters and even a wooden coaster held over from the Cypress Gardens park that occupied his space since the 1930's. The coasters have their peaks and valleys but no loops or upside down shenanigans that scare children.
There is a Mini Land at all LEGO Theme parks. The scenes they create are quite remarkable and based on the parks' location This one focused primarily on scenes from Florida including a replica of the Miami Skyline, Little Havana (with a sign on a restaurant that says Versigh - it's an actual restaurant and the correct spelling is Versailles), Key West (with motorized speedboats and sharks), Panama City and Tampa. There are also replicas of the Kennedy Space Center and the Daytona Speedway (with motorized race cars). Non Florida shout outs go to Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York City and our nearest hometown, Washington DC down to the remote control Tourmobile buses an the Iwo Jima Memorial. It's fascinating to wonder how long it took them to put these replicas together. The kids enjoyed it as much as the adults.
There are also several shows which may extend your park stay beyond the hours listed above. The kids enjoyed a well produced 4D movie called Spellbreaker which we also saw at the German park. The ski show from the old park is still there rebooted for the new millennium with a LEGO theme.
New this summer is a water park adjacent to the main park for $12 additional ticket dollars. We have a water park at the hotel so we did not go to this one.
Overall, children in the age ranges I listed will enjoy this park. As a parent, the parks' low crowds, shaded areas and no lines was refreshing after spending a few hours in the crowded Hogsmeade village of Islands of Adventure yesterday. Our park experience was cut short due to lightning that shut down rides, but I can't say we missed much because we had been to the German park and it is quite similar.
I only have two disclaimers. The first is for anyone who has gone to any other theme park. This is not Disney or Universal. The pace is slower and, depending on where you are in your weeklong vacation, it may be a welcome break. At $75 per ticket, I did find it overpriced, but we had coupons for free kids tickets with an adult purchase. If you have a LEGO fan in your midst, sign up for the free magazine online or scour the Internet for coupons.
Disclaimer number two applies for your LEGO fans 8 and up. My LEGO fan's (Thing 1, age 9 3/4) only reason for coming was the vast selection of LEGO's available for purchase at the BIG Store. Had I known this, I would have saved myself $150 and taken him to the LEGO Store at Downtown Disney. Kids younger than 8 will have a ball without the store.
Happy brick building!
LEGOLAND Florida is situated on the site of the Cypress Gardens Theme Park that graced Winter Haven, FL with its presence since the 1930's. I went there with my parents circa 1980 and some of the carnival rides that were once there are still there mixed in with the new LEGO theme rides. The park is located about 45 minutes southwest of Disney World. Like its German counterpart it is small and can easily be done in 6-8 hours. Your feet will still hurt but little legs can easily do this park.
Most rides except perhaps one can be enjoyed by children as young as 3 although 4 and 40 inches tall is probably best. My nephew is 4 years old and was able to ride everything with us. The best age for this park in my opinion is 4-10 years old, maybe some preteens depending on maturity level. Teenagers would be bored easily here.
Every ride has an adjacent play zone for kids to build while parents hold their place in line. However, being that this park is new, the lines are minimal. The longest wait was about 15 minutes which is nothing compared to the 60+ minute waits at other Orlando parks.
There are a few coasters and even a wooden coaster held over from the Cypress Gardens park that occupied his space since the 1930's. The coasters have their peaks and valleys but no loops or upside down shenanigans that scare children.
There is a Mini Land at all LEGO Theme parks. The scenes they create are quite remarkable and based on the parks' location This one focused primarily on scenes from Florida including a replica of the Miami Skyline, Little Havana (with a sign on a restaurant that says Versigh - it's an actual restaurant and the correct spelling is Versailles), Key West (with motorized speedboats and sharks), Panama City and Tampa. There are also replicas of the Kennedy Space Center and the Daytona Speedway (with motorized race cars). Non Florida shout outs go to Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York City and our nearest hometown, Washington DC down to the remote control Tourmobile buses an the Iwo Jima Memorial. It's fascinating to wonder how long it took them to put these replicas together. The kids enjoyed it as much as the adults.
There are also several shows which may extend your park stay beyond the hours listed above. The kids enjoyed a well produced 4D movie called Spellbreaker which we also saw at the German park. The ski show from the old park is still there rebooted for the new millennium with a LEGO theme.
New this summer is a water park adjacent to the main park for $12 additional ticket dollars. We have a water park at the hotel so we did not go to this one.
Overall, children in the age ranges I listed will enjoy this park. As a parent, the parks' low crowds, shaded areas and no lines was refreshing after spending a few hours in the crowded Hogsmeade village of Islands of Adventure yesterday. Our park experience was cut short due to lightning that shut down rides, but I can't say we missed much because we had been to the German park and it is quite similar.
I only have two disclaimers. The first is for anyone who has gone to any other theme park. This is not Disney or Universal. The pace is slower and, depending on where you are in your weeklong vacation, it may be a welcome break. At $75 per ticket, I did find it overpriced, but we had coupons for free kids tickets with an adult purchase. If you have a LEGO fan in your midst, sign up for the free magazine online or scour the Internet for coupons.
Disclaimer number two applies for your LEGO fans 8 and up. My LEGO fan's (Thing 1, age 9 3/4) only reason for coming was the vast selection of LEGO's available for purchase at the BIG Store. Had I known this, I would have saved myself $150 and taken him to the LEGO Store at Downtown Disney. Kids younger than 8 will have a ball without the store.
Happy brick building!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Our Life in Chapters
It seems that every few years we find ourselves at similar crossroads. I have come to regard this as chapters to our family story.
Since I married my Cat in 2001, we have moved (not counting our first place together) about five times. We have now experienced moving as a couple, as a family with an infant, as a family with an infant and preschooler, as a family with a preschooler and school age child and now as a family with two school age children. Each move a chapter, a new learning experience with new challenges.
We just closed another chapter this week saying good-bye to friends, school and work once more and now we embark on our good-byes to family. It is a sad, exciting, stressful, happy time in our lives. But, as I tell Thing 1 & Thing 2, good-byes are as important as hello. Good-byes free us to move on to the next chapter.
People keep asking me when we are leaving the country. Right now, I am visiting with my family and trying my best to focus on the present and enjoy my time with them, as I did with my friends in Virginia. Focusing on what's to come breeds anxiety and dwelling on the parts of our lives we leave behind breeds depression, neither of wish is welcome at this time of our lives. We will have plenty of time to dwell on leaving the country while we are at the airport finalizing this last chapter.
Since I married my Cat in 2001, we have moved (not counting our first place together) about five times. We have now experienced moving as a couple, as a family with an infant, as a family with an infant and preschooler, as a family with a preschooler and school age child and now as a family with two school age children. Each move a chapter, a new learning experience with new challenges.
We just closed another chapter this week saying good-bye to friends, school and work once more and now we embark on our good-byes to family. It is a sad, exciting, stressful, happy time in our lives. But, as I tell Thing 1 & Thing 2, good-byes are as important as hello. Good-byes free us to move on to the next chapter.
People keep asking me when we are leaving the country. Right now, I am visiting with my family and trying my best to focus on the present and enjoy my time with them, as I did with my friends in Virginia. Focusing on what's to come breeds anxiety and dwelling on the parts of our lives we leave behind breeds depression, neither of wish is welcome at this time of our lives. We will have plenty of time to dwell on leaving the country while we are at the airport finalizing this last chapter.
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