Just as with any industry, organization or club, the theme park industry has their own host of awards and recognition programs. And I am one proud Model Mom to announce that LEGOLAND® California was just awarded the prestigious Industry Innovation Award from the World Water Park Association in recognition of the new LEGO® themed Water Park. This shiny new award for our LEGO brick mantelpiece was given to the only LEGO themed Water Park for the ingenuity behind the design and overall mission of the Park. As my kids can attest to, this Water Park is definitely geared for younger kids, ages 2-12, with plenty of rides and things to do for their age range. The LEGO bricks and models everywhere, really add to the experience.
If you haven’t visited the Water Park yet, I highly recommend you grab your suit and come check out what the fuss is all about. The Water Park is now open on weekends through December 26!
Don't miss your chance this coming Saturday to visit SEA LIFE™ Aquarium and join in on the Brick-or-Treat festivities with decorated tanks, cleverly themed shows and a Bonus Treat Station.
One of the highlights during our typical trips to SEA LIFE™ Aquarium is the “Daily Dive” show where the kids can actually talk to the diver who is just on the other side of the glass, in the tank in full scuba gear. In the special Brick-or-Treat shows, the diver demonstrates how to carve a pumpkin under water. It totally boggled my mind. As my two year old said, “Dat is coo, Mommy.”
I also recommend checking out the “Shark Talk” puppet show where Hammy the Hammerhead Shark puppet discusses ways to create Halloween costumes at home by reusing materials. I only wish I could be creative enough to come up with homemade costumes like that! (Thanks Hammy for the ideas!)
The Bonus Treat Station was a BIG hit with my entire family. The kids went crazy for the tattoos and I promptly hijacked the Swedish Fish since they are my all time favorite candy.
And before you head out, be sure to check out the crabs in the Southern California Tide Pool that create their own costumes with orange and green sponges. You haven’t seen anything like it.
There is endless fun to be had at SEA LIFE™ Aquarium and LEGOLAND® California this October. Hope to see you next Saturday!
Brick regards,
Model Mom Mary
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This past Saturday I took my girls to the opening night of Brick-or-Treat Party Nights, which is running every Saturday in October, and we had an absolute blast. Our first stop was the Hubble Bubble’s Dance Party in front of LEGO® Show Place. The kids boogied to old school hits like Celebration and learned all the famous dance moves to Thriller with the help of boo-tifully clad witches. We didn’t stick around late enough to see the dance off that happens at 8:30pm, but if your kiddos have some dancing skills, be sure to let them show off their moves and costumes!
From there we headed to the Brick-or-Treat trail a top the Model Shop so the kids could practice their Twick-or-Tweeting skills. Since they added this second trail this year, the line was short and we went right in (the other trail is in Castle Hill - both trails have all the same goods and kids are only allowed to go through one trail). In addition to Brachs candy, the treat stations gave away various goodies like glow sticks, apples, and a LEGO Club Magazine. I was happy to see that they had some giveaways other than candy since this time of year is filled with so many sweets, and even happier when my four-year old jumped up and down and yelled, “look Mommy, an apple!”
From the Trail we headed up to Castle Hill, the center of all the spooky action, but not before posing with Count Brickula, the tallest man in the world, and the haunted scarecrows along the path.
Once in Castle Hill we planted ourselves in front of the Castle Hill Stage and got front row seats for Mail Order Monsters, the new Halloween show. My-two year old got a little frightened by the wicked laugh of Jester Funny Bones, but ultimately loved the show, especially the Zombie character who learns how to speak Zombie.
We also caught a little bit of the costume contest. I turned green with envy at some of the crafty, creative costumes, since I am the buy-our-costumes-online type of mom. I was blown away with some of the ingenious, handmade costumes and fell in love with the LEGO minifigure costume, with the LEGO head made of different sized hatboxes. If you are handy with costumes, this is the place to show off your masterpieces. Check the site www.brickortreat.com for times and details of the contest.
I finally had to drag my little monsters out of there at 8:30pm, even though the Park stays open til 9:00pm on Party Nights. They sang The Monster Mash all the way home and then fell asleep the second their heads hit the pillow - the sign of a successful, monstrously fun night. Hope to see you there one of these Saturdays.
Brick regards,
Model Mom Mary
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One of the new additions to Brick-or-Treat Party Nights this year is The Spirits of Brick-or-Treat Light Show, which will take place every Saturday night in October up in Castle Hill. Recently I met up with Park super technician and brainchild behind this new visual stunning show, Mitch Sentinella, and asked him a few questions.
Q: What is the Spirits of Brick-or-Treat Light Show?
A: The Sprits of Brick-or-Treat is an animated light show that appears on the facade of the castle in Castle Hill. Every half hour, after sunset, the castle comes to life with friendly spooks and pumpkin luminaries, who sing and light up the night in celebration of Halloween. The shows rotate every half hour so you may never see the same show twice.
Q: What kinds of lights and special effects do you use in the show?
A: We are using a mix of different lights from LEDs to traditional stage lights with some strobe lights added in. We have carved pumpkins and ghost figures that sing, parts of the castle façade that boogie to the beat of the music, and an animated face that will look like he is singing just for you.
Q: Who came up with the idea for the show and what was the inspiration for it?
A: I was actually doing some YouTube surfing for some new ideas for the event when I came across a clip of a house adorned with a face that really looked like it was actually talking and singing. I took the idea to the Entertainment and Event teams and a week or so later we showed the Director Team a demo of the concept and they loved it.
Q: Where is the best vantage point to see the show?
A: The best place to view the show is between the square tents in The King's Market. However, anywhere within the King's Market you can see a great show. You just want to be able to see the castle facade that is above the retail shop. Don't forget that a song will play every half hour after sunset; the first show starts at 6:30pm.
I am thankful to Mitch for taking some time out of his busy pre-production time to chat with me. I can’t wait to check out the show!
Brick regards,
Model Mom Mary