Legoland Hotel- Carlsbad, CA

Legoland Hotel, Carlsbad, California

    When we scoped out things to do in California, an exciting prospect was checking out the Legoland Hotel. Having been a huge fan of Legoland, Orlando, I couldn't wait to surprise the kids with a couple of nights over at one of their favourite parks.

    We arrived at the hotel very early on a Thursday morning and weren't surprised to find the main lobby buzzing with people. Somewhat surprising is how long it actually takes to check in to the hotel. Although the hotel was always busy, there was only ever one or two people at the desk and lines for check-in and to speak to the concierge were quite long. Team that with the fact that everyone who is in those lines has excited kids running around and you have complete chaos. Tip: When you finally get to the front desk, check out the mural of mini-figures. It is quite incredible.

Long line-ups were the norm to speak to the check-in desk at the hotel.

Lego Surfer whose wheels magnify all the mini-figures on the wall at the front desk.

     While we were waiting to check-in, I overheard the woman at the front desk explain to the people in front of me who were hoping for a premium suite, that in fact the suites are "a complete rip-off". Seeing I was checking into one I wasn't exactly thrilled. Essentially, the premium suites differ from regular rooms only in the fact that the adult section of the room is also decorated with themed wall paper and lego statues. Ours had a few lego jugs and vases and some lego bugs. We booked the premium suite as it was the only room left we could get but in the end would stick with the regular cheaper room if we returned. The premium rooms cost about an extra $100 a night so depending on the length of your stay, you may be paying a lot to look at Lego vases. The regular suites still have a separate kids sleeping area and honestly it would have been nice to get a break from all the decor in the hotel in the adult room.

     When we checked-in we were not told at all about food vouchers that were available from the front desk. This was in fact a grave oversight that in the end really affected our view of the hotel. We also were not told that Charlie at 3 years old ate for free at the main buffet restaurant Bricks or that the breakfast buffet was included in our hotel cost. We only found all this information out on the last morning we were at the hotel when we witnessed people paying with vouchers. Upon my own further investigation, I learnt that if you pre-pay for the buffet by buying a four pack at the front desk, the price per meal goes down from $19.95 for adults to $12.50 This is a significant difference and I feel the voucher system should have been explained to me at check-in. I spoke to a manager about this program and she reassured me that it was a mistake and that the system is explained at check-in normally. I listened to two other people checking in during my wait for the manager and noticed they also were not told.

     After I spoke to the manager, one of our meals was refunded and I was sent on my way still not having been told that our breakfast was free and included in the price of the room. On our way into the restaurant about 20 minutes later, another manager who had walked in on my original conversation found me and told me he had looked into it further and that we shouldn't have been paying for breakfast at all. He kindly refunded the breakfasts we had on our bill. I felt he really went above and beyond my expectations compared to the first manager who simply didn't care and didn't bother to look at the list in front of her to see if our breakfast was free.

     These problems aside we did have a wonderful time at the Legoland Hotel and the kids loved it. The rooms are very well detailed and quite fun. At check-in you are given a treasure hunt card to complete with your kids that will open a treasure chest in the room. Our chest had some chocolate pirate coins as well as two lego mini-figures and a magazine.

Will cracking open the treasure chest in our room.

     We booked into an adventure room as the pirate suites were all booked up. The room had great detail to it and some really fun features. I didn't think the kids would love it as much as the pirate suite but they could not have been more thrilled with our room.

The bathroom included a flip down toilet seat for toddlers and a giant scorpion.

Looks like the last guest forgot their hat.

The kids area had bunk beds, a pull out trundle bed and a television.

The adult section of the room was also themed.

     Besides the room, the hotel had some other great features. The elevators when you entered them played typical elevator music but turned into a disco dance party between floors. Next to the elevator on the main floor, there was a fun whoopee cushion in the floor that none of the kids in the hotel could get enough of. Finally, the bathrooms on the main floor were incredibly cute and Lego characters complemented you when you washed your hands.

     The Legoland hotel promises nightly entertainment including a lego building contest which is a great thing to have once the park closes. You should be prepared for the fact that the entertainment isn't exactly at a Disney level but is much more of a camp style activity where two people lead the kids in activities. I particularly enjoyed being able to sit down with a glass of wine and my feet up while the kids were entertained by other people for once.

The best part of Legoland hotel in this tired mom's opinion.

     Part of the nightly entertainment is a Lego building contest which varies by month. Yes, you read that right. Basically, if you are staying three nights in a row, the contest is always the same. Our nightly contest was to build a birthday cake. It was easy to tell which kids had been there the night before as a lot of them still had their cakes and were simply altering them a little. The contest is judged by the two hosts and the winner gets a $5 gift certificate to use a Legoland. Our host was quite funny when interviewing the kids and each child was separately interviewed about their creation. This was definitely the funniest part of the entertainment that night.

Will with his Lego birthday cake entry.

     When staying at the Legoland hotel, you are granted early admission to the park. This gives you an extra half hour in the park without other guests. In my opinion, the early admission is too short and doesn't justify the high price of staying at the hotel. We went to the early admission and found we were shuffled from line to line before even getting into the park. Once in the park the extra time you had was really only about 20 minutes and only 4 rides were open which didn't include what most people would categorise as the "big rides" or main draws to the park. 

     Here is a list of tips I came up with while at the hotel: 

1. If you want to stay at Legoland, only stay one night. There are plenty of reasonable hotels in the neighbourhood and the perks of staying near the park do not justify paying the high cost of the hotel. I paid the same amount at the Legoland hotel that I paid at Disney's Grand Californian at Disneyland. Simply put, the Grand Californian was in Disney's California Adventure, had access to Downtown Disney, had 3 incredible pools with water slides and lifeguards and had two very good restaurants. Legoland has a pool you would expect to see at any Holiday Inn and very limited things to do at the hotel once the park closes. I would recommend staying at Legoland on your final night there as the kids will really love it and staying there first to then switch to a normal hotel might qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.
2. I also would recommend skipping the early admission. It truly is more painful than it is enjoyable and instead you can enjoy a later breakfast with much less people in the buffet restaurant and then head out to the park a little later in the day to avoid the crowds. I also found that most people entering the park tended to head to the left side which featured smaller rides for kids and if you simply went the other way and explored the park backwards you will avoid most of the crowds. 
3. There is a drastic difference between Legoland on a weekday while school is in and Legoland on a weekend or summer weekday. If at all possible, I would simply pull the kids out of school on a school day to truly enjoy the experience. The lines and incredibly short and the day is much more enjoyable. 
4. Be prepared for how small the park is especially when the waterpark and seasonal rides are closed. You do not need more than one or two days to explore Legoland and will likely get most of it done in one day.
5. The Legoland hotel is quite large but for some reason the building only has two small elevators. This means that in the morning and once the park closes, the wait for an elevator can be incredibly long especially if people are checking in or out or have strollers as most do. Simply leaving for breakfast 15 minutes earlier or later than 9:00 am and taking your time getting back from the park around 6:00 pm will save you a ton of aggravation. Just know every other adult is wondering why the hotel was built this way too. 

     All in all, it is definitely worth it to spend a night at this fun and kid-centric hotel. We enjoyed our entire stay and don't regret spending the money to check it out. If there was anything I could change about the hotel, I would hire more front-end staff, better entertainment and put in a better pool. Otherwise, its a great place to stay and let your kids be kids for a few nights at a place that will be as comfortable to them as their own home. 

Me and a Lego pirate. 

Will loved the Lego figures in the hotel.

The Lego characters are in the lobby quite a bit and are very fun.

     If you do end up checking out the hotel, drop me a line here and let me know what you thought!

   

Disney's California Adventure

     From the time Cars came out on DVD and I sat through the bonus features, which featured a description of Cars Land pre-construction by the Disney Imagineers, I knew that once Carsland became a reality, I would take Cars obsessed Will there. My goal was to make it before he was six as I figured he would outgrow Lightning McQueen which he already has at five but it didn't make the trip any less incredible for any of us. Cars Land is found in Disney's California Adventure and this post will cover the park as a whole.
 

Disney's California Adventure Park

     We spent quite a bit of time at Disney's California Adventure or "DCA" as its known to many and really got to explore the sights and sounds. Due to availability, we had booked in at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and loved its proximity to DCA. Guests of the hotel have a side entrance to the park that is open for the Magic Hour in the morning which admits you in to the park an hour before the official opening. Due to our morning cravings for Jamba Juice in Downtown Disney, we never used this entrance in the mornings but found it for convenient during the day to enter and exit the park using this gate.

     Each morning the parks at Disneyland alternate with which will open early for the Magic Hour. The key to the magic hour which only admits hotel guests staying on Disney property is that there are only three hotels in Disneyland that qualify. Unlike Disney World this means that the Magic Hour has much less people at it than you would anticipate. We did find it worth it to attend this hour every morning even though it only admitted you to certain parts of the park. We found the main attractions were always open and in either park it is a huge advantage.
 

Luigi's Flying Tires with no wait and lots of room to make your tire "fly" during the Magic Hour

     One morning standing at the gates of DCA, we were asked if we would like to be the Family of the Day. This was an incredible experience and the kids were thrilled. Essentially, it involves entering the park first, signing a guest book and then counting down to the gate opening. After that you get to follow right behind Mater and Lightning McQueen as they drive down Route 66 into Cars Land. You are also given fastpasses that you can use throughout the day. I am not quite sure why were picked and in three days saw a variety of families large and small chosen for the task. My only tips to being chosen are to make sure you are in line at one of the gates and to not be afraid to show you are excited to enter the park. Charlie, on the day we were chosen, was dancing and singing and Will was practically shoving his head through the gate to get closer to Cars Land, thus we may have been chosen on pure enthusiasm.

The kids getting instruction on being the Family of the Day

       Before leaving Cars Land, make sure to try out Radiator Springs Racers which is by far the best ride in the park. Also, take the time to meet Mater and Lightning McQueen as they both have a lot of interesting things to say. We spent a lot of time in Cars Land and loved every minute of it so make sure to schedule a little time to cruise down Route 66 and not just rush from ride to ride.
 

Will chatting with Mater

     When you have had your fill of Cars Land, there is still a ton of things to do and explore in DCA. The most popular show there is the World of Colour fountain show and it is definitely worth checking out. Essentially, clips of Disney films are projected on mist above dancing coloured fountains. You can see the show from a variety of locations in front of the fountains and facing the big Ferris Wheel but you can also get reserved seating by having dinner in three of the restaurants at DCA. We chose to have dinner at Wine Country Trattoria and it was the best meal we had while at Disneyland as a whole. We also ended up with seats in the very front row for the show and were able to sit down which was vital for the kids. To get front row seating, we didn't show up early but ended up arriving almost last minute to the show. As people fold into the reserved section, they open more spots up so it ends up being very random where you get to sit.

     If you have a little princess like I do, don't fret about not having anything to do. DCA has a really incredible Little Mermaid ride that we proudly rode over twenty times. Also, check out Ariel's Grotto for dining with the princesses and a pretty decent lunch. Oddly, the served crab dip the day we went which made me wonder if poor Sebastian had finally met a chef that could catch him.
  

Charlie was blown away by Ariel and the fact we were having lunch at her "house"

Chatting with Cinderella at Ariel's Grotto

     After lunch, head over the bridge to Toy Story Mania, it is a not-to-be-missed ride that adults and kids love and we used every one of our fastpasses riding it four times in a row. Other things we loved at DCA and I would highly recommend for kids under six were the Monsters Inc. ride, the Disney Jr. puppet show and A Bug's Land. Even though the kids were a little big for a Bug's Land it is worth checking out once as there are some neat rides and a tiny splash pad that will give you some relief on a hot day.



Charlie and Will both loved the Disney Jr. show

     The final stop I would make before leaving DCA is the Wilderness Explorer trail featuring Russell and Doug from the movie Up. The trail is a fun set of activities your kids can complete to get a Wilderness Explorer Badge. It is essentially a huge park with an added element of fun in it. Both the kids loved this section and begged to stay longer. It is also very shaded and will provide a good break from the sun.


Will earning his badge at the Sequoia Smokejumpers

     Looking back on our time at Disney's California Adventures, it was an experience we won't forget. If you are heading to Disneyland or thinking about it, schedule a good amount of time for this park. Will and Charlie much preferred the rides here and characters to the traditional Disneyland rides and characters. We also loved visiting this park at night as it tended to empty out quite a bit and DJ the dancing car from Cars would roll out of nowhere and start up a dance party. A magical time was definitely had by all!

Me and Will outside of Flo's

 

Charlie said an extra special goodbye to her new friend Red



San Diego

    After what felt like the shortest and at times longest weekend in Disneyland (review to come), we headed to San Diego, California this week for a little rest and relaxation as well as to see the sites. San Diego should have been a short drive from Disneyland but I forgot my driver's license at home and instead it became a little bit of a mad scramble to get there. Luckily, the concierge at our Disneyland hotel was able to arrange for a mini-van with car seats to arrive within approximately 45 minutes. The company who pulled it together was called American Eagle transport although I wasn't able to find a website or any contact information for them. If you come across them some other way, the vans are incredibly clean and the service was quick and reasonably priced. I was going to rent a car in San Diego but actually found it really easy and quite affordable to get around by taxi and decided in the end not to get a car at all.

    Within a few hours of leaving Disneyland, we pulled into our hotel the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina.


View of pools at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina

    The hotel is located directly across from Sea World and caters to families as well as business travellers and conferences. The hotel sits on Mission Bay and has a beautiful marina with resident sea lions. One of our favourite activities was renting a small boat from the hotel sportcenter, that looked a lot like a paddle boat with a motor, to be able to float amongst the sea lions. At $45 an hour, it is an amazing thing to do to get your kids close to San Diego's wildlife.

     The hotel also has three pools which appear larger on the hotel website than they are but are quite fun. One is a walk-in pool which is easy with smaller children. There are also three water slides, a hot tub and a spa. We spent every afternoon by the pool and the kids never got bored.

     A great tip for this hotel is to book a room on a Regency floor if possible. When I looked online this was one of the cheapest rates I could get and it included breakfast, snacks and a happy hour as well as dessert bar. Essentially, it grants you access to a room on the 17th floor that is packed with bottled water, fresh fruit, assorted drinks and buffets throughout the day. The breakfast spread is incredible and will save you quite a bit of money as well as time as there isn't much dining around the hotel besides in-room or a large restaurant downstairs. We visited during the happy hour and the kids enjoyed the appetizers while I enjoyed the $4 wine. Every morning we were offered bottled water and snacks to take with us which helped enormously throughout the day.

     The primary reason we chose to visit San Diego was to experience the San Diego Zoo. The zoo is world famous and frankly its incredible.

San Diego Zoo

    We arrived at the zoo before it opened and were treated to no lines and a really neat opening ceremony where the zoo keeper brought out an owl for a zoo keeper talk while a group of macaws was released to fly over the zoo and back to their area. After the opening, the zoo keeper asked the kids to help train a skittish bird that was learning to recycle and needed to get used to being around children. It was a very cool experience and the kids were thrilled to help out.


Kids helping to train bird at San Diego Zoo

     There are a few keys to having a great day at the San Diego Zoo. The first is simply not trying to do it all. The zoo is huge (approximately 100 acres) and there are animals everywhere. We were at the zoo on a particularly hot day and even the thought of rushing through it was unbearable. We instead chose the animals we wanted to see and plotted the best course on the map. Once the kids were beyond able to walk, we board the tour bus which covered a lot of the major animals we missed. The exhibits we loved were Panda Canyon, the Polar Trek, Koalafornia which is brand new and the Lost Forest which houses amazing apes and monkeys.



Making friends at the Polar Trek

     One great way to escape the crowds and give the kids a rest is to have lunch at Albert's restaurant which is located in the Lost Forest. The restaurant has sit down table service, wonderful staff, is air conditioned and quiet. We sat for approximately an hour and after lunch the kids were refreshed and ready to go and we were able to spend more hours at the zoo than I had originally expected.

     A final note on the zoo is that the children's zoo isn't fantastic and it is worth skipping if you only have one day at the zoo. It has a small playground and petting zoo with goats but your time will be better spent checking out the exhibits. Make sure to make use of the tour bus, express bus that lets you get on and off at different stops around the zoo and the skyfari aerial tram. I had originally planned to spend two days at the zoo but we were having so much fun exploring San Diego we decided to forgo the second day. If you have more than a few days here, I would recommend breaking up the days so that you don't need to visit the zoo two days in a row as it is quite exhausting and overwhelming for smaller children.

     While in San Diego, I wanted to spend some time doing something with Will and decided that we should both try surfing. The hotel recommended the San Diego Surf School in Pacific Beach and we were able to book a private session the night before we wanted to surf.
 


Learning on the sand before hitting the surf

      We arrived at the school to sign some waivers and pay ($130 US for both of us) and we were sent off to the beach to meet our instructor Travis. My first impression of Travis was that he sounded just like one of the turtles out of Finding Nemo and I knew immediately this would be fun. Travis helped us get suited up, gave us brief instructions that Will was able to understand and then led us to the water. Will got to surf first and immediately was up on his board. He loved hanging out with Travis and had a wonderful time learning to surf. Travis was easily able to juggle helping Will and teaching me by bringing him right on to shore when it wasn't his turn. We had booked an hour lesson and stayed in the water for much more than that. By the end of the lesson, I proudly caught a decent wave and was able to get up and surf the wave. I highly recommend checking this school out if in San Diego as it was definitely a wonderful and memorable part of our trip and a great bonding experience for me and Will.  


Travis, Will and me after our lesson

 


Will getting up on his board

     Although we had packed a lot of adventure into a few days in San Diego, we also were able to visit La Jolla which is known as the Jewel of San Diego and a great place to visit with kids. We took a taxi to the area known as the Children's Pool which is a beach as well as a great place to visit some seals. The kids loved watching the wild seals and walking in the sand near where they were hanging out in the water. After that we headed along the coast to the area known as La Jolla Cove which has interesting tide pools and a lot of sea lions. The kids loved splashing in the water and swimming near the sea lions and had fun walking along the tide pools.

Kids swimming in La Jolla Cove

     After we all got soaking wet, we were hungry and headed to the main area of La Jolla which has high-end shopping, hotels and a variety of restaurants. We ate at a little Italian place called La Dolce Vita and frankly I won't say much about it but I would skip it if I were you.

     All in all, we have loved every minute of San Diego and are very sad to be leaving so soon. I would love to return and explore the rest of the city with the kids but am very thankful for the things we did get to see and do. If you are considering a trip to San Diego with kids, check out the deals being offered across the city which include free admission to museums and hotel deals during the San Diego Kidvasion promotion.

     The adventure continues tomorrow as we head to Legoland California. Check back for a review of their new hotel as well as some Disneyland posts!

CNE 2013- Day 2 (Let's Go Back to the Ex)!

     In my many mom-misadventures, I have often miscalculated the "best" day to do things by not checking the weather forecast and today was no different. After promising the kids another day at the exhibition and knowing today was the last possible day we could go before leaving for California, I awoke to a massive rainstorm. Still the optimist in me said to go anyways. Unfortunately, the planning mom voice in my head never said to pack rain gear. 

     By the time we arrived at the exhibition it was pouring so I made a last minute decision to head up to Dufferin Mall quickly and grab some rain gear. On my way back from Dundas and Dufferin, I decided to drive past all the "local traffic only" signs that appear when heading south on Dufferin towards the exhibition and found a private parking lot that is $20 per day and a stone's throw from the Dufferin gates. Perfect for today's weather and if you are heading to the exhibition and only intending to see the kids' activities. 

    My last CNE post provided most of the nitty-gritty information for this year's exhibition and in this post I wanted to go more in-depth into some of the workshops you will find in Kids' World Park. The workshops are all included in your daily admission to the exhibition and tomorrow (August 27, 2013) kids get in free until 3 p.m. As I previously reviewed the Pizza Nova pizza making workshop, it will not be included here. 

Under the Little Top Circus Workshop

Will watching the juggling demonstration.

     The circus workshop was by far Will and Charlie's favourite exhibition activity.  The workshop runs 7 times a day and all times are posted here. We arrived for the 10:30 am workshop and due to the weather, we were the only participants. To say the least, the kids got more than individual attention. The workshop is run by actual circus performers who have no affiliation with local circus schools. This is great as there is no pressure to buy anything or register for a class somewhere and you can tell these people just really want to share their love of the circus with children. 

     Charlie was immediately drawn to the aerialist who within seconds had the kids on a mat doing incredible tricks. To be honest, my kids would have stayed with this woman the entire day if I had let them. She was kind and funny and had a wonderful way of connecting with kids. 

Will trying out a circus trick

     After visiting the aerialist, the kids were taught how to properly walk on a tightrope by two other instructors. They both at this point would gladly have run away from home and joined the circus. The people working this workshop are funny and know how to technically teach children to do these things. 

Learning to walk the tightrope

     Next the kids were taught balance and persistence as they got to try to balance spinning disks on sticks.  

Learning balance tricks at circus school

     After the above activities, we went into the pre-school zone which is led by a very kind yoga teacher. This zone has its own tightrope, a tumbling mat, a balance beam and a dress-up box. It also have baby toys so parents have somewhere to sit with younger children during the workshop where the babies can stretch out on a mat and play. 

The dress-up chest 

     The yoga teacher immediately had the kids laughing hysterically and was incredibly engaging. She taught them to do somersaults down a ramp and jump through hoops and then played dress-up with them. When Charlie chose to be a witch, she got into the role playing and begged Charlie not to make her a frog. Within minutes, she was hopping around like a frog and the kids were loving it. 

Charlie had a lot of fun playing dress-up

     I cannot recommend this workshop enough. Having passed by it on our first day and seeing the kids inside laughing and playing, I knew it would be worth it to return and I was not disappointed. Now I only need to stop worrying about the kids running away to join the circus. 

Art Studio 

Art Studio

     The Art Studio was our next stop after circus school and if I am being honest, it wasn't very much fun. The studio has five stations including beading, play-doh, something called fibre arts which no one explained to us, sculptures and painting. The kids were immediately asked if they wanted to make necklaces and were given pipe cleaners and big beads. Strangely, they were also given tiny beads that didn't fit on anything and both were quite confused. Although they had fun doing this, it was something we could have done at home. The people working in this workshop barely interacted with the kids and, after making the necklaces, the kids were bored and wanted to leave. The other stations looked interesting but even when I was asking questions about them no one seemed interested in showing us how to do them. If you are running low on time, this is the workshop to skip. 

Kids making necklaces at the Art Studio

Make Music Workshop

The iPad station where kids can try out different music apps.

     After the art studio, we headed next door to the Make Music workshop and we were back to having a lot of fun. The kids immediately were greeted by the people at the workshop and given a lot of options for making music. The workshop has a lot of instruments and microphones as well as a station of iPads with a ton of music apps. This was another workshop we could have spent a lot of time in and from what I could tell, we would have been welcome to stay as long as we wished. The staff here are fun and will play any song your child requests if they have it. Will and Charlie really enjoyed making music with the other children and while each child sang, the others all were playing drums on the floor in front of them. I would strongly recommend visiting this workshop with kids of all ages. 

Will and Charlie performing at the workshop

Professor Wick's School of Magic & Illusion

Professor Wick's magic show

     Our final workshop of the day was the magic workshop which is split into two sections: a magic show and an illusion display. The kids were not interested in the illusion display but I quite enjoyed it.

Example of illusion display

     Make sure to stay for the magic show as it is quite entertaining. Professor Wick and his assistants were good at giving the kids a lot of opportunities to volunteer and picking a lot of different kids out of the audience. Will and Charlie were chosen for a magic trick and they both are still wondering how Charlie as the wizard made the trick happen. Charlie quite simply was in awe of the fact that she somehow performed a magic trick with no magic know-how whatsoever.

Will and Charlie were blown away when she successfully performed a magic trick.

     The only downfall to the magic workshop is that Professor Wick is selling magic supplies during the show such as wands and props. It isn't by any means a sales presentation but I did wish he had mentioned it less during the show and perhaps just at the end. Otherwise this workshop is a lot of fun and filled with laughs and some amazing tricks.

Other fun things

     After the workshops, we avoided the rides and wandered around the park a little. The weather was terrible and a storm was headed our way so we made a quick visit to the Reptilia Cruiser and then headed to the face painting tent. The Reptilia staff members are really great to talk to and have a lot of neat information to share. They also bring out different reptiles for your kids to meet. It is clear that the snakes are quite used to meeting children and the Reptilia staff treat the reptiles with a lot of respect. Snake lovers or not, I would recommend visiting the trailer which is located in Kids' World Park.

Reptilia Cruiser

    By the time we had met the snakes and had lunch, the sky was looking very ominous again and we decided it was probably time to head to the car. On the way out we noticed the face painting tent had no line and decided to stop at get a caricature done of the kids. Will and Charlie loved chatting with the artist and we ended up with an incredible free souvenir of our time at the exhibition. Definitely check this tent out which is located in the centre of Kids' world.

Charlie decided on an arm butterfly painting to match her shirt at the free face painting tent.

Our souvenir caricature of Will and Charlie at the exhibition.

     As the artist wrapped up our drawing in cellophane, we heard the familiar rumble of thunder and decided it was time to call it a day. The Canadian National Exhibition runs at Exhibition Place in Toronto until September 2, 2013.

**Solo Mom Takes Flight received free day passes from the Canadian National Exhibition. This in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this blog.

     

CNE 2013- Let's go to the Ex!

   

     While all the news sources in town were concentrating on the demise of the Kronut Burger, the kids and I took the opportunity to tour the relatively quiet CNE. We visited the day after people got sick and besides some visitors eyeing the food vendors with caution, nothing was amiss and we had a great time.

     Most people I've discussed this visit with have asked why I would ever go to the CNE alone with two kids but the answer is simple, there is a ton of fun stuff to do. Like most people, I used to view the CNE as nothing more than a midway with rides and deep fried foods. I have visited in the past and haven't been truly blown away by anything. I'm glad to report this year was quite different. 

     If you are only planning on heading to the Kid's activities, I recommend parking in Lot 5 or 6 off of Lakeshore which gives you direct access to the Saskatchewan Gate (sometimes called Dufferin Gate) and the kids areas. The map found here displays those areas clearly. This allows you to by-pass the remainder of the exhibition and only attend the kids activities if that is your plan. The only downfall is that you will need to cross the entire exhibition if you want to attend the Superdogs show which is in the Direct Energy Centre and quite a lot of fun for kids. The easiest way to get from one side to the other is by shuttle which runs daily and stops at many locations within the exhibition. You can also rent a wagon if you are desperate for $10 but be prepared to pay a steep $50 refundable deposit. 

     While your exploring the exhibition, keep an eye out for the baby care centres that are spread across the exhibition. They are a good place to breastfeed and get out of the sun.

     You can purchase tickets to the exhibition at the parking lot entrance or at any gate and online. Children 5-12 are admitted for $12 while general admission is $16. Also if you look around the entrances to the ex, we found coupons with the maps that offered free kid's passes. 

    Once we arrived we immediately headed to the Farm. The Farm is open daily from 10 am until 10 pm and the cost is included in the daily admission fee. In past years, I remember the farm having a petting zoo. This year it doesn't. Otherwise, it is a lot of fun. Will and Charlie immediately headed to a section of the farm where they were able to role play the life of a farmer. They were given buckets and seeds that they planted and did other tasks such as picking up eggs and apples and then took a tractor to the market to sell their goods. They absolutely love it and there were lots of people working and engaging with them. 

Will planting seeds at the farm

Kids taking turns milking a (fake) cow

Picking apples in the orchard

Charlie had a little trouble with her tractor

Each farmer was rewarded with a colouring book and ribbon

     Once you make it through farmer training, there is a lot more stuff to do. Make sure to try the horse racing as well as the tractor pull. There are also real animals including cows, pigs, turkeys and llamas and a fishing demonstration where your kids can try to catch real fish. We had a great time in this section and its a don't miss for anyone headed to the ex with kids. 

The horse race was a lot of fun.

Will trying out horse riding

     After the farm, the kids were hungry so we headed towards the Kiddie Midway and stopped in at Tiny Tom's donuts which are completely peanut free. Most of the food vendors at the CNE that we spoke to were very aware of food allergies and able to tells us what was safe for kids with peanut allergies. After our snack, it was off to the rides.

     Looking back I wish we had skipped this portion of the CNE. Rides at the CNE are quite expensive and not very good. Every ride we found required at least 4 coupons which is $5 per ride. We bought 44 coupons for $44 which meant the kids went on about 4 rides each and we had tickets left over that didn't add up to another ride. Any adult wishing to ride with younger children must also pay the full price. You can purchase a ride-all-day bracelet for $38 each but I would probably skip the rides all together and concentrate on the other aspects of the CNE. Its a good idea to check the height requirements before purchasing a bracelet or tickets because they are much stricter than other local amusement parks like Centreville or Canada's Wonderland and you may find your children are not tall enough for a lot of the rides. 

Charlie riding in the back of a pick- up truck

Will on the motorcycle ride

     Another word of caution if you do head to the Kiddie Midway--the restraints and seatbelts are incredibly easy for children to open. While the kids were ridding on the motorcycle ride, it had to be stopped because a child had unclipped the belt. The other kids then all did the same thinking the ride was over. If you have a child that is a little younger this could be quite dangerous and unlike other amusement parks, the restraints do not need a key to the be opened and can be opened at any time so stay close to the ride that your child is on. 

     After the Midway we headed over to Kids' World Park which is attached to the Midway. At this point, I realized how much other stuff there was to do and really regretted wasting time at the Midway. The Kids' World Park has a playground, dress-up station and face-painting in the middle of it. The face painting is really incredible and surprisingly included in the daily admission cost. There is a also a fun caricature drawing station that is also included for no extra cost. 

    Across from the face painting there is a main stage featuring shows throughout the day including Thomas the train, Barney the Dinosaur as well as many live acts. We caught the My Little Pony show and the kids loved it. 

My Litte Pony show at the CNE

     After the show, we explored the Kidstreet Interactive Zone located next to the stage and were blown away by the activities which are all available at no extra cost. This was really the highlight of the CNE for us.  We first attended the Pizza Nova Kid's Pizza Making Workshop. This fills up quickly and its worth checking the daily times and showing up a little early. Here a chef teaches your kids to prepare pizza dough and it is quite fun. There is a brief advertising video for Pizza Nova but once it is over, you will be glad you tried it. If you can, get a seat in the middle table as it is much easier for kids to follow along from there. Once the demonstration is over, kids are rewarded with a certificate and free slice of pizza as well as a gift bag.

Kids preparing pizza dough at the workshop

Tossing the dough was the highlight of the workshop

     After the pizza making workshop, we were all exhausted and it was hot. The three of us decided we would need another day at the exhibition to check out the remainder of Kids' World. The kids are particularly excited to try the circus workshop, music room, art studio and magic lessons.  We are headed back tomorrow and I will post a follow-up blog soon. Until then I highly recommend checking out the exhibition if you can. It runs until September 2! 

**Solo Mom Takes Flight received free day passes from the Canadian National Exhibition. This in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this blog.