Just a few hours from Eastern Iowa is a shopping extravaganza and themepark-esque experience that has so much more to offer. As my family and I traveled through Minneapolis last weekend, we decided to go see all of the fun things available at the Mall of America. I will give you a hint: we were there 5 hours and didn't step foot into one of the retail stores... no, I am not kidding. Our only purchases were made at Legoland and the Pokemon gift shop. The Mall of America has hundreds of retail stores across 4 floors, if that is your thing, but my family is all boys and none of them had any interest. Nickelodeon Universe and the Sealife Aquarium were the stars of the show for us... and then there were these Superstars...
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It was 10:30am on a Saturday, the day before Easter. And if you are thinking that going to the Mall (not just any mall) on a Saturday is a bad idea, I did realize that as we were parking... but it was the only day we would be in Minneapolis. Parking was free and not the nightmare that I thought it would be, there are 3 different parking ramps that all have signs showing which levels are FULL or OPEN. Our first mission was to find the ticket window to get wristbands for Nickelodeon Universe. If you didn't know that there is an ENTIRE theme park located inside of the Mall of America, there is. And it is huge. There are tons of rides for all ages, everything is Nickelodeon-themed (think Ninja Turtles, Spongebob, Dora, and the Loud House), plus extra activities and attractions, including FREE character Meet and Greets!
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I expected a LOT more traffic on a Saturday morning, on a holiday weekend. Even into the afternoon, I didn't really notice that there was a ton more people in the mall or the theme park. None of the lines seemed very long for any of the rides, until the very last one that we rode that day. We enjoyed roller coasters, a giant pineapple bouncy house, and bumper cars at Nickelodeon Universe before heading over to the Sealife Aquarium. Did you know that both a theme park and an aquarium can fit in this mall?! Yeah, me either.
These boys LOVED the sea creatures. They do several animal "talks" throughout the day on some of the different creatures living in the aquarium. They also hand out a really cool log book that the kids can stamp throughout the aquarium then turn in for a special prize (ribbon necklace with animal charm) at the end of the adventure.
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You guys. We could have spent a solid two days shopping and checking out more of the attractions. There is a ziplining course and miniature golf too!
We even got to play Pikachu games and get merchandise as part of the promotion for the new movie, "Detective Pikachu".
*Be sure to check out the events they have coming up when you plan your visit! You can follow the Mall of America on Facebook, Twitter, or check out their website.
I do want to mention something else exciting that the Mall of America has accomplished:
According to a Press Release, "Mall of America (MOA) and Nickelodeon Universe, the seven-acre theme park inside MOA, will now officially be recognized as Certified Autism Centers (CAC), granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). As the first destination in Minnesota to become a Certified Autism Center, the certification means that visitors and families with children who have autism and other sensory disorders can enjoy the best possible experience while visiting MOA that caters to their needs. In order to earn the designation, 80 percent or more of the guest-facing staff had to complete the autism sensitivity and awareness training provided by IBCCES. MOA and Nickelodeon Universe also underwent an onsite review by IBCCES, which included recommendations to make the park more accessible for visitors with sensory sensitivities, as well as sensory guides for each ride to better prepare guests on what to expect when they arrive."
The Mall of America will also be adding a few new first-to-market retailers and installing a new art exhibit: a majestic 30-foot Monarch butterfly surrounded by more than 300 smaller butterflies of varying size. The installation is entitled “Kaleidoscope”. It will be created predominately from waste-stream materials such as plastic bags, straws, and plastic spoons and is designed to be reused.
I hope you guys can make it up to Minneapolis this Summer to check out all of the AMAZING things happening at the Mall of America!
**Disclaimer: I did receive complimentary tickets for some of the attractions so that I could share the experience with you guys, but all of the opinions are my own**
