Visit London: Shrek's Adventure London

Shrek's Adventure London was another attraction we had no plans on going to, but it was also another attraction that was offering 40% off tickets.  And since one of my kids is a fan of Shrek films, we decided to check it out.  

I thought we would be some of the oldest people there, but turns out, there were lots of kid-free adults on the adventure!

The Adventure entails a live-action, interactive adventure with character actors, and you are guided through various rooms (scenes) in an effort to find Shrek.

No pictures or videos were allowed during the adventure, but prior to beginning the adventure there are some interactive stations and photo ops.

Shrek's Adventure starts on a 4D Bus ride, and then guests (each group has timed entry) are guided into various rooms, like a pub and bakery.

The characters select guests to assist with certain activities, such as dancing, giving a secret statement or important object, or mixing a secret potion.

Our group had only one young child, who was asked to do most of the activities (which I totally understand), but some adults were asked to participate too (including my husband).

At the end of the adventure, a Shrek character is available for a Meet & Greet and photo ops.  

Although Shrek's Adventure is indeed geared for kids, and the acting can be a bit cheesy, it was actually very entertaining and amusing.  We all participated in the fun, and the actors really got into character.  A maze was part of the adventure, which was very fun for the family.  

And if you're a fan of Shrek or familiar with any of the movies, you'll appreciate all that goes into Shrek's Adventure.

After the adventure, you can visit some of the Dreamstation exhibits which include photo ops, interactive games, and more from some popular DreamWorks films, such as Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. 

For those with sensory concerns, there is a handy guide that can be found on the website here. 

Shrek's Adventure London

Riverside Building, County Hall

Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB, United Kingdom
 

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Disney's Disability Service Access Program

From our last visit to Disneyland in October, the Disability Service Access Card Program has changed.

Now, there is actually no card, and everything is done electronically via your pass/ticket.

Upon arrival to Disneyland Resort, we proceeded to Guest Relations (Chamber of Commerce at Disney California Adventure or City Hall at Disneyland Park) and advised the Cast Member of my son's situation.  The cast member then scanned the tickets/passes of everyone in our party, entered some important information, and gave a handy little flyer explaining the process and terms and conditions (in the back is also a log where you can write down return times). 

The procedure is pretty much the same - visit a Guest Relations kiosk to get a return time for a ride (write it down on the flyer if you wish) and the Cast Member will scan all riders' tickets.  Once your return time has passed, all riders present their tickets to the Cast Member who scans tickets to ensure it's not earlier than your return time.

The process seemed to go fairly smoothly, and although there were Wi-Fi issues that delayed or prevented cards from being scanned on a few occassions, fortunately, every single Cast Member was so helpful and accommodating, and we didn't have any issues at all with the new procedures. 

I love that Disney continues with their efforts in helping to ensure all guests are able to have a magical time!

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Visit Vancouver: Vancouver Aquarium

My kids love to visit aquariums, so we knew a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, Canada's largest aquarium with over 50,000 animals, was a must during our trip to British Columbia.

Highlights of Our Hosted Visit
We saw so many interesting and amazing animals at the Vancouver Aquarium - frogs, birds, snakes, and of course, many, many fishes.

Poison Dart Frogs

Hyacinth Macaws

Anaconda

The kids loved watching the fish swim by

By far our family's favorite exhibits were those of the jellies.

Jellies

There were jellies big and small, and watching these graceful creatures swim in the water was just entrancing.

The Vancouver Aquarium showcased so many different types of beautiful animals, and other favorites included the Strawberry Anemone (my middle son thought they looked so neat), the African Penguins, the Beluga Whale, and of course, the Clownfish (aka "Nemo" to my kids).

Strawberry Anemone

African Penguins

Beluga Whale

Clownfish

The volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium were very friendly and helpful, encouraging my kids to interact with props (e.g. trying on a turtle shell; feeling the fur of a sea otter), and providing us with information about different animals (e.g. the differences between dolphins and porpoises).

Trying on a sea turtle's shell

Feeling the fur of a sea otter

Throughout the aquarium there were also numerous kid-friendly areas and activities, such as Clownfish Cove (it was in the process of being moved on our visit), as well as areas for crafts, story time, a puppet show, and more.

Dining
Onsite is the Upstream Cafe, which serves burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and more.

Our Experience Visiting as a Special-Needs Family
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

On the Vancouver Aquarium's website, a Photographic Preview (social story) is available for downloading and printing. I think this is a fantastic resource, as it gives children an idea of what to expect on their visit. Social stories often help my son whenever going to new places, and I love that the aquarium has the photographic preview readily available so I could simply print it out.

We went to the aquarium on a Saturday just after it opened, and there was already a huge crowd. Fortunately my son did not get overwhelmed with the number of people at the aquarium, but if your child does not do well in crowds, the aquarium advises that the quietest times to visit are on weekdays or prior to 12pm or after 2pm during winter, and prior to 11am or after 4pm during the summer.

Although my son can sit through shows fairly well, on this day he was adamant about not watching any shows, so we did not want to force him.  However, he was quite eager to walk around the aquarium and explore.

Fortunately he enjoyed viewing the various exhibits, and his favorite part of the day was trying on a turtle shell.

If we needed to take any breaks, there was plenty of seating throughout the aquarium.

For those on a GFCF diet or who have other food allergies, the cafe's allergy list is available online.

Final Thoughts
Our family had a wonderful time seeing so many different types of animals at the Vancouver Aquarium.

I loved that there was a nice variety of exhibits and activities to keep everyone engaged, and we learned a lot from our visit.

The Vancouver Aquarium is great place for families to spend a few hours or even the entire day.

I can't wait to go back again one day and see the new expansion.

Vancouver Aquarium
845 Avison Way
Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2, Canada
604-659-3474

For admission prices click here; for hours click here

Thank you to the Vancouver Aquarium for hosting our visit.

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Off-Island: LEGOLAND California

During our trip to San Diego, we knew a visit to LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad was a must, and everyone in our family was excited for our very first visit! 

Highlights of Our Visit:
As expected, LEGOLAND was full of fun rides and super cool LEGO creations.

Just about everywhere we looked there were animals, plants, vehicles, buildings, instruments, and even people - all made out of LEGO bricks (click on all photos to enlarge)!

 

Every single one of my kids thought the Musical Fountain in Water Works was the coolest thing.  They'd jump from circle to circle to activate various instruments which would start playing music while shooting water.  They had so much fun making music that we made numerous stops at the Musical Fountain during our visit.

 

My middle and oldest son both loved the Volvo Driving Schools.  There's a Junior Driving School for kids ages 3-5 in which kids drive around a track, and then there's the "regular" Driving School for kids ages 6-13 in which kids drive throughout a bigger area with more turns and even working stoplights.

My kids also loved DUPLO Playtown, and many of the rides, specifically Splash Battle, and Royal Joust.

My oldest also loved The Dragon and Coastersaurus coasters.

I personally loved the amazing LEGO masterpieces, especially those in Miniland USA.

The buildings, the scenes, and even the STAR WARS models were just incredible.

It's amazing what can be done with LEGO bricks!

Food:
For lunch we ate at Fun Town Market.

The boys ordered Kids Meals with either Chicken Strips or a Hot dog.  The meals came with a drink and a snack.  I ordered the Oriental Chicken Stir-Fry.  After seeing how huge the serving was, DH and I ended up sharing the stir-fry.  It was quite good and loaded with veggies and chicken!

Also, towards the end of our visit I couldn't resist getting some of Granny's Apple Fries.  They were quite delicious, but next time I'd try and get them earlier in the day, because when I bought them it was within a 1/2 hour of closing and they were a bit soggy (but still yummy!).

Visiting a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
I know every child with an ASD is different, but whenever we venture out, we always try to prepare as best as we can to minimize challenges.

As with any attraction we plan to visit, I researched any autism-related information, and I was very pleased to find this post on LEGOLAND's Model Mom Mary's blog regarding autism awareness, and how they provide exit passes to families of children with autism.

So upon arrival at LEGOLAND I was able to obtain an exit pass for my son (I loved that a Guest Services window was open before the actual park opened, which meant as soon as we entered the park we could go straight to a ride!).

Upon receiving the pass, I was advised to simply show the pass to an employee at the exit of any ride (with the exclusion of Fairy Tale Brook, which the pass is not valid on).  The employee would then proceed to let us know when we could go on.  Also, we were told the pass can only be used once an hour per ride.

Because the day we visited was a "slow" day, we only ended up using the pass twice (on the Safari Trek - since it was one of the rides closest to the entrance the line got long rather quickly, and Treasure Falls, because that ride had a pretty long line), and any other rides my son wanted to go on was either very short or non-existent and he was able to wait in line without any major issues.

Throughout our visit the only meltdowns he had was whenever he finished with Driving School.  Whenever it was over, he cried and screamed because he wanted to go again and again, but once we specifically told him how many more times he could drive again before we had to leave, he was able to self-calm and we were able to leave the ride.

Also, for those who have kids on a GFCF diet or any other special diet, LEGOLAND has a very handy Dietary Guide on its website with allergy information of various dining venues.

Final Thoughts:
Overall we had a fantastic time at LEGOLAND.

I love that LEGOLAND is an autism-friendly attraction, and that there was so much to see and do.  I also loved that there were so many LEGO creations all throughout the park, and even several places where kids could get creative and build their own creations.

Although there were a few employees that we encountered that were not too friendly, just about everyone else on staff were super friendly and helpful.

My kids had an amazing time, and they keep asking to go back (and hopefully when we do we'll get to stay in the new LEGOLAND hotel, which opens on April 5!).

Below are more photos from our visit. Enjoy!

LEGOLAND California: 1 Legoland Dr  Carlsbad, CA 92008; (760) 918-5346

 

Admission: 1-Day LEGOLAND: $78 Adults (ages 13+); $68 Kids (ages 3-12); Visit the LEGOLAND website for more ticket promotion options.

Parking: $12 for Cars

Thank you to LEGOLAND for providing complimentary passes for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

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Off-Island: Sea World - San Diego

On one recent Friday in San Diego, the forecast was for heavy rain, but that didn't stop us from making a visit to Sea World.

Highlights of Our Visit:

There is a nice variety of things to see and do at Sea World - San Diego.  We walked through an acrylic tube as sharks swam by, rode the Skytower and got a breathtaking view of not only Sea World, but of Mission Bay and Downtown San Diego, and peered into the chilly habitat of macaroni and emperor penguins. (click on all photos to enlarge).

Our family enjoyed going to the Wild Arctic to see polar bears and walruses; the Pacific Point to see sea lions; and the Aquariums to see all sorts of sea creatures.

I thought it was great that there were many opportunities for the kids to get up close and personal to various animals.  They were able to touch a dolphin at Dolphin Encounter, a sea star at the California Tide Pool, and even a ray at the Manta Aquarium.

The kids also really enjoyed the Sesame Street of Bay of Play.

Unfortunately, due to the weather, a lot of areas in the Bay of Play were closed, but my boys still got to ride on Elmo's Flying Fish and Abby's Sea Star Spin, and they even got a chance to meet Zoe and Elmo!

We also watched three shows at Sea World:

Blue Horizons featured dolphins and pilot whales performing neat stunts, as well as exotic birds and human acrobats, who were all part of a story revolving around a girl named Marina.

Sea Lions LIVE, featuring Sea Lions Clyde and Seamore, was a take on Saturday Night Live featuring various comedic sketches based on some of today's popular TV shows (e.g. Survivor, Dancing, with the Stars, etc.).

One Ocean featured killer whales who demonstrated their amazing abilities to leap into the air.

Food:
For lunch, we dined at Mama Stella's Pizza Kitchen.

My husband and I shared a BBQ Chicken Pizza, and the boys got a Cheese Pizza Kids Meal which included a Breadstick and Drink.  Everything was delicious - my boys especially loved the breadsticks!

You can check out the Sea World San Diego website to view more dining options, as well as menus.

Visiting with a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):

I know every child with an ASD is different, but we always try various techniques to minimize challenges whenever we travel.

My oldest son has an ASD, and since I knew he'd be interested in going on rides while at Sea World, we went to the Information Center to enroll him in the Ride Accessibility Program.  We were given a pass which listed the various rides, boarding location, and boarding information for each ride.

For major rides, a "virtual queue" system is used.  For instance, upon arriving at the entrance of Manta, if the wait is an hour, the employee would initial the pass, write down a time to return, and you could watch a show or view other exhibits and return at the specified time.

For smaller rides, such as those in the Bay of Play, the ride operator will make you wait up to two cycles before you can board.

We knew the pass would be helpful if there were really long wait times, as my son has a tendency to have meltdowns and wander off, but because the day we visited was not a very busy day, any lines at rides my son wanted to go on were either non-existent or very short, so we never had to use the pass, but we are glad to know that this option is available.

Also, prior to our visit, we made sure to inform my son of where we'd be going and what he'd expect to see at Sea World.  We also downloaded the free Sea World app onto our iPhones so he could look up animals, etc.

Since my son loves watching coasters (because of the repetitive movement), I knew he would love watching the Manta, so whenever it was in view he'd always want to stop and see it.  Because of this, it made it a bit difficult for us to move on to other exhibits or activities, and he'd sometimes have a meltdown.  During such times we'd simply assist him with self-calming techniques (deep breaths, counting, etc.), then we could move on to the next exhibit.

Also, for those who have kids on a GFCF diet or any other type of medical diet, check with a park employee for assistance before entering the park if you have special diet food with you, since outside food is not allowed (however, water bottles are allowed). 

Final Thoughts:
Although several rides were not operating due to the weather, we still had a great time - even in the pouring rain!

My oldest son loved the Sky Tower, my middle son loved the Penguin Encounter, and my youngest son loved the Blue Horizons show (every time a dolphin would leap from the water he'd squeal in delight!).

I love that Sea World is an autism-friendly attraction, and that there was a good variety of exhibits and activities appealing to various age groups.

Below is a slideshow of more photos from our visit. Enjoy!

Sea World - San Diego: 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, CA 92109

Admission: 1-Day Adult Ticket - $78; Child Ticket (ages 3-9) $70; Visit the Sea World - San Diego website for more promotions and ticket package offers.

Parking: $15 for cars.

Thank you to Sea World for providing complimentary passes for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

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Off-Island: Pretend City Children's Museum

I always love taking my kids to new and fun attractions, and we recently visited Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine during our recent trip to Southern California.

From the moment we stepped into Pretend City the boys were engaged.

There was so much to see and do in Pretend City.

The kids could go to the library or post office, go grocery shopping, pretend to be a firefighter, visit the doctor or dentist, or drive around the city (click on photos to enlarge).

I know there are similar attractions in many cities throughout the nation, even in Hawaii, but I really loved the way Pretend City was actually set up - like a real city!  In addition to the various businesses and establishments, there are roads where kids can drive around in ride-on toys, and there are also stoplights, street signs, and parking spaces.

There's even a little house - complete with a living room, bathroom, kitchen, and two bedrooms.

And that's not all you'll find in Pretend City.

There's also an art studio, a marina, an amphitheater, a farm, and so much more!

If you or your kids are hungry, they even have a "Real Cafe" offering all sorts of healthy options.

Overall we had a truly enjoyable time at Pretend City.

I love how at so many of the exhibits there are appropriate costumes and accessories for kids to pretend play, whether it's a cafe worker, a firefighter, or a dentist.

Kids are also given a time card which gets stamped at various locations, and once it's filled they can go to the ATM, insert their time card, and they'll receive play money!

A really great thing about Pretend City is that they are very special needs-friendly.  They believe all children should have the ability to experience the value of pretend play, and they offer a variety of supplies upon request to help make it a positive experience for special needs children.  For instance, they offer gluten-free play dough, headphones, and weighted shoulder pads.

Fortunately during our visit, DS1, who has an autism spectrum disorder, remained relatively calm and did not have many major meltdowns despite the new environment and being amongst so many other children.

However, he did not do much pretending throughout the city.  Instead, he focused on certain items that made him content.  For instance, he enjoyed playing "stop and go" with the stoplight (whenever it turned green he'd walk, when it turned red he'd stop).  For a long while that's all he wanted to do - play "stop and go."

He also loved playing in the marina (he loves water play at school).  In fact - the marina was a popular spot for all my kids.  They had a blast going fishing and making boats (raincoats are available to prevent from getting soaked).

Unlike DS1, DS2 did A LOT of pretending.  His favorite pretend activity was cooking - he could've stayed all day in the cafe!

As for DS3 - he's a bit too young to understand what pretend play is all about, but he really enjoyed finding familiar toys he could play with (blocks, puzzles, etc.).

Although there were a lot of kids because of a field trip, our kids had enough time to explore each exhibit.  My favorite moment of our visit was when DS2 went to the "doctor's office," and all of a sudden a bunch of kids from the field trip made him their patient.  DS2 was such a trooper and remained a good patient! 

We could've spent all day at Pretend City.  It truly is a great place for little kids of all ages and needs to explore, play, and pretend!

Below are more photos from our visit.

Enjoy!

Pretend City Children's Museum: 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618; 949-428-3900
General Admission: $11 Children (over 12 months) and Adults

Thank you to Pretend City Children's Museum for providing the complimentary passes for our visit. All opinions are my own.

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Off-Island: Knott's Berry Farm

During our recent trip to Southern California, we visited Knott's Berry Farm.  It was our kids' first visit to Knott's and we couldn't wait to take them on the various rides!

Upon arriving at Knott's Berry Farm, we first went to the Information Center to obtain a Guest Assistance Pass for Musician.  Although children in general can sometimes get impatient while waiting in line, for those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, waiting even a short time can easily result in increased anxiety, meltdowns, and tantrums, so to try and prevent such situations, we knew it was important for us to request a Guest Assistance Pass.

The pass does not give him "front of line" access or immediate boarding as some people mistakenly believe - it simply allows for "modified waiting times to attractions."  There could still be a wait depending on the length of the line.

Note: For guests with special needs, there are two different types of passes - a yellow pass in which the guest will wait on the sidelines for the rest of their party to get through the line, and a blue pass in which the guest gives the pass to the ride operator, who gives a time to return (the time will be what the operator believes it takes to get through the line).

I brought along all of Musician's documentation and explained Musician's situation to an employee who was standing right outside of the Information Center.  She proceeded to ask me how many people were in my party, and I told her 5 (myself, my husband, and my 3 sons, including Musician), and she ended up giving me a blue pass after writing down "4 total" on the pass.  I assumed that 4 is the maximum number, but because Musician already started to get anxious and started stimming in the short time I was requesting the pass, I was unable to ask for clarification (the pass itself notes that ONE riding companion may board with the guest, so I was grateful that she even allowed us more than 1).  

The employee who gave us the pass seemed very informed about those with special needs, including an ASD.  When I mentioned Musician had an ASD, she was readily aware how problems can occur when those with an ASD are waiting for a very long time.  I was very appreciative of how knowledgeable she was.

After getting the Guest Assistance Pass, we headed straight to Camp Snoopy.

Luckily, there was little or no wait for most of the rides which Musician wanted to go on, and we only used the Guest Assistance Pass once while in Camp Snoopy.

The first ride he wanted to go on was the Balloon Race (there was no line) and he just loved it!

He also wanted to go on the Red Baron ride, which had a fairly long line, so we used the Guest Assistance Pass. We had no issues when we showed the pass to the Ride Operator, but just as Musician was about to go into one of the planes, he started crying for some reason, and he ended up not going on the ride.  The Ride Operator was very empathic, saying it was okay and not a problem.

As for Smiley, he loved the Log Peeler.  He rode it twice!

Both of the kids also loved Charlie Brown's Speedway.

After a few more rides at Camp Snoopy, we explored the rest of Knott's Berry Farm, where we rode on a few more rides.

Musician's favorite rides at Knott's happened to be any that involved a train, and it was so great that Knott's has several!  He rode the Calico Railroad, Calico Mine Ride, and our entire family got to ride the Grand Sierra Scenic Railroad.

The one ride we used his Guest Assistance Pass for outside of Camp Snoopy was the Timber Mountain Log Ride.

Once again, we had no issues whatsoever using the card. We simply presented the pass at the ride exit where the attendant wrote down a "board time." Once the board time expired, Musician and I presented the pass to the ride operator and went on the ride.

Of all the rides at Knott's, the one thing that Musician loved the most was not even a ride - it was the Angry Bird carnival-type game (he LOVES Angry Birds!).

Also, Musician really enjoyed watching all of the roller coasters throughout the park. He loves riding them, and always asks to "ride the big roller coasters," but he loves to watch them too - the repetitiveness just intrigues him.

Overall we really enjoyed our visit to Knott's Berry Farm. We love that the park is autism-friendly and that the employees were not only friendly and helpful, but they seemed to be knowledgeable about those with special needs.

I liked that there's a nice variety of rides. There are many thrilling roller coasters perfect for adults and older kids, and Camp Snoopy offered a lot of great rides for the little ones.  I also liked that there were a few rides that our entire family could go on together.

There was so much to see and do at Knott's.  We were there for four hours and I wish we had more time there since there were a few things we didn't get to do, but with 3 kids ages 5 and under, you can imagine how cranky and tired they were getting (I think I may look into staying at the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel the next time so we can take the kids back to the hotel to nap and return to the park).

We can't wait to go back again, and by then Musician will be older and taller, and maybe he'll get to ride the "big roller coasters" that he can't get enough of watching!

Knott's Berry Farm.  Enjoy!

Knott's Berry Farm: 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA 90620; 714-220-5200

Thank you to Knott's Berry Farm for providing the complimentary admission tickets.

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