I grew up in Minnesota, and my life as a teenager was pretty much centered at the Mall of America (MOA)! We’d hang out there on the weekends, especially if it was snowy or too hot, and one of my first jobs was there at a popular clothing store. 

So despite it’s massiveness and all the store changes, I still know my way around, and I love bringing my kids when we visit!

We made a couple MOA trips during our visit this year, because it was super hot and humid, and there’s lots and lots and lots to keep the kids busy, and stay cool. My sister was in town too so it was a fun place to take the kids to wear off some energy. Here’s what we did:

Nickelodeon Universe – We spent more than six hours at the amusement park, my kids obviously had a BLAST! See below for my full review.

Sea Life Mall of America – This beautiful aquarium wanders through underwater tunnels so the kids can get up close and personal with the sea, plus there’s an opportunity to touch a bunch of creatures. See below for my full review.

Amazing Mirror Maze – This is one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. I honestly have no idea how big this maze is, it’s a huge optical illusion, and you have no idea if you’re coming or going once you get in there. The glass is shiny clean (because you wear plastic gloves while inside), which makes it really hard to figure out where you’re going. I’d think one of the kids was walking toward me, but it was their reflection. You’d even bump into yourself if you thought you were headed in the right direction (although we did figure out fast if you see yourself coming up in the mirror, slow down, because it’s collision time). We went through the maze at least ten times, and were still getting lost at the end. It was a blast, and a lot of bang for your buck! (Especially with the groupon we found!)

Crayola Experience – This is one of our absolute favorites when we stop at the MOA, the kids can spend HOURS creating here. They get to play with some really innovate exhibits, including magnetic dancing figures (that you decorate first), a fashion show that puts your dress on the runway, wax spinning, and wax figures. Plus, a fun playground.

Rainforest Café – We’ve been going to the Rainforest Café at the MOA since the very beginning. Did you know it was the first one? It’s now been refreshed and moved to a different part of the mall, and still just as fun. Thunderstorms happen about every 15 minutes, and the animals take turns making fun noises. It really feels like you’re in the jungle, and the kids love it.

Shake Shack – This was my first experience at a Shake Shack, and I am now officially a HUGE fan, my burger was so good!!! I think we’ve got one here in Colorado, I will be making special trips to get my fix! (I have no pictures to prove this happened, I think I was enjoying my burger too much, lol!)

Dough Dough - After Shake Shack we stopped at this incredible cookie dough place, it was incredible. They had so many different flavors, and each one we loved. Can't wait to get back and try that again! (Also no pictures, but it was DELICIOUS!)

Sea Life at the Mall of America

If your kids love getting up close and personal with sea critters, they’ll love Sea Life Minnesota at the Mall of America. The aquarium has little bubble windows at many of the exhibits, so the kids got to pop up really close to a crocodile, cockroaches, and nemo fish. They loved crawling into the little caves and getting a different perspective, it makes for a more magical experience.

Many of the exhibits at the aquarium are like a tunnel through the water, with water over the walkway, allowing a different view of all the sea life. It’s always crazy when a shark or sting ray passes over, we even saw a turtle float over the top of us during our visit.

This aquarium has a cool jellyfish exhibit with different species, which the kids really enjoyed. The exhibit had a cool atmosphere with dark lights and fluorescent lighting. It was a neat backdrop for the jelly fish. 

At the end of the aquarium we stumbled upon a “please touch” area where the kids enjoyed touching  creatures from the Pacific Northwest. The kids loved getting their hands in the chilly water and feeling around. They also learned a lot from the woman who was there in charge of the exhibit.

At the beginning of our visit the kids picked up passports, which we worked on during our visit. They had to find several stations throughout the aquarium, and at the end turned it in to the gift shop. I was really surprised when they got a free little token to remember our visit. They LOVED it! (And I loved getting to walk out of the gift shop with no whining!)

Overall the visit took us a little over an hour, and the kids really enjoyed exploring the different exhibits. Definitely a great stop!

Buy your tickets online before you go to get a discount! For more info, head here: https://www.visitsealife.com/minnesota/.

Nickelodeon Universe

As my kids get older, they’re always begging to go to Nickelodeon Universe for the rides. So this time we spent almost six hours getting all the adrenaline fix that they could handle!

How big can a park inside a mall possibly be, you ask? Well it may not be enormous, but they have packed a TON of fun into the huge space that they do have, and they’re always adding new rides to keep it fresh and fun.

They have three roller coasters for the thrill seekers:

• Pepsi Orange Streak – This roller coaster has been in the MOA since the very beginning, and it’s a fun ride. This year my five-year-old and eight-year-old went accompanied with Grandma and Grandpa, and they all had a blast. It’s just a taste of a thrill, and a cool view of the entire park.
• Fairly Odd Coaster – This ride is new since the last time we visited, and I decided to ride twice with my eight-year-old, it was so fun! The car spins around as you go along the track that twists and turns, and you have no idea whether you’re coming or going! I definitely needed a Dramamine afterwards, but it was worth it!
• Sponge Bob Square Pants Rock Bottom Plunge – This ride is the craziest the park has to offer! I definitely didn’t ride it, but I loved watching the crazy people that did fly over my head and then whip into a loop de loop! My daughter was thinking about it, but I think we’ll wait until next year for that one.

My daughter loved the other rides, including:

• Avatar Airbender – This ride looked like a huge skateboard, with spinning seats, swooshing back and forth like a pirate ship – it was crazy! Everyone was having a blast though going all the way to the top, and then dropping down and going back up 70 feet into the air again.
• Backyardigans Swing Along – A classic at every amusement park, these swings did not disappoint my daughter. She had a huge smile on her face as she flew through the air!
• Brain Surge – This ride was like a crazy version of the tilt a whirl! The whole platform moves in a circle, but instead of the car swinging side to side, it rolls! Riders can control their movement with a handle in the middle, and my daughter had so much fun just getting herself stuck upside down for most of the ride. 
• Log Chute – Another classic ride that’s been there since the start, the log chute is always a fun family ride as you take the risk of getting soaked together! My five-year-old loved it, and my eight-year-old even went back for a second time!
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock – This is one of the coolest rides I’ve ever seen. I decided not to ride it this year, but I’m regretting it a little bit! You hop into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shell and fly in big swoops in a circle. Riders can decide if they want to add an additional side to side ride (no thank you!) and make it more adventurous, or just enjoy the ride.

There were at least ten rides that my five-year-old enjoyed riding while his sister was usually flying through the air. His favorites were:

• Adventure Bay – A fun play area for kiddos 52” and under (and a great place for littles to play while older siblings are getting their adrenaline fix)
• El Circulo Del Cielo – My kids loved riding the ferris wheel with Grandma and getting to look at the park from what felt like the ceiling.
• Swiper’s Sweeper – I could have watched my son on this ride all day, and the number of giggles coming from the kids was contagious. This is a typical circular track kiddie ride, but when it came to making the turn, the car swings fast to the other side. The kids LOVED it, and it was so funny to watch!

We decided not to do the Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course this year, but this huge ropes course and zip line attraction really looks like a blast. Especially as you see people whizzing over your head on the zip lines! There is a separate entrance fee for this attraction, but you can bundle your ticket to make it more affordable. This will definitely be on our list for next year!

How much does it cost?

Pricing is similar to other amusement parks, but there are deals if you bundle your wrist band with other attractions. For about $10 you can add on Crayola Experience, FlyOver America or Minnesota Sea Life. Yes it is an investment in fun for the day, but we spent so much time there, the hours flew past! They do have a multi-day pass, which makes it even more affordable.

Chaperones can ride many of the rides for free when you’re accompanying a kiddo whose height requires a chaperone. So don’t buy points or tickets for the adults until you figure out which ones you actually have to pay to be on.

Find out more here: https://nickelodeonuniverse.com/.

I was given free passes to Nickelodeon Universe and Sea Life in order to write this review, all the opinions are my own!

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