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SeaWorld Orlando: Behind the Scenes Tour

SeaWorld Orlando

Our Behind the Scenes tour included meeting and touching Edward the Magellanic Penguin.

What: SeaWorld Orlando Behind the Scenes Tour 
Where: 7007 Sea World Dr., Orlando, FL 32821
When: SeaWorld Orlando is open seven days a week. Visit the SeaWorld Orlando website for updated hours
Cost: Single Day Tickets are $79 for adults and $71 for children (online purchase prices. In person is $10 additional). Multi-day and Multi-park tickets are available Behind the Scenes Tour: $29 per person + park admission

For anyone looking to get up close and personal with the animals at SeaWorld Orlando, check out the behind the scenes and animal interaction tours. These special tours allow guests to go behind theme park walls and experience SeaWorld from a trainer’s perspective.

There is a  Sea Lion Up-Close Tour, a Dolphin Up-Close Tour and a Beluga Whale interaction program, as well as a general behind the scenes tour.  We took the behind the scenes tour and enjoyed viewing the backstage look, as well as a few surprises.

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Easter Activities in Atlanta

Easter in Atlanta

Easter is in a few weeks. The fabulous family photos you get from the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Peter Cotton Tail is getting ready to hop down the bunny trail. Easter is on March 31st this year and if you are looking for Easter Activities in Atlanta, there are quite a few happening around town. Rather than re-invent the wheel and create a new list, here’s a look at some great local blogs and sites that offer information on Easter activities in Atlanta. Know of others? Leave a comment with a link. Have a favorite? Let us know.

What to do in Atlanta with Kids this Weekend

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

LEGOLAND Discovery Center is celebrating their first birthday with a week full of fun. Joshua, the Master Builder at LEGOLAND joined us this morning on Better Mornings.

The Field Trips with Sue segment on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta this am as all about What to do in Atlanta with Kids this weekend. It’s St. Patrick’s Day and there is a lot going on for the holiday. We’re also in the middle of March Madness with the Final Four coming to our hometown in a few weeks. So without further ado, here is what we discussed this morning.

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Chattanooga, TN Offers Spring Break Safari for Kids

Rock City Gardens

Rock City offers a RockQuest Adventure Package for Spring Break that includes a Rock Climbing wall and gem mining.

What: Chattanooga, TN Spring Break Safari
Where: Chattanooga, TN
When: March 15 – April 14, 2013
Cost: Individual attractions have their own fees. Many offer free add ones for Safari participants
Contest: Enter to win a Spring Break Safari Getaway in Chattanooga for up to 2 adults and 2 children! Grand prize includes 2 nights’ accommodations at the downtown DoubleTree hotel & 4 tickets to six of the Spring Break Safari adventures. Winner will be drawn on March 11, 2013.

Chattanooga, TN does a great job of wooing families looking for an action packed spring break. The Spring Break Safari in Chattanooga, TN let’s kids’ become an animal Keeper Kid and feed and mingle with sharks and sea turtles; Spelunker deep in a cavern; RockQuest Adventurer on an enchanted trail; Pilot House Mate and navigate the Tennessee River; an Art Explorer and uncover hidden treasures; a Conductor aboard a traincar; a Zoologist encountering chimpanzees, jaguars, reptiles and camels; a Time Traveler exploring the age of dinosaurs; an Engineer on a trolley; or a Culinary Creator whipping up sweets. Best part, the program is so well laid out, you can pick and choose what you want to do and book a hotel within a half an hour. Most attractions offer free extras to kids that participate in the program. Here’s what you need to know.

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Five things to do St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta with Kids

 

St. Patricks Day in Atlanta

A walking Irish flag closes out the 131st annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Atlanta

What: St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta with Kids
Where: Throughout Atlanta
When: Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17, 2013
Cost: See below

My heritage traces all over Europe and Scandinavia, however, you’d think from the way my older relatives talk that we are 100% Irish. Of course this weekend, everyone is Irish.

Forget Valentine’s Day. My kids love St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta. For starters, they get their very own box of Lucky Charms. Then there’s Lucky, our Leprechaun who visit each year and is inseparable from my youngest until he goes back to Ireland on March 18. Our favorite activity is the St. Patrick’s Day party we attend each year. Although none of us are particularly fond of corn beef, boiled potatoes or soda bread, it’s a must on March 17.  There’s always a party on St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta and here are some family friendly options for you and your little leprechauns to enjoy.

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Keeper Kids Programs Free at Tennessee Aquarium During Spring Break

Tennessee Aquarium

My children observed and recorded the activity of penguins during the Tennessee Aquarium’s Keeper Kids program.

What: Tennessee Aquarium Keeper Kids
Where: One Broad St., Chattanooga, TN 800-262-0695
When: 10 am – 6 pm except Thanksgiving and Christmas
Cost: $24.95 adults, $14.95 children (3-12)

  • Add the IMAX to your aquarium visit for $6 per person
  • Add Creative Discovery Museum for Kids for $10 per person
  • An annual family pass is only $115. Depending on how many kids you have, this could pay for itself in one visit.

Photos: For additional photos of the Tennessee Aquarium, visit Field Trips with Sue on Facebook

Chattanooga is a short drive up I-75 from Atlanta and a great place to spend spring break. It’s an easy day trip, but if  you’d like to spend the night, consider The Chattanoogan, which is located downtown and close to all the attractions, including the Tennessee Aquarium. The Tennessee Aquarium offers a tremendous spring break program of behind the scenes tours called Keeper Kids. Best of all, from March 15 – April 15, these programs, geared toward kids age 6 and up, are FREE. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of this popular program.

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Ten Plus Tips for a great day at LEGOLAND Florida

LEGOLAND Florida What: LEGOLAND Florida
Where: One LEGOLAND Way, WinterHaven, FL
When: LEGOLAND Florida is open 7 days a week, but may be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during specific periods.
LEGOLAND Water Park re-opens for the season on March 9, 2013.
Cost: Online Prices begin at $64 for adults and $54 for kids
Visit Orlando’s Magic Card gives you a discount on admission to LEGOLAND and other Orlando dining and attractions.

About 45 minutes from the gates of the Magic Kingdom in Florida is Orlando’s newest theme park LEGOLAND Florida. LEGOLAND brand has three different ways to experience LEGOS. The LEGOLAND Store, Discovery Center and Theme Park. There is one LEGOLAND theme park in California and the latest, LEGOLAND Florida. We have a LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta and as complete LEGO fans, were anxious to experience the theme park at LEGOLAND Florida. My youngest was so excited he grabbed a brochure from our hotel the night before to begin mapping out the day – boy after my own heart. Here are 10 tips for a great day at LEGOLAND Florida.

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What’s the Right Age for LEGOLAND Florida?

LEGOLAND Florida

LEGOLAND Florida is geared toward the 12 and under crowd, but a love of LEGOS doesn’t stop at 12.

What: LEGOLAND Florida
Where: One LEGOLAND Way, WinterHaven, FL
When: LEGOLAND Florida is open 7 days a week, but may be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during specific periods.
LEGOLAND Water Park re-opens for the season on March 9, 2013.
Cost: Online Prices begin at $64 for adults and $54 for kids
Visit Orlando’s Magic Card gives you a discount on admission to LEGOLAND and other Orlando dining and attractions.

LEGOLAND Florida is geared toward the 12 and under set, but a love of LEGO doesn’t stop at 12, so what is the best age to visit LEGOLAND Florida? That’s the question I was asked most about Florida’s newest theme park – what is the recommended age for visiting? LEGOLAND Florida recommends the park for kids 12 and under. My suggestion is it completely depends on your child, your available time and resources. I visited with my 8.5 year old and newly minted teen and they both had a blast. Here’s why…

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Atlanta with Kids: Sunday Art Adventures at the High Museum

High Museum of Art

Visit the High Museum of Art Sunday’s through May for bilingual family tours and projects.

What: Domingos de Aventuras en Arte (Sunday Art Adventures)
Where: High Museum of Art
When: Every Sunday, through May 12, 2103 from 1 – 4 pm
Cost: Free with Museum admission. Free for members.

I love the High Museum of Art and it’s one of the places I would recommend highly for friends visiting Atlanta with kids. In addition to fantastic exhibits, they have wonderful programming for the entire family. We’ve enjoyed Toddler Thursdays, playing in the Greene Family Gallery, and checking out the Discovery Backpacks.  I even left the kids at home and went with girlfriends to a fantastic wine tasting. This spring, the High Museum is hosting through May, a series of family friendly Sunday Art Adventures.  The Domingos de Aventuras en Arte are bilingual tours and workshops for families based on their latest exhibit Frida and Diego.

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Why You Need to Make Time for Gatorland Florida

Gatorland

The iconic Gator teeth are a perfect photo pop. It’s one of the most photographed parts of Gatorland and turned 50 last year.

What: Gatorland 
Where: 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail | 407-855-5496
When: Daily from 10 am – 5 pm
Cost: $24.99 for adults and $16.99 for children over 3 (find a coupon for $2.50 off the admission price on their website)
Grunt Pass $31.99 adults, $24.99 children (includes admission, gator wrestling photo opportunity (photo extra), unlimited train rides and gator food (hot dogs)

On a recent visit to Orlando, we decided to do the ‘Everything BUT Disney tour’ and take in a little of the real Florida. What could be more Florida than alligators and swamps, so our first stop was Gatorland. According to our train guide Donny, the “alligator Capital of the World” was built in 1949, and went through several names before settling in on Gatorland. Donny also told us baby alligators were sold as a souvenir for $1 when the park first opened. Of course my boys wanted one.

We went to the park on a chilly, drizzly January afternoon. Not the best weather for alligators, who are cold-blooded and try to conserve energy  in chilly weather by not moving a lot. Gatorland is probably the only attraction where you want to visit later in the day, when it’s hot outside, as the gators tend to be more active in the later part of the day when things have had a chance to warm up. This also makes summer the ideal time to visit Gatorland, although winter has it’s advantages too. Here’s what you can expect.

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