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Archive for the ‘Travel Discounts’ Category

How to Support a Great Cause and Get Free LEGOLAND Admission on March 16th

March 14th, 2010 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in Legoland, Travel Discounts, Uncategorized

One Carlsbad business owner has pledged to do something extraordinary.  Greg Nelson has pledged to donate Gregorio’s entire profit from 2010 to the Boys and Girls Club of Carlsbad.  That alone should give your family the motivation to head over for some great Italian food, but wait…there’s more.

This Tuesday Legoland  General  Manager Peter Ronchetti will be serving as a “celebrity host”.  He’s bringing along a LEGO Master Builder who will be giving kids tips as they participate in a LEGO model builder competition.  Everyone dining at Gregorios the evening of March 16th will receive a coupon for free LEGOLAND admission with a paid admission.

Make your reservations now.  Gregorios will be a very busy place this Tuesday night.  Call (760) 720-1132 or visit the Gregorios website to reserve your table.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Photo Friday: Birthday Adventures

January 15th, 2010 by bsmith | 3 Comments | Filed in Free Stuff, Sea Life Aquarium, Sealife Bargains, Travel Discounts

 

I had big plans for my birthday this year.  I considered a trip to the zoo or a day exploring Torrey Pines State Beach.  I thought about taking a big family hike in some part of San Diego that we had never explored before.  Well, the entire family was recovering from colds and very tired.  We had alot of fun around the house, but weren’t able to get our act together until 4pm.  Even then, I was getting some major grumbling as I pushed three kids, one husband and the dog out the door.

I “settled” for a very short walk along Agua Hedonida Lagoon in Carlsbad and was rewarded with a spectacular sunset walk.  It was the perfect way to end my special day.  As you can see the kids ended up having alot of fun despite their grumbling.

 

Here’s a final glimpse of the birthday girl (ME).  My husband and I are leaving on a San Francisco getaway tommorrow.  Ken is a really thoughtful guy, and I’m excited to become reacquainted with the city that I used to visit when growing up in San Rafael.  Last time we spent the weekend there, my ten year old was only a few months old, and we came back to San Rafael in the middle of our getaway so I could nurse the baby to sleep ;) .

Since I will be on the road I will be missing the Underwater Parks Day Festival at the Sea Life Aquarium.  For more information about this great family event click here.  Receive two free child admissions to this exciting event on January 16th by clicking here.

Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday.    I love Debbie’s Photo Friday Post on Unicorn Crepes .  Will have to try some next time I’m in Seattle.

Happy Trails!

Bridget

Photo Friday: Little League Victory at Legoland

September 25th, 2009 by bsmith | 8 Comments | Filed in Autumn Adventures, Legoland, Travel Discounts, theme parks
Chula Vista Little League Victory, Legoland, California
Chula Vista Little League World Series Victory, Legoland, California

 

One of the things that I love about Legoland is how they bring the real world into the park through their Miniland displays.  A few weeks ago, a team from Chula Vista in Southern San Diego County won the Little League World Series.   To honor this historic event, model builders installed a replica of the winning game at Miniland.  This is the first time that Legoland has immortalized local heroes.  How exciting this must be for the preteens on that team!

When I heard about this display, I had to share it with all of you.  The photos of the game were furnished by Legoland California and taken by the multi talented Lego Master Model Designer Gary McIntire who designed and constructed this amazing display.

Note the boys celebrating their victory with a dog pile.  I think that’s my favorite part :) .

If you would like to check out this amazing display, but don’t have the cash for full admission you have two options.

A) Enter my Family Adventure Guidebooks Birthday Giveaway to win four free Parkhopper Passes to Legoland.

B) Looking for a Legoland bargain? Visit www.brickortreat.com to purchase tickets to Legoland’s Brick or Treat Celebration.  This fun after hours Halloween party starts at 5pm and includes a number of areas including Miniland so you can check out the display then enjoy some Halloween fun.  Night admission is only $25 or an all day admission is $55.  If you order online this includes a second visit free between November 1 and December 25th so this is really a great deal.

Activities include a dance party, costume contest, balloon artists, and roving musicians.  Kids get to come in costume and do some trick or treating.  Here’s a photo of  Justin, Destiny, and Jared enjoying some Halloween fun at Brick or Treat last year. 

Legoland Halloween

Brick or Treat only takes place a few nights in October, so act now to be sure you don’t miss out on the fun.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

P.S. You can also check out my post on Uptake for more tips on how to save money on your theme park adventures.

P.P.S. Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Roundup.

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Legoland Misses Me! (Legoland Offers Great Deals to Lure Members Back)

August 19th, 2009 by bsmith | 3 Comments | Filed in Legoland, Travel Discounts, theme parks

Lego New York City, Miniland California

After much deliberation our family let our Legoland passes expire this year.  Due to a family trip last year, we have Disneyland passes through December.  Two themeparks seems like too much during the school year.  Still, Legoland is making it awfully tempting to re-up.  Here are two offers I have received in the past week.

Legoland’s Tenth Birthday Offer

 My ten year old is finally getting his long awaited birthday party this Saturday.  After partying in the pool with five of his closest friends, we may be heading over to Legoland.  It turns out that like Justin, Legoland is celebrating its tenth birthday.  To acknowledge this milestone its ten year old members (and apparently former members) a FREE Legoland Standard Membership. (Yes, you read that correctly…absolutely free).  The only catch of course is that you have to pay alot for parking, and find a Legoland member willing to bring your kid along or buy Membership yourself. 

 If you have a ten year old in your family and are planning to by a whole bunch of memberships, it might be worth asking if they would honor this promotion.  It expires Sept 1, 2009 and requires a postcard so act fast.  I am hoping that like most memberships this one will come with some bring a friend coupons in December and April.

Legoland Resort Pass Offer

Our three kids had a three month Resort Pass this year that we purchased from Costco.  Since we had been 3-Month mebers we also received a postcard offering Resort Memberships for the price of a  Standard Membership.  This is a pretty good deal, since it includes free mini golf and unlimited Sea Life Aquarium admission.  The aquarium admission would come in handy on the occasional rainy days we have here in Carlsbad.  It also includes free parking which is always awesome and is offered for any Resort Passholder, even kids.  That’s a savings of $40 off of the regular adult Resort Membership price.

Will these great Legoland bargains succeed in luring back our entire family? Frankly I’m still thinking about this one.  I do miss the special member Lego building events, the free entrance into Brick or Treat, and being to head over to Legoland for a Rocking New Year’s Eve Celebration.  We will take advantage of Justin’s free membership and see how it goes.  At the very least,  another three month pass for me and the little ones may be in our future. 

Anyone else out there seen some great theme park discounts and promotions?  Feel free to share below.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Photo Friday: Sea Life Aquarium (Carlsbad, Ca)

June 5th, 2009 by bsmith | 12 Comments | Filed in Sea Life Aquarium, Special Events, Travel Discounts, theme parks
Jared Fish Explores a Tank

Jared Fish Explores a Tank

I must confess that I have had a major change of heart about the Sea Life Aquarium.  When I visited a few weeks after opening, I wasn’t really sure if this aquarium was worth the trip.  The Sea Life Aquarium is pretty small, and it was very crowded the day of my first visit.   My three year old kept running ahead and getting lost in the crowd. 

A few weeks ago I returned to the aquarium on a Tuesday.  The crowds were gone. They had done some tweaking with the exhibits, and I began to see that the Sea Life Aquarium is perfect for little kids.  The tanks are designed so the kids can actually come up inside and have close encounters with the fish.  There are plenty of down low peek holes, so no one has to be lifted up to see the tanks. 

Enjoy these pictures from our latest Sea Life Aquarium Adventure:

Jared and Friends Explore the Touch Pool

Jared and Friends Explore the Touch Pool

 

Fascinating Fish, Sea Life Aquarium

Fascinating Fish, Sea Life Aquarium, Carlsbad, Ca

 Another wonderful thing about the Sea Life Aquarium is its dedication to marine conservation.  They have many special events and celebrations including beach clean ups and the upcoming World Oceans Day Celebration which takes place on Sunday June 7th.  There will be special arts and crafts and a reading of  Surf Angel  by local children’s author Terry Krazewski. You can also check out the aquarium’s  brand new shark exhibit.  Get a discount coupon here .

Lego Sand Castle Building, Sea Life Aquarium, Carlsbad, Ca

Lego Sand Castle Building, Sea Life Aquarium, Carlsbad, Ca

World Oceans Day,  is Monday June 8th.   The Ocean Project encourages ocean lovers to “wear blue” and tell two.  This means, wear blue on Monday and tell people two facts that they may not know about the ocean.  If you live in California, I have one fact you can share.  Many of our state beaches may be closed at the end of the summer due to budget cuts.  I will be talking more about this at Family Adventure Guidebooks throughout the summer, but for now you can get  more information from the California State Parks Foundation website.

Finally, Family Adventure Guidebooks participates in Delicous Baby’s Photo Friday Blog Round Up. Be sure to check it out.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Family Travel Tip Tuesday: Theme Park Membership Has Its Privileges

May 19th, 2009 by bsmith | 1 Comment | Filed in Disneyland, Family Travel, Legoland, San Diego Day Trips, Sea World, Travel Discounts, theme parks
Jared Makes A Camel Friend, Legoland California

Jared Makes A Camel Friend, Legoland California

If you are thinking about purchasing a theme park pass, be sure to investigate the extra benefits and privileges that the theme park may offer passholders.  Although these vary from park to park, many times these extras will almost pay for your entire membership.

Since my two youngest were born less than a year apart, our family has become experts at the “staycation”.  Traveling far from home with two preschoolers seems a bit too crazy for us at this point.  Our location here in Carlsbad gives us many options for family fun.  Visiting theme parks and zoos is one of the things that we enjoy doing together as a family.  In the past three years we have held passes for the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, Legoland, and Disneyland.

Legoland

If you live in Southern California or visit frequently throughout the year, a Legoland membership offers many opportunities for family adventure.  In addition to the great special events and members only activities that Legoland holds throughout the year,  Legoland offers excellent deals and discounts to its members.  Twice a year, members receive coupons for free entrance with a passholder.  This gives your family opportunities to bring friends and grandparents along to enjoy a Legoland adventure.  Also, if there is a Dad or teenager in your family who won’t be making it to Legoland very often this can be a great way to bring them along to enjoy the fun.

Legoland pass holders also receive free entrance to The Wave in Vista and Wild Rivers in Irvine.  In addition to the regular member dining and shopping discounts, Legoland’s quarterly newsletters contain coupons for additional savings.  This month I have a $10 voucher for the Ocean Journey Cafe, a free bucket of water balloons at the Raptor Splash, and other discount coupons.

Members benefit from Legoland’s efforts to promote the new Sea Life Aquarium.  Legoland is continuing to offer special visitor rates to Legoland members and friends and family.  Come enjoy the aquarium for as little as $5 per person!  Note that a coupon is required.  The curent coupon says that it expires 5/31/09, but keep checking the site.  So far they have extended this offer several times.

The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook  will help your choose the combination of  memberships that will save you money and work for your family.

Disneyland

When we were planning a three day trip to Disneyland, I decided to investigate the price of membership.  I knew that we wouldn’t be visiting too often, but since we live only an hour away a few return visits would be fun.  After doing my research I decided that the Southern California Select passes offered the best value four our budget.  Unlike Legoland, non premium Disney Passholders do not receive many benefits.  However, they do receive some limited dining discounts in the parks and shopping discounts at Downtown Disney.  Still, with prices that can be less than a multi-day visit, an annual Disneyland pass is worth considering.

San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park

Membership at these attractions is extremely affordable.  (Kids passes are only $2 more than the one day Best Value Ticket).  Adult members receive two free guest passes which come in handy for out of town guests.  Pass holders also receive free admission to the Journey into Africa Tour at the Wild Animal Park…this is a must see!   In addition, they receive unlimited Skyfari aerial tram rides at the zoo.  These are important since, kids have to do alot of walking at the San Diego Zoo.  Membership covers both attractions so your family has plenty to explore.

Members also receive a monthly zoo magazine that contains interesting articles about the animals and great coupons including more free admission tickets for passholder guests.   All pass members also receive discounts on Wild Animal Park parking.

Sea World San Diego

We have had the opportunities to obtain discounted entrance to Sea World with our preschool, so I haven’t gone the pass route yet.  I am dreaming of an  Unauthorized Sea World Guidebook some day, so we may be getting passes next summer. 

In the mean time, be aware that Sea World offers the Fun Card which is a great deal.  You get a pass good for admission throughout the entire calendar year for the price of a single admission.

Parking

Make sure you factor the price of parking into your membership decisions.  Sometimes it pays to buy a more premium membership for at least one member of your family in order to get free parking.  Be sure to investigate whether the person needs to be the driver or just in the car.  Premium child memberships are often cheaper and  also offer free parking.

If you don’t live in Southern California, I encourage you to research theme park memberships in your area.  You may just discover the ticket to a whole year of family fun.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

 

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Free Sea Life Aquarium Ticket!!!

May 15th, 2009 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in Legoland, Travel Discounts, theme parks

The Sea Life Aquarium is sponsoring an E-Waste recycling event.  If you bring your old TV, DVD player, cd player, computer, cell phone etc. to the Legoland back gate between 8am and noon on Saturday May 16th.  This event is sponsored by Recycle San Diego and I Love a Clean San Diego.

I’ll be heading to the Sea Life Aquarium next week with one of my mommy blogger friends so I could really use a ticket.  I plan to pack up my old electronics and head over.  See you there!

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Family Travel Tip Tuesday: Join the Club!

May 12th, 2009 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in Travel Discounts, Travel Tips

A few years ago, we took a fabulous Florida Vacation while my husband attended a conference.  We had the opportunity to stay at the Tampa Mariott Waterside Marina and Luxury Hotel.  We had so much fun staying at this Mariott ,  Ken joined their rewards program.  (By the way, if you ever stay there,  the Cafe Waterside had a delicious oatmeal creme brulee with fresh berries. I’ve never tasted anything like it. It was one of the least expensive items on the menu, and I had it for breakfast every day during my stay.)

Whenever Ken travels on business he tries to stay at a Marriott.  This works out well, because although Mariott has beautiful luxury hotels like the one in Tampa, it also offers more affordable options for the budget business traveler.  When traveling with the family we prefer properties that offer suites like The Fairfield Inn, The Residence Inn, Towne Place Suites, and Springhill Suites.  The small kitchens, continental breakfast, and other ammenities really come in handy when traveling with the kids.  Since we are rewards members we also earn free hotel stays.  If you pick an out of the way location those points can really go a long way.  On our recent visit to Seattle, my husband and I stayed at the Towne Place Suites in the picturesque town of Mukilteo, Washington.  It was a drive into the city, but the property was very close to the water.  It had an extensive continental breakfast, a basketball court, umbrellas in case of rain, as well as the usual pool and workout room.  You could even rent a fish to keep you company during your stay!  Ken and I used reward points to stay all three nights!  Without the free room our Seattle adventure would have been much shorter.

Sign up for the Mariott Rewards Program or choose the hotel chain that your family uses the most and sign up for their loyalty program.  With any luck you can enjoy a few extra affordable family adventures with your free hotel stay.

Our Seattle trip also showed us how important it is to  be enrolled in those car rental preferred member rewards clubs, and to keep your info updated.  Ken thought he had a membership with Dollar Rental Car, but his membership was so outdated they had changed the name of the club and he was no longer in the computer!  We waited about 20 minutes to get to the front desk, just to do the paperwork for our rental.   Then it was off to an off-site building to wait again to pick up the car.  If the kids had been with us it would have  been torture!  Dollar Rental Car had rock bottom prices, but the service was slow.  Here’s the link to sign up for their Dollar Express program.  Do it now and save yourself some rental car hassle.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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Best Legoland Bargain of the Year: Celebrate Carlsbad Day Discount Tickets for $15

April 26th, 2009 by bsmith | No Comments | Filed in Legoland, Travel Discounts, theme parks
Jared on His Way to a Joust, Legoland California

Jared on His Way to a Joust, Legoland California

The Carlsbad Educational Foundation is hosting its annual Celebrate Carlsbad Day Fundraiser at Legoland California on May 2, 2009 from 1pm-9pm and includes evening fireworks.   Tickets are only $15  dollars and must be purchased in advance at several locations throughout North County.  The Sheraton Carlsbad is even offering special Celebrate Carlsbad Day discounts for guests visiting on May 1st and 2nd.

These are by far the cheapest Legoland tickets you can purchase, and they are for a great cause.  All proceeds benefit enrichment programs at the Carlsbad Schools.  Like all districts here in California, Carlsbad has been hit hard by budget cuts.  The grants distributed by the Carlsbad Educational foundation are key to maintaining a high quality engaging education for Carlsbad students.  You can catch a glimpse of some of the great performing arts and music programs funded by the foundation as several student acts including the award winning Carlsbad High dancers perform throughout the day. 

This is a great bargain, and in general you get the same level of Legoland experience available to visitors on any give day.  There are, however, two big differences.  The Big Test Show in Fun Town is cancelled to make room for student performances.  Also it is CROWDED!  We attended last year because it was the day that our Legoland passes were expiring.  We followed some of the strategies in my book that allowed us to have fun without waiting in too many lines.    It definately took longer to get around and we skipped some of the rides that were too busy.  I am guessing that early evening may be somewhat less crowded, so consider staying late if you go.

Still, if you think this will be one of your only Legoland experiences ever, and you did not have a chance to buy a $15 dollar ticket, I would plan to visit another day.  The crowds might not be worth the visit, although the fireworks will be fun.

Here’s the information for obtaining advance tickets http://www.carlsbaded.org/events_telethon.php .  If you decide to go, I thank you in advance.  My kids will benefit from your generosity.

For more Legoland bargains as well as tips on how to avoid the crowds, check out my Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook available on LULU.Com

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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The Latest Discounts, Bargains and Contests at Legoland

March 6th, 2009 by bsmith | 3 Comments | Filed in Legoland, San Diego Day Trips, Travel Discounts, theme parks

Legoland offers lots of sweet promotions and discounts to members throughout the year.  In addition to the special March pricing for the Sea Life Aquarium,  Legoland is offering a 20% Discount at the  Ocean Journey Cafe that is located just outside the aquarium.  It would be a convenient place to stop and have a bite before visiting either the Sea Life Aquarium or Legoland.  You can find the 20% off coupon here http://www.legoland.com/NR/rdonlyres/11555C93-0989-4349-8F9F-DB9D4D90C808/0/OJC_coupon.pdf

Legoland Members also receive a free kids meal at the Soup Plantation,  a Hornblower Family Four Pack where kids cruise free with a paying adult, and a discount to see the cool new Wild Ocean Imax film at the Fleet Science Center.

Soup Plantation Coupon

http://www.legoland.com/NR/rdonlyres/8DDBABA4-880E-46F7-8565-0EACB1E3E49C/0/souplantation_coupon_2009.pdf

Hornblower Coupon

http://www.legoland.com/NR/rdonlyres/DE969DBD-ABD9-41B8-A595-3C8F5BDDF4C5/0/hce_coupon.jpg

Ruben Fleet Science Center IMAX discount: See Legoland e-mail.

Most of these discounts are distributed through Legoland’s E-News Newsletters.  If you are a member or just a fan, but sure to subscribe here http://www.legoland.com/Plan-your-visit/enews.htm.

I was having trouble accessing the coupons that relate to these offers.  I have an e-mail into Legoland and will be sure to post an update as soon as I get one.

The Legoland Junior Model Master Builder Competition is fun year round, but this month you have a special incentive for participating.  The winners of this month’s competition will be invited to that exclusive after hours premier of the new Bob the Builder 3-D movie as well as enjoying a Legoland 10th birthday complete with cake, cream, and a preview of that giant Lego birthday cake that’s being constructed!  The competition takes place this weekend. Everyone who participates will also be entered in a raffle for a Legoland prize pack, so this is a contest worth entering!

On an unrelated topic,  I am organizing a “Will Play for Food” canned food drive next Thursday at 9am at Aviara Park in Carlsbad.  Bring your kids, some canned food, and a snack to share. After our meetup I will deliver the food to Brother Bennos food pantry.  If you come, be sure to find me and say hi.  It would be great to meet some of my readers.  If you live outside of Carlsbad, visit playforfood.blogspot.com for information and inspiration on organizing your own Will Play for Food drive.

Happy Trails,

Bridget

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