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Irvine Park Railroad’s 19th Annual Christmas Train AND Brand New Christmas Tree Ranch!

November 7, 2014 / Celebrations, Holiday Fun, Orange County

I think the holiday season is my most favorite time of the year! There are an abundance of family fun holiday events to attend and enjoy together as a family. People everywhere just seem so happy during this time of the year.

One of our favorite things to do before Christmas is to visit the Irvine Park Railroad’s Christmas Train! You can visit with family and friends and take an enchanting night ride through historic Irvine Regional Park to meet Santa Claus. The train departs every 15 minutes from the brightly-lit train station and drops passengers off at the North Pole, where Santa is waiting for the children!

It’s fun to ride the train at night and see all of the twinkling lights! Don’t forget to dress warmly!

We didn’t get to go last year so this year we’re extra excited about visiting on the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is opening weekend! We like to get there early and walk around Santa’s Village, which is set up just next to the train station. Emi loves to participate in all of the fun activities there. (Activities in Santa’s Village will open one hour prior to when the Christmas Train runs)

Irvine Park Railroad always sets up adorable photo props! I think we make a pretty cute penguin and polar bear, don’t you?

Here’s what you’ll find in Santa’s Village:

• Story Time with Mrs. Claus
• Christmas Cookie Decorating
• Carnival Games
• Ice Fishing
• Santa Claus Moon Bounce
• Christmas Coloring Corner
• Picture Stands

Enjoy story time with Mrs. Claus in Santa’s Village. (photo credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

Activities are open weekends ONLY. Activities will be open daily starting December 15th Prices for activities in Santa’s Village vary; for additional information and costs, visit http://www.IrvineParkRailroad.com.

Let’s get back to talking about the Christmas Train though. When visitors are transported on the Christmas Train to “The North Pole”, they are greeted by Santa and his elves.

Santa will be waiting to take pictures with you and your family when you arrive at The North Pole! (photo credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

Coffee, hot chocolate, and other snacks are available for purchase from the Elf House Snack Bar. (A full kitchen menu is also available at the train station) Visitors may take their own pictures with Santa or may also purchase a picture taken by Irvine Park Railroad. Each 5″X7″ photo will be presented with an Irvine Park Railroad border and are available for pickup shortly after being taken.

This was our keepsake photo with Santa from 2012! (excuse the quality of it being a picture of a picture)

After visiting with Santa, hop back aboard the train and enjoy the colorful Christmas lights and decorations, as well as the magical “Tunnel of Lights”, on the ride back to the station. You’ll LOVE the tunnel! Oh and there’s (faux) snow too!

The Tunnel of Lights! (photo credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

Christmas Train tickets may ONLY be purchased online and can be purchased beginning November 1st! Tickets may not be purchased in person. You can purchase your tickets to ride the train on a specific date and time. Then, you print them out, bring them with you, and get in line to board the train any time during the hour for which you purchased your tickets.

Here’s what’s NEW this year at Irvine Park Railroad…..

After visiting Santa, why not pick out your own special Christmas tree to take home at the all-new Christmas Tree Ranch? (photo credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, families will be able to purchase Christmas trees at the all-new Irvine Park Railroad Christmas Tree Ranch! Visitors will be able to choose from among Douglas fir, Noble fir, and Grand fir trees ranging in height from 4′ to 12′. Christmas tree stands, preservatives, tree disposal bags, wreaths, and garland will also be available for sale. The Christmas Tree Ranch is open daily at 10:00 am beginning Friday, November 28th through Tuesday, December 23rd. Families can walk the Christmas Tree Ranch to find their perfect Christmas tree.

Irvine Park Railroad staff will help you load your Christmas Tree into/onto your car. (photo credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

I am already feeling the holiday spirit and am pleased to announce a giveaway hosted by the Irvine Park Railroad! I’m giving away 4 tickets for the Christmas Train, 6 Christmas Activity tickets, 1 Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park bike rental (excludes the double surrey), and 1 Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park paddle boat rental! Just enter below on the Rafflecopter! Good luck and happy beginning of the holiday season!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dogs and professional videography/photography are prohibited. Hours are subject to change without notice. The Christmas Tree Ranch is open weather permitting.

Annual Irvine Park Railroad events include the Christmas Train, Anniversary Celebration, Easter Eggstravaganza and Pumpkin Patch.
Visit Irvine Regional Park’s other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park — fun and unique bike rentals that can be enjoyed by single riders or an entire family — paddle boat rentals, the Orange County Zoo and pony rides.
Irvine Park Railroad is located inside of Irvine Regional Park. The address is:

Irvine Park Railroad
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA 92869

Become a fan of Irvine Park Railroad on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr.

For pricing, park directions and complete details, please visit http://www.IrvineParkRailroad.com.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend a media event as a guest of Irvine Park Railroad and given information to share with my readers. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at Disneyland Resort!

November 3, 2014 / Disney, Disney, Disney, Orange County, Travel, Uncategorized

It’s only November 2nd and Christmas is popping up already, all around Disneyland Resort with a heavy emphasis over in Toontown! Yep! I really couldn’t be happier about it, either!

We ventured into Toontown this morning to ride Gadget’s Go Coaster and I immediately noticed the decorations on the firehouse! As I looked around, I could see that there were beautiful garlands hanging on the boughs of the buildings and houses in Toontown!

I loved the patriotic decorations hanging on Toontown City Hall. I was lucky enough to catch Pluto peeking out of the door when I was standing there! He gave me a big hug and then stopped to take a selfie with me before continuing on his way!

I think my most favorite parts in Toontown were the decorations on Mickey and Minnie’s houses! They’re so lucky that they each get their own Christmas tree in their front yard!

Mickey’s house is all ready for the holidays!

How adorable is Minnie’s house? The CM told us that Minnie was up late last night working on that heart-shaped wreath!

Disneyland Resort is most definitely “My Happy Place” but with Christmas decorations slowly appearing all around the parks, it Just Got Happier! I can’t wait to go back soon and see it when everything is decorated for Christmas!

Do YOU have a favorite part about Christmas time at Disneyland Resort?

The 13th Annual Tree Lighting Concert at The Citadel Outlets on November 8!

November 2, 2014 / Lifestyle, Los Angeles

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I was provided with information and details about this event to share with my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you’re looking for a fun way to kick off the holiday season with something fun, you should consider attending the 13th Annual Tree Lighting Concert on November 8, at the Citadel Outlets! This event has become a holiday tradition in Los Angeles and is expected to draw over 20 thousand attendees to witness the lighting of the World’s Tallest Live Cut Christmas Tree (115-ft), see the World’s Largest Bow atop the Citadel wall and enjoy the free, outdoor concert headlined by country star Jana Kramer, The Voice’s Christina Grimmie, YouTube sensation Cimorelli, pop boy band After Romeo and X Factor’s Josh Levi.

Presented by AMP 97.1 and FOX 11, television personalities Tony McEwing and Maria Sansone and radio personality McCabe will host the night’s events. Immediately following the concert performances, Tony & Maria will direct attention to center court where guests will be invited to participate in a countdown leading up to the lighting of the World’s Tallest Live Cut Christmas Tree.

The Citadel Outlets’ record-breaking tree is an impressive 115 feet talk and is sourced from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It spans 20 feet longer than an NBA basketball court and stands at twice the size of the famous Hollywood Sign. In addition, the center’s Christmas tree is 40-feet taller than the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. In addition to hosting the World’s Tallest Live Cut Christmas Tree, Citadel Outlets is also home to the World’s Largest Bow. Sitting atop the iconic Citadel wall overlooking the 5 Freeway, the World’s Largest Bow is 36 feet wide by 21 feet tall with 18 loops and two 72-feet long tails that drape down the front of the building. Over 4,000 cans of red paint and primer and one half-ton of glitter were used to cover the striking accouterment.

Event attendees are encouraged to bring gift donations for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. To maintain safety and well being of CHLA patients, only new and unwrapped toys will be accepted. Please note that CHLA cannot accept stuffed toys or toys with small pellets or beans. All donations should be non-toxic, free of sharp edges and cannot promote violence and/or aggressive behaviors. Thanks to generous supporters CHLA is able to gift approximately 80,000 toys per year.

Previous headline performers to grace the Citadel Outlets’ stage include Jesse McCartney (2013), Ariana Grande (2012), Big Time Rush (2010), Justin Bieber (2009), Ashley Tisdale (2009), Demi Lovato (2008) and many more.

This year’s star-studded line-up includes:

After Romeo – The Los Angeles-based, five-person boy band reached number one on the MTV music charts with Free Fall. After Romeo’s songs have been playing on-air Radio Disney and have reached number six on their countdown. Hits singles include Love on Lock, One Night and Save Some Snow.

Josh Levi – The Houston native triple threat began dancing, singing and acting at age five. Levi had a recurring role on NBC’s hit series “Friday Night Lights.” In 2013 he began focusing on his singing career and also competed in season 3 of X Factor where judge extraordinaire, Simon Cowell stated, “we might just be looking at the next big star.”

Cimorelli – Winners of 2013 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Web Star, Cimorelli is a six-woman band comprised of sisters with a passion for singing. With almost 3 million subscribers on YouTube and music deal with Universal Records, Cimorelli is enjoying a meteoric rise. They are set to release their latest EP, Renegade, on October 27, 2014.

Christina Grimmie – The American singer/songwriter finished in third place on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice. Grimmie’s studio version of her performances reached top 10 on iTunes charts. She released Must Be Love early in July and has been touring with previous contestants of The Voice.

Jana Kramer – The Country-singing sensation and One Tree Hill star’s hit “Why Ya Wanna” reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and has grown in popularity ever since. In 2013 Kramer won Top New Female Artist at the American Country Music Awards. She is currently on tour performing her new songs Deal Breaker, Pop That Bottle and Don’t Touch My Radio.

Citadel Outlets is located just off the Interstate 5, just 10 minutes south of downtown Los Angeles, at Atlantic Blvd North at100 Citadel Drive, Suite 480 Los Angeles, CA 90040. For more information please visit http://www.citadeloutlets.com. For updates on the tree lighting ceremony and holiday concert, please follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CitadelOutlets.

All images property of Blaze PR and The Citadel Outlets.

Keep Calm and Grab a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass Now at Their Lowest Prices of the Year!

November 2, 2014 / Knott's

Now that Halloween’s over, it’s officially “that time of year” again…time to start thinking about what to get for everyone on your holiday shopping list! I know what the people in my family are asking for this year….a Knott’s Season Pass!

(image by Over the Top Kid)

If you haven’t seen what amazing prices Knott’s is offering their 2015 Season Passes at right now, you need to! Right now, the Regular Season Pass is available for 9 low monthly payments of $8.50! I know there are many families who can appreciate the option of that payment plan, too. It’s such an affordable price and something that you could buy for your whole family to enjoy together, over and over. This is the lowest pass of the year and will go up after November 4th. Another amazing offer this year is Knott’s Season Pass With An All-Season Dining Plan! The plan includes one lunch and one dinner (beverages are not included) at participating locations throughout the park, every day you visit Knott’s Berry Farm in 2015 and can be purchased as an $11 add-on to your Season Pass. Meals can be a big expense during a visit to an amusement park, so this is a really great deal, too!

Our family recently spent a really fun day together at Camp Spooky, which is a non-scary way to celebrate Halloween time together at Knott’s. We can’t wait to go back next year and create even more memories together!

It’s so much fun for me to be able to watch my own daughter enjoy some of the same rides at Knott’s that I enjoyed as a kid. I also adore that she loves Snoopy and all of the other Peanuts character that I grew up with.

The 2015 Knott’s Season Pass also includes one 2014 visit. (additional days in 2014 can also be purchased for only $9.99 each) Here are some of the other Season Pass benefits:

unlimited visits to Knott’s in 2015
early ride times
food and merchandise discounts
Knott’s Hotel discounts
Scary Farm 2015 ticket discounts
Bring a Friend Days
Access to special Season Pass events and surprises
Access to Knott’s great seasonal offerings, including Knott’s Camp Spooky, Knott’s Merry Farm and Knott’s Berry Bloom
Option to add on unlimited access to Soak City OC
Option to add on a dining plan for only 9 easy payments of $11

Why not grab 2015 passes for your family now and use your 2014 visit to experience Knott’s during their annual Knott’s Merry Farm celebration, beginning at the end of November? Whatever you do, you might want to hurry up and grab this deal before November 4th, when the prices increase! For more information about Knott’s Season Passes, click here.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails Exhibit Now Through January 4 at The Discovery Cube OC!

October 17, 2014 / Discovery Cube OC, Family Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County

Emi and I had the privilege of attending a special preview of the Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails exhibit at The Discovery Cube OC. It was the opening weekend of the exhibit and and there were so many excited little boys and girls who came out to play! It’s such an adorable, hands-on exhibit, sponsored by Fisher Price.

We love Thomas! He’s everyone’s favorite blue engine! My daughter, now 9 years old, watched Thomas the Train when she was younger. She was always fascinated by the way that their faces moved and talked in the shows. She still knows all of the trains’ names. There’s even a train named “Emily”. I didn’t even realize that. She actually told me.

Thomas & Friends! How many of them can YOU name?

The exhibit will take you on an imaginary trip to the Island of Sodor. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails is a hands-on STEM exhibit, based on the adventures of Thomas, his engine friends and the Island of Sodor’s iconic locations: Knapford Station, Sodor Steamworks and much more. Visitors can help Thomas and his friends solve a variety of challenges, from simple sorting and shape identification to more complex engineering obstacles.

Here are some of the fun activities you’ll find at the exhibit:

Climb inside Thomas’ cab to explore the engine’s inner workings
Remove and replace parts to fix Percy’s wobbly wheel
Load Percy’s coal box and water so he can deliver the mail
Suit up as the conductor and sell tickets to ride the train
Load and sort luggage and freight into the train cars
Explore the history of Thomas & Friends through books, TV show clip and toys
Plan and build navigation routes to favorite destinations on the gigantic Island of Sodor train table

There are a ton of photo opportunities! I don’t think you’re ever too old for a photo with Thomas!

Every child there that day must’ve flocked to the room full of train tables! So much fun with these hands-on activities!

Visitors can enjoy story time and a Meet n’ Greet with Sir Topham Hat, himself! Kids can have fun playing with all of the train props that are set up. The conductor who took my luggage looked so familiar!

Although the majority of the museum’s guests that morning were preschool age, Emi and I had a blast together at the Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails exhibit! I think it’s so much fun to be able to step inside of the City of Sodor and be able to imagine that you’re part of their world! The exhibit runs through January 4th and it’s a definite must-see!

For more information on The Discovery Cube OC, click here.

You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this event for the purpose of writing a review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Stop by the Think Pink Breast Health Wall of Honor at The Shops at Mission Viejo

October 10, 2014 / Lifestyle, Orange County, Shopping

Last week, when I was at “My Mall” grabbing a couple of things, I noticed the annual Think Pink Breast Health Wall of Honor was up, near the escalators. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mission Hospital’s Valiant Women support group is hosting the 12th annual Think Pink Breast Health Wall of Honor, presented by Infiniti of Mission Viejo, at The Shops at Mission Viejo.

Now through October 31, the Breast Health Wall of Honor will be displayed in Center Court (lower level) of The Shops at Mission Viejo. Shoppers have the opportunity to donate $25 and place a hand-written card on the wall display in honor of a loved one or in remembrance of someone with breast cancer. Donations can also be made to underwrite the cost of a mammogram or diagnostic procedure ($100) for someone who could not otherwise afford it.

After taking some time to read through some of the literature, that’s free to take, at the tables and admiring all of the names on the Breast Health Wall of Honor, I really enjoyed getting to chat with the two sweet ladies who were volunteering at the table that day. Meeting them and hearing about all that they do to help this wonderful organization raise money, was so inspirational. Volunteers really do make the world go ’round!

One-hundred percent of the proceeds benefit Mission Breast Health Services. That is the part I really like. The money they’re raising is all going towards the cause and helping those in need. Mission Breast Health Services is dedicated to providing women with preventive measures as well as offering a complete breast health program to diagnose and treat breast cancer with expertise, compassion and support. By involving medical professionals, survivors, family and friends, Mission takes a team approach to fighting breast cancer. Due to the generosity of the community, last year the event raised net proceeds of nearly $50,000 and was able to provide over 13,000 screening mammograms to under or uninsured women in our community.

I encourage you to stop by The Shops at Mission Viejo Breast Health Wall of Honor display. It’s a beautiful display. You can also make a donation there or find out other ways to donate. We can all do something to help, even if it’s just something small.

To make a donation to the Wall of Honor, click here. More details are available here.

Visit The Shops at Mission Viejo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Why YOU Need to Grab a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass….Like NOW!

October 8, 2014 / Knott's

Disclosure: I was invited as a guest to enjoy time at Knott’s Berry Farm with my family in order to write this post. I do not work for any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have a relationship with them. I have a professional relationship with GigaSavvy, for which I create written content. All opinions are 100% my own.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of just how affordable a Knott’s Season Pass is or how awesome all of the perks that come with it are, but if you’re not, just keep on reading this post while I tell you about why I love Knott’s and all of the reasons why I think you need to get one for 2015!

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had two different opportunities to go to Knott’s Berry Farm Park. I went once with my husband for an adults’ night out at Knott’s Scary Farm, which was amazingly scary and fun.

Then, this past weekend, all 3 of us visited Knott’s again, for the first weekend of Camp Spooky and to welcome Halloween. It was beyond adorable and Emi has been asking to go back again this weekend.

I grew up in Southern California and going to Knott’s with my family was something that we did every summer. I have some pretty significant memories from those trips. My first time riding on an upside-down roller coaster was at Knott’s! It was on the Corkscrew (which has since been replaced with Boomerang) and I rode it with my dad. We used to ride it together every time we visited Knott’s.

For me, visiting Knott’s together as a family, is a time when we can enjoy being together and have fun, while creating new memories. I feel so fortunate to be able to share Knott’s with my own daughter now and all of the history that goes along with it. It’s part of Southern California culture and just what many of us like to do. Knott’s has a great location,in Buena Park, the weather is beautiful on most days and the pricing of a Season Pass really can’t be beat.

(image credit: Knott’s)

Right now, a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass is at the lowest price of the year, priced at just $76.50 and includes so many perks.

Check out these perks of having a 2015 Knott’s Season Pass:

Easy pay payment program offers 9 easy payments of $8.50
one free daytime visit in 2014
additional 2014 visits added on for only $9.99 a day
unlimited visits in 2015
early ride times
food and merchandise discounts
Knott’s Hotel discounts
Scary Farm 2015 ticket discounts
Bring a Friend Days
Access to special Season Pass events and surprises
Access to Knott’s great seasonal offerings, including Knott’s Camp Spooky, Knott’s Merry Farm and Knott’s Berry Bloom
Option to add on unlimited access to Soak City OC
Option to add on a dining plan for only 9 easy payments of $11

Honestly, the price of the monthly payment is lower than the cost to take your kid(s) to a petting zoo or a movie in the theater one time a month. I like that Knott’s has priced their Season Passes so reasonably and has made them accessible for all types of families. It just makes sense to go and grab one now, don’t you think?

Getting to create special memories like these at Knott’s is something I hold near and dear to my own heart. I cannot wait for our next visit to Knott’s!

To get more information about Knott’s Season Passes, click here.

Connect with Knott’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

Camp Spooky is Taking Over Knott’s Camp Snoopy on Weekend Days in October!

October 2, 2014 / Knott's, Orange County, SoCal Fun

One of the most adorable places to visit in Southern California as a family has got to be Knott’s Camp Snoopy! Located just inside of Knott’s Berry Farm, Camp Snoopy features many of your favorite Peanuts characters and it’s just a fun place for kids to encounter kid-friendly attractions, including their 3 newest rides, Linus Launcher, Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer, and Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies and 2 new interactive experiences for kids, Beagle Scout Headquarters and Peanuts’ Play Lot .

Starting this weekend, Camp Spooky will be taking over Camp Snoopy during the weekend days in October, as well as on Halloween. Camp Spooky provides an opportunity for children to participate in non-scary Halloween activities, that focus on “cheer rather than fear”! The shows and activities are geared towards children between the ages of 3 and 11. Camp Spooky admission is included in the price of regular Knott’s Berry Farm admission.

This year will be our first time visiting Camp Spooky. Although I grew up in Southern California and Knott’s Berry Farm was a big part of my childhood, there was no Camp Spooky back then, so for me, it’s a big deal too. Emi is kind of a planner, just like me, so when I told her we were going, she already starting looking at the park map again and making out her “Camp Spooky To-Do List”!

Here’s what you can be excited to find at Camp Spooky this year:

“The Monsters Are Coming, Charlie Brown“, live theatre show in the Camp Spooky Theatre– Watch your favorite Peanuts characters in this adorable, live theatre production.
Peanuts Costume Parade-Kids are invited to wear a costume when they visit Camp Spooky and participate in a costume parade and contest, hosted by Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang. The contest takes place on Saturdays and Sundays in the Camp Spooky Theatre, immediately following the 3:45 show. Kids have the opportunity to win prizes too!
Mini Monster Maze-Have fun roaming through the obstacles in this mini maze, with sweet treats awaiting guests at the end!
Photo Forest-You’ll encounter a few different interactive photo opportunities in this section of Camp Spooky. Look for the Mummy’s Manor, the mysterious mirrors of Medusa’s Bug Boutique, and The Witch’s Tea Party! You’ll be sure to capture some photo memories to last you a lifetime!
Witch’s Potion Station-for an additional fee, you can mix and match different potions, inspired by the witch’s own potions, to create the perfect and delicious potion of your own to take home and enjoy.

Now we need to come up with little costumes to dress our Snoopy and Woodstock in! Any suggestions?

We’re really excited to see all of our favorite Peanuts characters and get into the Halloween spirit this weekend at Camp Spooky! We hope to see some of you there!

For general Knott’s Berry Farm information, click here. For ticket info, including a place to purchase park tickets at a discount, click here. Knott’s also offers season passes at a very reasonable price!

Connect with Knott’s Berry Farm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

I Got Chased by Zombies at Knott’s Scary Farm and Lived To Tell About It! #ScaryFarm

October 1, 2014 / Knott's

Disclosure: I was invited as a guest to spend time at Knott’s Scary Farm, in order to write this post. I do not work for any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have a relationship with them. I have a professional relationship with GigaSavvy, for which I create written content. All opinions are 100% my own.

Getting a chance to attend opening weekend of Knott’s Scary Farm this year was such a fun experience! I hadn’t been to Knott’s Scary Farm since high school. Back in August, I got to attend a media unveiling event where they announced all of the frightful events they were planning for this year’s haunt. I wasn’t sure if I’d be brave enough to go when October rolled around! Some of the main highlights looked REALLY scary from the previews they shared with us that night. Regardless, I was determined to go and act big and brave.

This year, Knott’s Scary Farm dates extend from September 25-November 1. It’s open from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and from 7 p.m.-2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Scary Farm features 11 elaborately-themed walk through mazes and attractions, 4 endless scare zones across the park, 2 spectacular live shows, including Elvira’s Big Top and The Hanging, and over 1000 live monsters, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and freaks roaming the park, ready to chase you around! All of that PLUS the regular park attractions makes for a crazy good time!

I think my first squeal of excitement of the night came when I was given a special Skeleton Key keychain on my lanyard, along with a Fright Lane wristband! The Fright Lane wristband and the Skeleton Key offers unlimited priority access to nine mazes and haunted attractions all night long. The Skeleton Key, which is included with all Fright Lane passes, “unlocks” a secret extra room inside of five mazes. Guests also receive a commemorative lanyard and collectible keychain. Fright Lane with Skeleton Key passes start at $65.00. (Separate theme park admission required, and not included)

I had a love-hate relationship with the mazes. While I dared to enter them with my hubby as my bodyguard, I was constantly screaming and petrified by all of the horrific things inside and yet, I kept running to find the next maze, every time we’d finish one! It’s like I couldn’t stop myself! I think my two favorite mazes were “Pinocchio Unstrung” and “Forevermore”.

Obviously I loved the story of Pinocchio as a little girl but when we ventured inside this maze, I think I realized almost immediately that it wasn’t going to be anything like the original story.

It was probably the creepy marionette show that gave it away! It was mesmerizing and frightening all at once! Poor Gepetto was all hacked up and bloody, lying on a table, too! Guess he’ll never get a real boy now! Hehe!

From the outside, Forevermore didn’t look so bad but once I got inside I knew that its look had been deceiving. It was a psych hospital and they were looking for an escaped murderer! That’s fun, right? Nothing like going through a mental ward where a bunch of crazies have all murdered people and are telling you that they killed all of their friends! I was lucky to escape without ending up in a straightjacket myself!

Yeah, I must admit that it was pretty creepy but that’s when my love-hate comes back into play since a normal person would’ve just run away and gone home. Not I though…nope, I got in line for Special Ops: INFECTED next! If you’re not familiar with the name, it’s because Infected is brand new for 2014. Knott’s describes it like this:

“Infected seamlessly integrates interactive gaming technology with an immersive mountainous landscape, delivering a breakthrough interactive haunted experience that is as terrifying as it is challenging. Missions will take guests through a variety of wilderness terrains, including the unpredictable barrel bridges across the rushing river, through the dark caverns, and through mysterious backwoods. Six acres of the beloved theme park is now home to mutinous, scream-inducing zombies, and the time has come for a harrowing Special Ops survival mission.“

This attraction was actually so much fun! I was worried that I wouldn’t know what to do because the rest of our group seemed like they’d played Laser Tag before and I hadn’t, but I did pretty well, at least in my own opinion. We were led through the Quarantined area by our two squadron leaders.

Thank goodness for these two! They saved us, but it wasn’t easy! (photo credit: Knott’s)

I tried my best to listen to them as we ran from shelter to shelter and were chased by zombies, trying not to get INFECTED! It was really nerve wracking to be chased and scared by all of the zombies, while having to react really quickly by shooting at them! When you’re dealing with zombies, it doesn’t matter HOW big the husband that you brought along to protect you! In the end, my adrenaline was flowing and I was ready to do it again! They’ll take your pictures before you turn in your equipment and the pictures are available for purchase.

I kind of love how our pic came out!

I would definitely recommend buying tickets and making your own reservation for Special Ops: Infected. It’s not part of the regular Knott’s Scary Farm ticket but isn’t something you want to miss. You can get more info about it here.

I absolutely fangirl over Elvira! (photo credit: Knott’s)

We got so caught up in all of the mazes that we actually didn’t get into see Elvira’s live show, “Elvira’s Big Top” that night. I grew up watching Elvira on TV so I was sad that I didn’t get to see her show but I did get to see her on stage back in August at the unveiling event. The woman hasn’t aged a bit. I’ve heard so many people make comments about Elvira “looking good for her age” but seriously, this has nothing to do with her age..she’s just a hottie!

Elvira rocks 2 shows a night, on every night of Knott’s Scary Farm! Wow! (photo credit: Knott’s)

Since we didn’t make it into her show on time, we did visit her Boo-tique which is located next to the Charles M. Schultz Theater.

There was SO much Elvira memorabilia in there, as well as a ton of items to purchase. Fans also have an opportunity to meet Elvira each night of Knott’s Scary Farm, just by spending at least $50 in her Boo-tique! Find out more about her Meet n’ Shriek here.

After taking a break from all of the craziness, we grabbed a couple of ice cream Cookie-wiches to munch on while we waited to watch The Hanging in Town Square. I think this picture pretty much describes how yummy they were!

I don’t even know where to begin with all of the compliments I could pay the writers, actors, dancers & stuntmen in The Hanging! It was SO clever, witty AND hilarious! I was also excited because they ended up hanging the person I voted for them to hang, in an online Knott’s survey last summer.

I won’t spoil it for you, you’ll just HAVE to go watch The Hanging for yourself! I LOVED watching The Hanging though and my only regret is not getting there earlier to be even closer to the stage, but that’s just my fault for making us late with my need for a snack! It’s basically standing room only for the show but we were a little ways back. Next time, I’m getting front row!

In order to get out of the park, we still had to trek through the foggy ghost town and kept getting spooked by all of those who awaited in the shadows for us! We honestly had the best time at Knott’s Scary Farm and I was so happy that we rallied to stay up almost to the end of it.

Knott’s Scary Farm requires a separate ticket for entrance than a general park ticket. You have the option of purchasing a single night ticket or they also offer a Scary Farm Pass this year, which is something new, and gives you unlimited access to any night of Scary Farm, with no blackout dates. For Knott’s Scary Farm lovers, this pass is a GREAT deal!

Do YOU like scary things like this? Have YOU ever been to Knott’s Scary Farm? If you haven’t, you need to grab some tickets and get there on one of the nights left THIS year! Do you dare? I did!