Spring is in the air at Great Wolf Lodge as their annual Spring-a-Palooza celebration returns March 9- April 15. Spring-a-Palooza is the perfect way for families to celebrate the changing of the season.
Guests staying at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California can enjoy special offerings such as spring picnics and bubble dance parties, character-inspired flower gardens and more in the Grand Lobby. 
A highlight this year, for the first time Great Wolf Lodge is partnering with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation at all 14 U.S. Great Wolf Lodge locations to generate funds and raise awareness to help end childhood cancer.
“We’re honored to partner with such an important organization as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation during our Spring-a-Palooza celebration. Our goal each and every day is to bring joy to families and what could be more joyful than for us to stand together as a pack to raise funds to end childhood cancer.” – says Erin Wallace, Chief Operating Officer of Great Wolf Resorts.
During Spring-A-Palooza, families can visit a lemonade stand in the Grand Lobby for complimentary lemonade to be enjoyed together picnic-style. As a special twist this year, exclusive color changing cups will be sold for $2.50, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the cups will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity whose mission is to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure cancer. Great Wolf Lodge anticipates at least $15,000 will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation through the sale of the keepsake Spring-A-Palooza cups.
In addition to the partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, other highlights of Spring-a-Palooza include:
- Spring Cinema: Families can unwind after a fun-filled day and enjoy a family movie in the Grand Lobby.
- Spring Picnic: A time-honored spring tradition gets a Great Wolf twist, as guests can grab a blanket, spread it out on the floor and enjoy an afternoon picnic in the Grand Lobby. Guests can sip complimentary Minute Maid beverage available from the Great Wolf Lodge character-themed Lemonade Stand and play a few rounds of “Take A Wiley Guess” card game.
- Bubble Dance Party: This special Spring-a-Palooza event fills the Grand Lobby with cascading bubbles while Great Wolf Lodge’s Ambassadors of Fun keep energy-levels high with a family-friendly dance party.
- Spring-a-Palooza Story Time: Great Wolf Lodge’s nightly Story Time takes on a spring themed tale featuring the Great Wolf Lodge characters called “Natural Wonders.” Kids are encouraged to wear their favorite jammies to the Grand Lobby for this event and will have the opportunity to meet one of the Great Wolf Lodge characters in person.
- Spring Scavenger Hunts: Great Wolf Lodge features two self-guided scavenger hunts as part of Spring-a-Palooza. The “I Spy Spring” scavenger hunt will have guests looking high and low in the Grand Lobby to find a dozen hidden objects. The “Spring Sprint” scavenger hunt has guests solving clues that will take them on a journey throughout the lodge. When all 10 clues are solved, guests are rewarded with a prize.
- Character Themed Flower Gardens: A highlight of the Spring-a-Palooza celebration is the colorful springtime gardens found in the Grand Lobby. The gardens are designed and handcrafted by Pack Members from the resort. The collection of flower pots are inspired by the Great Wolf Lodgecharacters. Guests are encourage to stroll around the garden and vote for their favorite display.
- Jelly Bean Guessing Game: A gigantic jar filled to the brim with jelly bean candies sits in the Grand Lobby and guests are invited to enter a contest guessing how many delicious treats are within the jar. The guests closest to the correct number without going over will be entered for a chance to win a Great Wolf Lodge Gift Card.
- Spring Themed Crafts: During Spring-a-Palooza, the resort’s Ambassadors of Fun will host several spring-inspired craft making events for kids of all ages. Character-themed crafting projects include Oliver’s Crazy About Bugs Jar, Violet’s Springtime Noodle Doodle, Brinley’s Don’t Blow Away Kite and Wiley’s Can You Spot It Binoculars.
In addition to two days of play in the water park for each night stayed at Great Wolf Lodge, all of the Spring-a-Palooza activities are included as part of an overnight stay for no extra charge. Activities vary daily and based on location. A complete listing of daily activities and times can be found in the Lodge Life event schedule provided to guests upon check-in, verified in advance at GreatWolf.com or by calling Great Wolf Lodge directly at 888.960.9653.
For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor water park resorts, visit greatwolf.com.
The free family event will kick off with an Easter egg hunt at 12 noon, beginning in Kaleidoscope’s courtyard. Passport cards will be given out to the first 350 children, directing them to the participating shops and restaurants where they will receive candy-filled eggs and prizes. The completed passports can then be handed in for a chance to win a Grand Easter Basket. Children should bring their own baskets to collect eggs.
Kaleidoscope’s Easter Party will also offer a complimentary photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny for guests who bring their own camera, as well as:
While you’re at Kaleidoscope, why not stop by 
For more information about this fun, free family event, please call Kaleidoscope at (949) 542-4407. Connect with Kaleidoscope on 
The train at Irvine Park Railroad, takes passengers on a 12-minute train ride through scenic Irvine Regional Park. The engineer narrates the ride pointing out all of the history inside of the park which is over 100 years old.
The Anniversary Celebration will also feature other $2.00 activities such as:
Attendees at the celebration will also enjoy $2 concessions including hot dogs, sodas, ice creams, and popcorn. There will also be FREE giveaways including Irvine Park Railroad balloons (one per child, please). The $2 tickets are valid during the Anniversary Celebration weekend only. Coupons, discounts and/or any other promotions are not valid on the anniversary celebration dates.
Irvine Park Railroad is open year round (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Our annual events include the Easter Eggstravaganza, Anniversary Celebration, Pumpkin Patch, Fourth Grade California History Education Program, and Christmas Train. Please visit 
While at Irvine Regional Park, be sure and visit the parks other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the Orange County Zoo.
The park entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle. Irvine Park Railroad opens daily at 10:00 AM. The cost for train tickets during the Anniversary Celebration weekend is $2.00 per ticket; children younger than 12 months ride free. Irvine Park Railroad is located inside of Irvine Regional Park at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869.
For more information about Irvine Park Railroad, please visit www.irvineparkrailroad.com.
During Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, guests can encounter The Peanuts Gang in the park, including Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock and a couple others. Also, for the very first time at Knott’s, the Peanuts Gang is joined by their friend PigPen, everyone’s favorite messy pal!
The all-new Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration is uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters. The park celebrates the world Charles M. Schultz created and is currently. adorned with PEANUTS inspired décor. Guests can check out new character experiences, comic strip inspired photo opportunities, deliciously themed-treats and new whimsical shows.
One-of-a-Kind Peanuts Photo Opportunities
In addition to the photo backdrops created especially for this celebration, you’ll find other photo opportunities throughout the park with the Peanuts characters. If you’re looking for PigPen, you can find him in the PigPen’s Pig Pen, located in Ghost Town, (a.k.a. the Livery Stable) with his animal friends. PigPen is available for photos throughout the day.
Special Peanuts Celebration Entertainment
The Music Goes ’round and ’round – Join in on the daytime fun, held on the Calico Mine Stage, as Sally and Schroder host a retrospect of music and have guests dancing in the aisles! .
Woodstock’s Music Festival – This nighttime festival is held on the Calico Mine Stage and features the Peanuts Gang as they’re joined by the family-friendly indie band The Jelly of the Month Club. This high energy rock concert is fun for the whole family. .
Peanuts Sketch School
As you go through the drawing lesson, the instructor also provided fun and interesting facts about the character. After class is dismissed, a special showing of a classic PEANUTS television special is shown. If you are bringing children, I suggest arriving a little early so they can get a seat on the stage. There is plenty of seating available though for all guests.
Peanuts Celebration Treats 
There are 16 special Peanuts Celebration treats offered throughout the park including Charlie Brownies, Charlie Brown cotton candy, Peanuts Characters cupcakes, Chocolate Covered Apples, Charlie Brown Marshmallow Pops, Snoopy Cookies, and more. After sampling many of them, I cannot wait to go back and try some more.
Have you had a chance to experience Knott’s Peanuts Celebration yet? If not, be sure to do so before it ends on February 25. It’s absolutely adorable and I can assure you, you’ll have a great time!
Here’s a short video showing a brief hardhat tour of the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel:
In the Knight rooms, guests are surrounded by dragons and knights as they prepare to go into battle to defend the king’s castle and protect the king’s treasure. In the Princess rooms, woodland animals such as butterflies, squirrels, owls and song birds all made of LEGO, of course, are found. In the Wizard rooms, guests discover how magic is used to protect the king’s treasure with the use of giggling potions and spells. Guests will find LEGO Castle décor throughout. 
The pool area will feature fountains and other interactive water features a gradual incline pool and hot tub. The pool bar and grill will offer smoothies, sandwiches and salads prepared fresh to order.
Other unique, fun features at the hotel include a slide that will connect the lobby to the first floor and a knock knock door created to entertain guests. More than 2,100 LEGO models made out of more than three million LEGO bricks that will be featured inside the rooms and throughout the Hotel.
Also announced, popular craft brewer Ballast Point will open its first Orange County
The newly introduced event will take place on weekends beginning January 27th through February 25th plus President’s Day, February 19th. The limited time celebration unites fans of all ages to join in on the fun and friendship of the most adventurous group around by introducing new ways for guests to play and interact with the PEANUTS Gang throughout the park.
Have you heard? For the first time ever at Knott’s, guests will have the opportunity to meet PigPen from the PEANUTS Gang! He’ll be over in the Livery Stable with his new animal friends! 
Our family is so excited to check out the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration on opening weekend and will be sharing more photos, videos & info about it on my Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter, so be sure to follow along. Will you be stopping by Knott’s to check out the all-new PEANUTS Celebration? For more information or to purchase park tickets ahead of time, please visit
I love the fact that you have so many options of things to do at SeaWorld. Not only do they offer a large selection of educational exhibits and shows in the park but there are also a bunch of thrilling attractions to check out. (Manta, the attraction, is a must!)
On our visit, which included tweens, we found that there’s something for everyone in your family to enjoy in the park and on this visit, we were invited to an extra special experience. 
“Dine With Orcas®” is a special ticketed event is an hour long experience where guests get to enjoy a delicious chef-crafted meal, on a private poolside patio, next to Orca whales. It’s an immersive and memorable family dining experience that allows you to discover what makes killer whales so unique from a presentation given by SeaWorld’s behaviorists.
The meal is set up buffet-style, with gourmet offerings for both adults and children. I was elated to have so many wonderful food choices. The culinary team at SeaWorld goes above and beyond with the food. The menu can change seasonally and we got to try the Fall/Winter menu which includes:
There is something fascinating about getting to sit up-close to the Orcas and having the opportunity to learn more about them. What beautiful animals! Our family enjoyed this experience immensely and I’d say it’s a definite “must-do” to add to your day at SeaWorld San Diego.
Dine With Orcas is open 7 days a week. and advance reservations are highly recommended, because some seatings tend to sell out quickly. However, if space is available, “day of” reservations can be made at the ticket booths or Guest Services just inside the park.Book now; this is an exclusive, up close, experience you won’t want to miss!
Here are a couple of “Know Before You Go” tips for you:
Have you visited SeaWorld San Diego before? If so, share your favorite memory with me in the comments!
Last week, our Disney-lovin’ family got to take one last ride on California Screamin’. It was the first upside-down attraction my daughter ever rode and although we’ll miss it, we’re super excited to see the transformation of the Paradise Pier area into Pixar Pier. 
The all-new Pixar Pier looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun as it takes on a brand new look and brings more favorite Pixar characters and stories come to life, from The Incredibles, to Inside Out to even more Toy Story. 
Back to talking about how excited our family is for 2018 at Disneyland Resort. There are some great new experiences that are up and coming at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. Here are 5 things that’ll help you “Get More Happy” in 2018 at Disneyland Resort:
“Get More Adventure’ with Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland
The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival offers unique food and beverage
‘Get More Magic’ at the First-Ever Pixar Fest Celebration
Southern California Resident Ticket Offer
Southern California residents may purchase tickets at 
For restrictions, visit