Wow,...Camp Snoopy is Now Nickelodeon Universe...Mall of America...Minnesota
Written: Feb 10 '01 (Updated Aug 15 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun for all ages, Lots to see, Lots to do.
Cons: Can get crowded, a little expensive.
The Bottom Line: The Mall of America is the worlds biggest Mall and is fascinating to tour through. This review covers one small part..Camp Snoopy, stay tuned for Part 2.
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| kamel622's Full Review: Mall of America |
I recently took a trip to Minnesota, and although I had been there before…at least to the airport, I have never really seen very much of this beautiful state, but one of the places that I knew I would like to see was The Mall of America.
My daughter called and asked me if I wanted to go and explore the Mall with her and my son, now I’m not much of a shopper, but when an offer like that presents itself, how could I turn it down. It is about a four hour trip from our little town…but one that we have made often, since I would fly here to see my kids before we moved here.
The Road Trip
We left at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning (well turned out to be a few minutes later than that…after they picked me up from slip on the ice..ouch) and had a little bit of snow on the way, but that really added to mood of the day. We had fun just driving and talking and laughing…one of the great things about when the kids grow up, you get to be friends with them. :) We stopped at a Dairy Queen/MiniMart/Gas Station in Osseo..a regular pit stop on this little trek. Loading up with some bottled water, and a few goodies to eat, we were on the road again. Leaving Osseo is when you hit the freeways, as opposed to the highways we had been traveling on. This gives me the feeling of ‘going to the city’….and also the chaos that comes with that. We arrived at the Mall of America at about 11:00 a.m. and surprisingly we didn’t have any trouble parking. We parked outside of the North entrance and made note of where we were…no sense not being able to find the car when we were ready to leave.
Nuts & Bolts
The Mall is located at 60 East Broadway, Bloomington Minnesota. The phone number is: (952) 883-8800.
It is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Regular Mall hours are: Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
There is a ‘Guest Services Center’ at the North, East, South and West entrances where you can get Mall information, a directory, gift certificates, strollers, wheelchairs, coupon books and employment information.
The Mall
WOW…going through the doors and seeing the huge Mall before me was totally amazing. The first thing we did was to put our coats, hats and gloves into a locker that was right by the entrance. For only 50˘ you have the convenience of not having to carry these items all over the Mall with you.
It wasn’t terribly crowded, and I was grateful for that. We decided to begin exploring at this ground floor level and work our way up.
Camp Snoopy becomes Nickelodeon Universe
Camp Snoopy, now Nickelodeon Universe, is a seven acre amusement park right in the middle of the Mall. There is no admission price to walk through the park and watch everyone enjoying the rides. If you want to ride on any of the twenty-eight rides or attractions you pay a certain amount per point. That is to say that each ride has a point value, for example The Mighty Axe (6 points) or Skyscraper Ferris Wheel (4 points) or you can purchase a wristband, and have all day unlimited riding. Wristbands are good only for the day of purchase. Point passes are good for up to one year and are a card that is swiped as you enter each ride. Prices are as follows:
Ticket Point Packages
All-day wristbands $21.95
Snoopy Super Saver 100 point pass $50
Charlie Brown 50 point pass $30
Lucy Special 30 point pass $20
Linus 15 point pass $10
Individual points may also be purchased for $.70 each.
I just marveled at all of the rides and had a ball watching as the kids got onto the different rides. My son and daughter laughed at how involved I got watching the little ones. I watched as they had fun on bumper cars, and a huge Merry-go-round. They had a large adult sized roller coaster called ‘Pepsi Ripsaw Roller Coaster’ that rips around the park for 2 ˝ minutes and takes your picture that can be purchased after you disembark. They also have a smaller version called ‘Lil Shaver’ which is a smaller, tamer version of the big roller coaster. I loved seeing kids on ‘Frog Hopper’ a ride that lifted them 20 feet in the air and then bounces them back to the ground. Although this is a kids ride, I think I would have a tough time with all of that bouncing. They have a huge moonbounce called ‘Snoopy Bounce’ where kids can get in and jump to their hearts content.
The ‘Skyscraper Ferris Wheel’ stands a towering 74 feet high in the center of the Mall, it makes a good marker for where you are, or if anyone gets separated from each other at the Mall it is good place to decide ahead of time to meet up again.
Other attractions that they have in Camp Snoopy are a Snoopy Fountain a whimsical animated fountain with water cannons, animated targets and a water and light show. Peanuts Play Zone is a game center featuring such things as skeeball, or Pro-Striker Bowling. There is also ‘The Ultimate Zone, it is an arcade filled with video and simulator games. They also have a 24 foot climbing wall called ‘Rock N’ Wall’ and a seasonal Petting Zoo where kids can touch and hold everything from ducks and pigs to chicks and rabbits.
There are also shops within the area. There is the Camp Snoopy General Store where you can buy candy, collectibles or souvenirs or you can go into Camp Snoopy Outfitters for fun T-shirts and Sweatshirts. You can buy Peanuts collectibles at The Snoopy Shop or in Camp Snoopy Toys.
There are also several places to stop and get a bite to eat within the Camp Snoopy Park. They have a Taco Bell, a Burger Zone Express, Stampede Steakhouse or if your in the mood for something sweet they have Betty Crocker Bakery, Funnel Cakes-Dippin’ Dots or Kemps Ice Cream Café. There really is something for everyone.
I had intended doing a full review of the Mall in this one review, but since there was so much to cover about Camp Snoopy, I’ve decided that I will do it two parts instead of one. It is just too big to cover in one review, and the reading would get tedious I believe. .
I must say that I was totally impressed with Camp Snoopy and even if you never saw any of the rest of the Mall the trip would be worth it just for this wonderful amusement park.
* Special note *
The choices that Epinions gives in it's drop downs, that must be answered don't really reflect the things I would choose. You could spend nothing up to hundreds of dollars. You could go for a day or a week. I believe almost anyone would enjoy this trip, not just families.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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