As parents, what is it about the idea of Spring Break that makes us dive deep into a world of beaches, sunshine, and far away escape? Oh wait, I remember – it’s because we live in Minnesota and by the middle of March, we all swear off snow forever and repeat over and over “why do we live here?” to anyone who will listen. But here’s the thing – a Spring Break can be memorable, enjoyable, warm (and close to home) without breaking the bank or complicating the calendar.
Our family just experienced the Radisson Blu’s RAD Spring Break Package at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, and I have to say – this is it. This is the way to spend a couple of nights to get away on a local staycation with all the fun but not the fret. Pack your bags, park your car, settle in to your hotel room, grab your amenity passes, and play all day and night – without stepping one foot in snow or ice!
Read on to learn more or book your package stay now.
The Radisson Blu Mall of America is one of those stylish hotels that your teenager will appreciate (mine did) and also includes a swimming pool and access to an absolutely delicious restaurant (FireLake – get the salmon!). Upon entering, you feel warm and fuzzy and fancy. And the best part is, you’ll remain warm and fuzzy because the hotel is directly connected to the Mall of America!
This is where the fun comes in – right now, Radisson Blu MOA is offering a Spring Break Package that includes:
- a night stay PLUS
- 4 passes to the Crayola Experience (valued at $28/person) PLUS
- 2 unlimited wristbands to Nickelodeon Universe (valued at $45/person) PLUS
- 4 passes to Moose Mountain Adventure Golf (valued at $14/person)
And you can get all of that in this package deal starting at $378/night (offer is good through the 2023 calendar year).
When we arrived at the Mall of America, we parked in the Radisson Blu hotel ramp ($20/evening) and carried our bags in to the hotel. While we checked in, our kids enjoyed the beautiful waiting area with a fireplace and lounge-y, swing-y, nest-y-looking chairs and the super long escalator. They already felt fancy, which was kind of fun for them (since we are certainly not fancy on the regular). From that point on, we did not step foot into the cold until it was time for our staycation to be over. Why? Because the Radisson Blu is connected directly to the Mall of America. We dumped our bags in the room, jumped on the beds a couple dozen times (I do not condone, but alas, it always happens regardless of my scolding), and off we went to experience the fun in store!
CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE (4 PASSES INCLUDED IN THE SPRING BREAK PACKAGE)
Our first stop was Crayola Experience. If you’ve never been, Crayola Experience is a large interactive space with 20+ attractions for kids of all ages, all in a large indoor space colored in bright colors (duh) and lots to do around every corner. We always start with the “create your own crayon” display because they like to come up with the funniest name (we have crayons named “Poop” and “Dad” and “Unicorn Nostril” because kids will be kids and creativity is highly valued in our family). There are also exhibits where you can add your face to a coloring picture, a table to color using any crayon known to man, a modeling clay space, a toddler play area, a bigger kid play area, spots to color with chalk, paint your own palette, or design your own runway fashion or monster truck. Our personal favorites are making drip art with melted wax and molding our own shapes with the crayon color of our choice. The silly selfies kept us entertained for a stupid amount of time and you won’t want to miss the live show explaining how crayons are made.
And that isn’t even everything – but we took a popcorn break (there is a cafe and a small concession stand inside Crayola Experience) and then the kids wanted to shop in the gift store so we called it done. The nice part about Crayola Experience is that you can get your hand stamped upon exiting and return again any time that same day if you so choose.
Crayola Experience is on the third floor in the East end of the mall and is open until 6pm daily.
MOOSE MOUNTAIN (4 PASSES INCLUDED IN THE SPRING BREAK PACKAGE)
Who loves mini golf? Well, Moose Mountain Adventure Golf is located on the third floor of the mall and four passes to play 18 holes are included in the Spring Break Package from Radisson Blu. The golf course has a Northwoods feel with logging trucks, bonfires, moose, horses, even a yeti. The challenges are not overly difficult (myself and my 7-year old each got a hole-in-one) and the rocks overlook Nickelodeon Universe which is cool to experience.
This is a fun way to spend an hour of your stay. I suggest arriving early on weekends especially due to potential long lines and waiting. We went right after breakfast and were first in line.
Moose Mountain is on the third floor in the North end of the mall and is open until 8pm during week and 9pm weekends (7pm on Sundays).
NICKELODEON UNIVERSE (2 UNLIMITED WRISTBANDS INCLUDED IN THE SPRING BREAK PACKAGE)
Make sure you’ve saved some energy for what was the highlight of our kids’ stay – Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park hosting 27 rides and attractions for Nickelodeon fans of all ages. We have been frequent visitors to Nick Universe since our kids were tiny and we have made special visits to the mall to meet Dora, Paw Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Backyardigans in our day. But now we go for the rides because all three kids are old enough to ride the Pepsi Streak rollercoaster and on this visit – for the first time – we got them on the TMNT Shell Shock. There are rides for the whole family, thrill rides, junior rides, even a play place and a bounce house for the youngsters.
Your wristband will get you unlimited rides throughout the park all day and the wristbands activate after you go on your first ride of the day. Each family member must have their own wristband to go on rides and you can check out the height guide on page 9 here before you go. Nick Universe also offers quiet rooms for those who may experience sensory processing issues. Throughout the park you will find food and drink options, some theme park games, a couple arcades, and stores selling toys, gifts, and plenty of Nickelodeon merchandise.
Nickelodeon Universe is on the first floor (you can’t miss it as it sits in the center of the mall) and is open until 8pm during week and 9pm weekends (7pm on Sundays).
Once the fun is done at Crayola, Moose Mountain, and Nickelodeon Universe, you are welcome to enjoy the rest of the Mall of America, of course! We shopped til we dropped, ate at Rainforest Cafe, and dined at Dunkin’ Donuts for breakfast. But there is so much more – from unique treats like cream puffs, crepes, beef jerkey, lobster rolls, and macarons to extra entertainment such as ClimbZone, Mirror Maze, FlyOver America, M&M World, Build-a-Bear, and Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course, there is definitely no shortage of adventures to enjoy during your visit.
And let’s not forget how we spent our evening –
With three exhausted and hangry children, our first stop when we walked back to our hotel had to be FireLake Restaurant. Located directly inside of Radisson Blu, I have such a soft spot for FireLake because it never disappoints. I love their rotisserie chicken, their french fries, their walleye, their wine(!) and their salmon. While it might look intimidating if you have small children with you, it offers a nice children’s menu and, in my experience, the servers are always very accommodating and friendly to families. I do recommend making a reservation, especially if you’re visiting on a weekend, and you can check out their menus online before you go here.
Once our tummies were full and our glasses were empty, we built in just enough energy to do a dip in the swimming pool (because what’s a hotel stay without a swimming pool, amIright?). After a short swim, showers, and some hotel TV, everybody crashed for the night in their super comfortable, soft and cushy Radisson Blu beds. It was the perfect end to an epic day.
How do you fit it all in, you might wonder? I recommend getting their at check-in or earlier to get your shopping and Mall of America time in. Once you get your amenity passes that come with the Spring Break Package, consider trying Crayola the first day of your stay after you check in. We woke up the next day, got our coffee and donuts, and got to Moose Mountain Adventure Golf right when they opened, beating any sort of rush or line. Since golf doesn’t take too terribly long, we were able to get to Nickelodeon Universe by noon and spent the remainder of our time at the mall riding rides, grabbing lunch, and then riding more rides. The hotel was able to store our luggage or you can of course leave it in your car in the ramp since everything is connected so nicely. And a side note – if you can’t fit it all in or it feels like too much, each pass is good for any day so if you are local, you can certainly hold on to your passes and come back another day, FWIW.
If you ask my kids if this adventure was worth it, they would give you a resounding “YES” and then they’d probably ask when they can go back and do it all again.
Make memories for your family without putting on the extra miles, putting in the extra money, or putting on the extra sunscreen. Simply book the RAD Spring Break Package from the Radisson Blu Mall of America for one low price and give them all sorts of Spring Break adventures! They can even wear shorts and flip flops.
You can BOOK YOUR RAD SPRING BREAK PACKAGE with Radisson Blu Mall of America today!
Note: The Radisson Blu MOA also offers a package called the Fort Blu Kids Camping Package. Starting at $318/night, you get your overnight stay plus a kids tent and pillow to keep, a journal, book and stuffed animal, s’mores delivery, and more. Just a fun option if the mall and entertainment portion isn’t your jam.
