Toss-Up Tuesday: Tips for Visiting The Mall of America!
Today I feature my first guest blogger, my son, Sean! I told him he could write about any topic he wanted and he picked this, as The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is one of his favorite places to visit.
Sean writes:
For this blog post, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite places to visit and the place that I feel most qualified to talk about, which is The Mall of America. I’ve taken a yearly visit to Bloomington to visit almost every year since I was a little kid, and I still enjoy going back every year. Because of the immense variety of shops and attractions that are available in the mall, I don’t think there’s any one best way to plan out your visit, but I would like to give a few recommendations about things to do, places to eat, and shops to visit while you’re there.
Before You Go
One of the most important tips I can give is to take a look at the mall’s website to find a list of all of the shops, rides, and restaurants that are currently available at the mall and try to make a loose itinerary to follow while you’re at the mall. Once you get there, the large crowds and seemingly endless hallways can be somewhat overwhelming and difficult to navigate for a first-time visitor, so planning out your stops ahead of time can be a big help. This will also allow you to best pick a parking spot for the day and make reservations at your desired restaurants ahead of time, which can be necessary if you plan on visiting some of the more popular dining spots.
Directory and Map of Mall at Link Below
Mall of America Website
Rides
One of my favorite rides at the Nickelodeon Theme Park in the center of the mall is the Orange Streak rollercoaster. As someone who doesn’t do well with heights, I often avoid rollercoasters at amusement parks, but the Orange Streak doesn’t have any major drops or loops to freak you out or upset your stomach. It’s a great ride for adults or even older kids and the best part about the ride is that it gives you a pseudo tour of the Nickelodeon Theme Park as you ride around the center of the mall in one big loop.
Another ride that I always make sure to go on is Ghost Blasters, which is a Laser Tag Shooter game that takes you through a “haunted house” in a rail-bound cart equipped with two laser guns. Not only is this ride one of the most immersive in the park, it also keeps track of your score and allows you to compete with the other person in your cart or other members of your travel party for a high score. The only downside to this ride is the relatively slow-moving line, so if you plan on taking a ride on it I would recommend doing it near the beginning of the day to avoid the worst of the crowds.
Shops/Experiences
One of the most iconic stores at the mall is the LEGO Store, and for good reason. It not only features some of the world’s largest LEGO statues, but the largest collection of purchasable LEGO sets and minifigures you’ll ever see. The back of the store also features a free build play area for kids to let some energy out and create whatever they can think of with both LEGO and DUPLO blocks.
The Sea Life Aquarium is easy to miss in the mall, given that it’s tucked into the corner of the mall at the bottom of an escalator, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that it’s a small experience. This aquarium features tons of interactive exhibits and plenty of space for kids to run around and let out some energy while parents enjoy learning about the wide variety of sea creatures on display. It also features a pretty big gift shop and a place to take commemorative photos if either of those things appeal to you.
Restaurants
My personal favorite part of any of my trips to Mall of America has always been eating at the Rainforest Café. While the food isn’t quite as fancy as some of the other restaurants in the mall, it boasts a wide selection of American cuisine from Anaconda Pasta to Safari Fries to their famous Sparkling Chocolate Volcano (which is quite the spectacle to behold). The restaurant also features a giant fish tank and multiple moving animatronics that come to life and really make you feel like you’re eating in the middle of a rainforest. My only warning when recommending the Rainforest Café is that the animatronics can be quite loud and may scare young children, which is something to keep in mind. This is also one of the restaurants I would absolutely get a reservation for as seats tend to fill up fairly quickly for typical lunch and dinner hours.
Another excellent and unique restaurant is Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Shop, which just so happens to be located across the hall from Rainforest Café. Bubba Gump’s has just as much of a commitment to its theme as Rainforest, with arguably much higher-quality food, especially if you enjoy seafood. They also have a unique method of letting your server know you need something, which ties in directly with Forest Gump (the movie the restaurant is based on). My personal recommendation is to try the Shrimper’s Heaven, but there are plenty of non-seafood options like burgers, soups, and salads for those of you who don’t enjoy seafood as much as I do.
Thanks to Sean for his Mall of America tips! If you would like to be a guest blogger, just let me know! 😊
My own tip:
Make sure you take a few photos of where you parked, the nearby stores, and the store aisle to get to the correct exit. Believe me, you will thank yourself later! 😉