Walking With Dinosaurs the Arena Spectacular Live at the Tacoma Dome - Review

After having been able to get up close and personal with  baby T-Rex from the Walking with Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular , I wrote in my last post how excited I was to be able to see the live show.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing just that on the opening night at the Tacoma Dome. In a word ? WOW!   The show was fantastic! 

This show really is visually stunning.  Think award winning cinematography translated to a live performance and you'll have an understanding of the caliber of this performance,    

These fantastically authentic looking massive creatures  roaming about in their "habitat"  transported us to another era.  The accompanying lights, music and sound effects all helped  set the scene so effectively.
     

The paleontologist narrator was quite engaging, narrating just enough but then taking the time to let the animals "just be" and the audience to observe.  He dotted his narration with bits of humor throughout and the show flowed well from beginning to end.

My kids and I really were wowed.  I can't say enough about how delightful this show is. It's unlike any live performance I've seen and is quite an experience.

This really is a can't miss!  So go get your tickets now (and don't forget to use the discount codes from my previous post )

Walking with Dinosaurs is at the Tacoma Dome through 12/21. 

These picture don't even do justice to the magnificence that is Walking With Dinosaurs Live

Disclosure: I was provided complimentary tickets in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. No compensation was received for this post. 

Walking with Dinosaurs: Baby T-Rex Meet & Greet (and show discount code)

How many opportunities does one get to meet a dinosaur up close and personal ? Not many is my guess which is why when offered the opportunity, my family and I jumped at the chance.  You see baby T (T-Rex) and his lively friend Terey Summers, spokesperson for the "Walking with Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular," paid a visit to our local arena to publicize the show!

You may have heard of the show that's been performed in over 206 cities across the globe before 7.3 million people, right ?  If not, please click on the link above and familiarize yourself immediately! I'll wait...

Are you back now ? Fantastic!

Look, there's Baby T  right there. Scary right ? Nah , he was fairly harmless but may have "munched" on my husbands head for a few seconds.

Although incredibly realistic looking, I can assure you that Baby -T is not real. He is one of 24 animatronic "puppets", some weighing tons and reaching up to 36 feet in height, that comprise the "Walking with Dinosaurs" theatrical event.  Narrated by a paleontologist, the show takes the audience through what the dinosaurs went through to fight for their lives up until extinction.

Tethered to the BBC program "Walking with Dinosaurs", Ms. Summers told us that the Creature Technology company was challenged with bringing that television show to life. One year later the arena spectacular was born.

Another view of Baby -T

Meeting Baby T was truly cool. It's certainly not something one gets to do every day.  My 11 year old twins, who may have initially expected to see  something resembling Barney, were in awe after they saw him for the first time.       

I am excited to see the show and learn more about these creatures that roamed the earth billions of years ago. Ms. Summers remarked that the entire show is a one of a kind experience, " brilliantly musically scored"  she said, "This show is both educational and entertaining...appealing to anyone 3-93"

I can't wait to find out!  

If you'd like to check it out for yourself, local Seattle peeps, the show runs from December 17th - 21st at the Tacoma Dome.    Be sure to use code KIDFUN for $5.00 off price level 2 or $3 off Price level 3 (not valid on the Saturday 11 am/3pm and Sun 1 pm shows).

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. My family and I were invited to the meet and greet event in order to facilitate writing of this post. No compensation was received

Movie Review: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

Disneyfilms brings to life the story of Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (based on the book of the same name)

In this version, Alexander's whole family find themselves living through their very own bad day.  They each experience a series of events that will have you thinking I can't believe that all of this is happening.  In the end however, they all learn that "You gotta have the bad days, so you can love the good days"  

The movie is silly in the best ways and will have you laughing throughout!  But mostly, I love that they share these  experiences as a family which ultimately seems to make said experiences "less terrible, horrible, no good , very bad" and more tolerable!

"Alexander"is rated PG and opens tomorrow at a theater near you.  Be sure to check it out.


Disclosure: I was invited to a free screening in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received

Maleficent - Movie Review

Driven to revenge , Maleficent curses the infant daughter of the man who betrayed her ! But as we soon find out #eviliscomplicated .  Maleficent finds that the one person she is out to get may just be the one who can restore peace to the land.

This movie  is quite a grand affair in that it is visually stunning.  From the fairyland to the costuming  the cinematography is simply out of this world.

Angelina Jolie, of  whom I am already a fan, does a smashing job of playing the evil fairy with a bit of an internal struggle.

Maleficent is drama infused with a bit of comedy wrapped up in epic fantasy.

The movie runs 97 minutes and is rated PG (there is some violence that might be frightening for the very young)

Go check it out!  Maleficent opens today at a theater near you!


Disclosure: All opinions are my own.  I attended a free screening in order to facilitate this review.  No compensation was received for this review

Disneynature Bears Movie Review

  I'm going to be honest (nature documentaries not being at the top of my list of favorite film genres)  I wondered how Disneynature BEARS  would be able to hold my interest for a full hour and 26 minutes.  I thought I needed that interactive dialogue between characters to be entertained.

 But I was wrong.  Only minutes in,  I was captivated by the breathtaking Alaskan scenery and the narrated story of mama bear Skye and her adorable cubs Scout and Amber. Their story begins at the end of hibernation season and takes you through their journey to find food for the following winter's hibernation. Along the way, the viewer gets the pleasure of witnessing the relationship between mother and cubs as she teaches them life lessons and is forced to protect them from predators. I never really thought about how relatable a bear's life might be to my own but as I watched the film I found that to be the case. I  even laughed commiseratingly during one scene where Skye got frustrated with her cubs when they wouldn't move fast enough down the mountain. I get it. I've been there.

Disneynature BEARS is an entertaining docufilm that I'd be hard pressed to find anything wrong with (if anything the very young may be scared by a "tussle" between bears but it's a few seconds of posturing and roaring that's over as quickly as it started).   Ultimately, be prepared for complete cuteness and a wholesome film the family can enjoy together.

Disneynature BEARS opens Friday April 18th.

*All opinions are my own. I received complimentary entry to an advance screening to facilitate this review. No other form of compensation was received

Hostess invites fans to give Twinkies a Minion Makeover

Hostess and Universal Studios Celebrate the Despicable Me 2 release on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with The Twinkie Minion Makeover Sweepstakes! The Limited Edition Minion Makeover Packaging hits shelves as the holiday season gets underway.

Hostess is inviting fans across the country to kick up their creativity and dress up their favorite golden, crème-filled treats and “Minion-ize” their Twinkies for the chance to win great prizes. Now through January 5, 2014, Hostess lovers can make the season a little brighter by visiting https://www.facebook.com/Hostess and https://www.Facebook.com/Hostess/app_170621563134175 to download a collection of Minion accessories, and make their own Twinkie Minion.  Fans can then upload pictures of their creations to enter to win a daily instant prize, which includes a Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray™ and special offers from Hostess, or the grand prize, which includes a Home Theater System, a collection of 30 Blu-rays and a year’s supply of Hostess treats.

Sponsored post brought to you by Hostess and Universal Studios

Reveiw: Teatro Zinzanni's Family Friendly show Tambourine Submarine

My son and I had the pleasure of taking in Teatro Zinanni's latest family show Tambourine Submarine  this past weekend.   Based upon the Seattle kiddie rock band Recess Monkey's hit song of the same name, Tambourine Submarine is a fun little show that tells  the story of what happens when two sailors crash their submarine on a deserted island.

Here's the thing, Teatro Zinzanni is always a fun time. It's cabaret , mixed with cirque du soleil mixed with comedy and song and it's just a plain old good time!   But what I enjoyed about this show is that in addition to featuring some fantastic adult artists such as ballerina Ariana Lallone and Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer of Duo Madrona it also features real kids.

 As an aside, the mother of one of the child performers sat right in front of me (I had an inkling from the fact that she was beaming with pride each time her child performed). At the end of the show I asked her how her child got involved in the show. Had he had years of performing experience, I wondered ?  Surprisingly she told me he'd attended one of the Teatro Zinzanni's summer camps and was later asked to perform and funny enough now says performing is his "calling".

Real kids are what made this show more fun and relatable for my 10 year old.    All the kids were fantastically cute, particularly the little hula performers.  The music was fun and lively and there was so much to see as one can always expect with a Teatro Zinzanni show.  And for you parents that may wonder what's in it for me ?  Well besides your child enjoying the heck out of themselves,  Duo Madrona's acrobatic talent will leave you positively stunned!  But wait, I don't want to be a spolier. Go check out the show for yourself. Tambourine Submarine plays on select weekends through December 15th

At $19 for booth seating and $25 for chair seating (close to the action) I dare you not to have fun!
It really is a wonderful show for parents and their kids to experience together.


Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I was provided with complimentary tickets to the show in order to facilitate this review