If you tuned in last Wednesday, you saw a glimpse at the first day of our Crown Center staycation, where I reviewed the Sheraton Crown Center and shared why we love Minsky’s so much. I also talked about why the pool deck of the Sheraton has, hands-down, the best sunset view in Kansas City.

But the first day was hardly the only exciting thing about our awesome staycation. Day two had a lot of really exciting things in store, including Sea Life Aquarium, Legoland Discovery Center, and Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant!

Our morning started off at the SeaLife Aquarium. One of the awesome features of Sheraton Crown Center is that you don’t need to leave your room too much earlier than your start time, because the Link takes you straight to that courtyard by SeaLife and Legoland. The Link is a passageway that takes you across to the courtyard. Alternately, you can continue through the Westin Crown Center, attached to the Link, to reach Crown Center itself.

Now, I will let you in on a little secret– the best time for SeaLife is to book your tickets online (at a discount) for 10am on a weekday. We got there at 10am on a Tuesday, right when the doors opened, and I swear we saw maybe 8 people that weren’t employees during our entire visit. It was bliss– it meant that we could take our time at every exhibit and make sure we weren’t in anyone’s way. Being first also meant that some of the employees would offer to take my son and I’s photo together. While I’m not a fan of having my picture taken, that’s a priceless memory for the two of us of our time at the aquarium together. I loved that they were so willing to help us out. We got the great shot above at the touch tank, where you can touch sea stars and other awesome creatures! It’s the only place in the aquarium where you’re allowed to touch, but it’s an awesome experience, especially because some of the creatures are a bit creepy!

The aquarium is self-paced, but takes most people about an hour to get through. They’ll allow you to bring any camera you’re comfortable with (so yes, a larger-bodied camera like a DSLR is welcome), but regardless of what you’re snapping with, you want to be sure your flash is off. It startles the fish and can be damaging to their health. Throughout the self-paced aquarium, you’ll have no problem learning plenty, because there are facts all over! Additionally, you’ll get a booklet and can collect stamps as you learn facts going through the museum. At the end, kids are able to turn in the booklet for a special prize (spoiler alert! It’s a cute plastic gold medal!)

Zach’s favorite part of the aquarium was this awesome mini-tunnel. It was just a bit taller than he was, which was perfect for him to just stand in and watch the fish swim right over his head or inches from his face. Because it was so empty, he and I crawled into the tunnel together and watched the fish for ages– it was so great to see the fish up close and personal, and it was very relaxing. I’m amazed the aquarium hasn’t found people lying there asleep because of how peaceful it is.

There are, of course, larger tunnels you can walk through, and even sit under, in the aquarium, so you still get the tunnel experience, even if you aren’t a little one!

As you continue through, you’ll come to this cool part of the aquarium where you can actually climb some stairs to see above the tank (there is an accessible lift, as well). The floor over the tank is clear, so you can look down at the fish. Underneath the stair area, there’s a kid’s cave, where your child can climb into a hard-sided area to a dome that pokes inside the tank, so they get an experience as though they’re actually IN the aquarium tank! (They’re not, of course, but you get that feeling).

In the same room, you’ll find a cool Lego area where you can build your own Lego sandcastle with the available bricks. We spent quite some time adding to the existing sandcastle (and before you worry that your kid will be THAT kid who accidentally topples or tears apart the massive sandcastle that’s already been constructed as a starting point, don’t worry– it’s glued down). You’re able to add bricks as much as you would like to create your own unique addition to the castle, leaving it behind for other passers-by to see.

There’s a lot of great photo opportunities at SeaLife, also. With great domes kids can crawl under, you’re able to get a birds-eye view of the fish, and parents can snap a pic (or you can crawl under, too, but my knees preferred staying outside to photograph). How many opportunities do you get in life to be photobombed by fish?

SeaLife often hosts shorter-term exhibits that change out. Currently, there’s a great exhibit on crabs, including an insane crab that has legs that grow to NINE FEET LONG. Creepy!

Once you’ve passed through the aquarium, you’ll near the end of your SeaLife experience. There’s a play area with some slides and climbing equipment that your child can play in for awhile, so be sure to bring socks! There is also a box of fossils you can clean off using a brush!

Overall, the SeaLife experience was amazing. It’s educational, and even further, just plain relaxing and beautiful. Jellyfish, sting rays, and more await at SeaLife. I’m seriously considering getting annual passes as a Christmas gift to Zach because it’s just that amazing inside. I loved the opportunity to go through it, and so did Zach. If you do buy a single-day ticket, they do allow same-day re-entry to SeaLife. If we had more hours in the day, we would have gone back because Zach loved it so much. It was a really great experience, and if you’re looking for a fantastic educational experience that’s also very fun, SeaLife is definitely the place to go.

After SeaLife, we crossed the street to eat at the Crayola Cafe. I’d heard so many mixed reviews about it, but that colorful exterior and my love of crayons really drew me in– I just had to check it out! Zach decided on Chicken Strips, and I ordered a mac and cheese off of the adult menu that promised spinach, chicken, four cheeses, and scallions. Sounds delicious, right? You’d be wrong. Zach’s chicken was great, don’t get me wrong there, but the mac was not good at all. The chicken was dry, so I had to completely push it aside, and the pasta ranged from almost completely uncooked to so overcooked I couldn’t pick it up on my fork. I truly wished I had ordered something else, because it just wasn’t tasty. In the end, Zach and I shared his order of chicken. You’ll want to note that all drinks there have free refills, though, including milk and chocolate milk, which many restaurants exclude from a refills policy. The atmosphere is cute, and when you first get there, you’ll see placemats urging you to add your own creativity with the provided Crayola crayons. Kids drinks come in a cute crayon cup that you can take with you afterwards. My take? Go for the kids menu, but avoid certain menu items, or just skip the place altogether. To me, it just wasn’t fully worth the price.

With that said, the Crayola store next door is WELL worth walking into. Wall-to-wall crayon merchandise awaits, with everything from tee shirts to books to drawing idea books and how-to books… all the way to, of course, crayons and markers. We decided to stick to buying a couple of books I had been looking for– The Day the Crayons Quit and a Pantone Colors board book showing various shades of each color. There are some great interactive areas, too, like a whiteboard you can draw on, awesome crayon trivia, and a great magnetic tic tac toe game!

After our Crayola store visit, we scurried back over to Legoland. We had a 12:30pm entry, but the very helpful lady at the front desk assured us that if we decided to take longer in the aquarium or at lunch, we didn’t have to be there right at 12:30, and that they could adjust our ticket time slightly. The reason for the times is to ensure that there’s not a flood all at once. By letting in groups at 15 minute intervals, it helps the first group move on before a second group comes through, which allows for less waiting once you’re inside. The staggered wait time is very helpful on a busy day (and likely more strict), but LegoLand was barely any more full than SeaLife with it being mid-day on a weekday. You start off at Legoland by learning how Lego bricks are made (and helping to “make” them by mixing, heating, and pressing them with various levers, cranks, and buttons). When you finish that section of the tour, which is guided and takes about 5 minutes, you get a Lego brick to take home!

This area is also cool because you can step on the scale and see how many Lego bricks you weigh– Zach weighs (ADD LEGO BRICK WEIGHT HERE), and my weight in Legos? That’s my little secret, and I refused to get photographic proof of it. You can also check your height in Lego bricks– Zach is 100 bricks tall!

Once you’ve passed that area, the rest of Legoland is largely self-paced and self-guided. There are two rides inside. One is a simple ride where you ride along in a car (it drives itself along a track) and shoot at various critters, then you come to a screen to watch a short little film clip. Your ultimate goal is to rescue the princess. I will warn you, there’s a place inside where it randomly snaps a photo, and here’s the deal… I didn’t know about it, so when we came around the corner, I had this ridiculous look on my face. It wasn’t worth buying, so while I get the appeal of the surprise snapshot, part of me wishes they gave a little warning so we could get something more photogenic. Again, however, we got there during an uncrowded time where the employees were more than happy to snap a shot of my son and I together, so it didn’t matter in the end anyway.

The second ride (which we did not go on) is a ride where you pedal and it lifts you up in the air as the ride spins around. It looked pretty cool, but despite Zach being old enough, he just wasn’t all that into riding it.

Special sections like the Lego Star Wars exhibit where you can push buttons to move the displays are really fun for adults and kids alike! The sheer size of the display is ridiculously huge– often towering above kids!

One feature that I found particularly awesome was the Minicity. Essentially, it’s a Lego replica of various parts of Kansas City, from Union Station to the Royals and Chiefs Stadiums, all the way down to a mini replica of Legoland and Sealife. Yeah, that’s right… a Lego Legoland inside an actual Legoland. How’s that for Lego-ception?

My favorite part of the replica city, of course, was the replica of Sporting Park, which I like to think of as my home away from home every time I get to watch my favorite soccer team play. The various parts of the city are interactive, allowing you to control cranes and cars with buttons.

While I’m completely against pretty much any reference to Wizard of Oz, not only because I hate the movie, but also because um, how many times do I have to get asked if I’ve seen Toto or have Ruby Slippers in my closet? Anyway, the replica Wizard of Oz area was actually pretty cool, despite my disdain for Kansas City’s Legoland having the tacky reference. My favorite part of that section was the button that made the farmhouse fly up, as a gust of wind hit you in the face. How’s that for 4D?

Speaking of 4D, Legoland does have a 4D theatre, but Zach wasn’t interested in going inside, because the entrance was positioned right by the play areas. I’d say that experience is best for older kids who are more open to participating in it, but it sounds cool, because you supposedly experience not just the 3D experience, but you also have an added 4D element that makes it really come to life!

I mentioned play areas: that’s essentially what most of the rest of Legoland consists of. There are several themed areas where you can have hands-on building experiences. The first you come to is a single slide and a pit of softer bricks that you can play in. This area would be perfect for kids who are Duplo-aged (basically, geared at the under-4 crowd).

Then, there’s what I like to call the “Adult Torture Pit,” which is basically one giant pit of standard lego bricks… which kids can walk in… without their shoes. Oh. My. Gosh. Why would anyone try it? I don’t know, but Zach had a blast climbing in to find pieces for building with.

There are several tables set up that you can just build… total free-play. Some are out in between play areas, intended for kids who have mastered building with the smaller bricks.

If your kid is more into the Lego City or Lego Juniors age group, then they’ll love the giant play area that is Police themed on one half, Construction themed on the other. They can run through and slide, climb, and build to their heart’s content. The same softer bricks over in the smaller kids area are in a pit over here, and they CAN be used to build towers, which can quickly be demolished with a wrecking ball! Additionally, everyone’s pretty comfortable with kids using their imagination and free-playing, so those softer bricks don’t have to just stay in the wrecking pit. Zach helped some other kids build some walls and towers in parts of the upper levels of the equipment, carrying armfuls of the large bricks to the top, building, then sliding down to grab more. If you’re worried about germs, let me set your mind at ease a little– the soft bricks are washed in an industrial dishwasher every single night and completely sanitized. This means that if you are one of the first people in the door, your kid is pretty much going to be the first person (aside from staff with clean hands) to touch the bricks in the play area.

If you have a child more interested in Lego Friends and everyone at Heartlake City, they’ll love the Lego Friends section, which has a fun Lego fridge and oven where they can make their own Lego cupcake creations, tables with the bright Lego Friends colored bricks they love, and a karaoke station (parents, this is fun, too. Never underestimate the power of embarrassing your child by belting Livin’ on a Prayer or Dancing Queen in the middle of Legoland. Better yet, get them to join in).

A lot of kids are interested in the experimentation and creativity involved in Lego building. There are two great play areas for this. First, you can build a car or other wheeled vehicle and test it on various ramps and halfpipes, or even race it against other Lego enthusiasts’ creations. This area is a lot of fun and allows for a lot of trial and error– will removing this make my car go faster? Does using bigger wheels or smaller wheels work best? There’s also a very cool station where you can build a tall tower, then see how it holds up in an earthquake! You build and build, whether it’s going for height or stability, then crank up your quake from mild to MASSIVE and watch your building shake, or even topple to the ground!

In the same part of Legoland, there are classes you can take where they teach you how to build a certain thing, called the Master Builder class. Often, the class will range from time-to-time during the day, so it’s worth checking in to see if the session is different at different times. After the class, kits are available for purchase so you can build it again at home.

Unlike SeaLife, Legoland does not allow re-entry on the same day as your ticket. You make your way through, and can explore and play as much as you’d like while you’re inside, but once you leave, you’re done there. Additionally, while any one of any age can enter the aquarium, Legoland is only for people accompanied by a child (mostly for safety reasons for the kids). However, if you’re an adult Lego enthusiast, Legoland opens it’s doors for a No Kids Allowed night just about once a month. The night typically has a theme (for example, the last one was Star Wars themed). There are costume contests, building contests, the opportunity to check out all that Legoland has to offer with other adult Lego enthusiasts, and a chance to let loose and enjoy Legoland, without having to bring a kid along. Definitely check it out if you want to see Legoland, but don’t have a kid to join you in the process (or if you’re looking for a fun night while the kids are tucked away with a sitter).

You’ll wrap up in the Lego-SeaLife store, which has pretty much all of the Lego sets you could ever dream of in every theme, and also the very cool “pick a brick” wall. You can get 100g of bricks for $10, in all kinds of color and size options. If you’re missing that one brick in a certain color and need another one, or if you’re wanting to take home bricks to create the next cool thing, this is your place to get single-serve bricks (or a whole bag full!). There’s also a minifig area where you can buy 3 new minifigs for $10, with plenty of options for clothing, hair, etc…. in various seasons, you can even get costumes for your minifig (like a ghost costume) instead of hair! Legoland also offers something called “minifig trading” but we’re just getting into that side of things, and didn’t look into anything more about that. Zach started with the Duplo sets, then went to Lego Friends sets, so he’s just getting into the various minifigs out there.

Look inside the store for special purchase offers (one of them that I saw today was that if you purchased a specific Lego Friends set and the Lego Friends ice cube tray, you’d get a Lego Friends beach towel free), but be mindful that Legoland actually isn’t owned by Lego at all, after having to sell the Legoland brand a few years ago. Basically, the whole place is filled with official Lego product, and you’ll find much of the same stuff at Legoland stores as you will at a Lego store, but you cannot use your Lego VIP card if you’re a VIP member, which means you won’t earn points for those purchases the way you would at an official Lego store or online. If that isn’t an issue for you, you’ll definitely be more than happy with the selection Legoland has to offer. Right now, the going special for an overall purchase was that if you spent $100 or more (with that $100 including at least two boxed sets, so no, $100 worth of minifigs and pick-a-brick doesn’t count), then you got a free hoodie! So, definitely keep those offers in mind when you shop. If you’re an annual pass holder for Legoland, you’ll get a slight discount on many of the items in store (you’ll see on the tag that it says one price for regular price and another for annual pass holders). If you’re visiting often or buying a lot of Lego sets at this location, it may be worth it to you to upgrade to an annual pass before you get to the store.

After we wrapped up at Legoland, we personally decided to go back to our room for a chance to rest and take a little nap. Going through SeaLife and Legoland can be exhausting, especially if your kids play really hard in either one, so I highly recommend a break after those attractions before you move on to shopping at Crown Center, but if you feel good to go, hey, skip it!

Once we were up from our rest, we were eager to visit Crown Center for one very special restaurant– Fritz’s! If you’ve never heard of it before, Fritz’s is a restaurant that delivers food by motorized train.

You place a phone call to the kitchen, tell them what you’d like, and a waitress brings your drinks. Then, the train delivers the rest of your food straight to your table! The food is reasonably priced, but you’ll want to be mindful of the fact that drinks don’t have free refills at Fritz’s, so if you’re a fast drinker, it’s worth ordering a large. The food is basic burgers, chicken strips, and hot dogs, so you’re largely going for the experience of train-delivered food more than you are for the food itself, but it is decent food nonetheless.

My pick is always the messiest burger ever, called the Tonette, which consists of taco meat, hot sauce, and pickles on a bun. I ask them to not give me the pickles, but to add bacon (for an additional cost). I also love the breaded mushrooms. While they have a few meals you can order, outside of the kids menu, it’s worthwhile to order your food a la carte. You have more options when it comes to sides that way, and it’s not really unreasonably priced, either. When you finish eating, be sure to stick around long enough to snap a picture with the iconic train that sits out front.

Our other must-visit store in Crown Center is Chip’s Chocolate Factory. If you visit at the right time, you can even watch them making fudge right there in-store! If you’re a fudge lover, you’ll delight, but you’ll also like the store if you like dipped marshmallows, cake pops, or even macrons.

We wrapped up our Crown Center day with a trip to the Toy Store that’s across from the Crayola Cafe. After the train restaurant, we wanted to see if there were any cool toy trains at a reasonable price. I’m going to warn you now, I’d skip the toy store altogether. While it’s filled with a ton of cool stuff, the prices are higher than I’m willing to pay for toys in almost every circumstance. Legos are priced at a good $5-10 more than the same set sold just across the street at Legoland. Zach got insanely attached to a Minion stuffed animal, but after seeing that it was priced at nearly $20, I asked him to put it back. However, with all of that said, you can sometimes score a decent deal in there. We found that during our visit, certain wooden train sets were priced 50% off, which made it cheaper than a standard retail price. While the sales vary, of course, you may be able to grab something at a reasonable price, but if you’re taking kids in, be warned they may really love something, only to find out it’s not worth buying at all.

Overall, our day was fantastic, topped off with a visit to the pool and some in-hotel playtime with our new toys. The winner of the day in Zach’s mind was definitely SeaLife, which I didn’t expect. Before we made our trip, I had gone over each day’s plans with him, and it seemed he had the train restaurant and Legoland at the top of his trip list of things he wanted to do, but he ended up loving SeaLife most of all (to the point that I’m considering getting him a pet fish just so he won’t ask to visit SeaLife every single day). I have to say, SeaLife was my favorite part, too, but a lot of that may have just been seeing his joy through the whole thing. While I never rushed him through the aquarium and let him take his own pace through, I do wish that we would have stayed there longer, because when we left, all he wanted to do was go back. Like I said, if we would have had more hours in our day, we would have gone back to SeaLife for more fun, but by the time we were heading back to the hotel, it was closing time. At least we left with some really great memories of the experience.

Find out more information about SeaLife KC, Legoland Discovery Center KC, and Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, as well as shopping at Crown Center by clicking on the links in this paragraph to visit their official websites.

Stay tuned because there’s one more day of our Staycation and one more part to our Crown Center Staycation Guide for Families with Kids! You’re going to love our next installment, where we talk all about Union Station KC, including Science City, the Rail    Experience, and the Planetarium! You don’t want to miss it!

In case you missed Wednesday’s post where we talked all about Sheraton KC and Minsky’s Pizza, head over to our first installment of the Kansas City Crown Center Staycation Guide!