Wow.
Well $15 per adult and $10 per child to get in - $40 at the door. Took about 30 minutes or so in line to get tickets. If you bought them online, you can skip this line.
Another 5 mins or so to get your tickets taken at the door.
Once you are in the hall, you're in another slow-moving line to enter the exhibits... Once we got through most of it (about 15 mins), we found out they were taking "3D" pictures of everyone coming in to sell to you later... At that point we just skipped through.
Also found out you have to buy extra tix for the 'rides', to the tune of $2 ea... Have to buy those inside the hall. Can get 12 for $20.
The rides consist of a row of bouncy castle-type things in a dinosaur theme... Slides and such. 2-3 tix for 2-3 bounces. Maybe 20-30 mins in line for each set - they get 10 mins bounce time total.
Concessions - bottled Pepsi products $3.50, Gatorade 20 oz $4.00. Large muffins $2.00, chicken strips basket $7.00. Small snack size bag of Fritos or Lays $2.00.
Face painting available, LONG lines, I think 4-6 tix or so. Some rideable animatronic dino rides... Think of the rocking cars in the malls for $1 or so, supersized and dino-themed.
The actual dino exhibit hall is pretty cool. Maybe 10-12 sets of 2-3 dinos, with roaring sounds and moving heads, jaws and arms. Not bad... Very dark and poorly lit, intentionally. Quality looks ok. My son really liked it. They are allowed to touch a little, and I did get some cool pics. Just have to be patient with all the oblivious parents who walk right in front of you after you've spebt 5 minutes wriggling out kid into position to get a cool pic standing in front of the T-Rex. Kids, I get... They're all exicted, but the parents... Sheesh.
Anyways... We skipped the gift shop, skipped the long-ass line to redeem your scavenger hunt paper for a coloring book. We've been here around 2 hours, and we're down maybe... $75 or so. For 3. I'm guessing maybe another $20-25 before we get out the door.
All in all, The Boy is loving it - he's 6 and this is perfect for his age. Just crowded and the Lines are LONG. And bring your wallet.
Parking was free at the Convention Center, so that's good. They take plastic throughout, so we needn't have stopped at the ATM on the way in.
Overall, it's a cool thing for kids, they'll love it, any from 4-12, probably. Just bring your wallet and your patience. By square foot, it's a lot more expensive even than the State Fair.
Ratings (out of 10):
Fun (for kids) - 6-7 (Six Flags would be like a 9)
Cost - 7
Frustration - 6
Photo ops - 8
Comfort - 8 (indoors, A/C, some seating areas)
Food - 3 (eat before you come)
Novelty - 8 (exhibits), 5 (rides)
So... If you got nothing else to do, the kids are bored, and you've got a hundred burning a hole in your pocket, it's not a bad way to spend Sunday afternoon.
They're open till 7 tonite.
Well $15 per adult and $10 per child to get in - $40 at the door. Took about 30 minutes or so in line to get tickets. If you bought them online, you can skip this line.
Another 5 mins or so to get your tickets taken at the door.
Once you are in the hall, you're in another slow-moving line to enter the exhibits... Once we got through most of it (about 15 mins), we found out they were taking "3D" pictures of everyone coming in to sell to you later... At that point we just skipped through.
Also found out you have to buy extra tix for the 'rides', to the tune of $2 ea... Have to buy those inside the hall. Can get 12 for $20.
The rides consist of a row of bouncy castle-type things in a dinosaur theme... Slides and such. 2-3 tix for 2-3 bounces. Maybe 20-30 mins in line for each set - they get 10 mins bounce time total.
Concessions - bottled Pepsi products $3.50, Gatorade 20 oz $4.00. Large muffins $2.00, chicken strips basket $7.00. Small snack size bag of Fritos or Lays $2.00.
Face painting available, LONG lines, I think 4-6 tix or so. Some rideable animatronic dino rides... Think of the rocking cars in the malls for $1 or so, supersized and dino-themed.
The actual dino exhibit hall is pretty cool. Maybe 10-12 sets of 2-3 dinos, with roaring sounds and moving heads, jaws and arms. Not bad... Very dark and poorly lit, intentionally. Quality looks ok. My son really liked it. They are allowed to touch a little, and I did get some cool pics. Just have to be patient with all the oblivious parents who walk right in front of you after you've spebt 5 minutes wriggling out kid into position to get a cool pic standing in front of the T-Rex. Kids, I get... They're all exicted, but the parents... Sheesh.
Anyways... We skipped the gift shop, skipped the long-ass line to redeem your scavenger hunt paper for a coloring book. We've been here around 2 hours, and we're down maybe... $75 or so. For 3. I'm guessing maybe another $20-25 before we get out the door.
All in all, The Boy is loving it - he's 6 and this is perfect for his age. Just crowded and the Lines are LONG. And bring your wallet.
Parking was free at the Convention Center, so that's good. They take plastic throughout, so we needn't have stopped at the ATM on the way in.
Overall, it's a cool thing for kids, they'll love it, any from 4-12, probably. Just bring your wallet and your patience. By square foot, it's a lot more expensive even than the State Fair.
Ratings (out of 10):
Fun (for kids) - 6-7 (Six Flags would be like a 9)
Cost - 7
Frustration - 6
Photo ops - 8
Comfort - 8 (indoors, A/C, some seating areas)
Food - 3 (eat before you come)
Novelty - 8 (exhibits), 5 (rides)
So... If you got nothing else to do, the kids are bored, and you've got a hundred burning a hole in your pocket, it's not a bad way to spend Sunday afternoon.
They're open till 7 tonite.
