Titan Hunter, To the Rescue!

My kids love the Attack on Titan anime series. Both of my daughters think of Mikasa Ackerman as the ultimate hero. So I was not surprised when my oldest girl wanted to create a cosplay of her. What did surprise me, was how involved my daughter chose to be in making it herself. And that is what made me the proudest!

She even purchased the foamboard pieces herself. Then measured out the parts she wanted glued together to make the ODM (omni-directional mobility) gear. Empty, clean Pringles chips cans made the gas canisters on top. Cut strips of faux leather made the straps that her belt could go through to hold the gear to her hips. She also cut the blades for the ODM and put slots into the box that the blades could slide in and out of with ease!

A little boy at the comic convention we went to, was absolutely thrilled to see her ODM gear!! It was an adorable moment. His dad just smiled and tried to pull him along so they could continue down the vendor aisle. 

She pulled out a pair of jeans and her boots - this was all done pretty short-notice, so she was working with what she had. Then she put on a plain white tank top. Now for those details up top. She took a thin belt and put it across her chest. Over that she had a jean jacket. To make sure it was noticeable that she was with the Training Corps, she had me print out the emblem they use so that she could draw her own!

This, we sewed to the back of her jacket so that she could later remove it. Since this is a jacket that she uses often and eventually she wanted to create a more authentic Mikasa cosplay, we wanted this to be temporary. 

She even cut and hemmed the skirt-like piece that went around her waist. Now, for that last crucial piece - the red scarf. If she had the time, I would have had her crochet it. But we were running short on time. So I had her cut an old shirt of mine instead. It wasn't finished, as in with a nice hem and even lines, but it still looked fantastic and even made her look as though she was battle-scarred a bit. 

I can't tell you how proud I was to have people recognize my daughter and congratulate her on her creation! Even one of the guys at the Cosplayers table praised her ingenuity. 

Her sister was equally dressed up as a Jurassic World Dino Caretaker! She wore her classic Jurassic Park tee-shirt, some leggings and booties, the badge I had made her for her birthday, and best of all - her two baby dinosaurs in a bag! She found others who shared her passion and was so happy to be able to take a picture with them. The lady on the left was wearing a Jurassic Park jacket.

And of course, I dressed up too! After all, I lead by example and never let a chance to become a character I love pass me by. Meet the time traveling pirate. I even had fake gems I had planned to hand out (but I spaced and totally forgot to!).

If we are able to, I'd love to go back in March. My husband, however, really wants to go to a bigger one. While this one was pretty neat, it was also a small-town con. Most of the vendors were 'cookie cutter' sellers. Basically, everyone had pretty the same things to sell as other vendors there. Very few were original. We shall see what the new year holds! In the meantime, I promise that I will keep you updated with new creations.

Walking Among the Dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest

Have I mentioned how much my 6 year old loves dinosaurs? That child would rather watch Jurassic Park/World movies than Disney Princess movies. She has a HUGE crush on Chris Pratt who plays Owen Grady - trainer to her favorite dinosaur, Blue, the velociraptor. She even learned to say paleontologist. Quite a mouthful, but it goes with the dino theme. 

So, you can bet I was super excited to be given the chance to take my family to Jurassic Quest. They were in Abilene, Texas this past weekend. When my daughter found out we were going, she started a countdown! Everyday, she checked the calendar to count the days until we would go. 

I had written a post before telling you about Jurassic Quest, what they offer, how to find out where they will be and yes, gave you a great discount code! Well, now I'm giving you additional information. I called up the Expo center that this one was held in. They had set up a concession stand, as they don't allow outside food and drinks in. That included water bottles! So be ready for that. Also know the time they start and close. For us, that was 9AM to 8PM. Depending on what you plan to do there, you need to give yourself up to 2 hours to experience everything. 

So how was it? 

Worth the 2 hour and 21 minute drive to and from? For the 6 year olds enjoyment alone - yes!

My other 3 were grouches, more or less. This really is for the younger kids to enjoy.

As you walk towards the Expo Center, you can see several 'dinosaurs' displayed outside. My husband said they reminded him of those ones you would see at theme parks near the rides. 

It was a very short walk through the exhibit. I think in total, we were there 45 minutes. And that included the line wait just to ask how much the ride tickets were.

Those are $6 by the way. Or you can get an all-inclusive pass for $16 that allows multiple turns on any of the thrills. Which weren't as many as I thought. You get those at the Souvenirs table.

They had a few green screen photo ops set up. Depending on which kind you wanted, they were $15-$40 each. 

We had arrived just before noon. I think that was when the floodgates opened and people really started showing up. 

The part my daughter loved the most was the 'Live Velociraptor Training' show. A feathered raptor came in view, did some tricks and even danced with the 'trainer'. But after a few minutes of watching from her dads shoulders, even she got bored and was ready to move on. 

We didn't see the baby dinosaurs she hoped to view. There were the ones on display with the big dinos, but none being held and meant for petting.  We also did not see the Megalodon. I'm not sure how we missed it. Maybe it was outside under a tent? But those looked like rides and were overly crowded. 

Lastly, and this wasn't a surprise to us, but you have to take their info-graphic signs with a grain of salt if you believe in creation. Most of what they showed to be what dinosaurs looked like were nothing more than ideas based on a handful of bones. Something we had to remind the little one of. 

I'll conclude here that she really had fun. She imagined herself being in Jurassic Park or World. Dinosaurs surrounding her. Cute, ugly, gentle, dangerous - they were all interesting to her imagination. And that is all that truly mattered to me at the end of the day. I'll try to do something for her siblings later. But for now, she was our focus. And it was great! 

Jurassic Quest is Coming to Town! (Discount Included!)

My 6 year old LOVES dinosaurs. I'm not sure if it has something to do with Chris Pratt, but the Jurassic movies are top on her list. She'd take those over Disney princess movies any day. So, of course, I was thrilled when I saw this new promotion through U. S. Family Guide. They are working with Jurassic Quest to promote the show that may just be coming to your town! 

There is quite the lineup already for the locations available. They even have shows in Canada! Texas has Abilene on March 3-5. I can imagine that my youngest will be wearing her new Chris Pratt shirt if we are able to make it. She will enjoy seeing the animatronic dinosaurs that rule the show there! As I'm typing this, I have her running around talking about riding dinosaurs, digging up fossils and watching the "live" dinosaurs! This is perhaps the closest thing to her going to a real Jurassic World. 

FAQ's

I like to plan out trips like this as much as possible in advance. So the FAQ section is typically my go-to. I'm happy to say I got a lot of helpful knowledge from doing so. 

First off - children under 2 are free, however will need activity tickets to participate in some of the events inside. Kids tickets are for 2-10 year olds. 

Tickets can be purchased at the door. It will cost you the same online as in person. However, subject to availability. They have safety restrictions on how many may be allowed to enter at once. Ticket prices are $19 - $36.

Saturday and Sunday afternoons - evenings are the least busy. I think this is one of the most helpful things for us. We aren't big on large crowds. 

Wear socks! Unless you want to purchase socks there. The inflatables and soft play areas require socks. 

My teen boys are going to be a bit bored. This is mostly geared for 2-10 year olds. Especially the rides and activities. 

Check ahead about parking! Since they are using venues from third parties, you could have to pay parking. Once you figure out where the venue is for your town, you can contact them to find out if you need money for parking.

Bring your cameras! And share your rawr-some moments with them! @jurassicquest #jurassicquest  I know I plan to do this. After all, my little one will be losing her mind from the fun. 

Cash and cards are accepted. They have activity tickets as well as souvenirs.  

And the most important for our family - food! Seems like food options and rules are run by the venue. Jurassic Quest does not provide food. So check out what your venue allows. Being that the event is usually about 2 hours to get through the whole thing, you might not even plan to eat there. Just plan your trip around meal times. 

Activities include....

Dino rides! These are just for kids. There are stationary dinosaurs that walk in place as well as those that walk slowly forward.  

Bounce houses! My little one tends to be afraid of these. Not really sure why, but she's afraid of others bouncing her. So we might not even bother with them. 

Dino crafts! You can do a quick craft to create your own dinosaur. My daughters might enjoy this. Looks like paper crafts. 

Dig for fossils! My little one recently learned to say paleontologist. As well as what that is. And she is excited to dig up dinos.  

Meet the baby dinos! When I was telling my kids that we might go to Jurassic Quest, they wanted to know what kinds of things were included. My oldest 3 were meh about it. But the youngest has been squealing about the possibilities since. Meeting baby dinosaurs has to be on the list or she won't be satisfied. If she could have her own baby dino, she would. That and a unicorn....

While you are walking around, look out for the walking dinosaurs! They are playful and like to run and walk around the guests. So be ready and snap a cool pic while you are at it! 

Lastly, discover the ancient oceans! I'm a skeptic on this front. Then again, dinosaurs trigger my skepticism too. However, it could still be a lot of fun to see the ancient ocean creatures moving around.  

Want to go and save money?

I can't wait to possibly make the trip! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Is anyone you know a dinosaur fan? Would you enjoy taking your family somewhere like this? Let me know all about it!  

Don't forget to use this code at checkout to save 20%! 

My readers get an exclusive offer of 20% off by using the code USFAM at checkout!  Get your tickets before they go extinct! https://www.jurassicquest.com/