We could walk from our hotel right into the mall

Lobby of the Radisson Blu

I have wanted to go to the Mall of America for several years.  As someone who loves shopping a mall that big sounded like paradise.  For my birthday this past December I decided I wanted to celebrate by going to Minnesota to shop at the Mall of America.  Luckily for me my mom loves shopping just as much as I do so she was willing to meet up with me in Minnesota!  We booked two nights at the Radisson Blu which is connected to the mall itself.  The hotel picked us up from the airport and is only a short distance away.  Since it was late December it was quite cold outside so staying in a hotel connected to the mall was brilliant because we only had to go outside coming and going to the airport.  We checked into our room and were really pleased with the room and the bathroom.  As much as we enjoyed the room we were both very anxious to head out to the mall which had been decorated beautifully for Christmas.

Within five minutes from leaving our room we were inside the mall which is just as great as staying at Disney’s Grand Californian and walking right into Disney’s California Adventure from your hotel.  We both knew that the mall would be huge but I think we were both shocked by just how huge it was.  We flew in the day before my birthday and decided to use the first day to explore and not book any dining reservations so that we didn’t have anywhere we had to be by a certain time.  We know better than to shop on an empty stomach so one of our first stops was lunch at Tony Roma’s.  We have both eaten at Tony Roma’s before and it is one of my moms favorite places but this particular location did not live up to past experiences and let me save you the time by warning you not to eat here.  The food was below average, they do not serve the rolls that other Tony Roma’s do and the atmosphere was incredibly disappointing.

Once lunch was over we began our shopping marathon.  There are four levels of the mall, the fourth is primarily an entertainment level and does not wrap around the mall, and we wanted to try to see as much as we can.  We started off on the second level and just when I thought we had finally finished the level I would realize we were no where close to being done.  The stores keep going and keep going, it is fabulous!  In the center of the mall is the Nickelodeon Universe which is home to several really cool rides which we would spend time exploring on day two.  In addition to all of our shopping we made time to see a short performance from a Cirque du Soleil show that would be in Minnesota the next few weeks.  They performed on the bottom level and did an incredible job.  There was seating available but it was very limited so if you have anyone in your party who needs to sit for events at the mall come early.

For dinner we decided to go to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. where we always have a good time.  My parents are members of the Landry’s Select Club which is a rewards program that covers 35 different restaurants like Bubba Gump’s across the country.  It costs $25 to join but $25 is added to your account upon registration plus you get another $25 on your birthday.  You get priority seating and earn points for every dollar you spend on food or in the restaurants stores.  Joining this program might be a great way for you to enjoy Bubba Gump’s while on your trip.  Please check the bottom of the blog for a link to information on joining this program.  We really enjoyed the food at dinner and I also liked that some of the items in the store said Mall of America. I got a Bubba Gump’s cup with a Mall of America lid as a fun souvenir from my trip.

Once this trip was official I started following the Mall of America on twitter so that I would be up to date on anything exciting that might happen at the mall while I was there.  I was there during December and the mall had set up lockers for everyday of the month leading up to Christmas.  If you sent a tweet out to the mall they would contact you inviting you to come pick a key and try to unlock the locker.  If you picked the right key you received the prize inside which changed everyday.  Both days I tweeted to them and was unlucky in opening a locker but it would have been really cool had it worked.  While walking around the mall we discovered a hair saloon that does blow outs.  I had been interested in getting a blow out for a while and decided that would be a fun way to start out my morning on my birthday.

The next morning my after enjoying the birthday decorations my mom put up around the room we headed out to get my hair down.  I loved the experience and the curls from my blow out lasted all day which is a miracle for my hair.  After my hair was done my mom and I headed to Macy’s where we both had our makeup done at the Clinique counter.  It was really fun to get pampered and made my day even more special.  For breakfast we ate some delicious crepes and tried to make a plan for the day.  We had dinner reservations at Benihana for dinner and decided that in the afternoon we would take a break from shopping and check out the Nickelodeon Universe.  If you go to the mall around Christmas time be sure to hang on to all of your receipts.  For every $250 you spend you get a wristband that is good for any ride all day long.  However, be prepared to wait in line for at least an hour if not longer.  My mom and I got our wristbands and we really enjoyed going on a roller coaster as well as the ferris wheel.

In addition to enjoying some rides we also decided to zip line through Nickelodeon Universe.  This is an additional fee, $17 if I remember correctly, but is worth the money.  You also have an option of including a ropes course but since we were limited on time we chose just to zip line.  Well that took an extremely long time as well but was worth the wait because how many malls can you go zip lining at?  Just make sure not to show up to the mall in flip flops because those are not good for zip lining.  They will provide a small locker for your belongings so don’t leave anyone out just so someone can watch the bags.

You will zip line first from the top platform then come back to the lower platform.

During this trip I introduced my mom to a wonderful app that I use called Shopkicks.  You get points for walking into certain stores and opening up the app, or by scanning products in stores like Walmart or Target.  We both got quite a few Shopkicks on this trip which was pretty great.  Shopkick points can be redeemed for Target gift cards, movie gift cards, etc.  After spending hours and hours of shopping it was time for dinner.  Before my birthday I had joined the Benihana birthday club known as The Chef’s Table.  When you join The Chef’s Table you will receive a $30 gift certificate to use during the month of your birthday and the only requirement is that it be used with at least one other paying adults meal.  It was perfect because when my mom paid for her meal it made mine free since I ordered a $24 meal.  The meal was delicious and they brought me ice cream with a candle and gave me two copies of pictures they took of me.  This is certainly a great way to enjoy a nice meal on your birthday without costing an arm and a leg.

After dinner we decided to play a quick round of mini golf and then went back to shopping.  It is safe to say that we opened and closed down the mall that day.  It was a nice surprise when we got back to the room to see two cupcakes and a card from the front desk wishing me a happy birthday.  The next morning it was already time to leave and I was very sad to say goodbye to this wonderful mall.  My favorite purchase from that trip is a shirt that says Keep Calm and Shop On and underneath that says Mall of America.  There are so many wonderful stores there and plenty to keep you busy.  If you get bored at the Mall of America it is your own fault because they have done a great job to make sure that there is something for everyone.  Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will do a ton of walking!

If you plan on visiting the Mall of America I highly recommend that you consider staying at the Radisson Blu for more information please visit: http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-mall-of-america

If you are interested in knowing if there are any special events happening at the mall while you are there be sure to check out their website & their twitter account.

website: http://www.mallofamerica.com/events

twitter: https://twitter.com/mallofamerica

Landry’s Select Club: http://www.landrysselect.com/SelectClubFeatures.aspx

Benihana The Chef’s Table: http://www.landrysselect.com/SelectClubFeatures.aspx