LEGOLAND New York Resort Announces Phase One Park Opening May 29, 2021!

LEGOLAND® New York Resort is opening for previews beginning, Saturday, May 29, 2021! 

Devoted LEGOLAND fans will be able to enjoy six of the Resort’s seven themed lands: Brick Street, Bricktopia, LEGO® City, LEGO® Castle, LEGO® NINJAGO® World and MINILAND. The final land, LEGO® Pirates, will open later this summer, as will LEGOLAND® Hotel. If you’re an annual pass holder, today May 19, you will be able to reserve your day! Single-day guests can reserve their park day on May 21, 2021. 

We finally have a totally family-friendly theme park in our own backyard, located just 60 miles north of New York City in the beautiful Hudson Valley, LEGOLAND New York Resort is finally opening! This phased opening is welcome by many as they gradually increase capacity in order to encourage social distancing. Keep in mind, you will still need to wear a mask inside the theme park regardless of your vaccination status. LEGOLAND New York Resort Divisional Director Stephanie Johnson supports the phased opening decision with these words of wisdom.

As the first theme park to open in the Northeast in decades, this preview period is our chance to welcome families who have been patiently waiting, giving them a chance to experience LEGOLAND New York in its final stages of completion. [...] Families are eager to get out, ride, build, play, learn and spend time together. Through our phased opening approach, we’re able to safely welcome as many families as possible while prioritizing the health and safety of our guests and Model Citizens (staff).

Single-day tickets are being sold at a reduced price of $49.99. Not a bad deal if ya ask me! Are you going? We will definitely be there! We cannot wait to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and enjoy the awesome that awaits us!

Here are some key details you should know before reserving your LEGOLAND day of play!

• Annual Pass holders are welcome to experience six of LEGOLAND® New York Resort’s seven themed lands  
• Single-day tickets will be sold at a reduced price of $49.99 
• The preview period is the next step in LEGOLAND New York Resort’s phased opening 
• Pass and ticket holders can reserve a day to visit via online Booking Portal 
• Annual pass holders receive 48-hour priority booking access beginning May 19
• All other guests will be able to book beginning May 21  
• More information about the final phase of the Resort’s summer opening will be released in the coming weeks

How to Reserve Your Visit 

To reserve dates for the preview period, guests can visit LEGOLAND New York Resort’s online reservation system, Booking Portal. During our preview period, guests will be able to reserve only one date at a time on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure all pass and ticket holders receive the opportunity to visit the Park while complying with state and local guidelines. 

Health and Safety 

The health and safety of guests and staff is paramount for LEGOLAND New York Resort. For information about LEGOLAND New York Resort’s health and safety protocols, click here.

For more information about LEGOLAND New York Resort, visit their website or follow them on Facebook. 

About Merlin Entertainments Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's number one and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates 129 attractions, 21 hotels and 6-holiday villages in 24 countries and across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees. See www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information and follow on Twitter @MerlinEntsNews.

 

Geminose: Animal Popstars for Nintendo Switch™ Musical Journey to Pop Stardom and Musical Diversity! Releases in the eShop May 18, 2021

Geminose: Animal Popstars is a new family-oriented game by Majesco Entertainment, in partnership with Ultimas and Silver Bullet Studios, is coming out in the Nintendo Switch™ eShop on May 18, 2021, and for physical release on June 18, 2021. Players help adorable animals on their musical journey to international stardom byways of singing competitions, dance-offs, and more! The game is available for pre-order in the US on Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target for $39.99. Pre-order in the UK. Pre-order in Australia.

Animal Popstars is a mix of adventure, social simulation, and rhythm gaming where players help sisters Nimmy and Smudge explore the planet of Geminose to create the ultimate pop band. The game is like a series of minigames where cooking, dressing up, and dancing allows for the collection of more adorable bandmates. Players will hear over 20 unique songs inspired by world music giving players' ears an appetizing collection of diverse music from places like Africa and South America. The furry animals range from tigers, zebras, monkeys, rabbits, and more. There is also a fun collection board where players can spin a wheel for a music mash-up dance challenge - two characters face-off to combine their own unique sound of music, and then the two animal breeds combine to create an adorable hybrid version! 

Explore the world of Geminose to create dishes, change clothes, build a musical mansion, and more! 
Image credit: Majesco Entertainment

In case you're wondering about the name, Geminose, the animals literally have a gem for a nose allowing for a colorfully diverse collection of characters that look pleasing on-screen and during game play. 

The mash-up mini game starts with a fun spin of the wheel ending with an adorable hybrid version of the two animals! 
Image credit: Majesco Entertainment

Geminose: Animal Popstars is a great family game and will get kids moving! 

Using the joy-cons motion controls, players will have to move up and down, and side to side in order to complete the tasks in the minigames. Flip a pan or knead some dough during the cooking mini-game, collect musical notes a la Milon's Secret Castle by moving the paw print joy-con across the screen, follow the pitch of the music by raising the joy-con up or down and shimmy the joy-con to shake, etc. I like the rhythm aspect of the game - you don't necessarily have to move too aggressively, but this will promote kids to stand during the gameplay, and actually move their bodies in order to play.

Motion controls will keep kids moving!
Image credit: Majesco Entertainment

Geminose: Animal Popstars is rich in the storyline and will keep kids entertained. I feel the game has a great value with an empowering message of diversity and is the perfect game for kids.

As for my personal gameplay, stay tuned for that review and a generous giveaway hosted by Geminose: Animal Popstars that can be found here on my blog and on my social media channels! 

Game Features:

• Collect 10 animal musicians from around the world and form your own hit band.
• Over 30 musical instruments to master.
• 20 original songs with hundreds of ways to rearrange them.
• Attract 45 ultra-cute mashup super fans via Geminose dance-offs.
• Play through story mode with Nimmy and Smudge managing your chosen band, or choose free play mode for endless hours of fun.
• Build and customize your mansion with hundreds of decorative items to choose from and interact with, in any room.
• Take your band on a world tour to unlock additional songs, outfits, and decor to deck out your mansion.
• Unlock the mansion kitchen and cook recipes from around the world.
• Play a variety of mini-games when on a break from your tour.
• Challenge your friends in local 2-player mode.

Geminose: Animal Popstars for the Nintendo Switch™ is available for pre-order in the US on Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target for $39.99. Pre-order in the UK. Pre-order in Australia. To keep up with the Geminose, visit them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Majesco Entertainment
Majesco Entertainment Company is an innovative developer, marketer, publisher, and distributor of interactive entertainment for consumers worldwide. Building on more than 25 years of operating history, the company develops and publishes a wide range of video games on console, handheld, and mobile platforms, including such hits as Double Dragon: Neon, ZUMBA FITNESS™, and GONE HOME™.  More info can be found online at majescoent.com or on Twitter.

About Ultimas

New York-based Ultimas is a vertically integrated, full-stack video game company. Ultimas' game studio opportunistically acquires games in the late stage of development, completes those games, and then commercially launches them. Ultimas' soon-to-launch retail game platform, known as Ultimate, will provide small publishers the opportunity to attract developers with its best-in-class reporting features and industry-best pricing.

About Silver Bullet Studios

Silver Bullet Studios' CEO, Cos Lazouras, is the creator of the Geminose characters and world and is the director of the Geminose game. Silver Bullet Studios has exclusive licensing rights to the Geminose franchise from Starbreeze Studios. Geminose: Animal Popstars was developed by Novarama and Behaviour Interactive.

This post may contain affiliate links! If you purchase through any of my shopping links, please let me know, so I can personally thank you. Your support means so much and helps me run my blog and support my toy habit. If you love collecting toys and have Peter Pan-syndrome, let's be friends. Follow me and subscribe to me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Pinterest! 

 

Storypod An Adventure in Storytelling! Interactive Storytelling STEM Toy COUPON CODE!

Imagination! Adventure! Stories!! On the go! Toddler-proof and parent-approved, Storypod is the ultimate parenting hack of 2021! Storypod is already a winner of a Mom's Choice Award Honoring Excellence. The creators of Storypod really want your children to experience this amazing way to tell stories so there are so many ways to save on this set! 

 

Storypod is an innovative device that takes the magic of storytelling to a whole new level. Each Storypod comes complete with USB charging cable, book, and plushies, so stories can be told right out of the box!

My three year old son LOVES Storypod! 

Storypod is a great gift, especially for siblings!

For a limited time, readers of mine will get 10% of their Storypod purchase using coupon code: PLAYLIVEREPEAT There is also a referral program to give $25 and get $25 toward your Storypod. You can also save $10 on your first order by signing up with your email address. Purchase your Storypod directly to take advantage of these money saving perks, or purchase from Amazon where you will also get an additional $10 off making the Storypod Starter Kit only $89.99!

Storypod is the perfect gift for a child of any age as it encourages their imagination to really explore what's outside of a digitized world. With Storypod playtime becomes a stimulating and creative experience, and at bedtime, your kids will love bringing Storypod to bed! 

What's included with the Storypod Starter Kit?

The Storypod starter kit comes with everything that you need to get started including a USB charger, two Craftie plush, a storybook, and the Storypod! The battery is rechargeable and has a handy lanyard for easy transport—ahem—even toddler transport. Charge the Storypod, download the app, connect to your WiFi, and the adventure can begin!

iCraftie Owl

The two crafties included is one is iCraftie Owl and a Craftie Fox. Each Craftie plush has magnets at the bottom so they don’t fall off of the Storypod while in motion. Even if the plushies get removed, the story doesn’t stop, so kids can interact with their Storypod even while it’s telling the story. At the end of the story session, you can also activate a question session to see if they were able to comprehend the story. Storypod is very interactive and would make a great gift that can be used for pretty much anything like bedtime, storytime, or even a long car ride! Think your kids weren’t listening? 

Want a more personalized storytime experience?! No problem! 

iCraftie Owl is capable of storing 100 minutes of your own voice via the Storypod app! That’s like 10 stories that you can prerecord and play for your child. Since Storypod connects to its free app, you can give family and friends access to record their own voice on the app, so your child can hear a story personalized from friends and family near or far!

Use Storypod to help engage children in listening and absorbing information! I’m using this as a great tool to incorporate circle time as my three-year-old son has yet to experience any type of in-person schooling yet.

One of many colors to choose from! 

Need more accessories? No problem!

Enhance your Storypod experience with a collection of more adorable Craftie plush dolls that can sing songs, tell nursery rhymes, and more. Each Storypod kit comes with a blue sleeve, but there are more colors to purchase.  

If you don’t have time to sit with your kiddos during Storypod play, no worries— there are 90-100 minutes of solid screenless storytime! My children figured out how to record their voice and they spent about two hours playing with the Storypod just doing that. 

Pudgy Pig Craftie is adorable and has a vast playlist of nursery rhymes and sonngs!

For a limited time, readers of mine will get 10% of their Storypod purchase using coupon code: PLAYLIVEREPEAT. 

NEW! Jurassic World Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Action Figure! Blue Velociraptor | Great Timing for "Unrelenting" VeliCoaster at Universal Orlando

Jurassic World fans, check this out!

A recent shopping trip at Target placed me in the toy section. This always happens! I love toys. 

I was so surprised to find a brand new version of a Jurassic World toy, now there are Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Jurassic World squishy gooey action figures! I am a big fan of Heroes of Goo Jit Zu by Moose Toys; check out my unboxing videos on my YouTube channel! I only found the velociraptor, Blue. I think it is fitting for this toy release and it is timed perfectly with the launch of the new thrill ride, VelociCoaster, opening at Universal Studios Orlando.

You can find Blue in stores at Target for $14.99. Check out my unboxing video - it is one of the best Heroes of Goo Jit Zu action figures created to date. I highly recommend you wait to purchase it until you get in-store as resellers have already jacked up the price to over $20 to $35!

What do you think of this new toy for Jurassic World?

This post may contain affiliate links! If you purchase through any of my shopping links, please let me know, so I can personally thank you. Your support means so much and helps me run my blog and support my toy habit. If you love collecting toys and have Peter Pan-syndrome, let's be friends. Follow me and subscribe to me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Pinterest! 

 

Toy Reveal! SPACE JAM A New Legacy Toys A Slam Dunk for the New Movie!

Moose Toys launches a new collection of toys for the highly anticipated Space Jam: A New Legacy starring our favorite Looney Tunes characters and NBA star, Lebron James! The whole line of action figures, plush dolls, and playsets is a slam dunk! Space Jam: A New Legacy toys by Moose Toys can be found on Amazon, at Target, and at Walmart.

The toys by Moose Toys includes a wide range of collectibles that will pull at the nostalgic heartstrings of parents and even grandparents! I was 14 when Space Jam came out, and now my children get to enjoy the memories with this retelling of the 90s classic! Space Jam: A New Legacy toys have Toon Squad figures, plush, and playsets to fight against the Goon Squad. The transforming plush toys and Heroes Goo Jit Zu versions are actually my favorite toys from the whole line! However, I cannot overlook Moose Toys' ability to create well-articulated and high-quality action figures. 

Moose Toys' range of "Space Jam: A New Legacy" toys includes:  

Space Jam: A New Legacy Super Shoot and Dunk LeBron James
Space Jam: A New Legacy Super Shoot and Dunk LeBron James comes with a figure of the film's star designed with large hands that can palm the basketball. Load the LeBron James figure on the launcher and he hits a three-pointer or send him soaring for his signature slam dunk and rim hang. MSRP $19.99.

Space Jam: A New Legacy Ballers Action Figures
Space Jam: A New Legacy Ballers Action Figures are Tune Squad "good guys" that will have the Goon Squad villains on defense. Space Jam: A New Legacy Ballers are armed with accessories meant to ensure victory. There are four poseable figures to collect including LeBron James with his ACME Rocket-Pack 4000, giving "hang time" new meaning; LeBron James with his ACME Mallet; Bugs Bunny with his ACME Blaster 3000; and Marvin the Martian armed with his Saucer of Doom. Kids can keep the Goon Squad villains guessing by mixing and matching Space Jam: A New Legacy Ballers and accessories, exploring a galaxy of possibilities. MSRP $9.99.

Space Jam: A New Legacy On-Court Rivals Two-Pack Action Figures
Collect characters from "Space Jam: A New Legacy" to recreate some of the all-star moves and scenes with these cool action figures. LeBron James and the Tune Squad are ready to hit the court and take on their on-court rivals, the Goon Squad, with figures exclusive to the Rivals Two-Pack. These detailed collectible 5-inch figures are articulated and posable. Pose them competing against each other with the included accessories. Collect all the figures in the Rivals Two-Packs and hit the court for the ultimate basketball game. MSRP: $14.99

Space Jam: A New Legacy LeBron James Ultimate Tune Squad Action Figure
Space Jam: A New Legacy LeBron James Ultimate Tune Squad Action Figure is large scale and comes ready to battle the Goon Squad just like in the film. The 12-inch Tune Squad action figure comes with four accessories and speaks more than eight ready-for-battle phrases and sounds. Kids will love teaming up with their basketball hero LeBron James and using his different accessories to find new ways to defeat the Goon Squad. MSRP $19.99.

Space Jam: A New Legacy Mini Figures and Space Jam: A New Legacy Gametime Playset
Space Jam: A New Legacy Mini Figures are destined to be a slam dunk hit among fans and collectors. There are 22 action figures to collect, including LeBron James and Tune Squad players like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Tazmanian Devil and Classic Marvin the Martian. Adding to the fun is the search for rare figures, gold Hall of Famer figures and a platinum ultra-rare figure. The Gametime Playset comes with Tune Squad heroes Bugs Bunny and LeBron James collectibles figures, pumped and positioned to shoot buzzer-beater three-pointers from the ball-launching bases. Pull back the mechanism and swish! MSRP $3.99 (Space Jam: A New Legacy Single Pack); $12.99 (Space Jam: A New Legacy Four Figure Team Pack); $14.99 (Space Jam: A New Legacy Gametime Playset with two Space Jam Mini Figures)

Space Jam: A New Legacy Goo Heroes
Space Jam: A New Legacy Goo Heroes take a page out of the playbook of another Moose Toys favorite: the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu. Pull, stretch and bend gooey Bugs Bunny to shoot and score like never before. And with two LeBron James options, kids can double-team the Goon Squad players, using his squish-and stretch-ability to dominate. MSRP $12.99.

Space Jam: A New Legacy Plush B-Ball Buddies
Discover the Tune Squad's softer side with Space Jam: A New Legacy Plush B-Ball Buddies. Suited up in their uniforms they are dressed for play, and so super soft and snuggly they can just as easily spend their time in a good cuddle huddle. Collect all six starting team favorites, LeBron James, Bugs Bunny, Tazmanian Devil, Tweety, Daffy Duck, and Lola Bunny, for a sleepy time slam dunk. MSRP $7.99.

You can find the new Space Jam: A New Legacy figures, playsets, and plush on Amazon, at Target, and at Walmart.

This post may contain affiliate links! If you purchase through any of my shopping links, please let me know, so I can personally thank you. Your support means so much and helps me run my blog and support my toy habit. If you love collecting toys and have Peter Pan-syndrome, let's be friends. Follow me and subscribe to me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Pinterest! 

 

Best LEGO Star Wars Sets for May the 4th Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you! Happy Star Wars day, everyone. Let's celebrate the coolest LEGO Star Wars sets that every Star Wars should have at least one of in their collection. Bonus if you get all of them! 

In the 20 year span of LEGO Star Wars builds, I feel like they just get better and better. Not only do we have builds featuring iconic scenes, key characters, and but LEGO created a whole other universe of their own giving fans an outlet to display and to play. We now have busts of Star Wars villains where we can display or fandom on a bookshelf like this was always meant to be. Somebody pinch me, please. 

If you're shopping this May the 4th at LEGO.com or in store, make sure you take advantage of these offers, and peruse my top picks to ring in this most epic day!

Fans spending $85 or more on LEGO Star Wars builds between May 1- May 5 will receive a FREE Tatooine Homestead build! There are studs that represent Luke Skywalker™, C-3PO™, Owen Lars™, Aunt Beru™, R2-D2™ and 2 Jawas™! 

Sign up now for LEGO VIP to take advantage of double VIP Points on all LEGO Star Wars purchases from 5/1-5/5. When shopping in-store, you can collect a very handsome build, the Imperial Shuttle, the most elegant form of transport! Redeem your hard earned LEGO VIP Points toward entries into the VIP Sweepstakes to win a Gold Leader “Dutch” Vander™ minifigure!

LEGO® Star Wars™ Darth Vader™ Helmet (75304) This is one villain you must display! Darth Vader with his quintessential helmet that captivated millions of fans that when it was finally removed revealing the ultimate life support system. Inside of this intricate LEGO build, you can find that same life support system offering a build quality only LEGO can provide. This is a key display piece of art that every Star Wars fan should own!

• 834 pieces.
• Measures over 8 in. (20 cm) high, 5.5 in. (15 cm) wide and 5.5 in. (14cm) deep.
• $69.99 USD/ €69.99 EUR/ £59.99 GBP

LEGO® Star Wars™ Scout Trooper™ Helmet (75305) - Introduced in Return of the Jedi, Scout Troopers offer up unique battling styles where their slyness and quick-witted thinking make them quick on their feet and important . Their lighter uniform and super fast speeder make them forces to be reckoned with. 

• 471 pieces.
• Measures over 7 in. (18 cm) high, 4.5 in. (11 cm) wide and 4.5 in. (12 cm) deep.
• $49.99 USD/ €49.99 EUR/ £44.99 GBP

LEGO® Star Wars™ Imperial Probe Droid™ (75306) Adult builders can recreate scenes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the ice planet Hoth™ when constructing this distinctive droid. The 683-piece model features a transparent pole to ‘suspend’ the droid over the buildable snowy scene.

• 683 pieces.
• Measures over 10.5 in. (27 cm) high, 9 in. (24 cm) wide and 4 in. (11 cm) deep.
• $59.99 USD/ €69.99 EUR/ £59.99 GBP

LEGO® Star Wars™ Mos Eisley Cantina™ (75290) Who fired first? You can recreate this epic scene with Han Solo and Greedo, along with 19 other minifigures from a a galaxy far, far away. There are 21 LEGO® minifigures with seven brand-new characters you won’t find anywhere else – three of which feature unique moulded elements. With unique minifigures of Ponda Baba™, Dr. Evazan™, Garindan™, Kardue’Sai’Malloc™, three members of the Cantina band, Jawa™, Sandtroopers™ a Dewback™ and more, there are enough unsavory characters to role-play endless Star Wars™ adventures in the Cantina and beyond.

• 3187 pieces.
• Measures over 7.5” (19cm) high, 20.5” (52cm) wide and 23” (58cm) deep when opened up
• $319.99 USD/ €319.99 EUR/ £319.99 GBP

LEGO® Star Wars™ R2-D2™ (75308) Inside and out this build will delight Star Wars fans — original and new fans alike. R2-D2, beloved droid throughout the original Star Wars episodes, and later reuniting Rey with Luke’s lightsaber, R2-D2 is chock full of authentic details that make this particular build truly special. R2 has retractable mid-leg, rotating head, opening and extendable front hatches and adjustable periscope. Luke’s lightsaber is hidden in a compartment in his head.

• 2135 pieces.
• Measures over 12.5 in. (31 cm) high, 7.5 in. (19 cm) wide and 6 in. (15 cm) deep
• $179.99 USD/ €179.99 EUR/ £179.99 GBP

LEGO®) Star Wars™ Imperial Shuttle™ (75302) The limousine of Imperial transport, this LEGO build is the perfect introduction for mini Star Wars fans to the original fans of Star Wars. Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine chose this shuttle on many occasions making it an important vessel for Star Wars collectors. Included with this build are three LEGO minifigures, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, both with a lightsaber, and an Imperial Officer with a blaster pistol. Realistic open and cockpit, folding wings, and two stud shooters give a fun affect added for imaginative play or produce display. 

• 2135 pieces.
• Measures over 10 in. (25 cm) high, 9 in. (24 cm) long and 14 in. (35 cm) wide
• $69.99 USD/ €69.99 EUR/ £69.99 GBP

From the Obi Wan's Hut to the Millennium Falcon, there is something for every fan of Star Wars at different price points, too. Capture the imagination and fandom of Star Wars in brick form! 

This post may contain affiliate links! If you purchase through any of my shopping links, please let me know, so I can personally thank you. Your support means so much and helps me run my blog and support my toy habit. If you love collecting toys and have Peter Pan-syndrome, let's be friends. Follow me and subscribe to me on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, and Pinterest!