Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park at the Plaza Inn

If you want to experience all aspects of Disney magic whilst you are visiting Disneyland California, then you really must do at least one Disneyland breakfast.

There are several amazing California Disneyland breakfasts available, including the Donald Duck Breakfast at the Paradise Pier Hotel, Mickey’s Tales of Adventure and the Princess Breakfast at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, and Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel – however we think it would be hard to beat the Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park – which happens right inside Disneyland at the Plaza Inn.

Location Location Location!

This Disney breakfast is the only one to actually take place inside Disneyland. Hosted in the historic Plaza Inn restaurant, an original landmark of Disneyland Park, this location simply can’t be beat. If that wasn’t enough Disney magic, this Disney breakfast experience is made all the more special by it’s views of the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty castle!

Before you go – don’t forget these essential items!

Essential items to take along with you to your Minnie and Friends Disneyland breakfast are your camera (of course!) and a Disney Autograph book, which you can purchase from most Disneyland gift shops. Your Disneyland Autograph Book will become one of your child’s most treasured Disney souvenirs. My girls page through their autograph books in wonder. If I had a dollar for every time Brooke or Samantha exclaimed, “I can’t believe we filled up our autograph books!”, I’d be a rich mum! Each Disney character has their own, very special autograph style – and it’s absolutely charming watching them sign your child’s book as they look on in awe.

What is the Minnie & Friends Breakfast like?

This wonderful Disney breakfast was truly magical. My girls and I absolutely loved every moment. Whilst it’s truly a thrill to come across Disney character circulating outside in the Disneyland theme park itself, it’s here at the Minnie & Friends breakfast that you will be given the opportunity to spend quality time with almost every Disney pal you can think of will come to you!

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You have the opportunity to get photographs, hug, high five and generally hang out with all your Disney favourites – from the fabulous Minnie Mouse to Eeyore and even Chip and Dale, you’ll be starstruck with this very special Disneyland experience. With character after character dropping by our breakfast table to sign autographs, hug and pose for photographs, we all agreed this was one of our favourite times at Disneyland – and given how much we adored every aspect of Disneyland, that’s really saying something!

What is on the menu at a Disneyland Breakfast?

An expansive all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast is laid out for all to enjoy – with lots of special Disneyland themed foods too, of course! From all your standard hot breakfast or continental breakfast regulars such as bacon and eggs, to the essential Mickey Mouse waffles, you will be well set-up and ready to hit the Park afterwards!

You can even add a Mickey ears cake to your Disney breakfast reservation if you like!

Are Disneyland breakfasts just for kids or families?

No way! Whilst Disneyland breakfast are every child’s dream, and of course Disneyland breakfasts are very popular with families,  you will also see adults of all ages, be they singles, young to elderly couples and groups of adults without a child to be seen. People of all ages love Disneyland!

How do I book a Disneyland Character Breakfast?

You will need a valid ticket for entrance into Disneyland, and so access the Plaza Inn. Reservations for the Minnie & Friends Disney characters breakfast are highly recommended, however if there is availability you can attend without a prior booking (You will need to pay for the character breakfast experience if you are a walk-in).

Any Disney fan is going to absolutely adore this special Disneyland breakfast, and it really adds further wow-factory to your special Disney California family holiday. Don’t miss the Minnie & Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn at Disneyland!

To book a table, or find out more about the Minnie & Friends Disneyland breakfast, go to the official Disneyland Park website here

Where to stay in Anaheim

Whilst visiting Disneyland Resort in Anaheim we stayed in the Anaheim Marriot Suites, in Garden Grove.

Located only minutes from the Disneyland Resort attractions, this elegant full-service hotel is the perfect base for your Disneyland family holiday.

To book your Anaheim Marriot Suites or find out more, go to their official website here.

Read all about the three exciting California destinations we visited here!

The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Visit California and their supporting partners for this trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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This page may contain affiliate links. If you book through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

1 – Last call! The Sydney Royal Easter Show

If you haven’t taken the kids to the Sydney Royal Easter Show yet – well, you’re really missing out! This year you can walk through the actual Big Brother House, do the animal walk to see chickens, sheep, horses and feed and pet all the animals in the Farmyard Nursery (get a photo of the kids holding a baby lamb there!).

Then go watch impossibly muscled up men at the wood chopping arena – where else can you see it, after all?!  Eat your fill of the most incredible array of (absolutely delicious) show food, watch the street parade, check out the crafts where you’ll find incredible cakes, pet all kinds of dogs (maybe not the cats!), visit the Lifestyle Pavilion to have scones with the CWA ladies, sit atop a Police motorcycle, get a free RAT test from the NSW Gov stand and lay in a row of massage chairs. Aaah!

Then maybe stray to the different ride carnivals, ride the big wheel, buy copious amounts of showbags (Bertie Beetle bags are the cheapest at $3 but the big name bags such as Sonic, Paw Patrol & CoComelon are in the $20’s) and finish off the day with some Didgeridoo Fireworks! Phew!

Don’t forget to buy tickets online before you go as they do sell out. Public transport is included in your ticket, or if you’re driving be sure to book first – P1 is your closest Sydney Olympic Park Easter Show parking station choice.

NSW Government Discover NSW & Parents NSW Vouchers may be used when purchasing Carnival Fun Pass Credits via the Carnival Fun Pass App but not entry tickets into the show

Suitable for: all ages
How much: Standard $41, Concession $31, Kids Day Tuesday $12,  Buy tickets at Ticketmaster here
Where: Sydney Olympic Park
When: Ends Easter Tuesday, 19/04/2022
More info at the official website here

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

2 – Sydney Tower Eye Sydney’s Highest 80s Arcade event

It’s time to party like it’s 1981 – a time when perms were socially acceptable, as were bubble gum jeans and enormous hoop earrings. Yes, that was me – and not that much has changed! Take a ride up the Sydney Tower where you will find it has been transformed into an 80s video arcade for the holidays! You get to play on 80’s arcade games to your heart’s content – what’s not to love? No coins required, because it’s included in your general entrance ticket. If ever you needed an excuse to visit the Sydney Tower Eye, then this is it! Table Top Pac Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Upright pin ball machines, twin car racers, twin motor bikes, dance video games and heaps more are all there for the playing.

Checking out the amazing 360 degree views of Sydney city and beyond from the massive windows is pretty cool too.

There’s even an over 18’s night time bar sessions – how fun that would be (I can dream)!

Grab your 80’s fluro (okay, so you don’t need to go QUITE as over the top as we did at the media event) and get UP there!

Suitable for: school age children to (tragic 80’s!) adults
How much: Family daytime access inc. 80s game play: Adults $31.50, Child $23 (ages 3-15yrs), Student or Senior $24, Children under 3 are free
Night-time bar event for over 18s inc. 80s game play: Standard Entry: $55 and Premium Entry $65 which includes a cocktail, hotdog, icecream and glow accessories (Wow!)  Book online at the official website
Where: Sydney Tower Eye, Sydney CBD
When:
Daytime: 1st to the 30th April 2022 (stay as long as you like!)
Night-time: April 8, 9, 22, 23, 29, 30 (two sessions, 6pm and 9pm)
More info at the official website here

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

3 – Sydney Raging Waters are open during April holidays!

Sydney Raging Waters is awesome fun, and you may not realise that they are still open these April school holidays! We had the best time when we were invited there earlier this year so I just couldn’t leave it out of our list when they invited us back again these holidays. There’s a special discount on right now too, which is buy one single ticket and get one half price – too good to miss!

Sydney Raging Waters is such a fantastic day out for the whole family. Take my advice and book a VIP Cabana so you have a cosy base to leave your gear in and order food from too. (I love that lazy factor!)

Ride the thrilling water slides (there are just so many of them!) for big kids, teenagers and parents or the scaled down version for the little kids. There’s water play areas for the non-swimmers, tiny tots and toddlers too. Catch some waves in the massive but gentle wave pool beach as lifeguards keep an eye out, or just go for a never ending floating ring circuit on the Dinosaur Lagoon. (Possibly the most relaxing heated pool activity ever!)

You can use your NSW vouchers to buy normal priced tickets here

Suitable for: all ages
How much: Save $10 by purchasing tickets online. Current offer buy one ticket get one at half price.
Adult $49.99 online (2 for $74.99 – can’t use NSW vouchers on this offer), Kids/Seniors (over 60yrs) $44.99 online  Buy tickets at the official website here
Parking: $10 per car
Where: Blacktown
When: Saturday 9th April to Sunday 24th April
More info at the official website here

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

4 – Sydney Aquarium & Sydney Zoo Peppa Pig event

Invited and we couldn’t make it to this one too, but we’ve seen the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo pics for this event and can’t imagine any toddler, preschooler or kindergarten Peppa fan wouldn’t want to get to this event in a hurry!!

Even if they’re not keen on Peppa (as if!), it’s the Sydney Aquarium and Zoo, which are epic Sydney School Holidays ideas anyhow. We never, ever get tired of visiting Sydney Aquarium!

Join Peppa Pig on an interactive adventure at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium & WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo from the 1st – 30th April 2022!

Suitable for: small children
How much: Adults $58, Child $41 (ages 3-15yrs) Children under 3 are free, for two attractions – so BOTH the Aquarium and Zoo  Buy tickets at the official website
Where: Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbour
When: 1st to the 30th April 2022
More info at the official website here

5 – Disney+ Drive In at Openair Cinemas

Throw up the hatchback, pull out the fairy lights and cushions and sit back in your car for a Disney classic movie at the Openair Cinema’s Drive In. I don’t remember Drive ins ever being as fun as this one, with roller skating snack delivery waiters and a huge light-up mickey ears installation to take your own super-cool Instagram shots beneath. Don’t worry if you don’t have a car – couples can snuggle down in the red bean bags of the Doordash “The Park” and watch the show with their very own volume-controlled radio! Order your dinner with Doordash for a 30% discount and have it delivered to you without even lifting a finger thanks to QR codes. Supermarkets and cooking are soooo last school hols!

Drive In patrons (and mums and dads) never had it so good.

Suitable for: all ages
How much: Check website for next year
Where: Commbank Stadium, Parramatta
When: Ends Easter Sunday
More info at the official website here

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

Need more ideas? Check out our Australian school holidays movie reviews here

Have you attended any of these activities, or do you plan to go? Tell me, or ask your questions in the comments below…

All information is correct as at April 2022 – please check the official websites as linked above for relevant, up to date information and prices.

We were hosted or invited guests to all of the above activities and speak from experience or trusted sources. As always, all opinions remain firmly my own.

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Disney California Adventure Park is an exciting theme park located in Anaheim, California.

Buy your Disneyland tickets here and use our discount code!

Before we get started, Let’s Go Mum Readers new to Klook get 10% off & existing customers get 3% off Disneyland tickets by using our Disneyland promocode: 

LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout.

Buy your Disneyland tickets online here

Klook Partner. Klook conditions: $50 min spend, $50 max discount, 5 times use. New customers can get 10% off and existing customers get 3% off. Find the exclusions list here. This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

No time to read? Watch our California Adventure video

One of the two major theme parks of California Disneyland Resorts, it encompasses 8 different lands full of wonderful experiences and thrilling rides.

You’ll find yourselves exploring this fabulous theme park from morning until night – and then eagerly returning the very next day for more!

Whilst it’s difficult to single out the best of such a feature-packed USA theme park, here are some of our most memorable highlights of Disney California Adventure Park.

Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier is the Disney California Adventure Park world where you’ll find one of the most exciting roller coasters in the world – the Incredicoaster!

This breathtakingly fast coaster will have you lining up again and again as you take a thrilling ride through the dynamic world of Jack Jack and all of the Incredibles family!

Pixar Pier is also the home of one of the most iconic symbols of California Disney – the big wheel – the Pixar Pal-A-Round!

This swinging Ferris Wheel will have you breathless with laughter as it swings you back and forth in a very un-Ferris-Wheel manner!

There are several more fun Pixar-themed rides too – you won’t run out of things to do at Pixar Pier!

Cars Land

Cars Land is a life-sized recreation of the fictional movie town of Radiator Springs, the setting of the first Cars Movie.

Take a ride on the Radiator Springs Racers for a beautifully themed ride that makes you feel as though you’re actually driving in and around Radiator Springs. It’s one of the most popular Disney rides for good reason!

Then there’s the super-fun Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and the Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

Don’t forget to try some tasty themed treats in Cars Land too, such as ice cream, churros and popcorn from the Cozy Cone Motel. You’ll find Flo’s V8 Café here too.

Keep an eye out for all your favourite characters, such as Lightening McQueen or Mater driving down main street!

Animation Academy in Hollywood Land

At the Animation Academy in Hollywood Land you can join a Drawn To Animation class to learn how to draw your favourite Disney characters in no time at all, thanks to expert instruction from Disney artists. It may surprise you how easy it is to recreate a Disney character on paper.

We all did a very respectable drawing of Olaf from Frozen, thanks to our excellent Disney artist instructor. Done on heavy-weight art-paper, your drawing makes for a unique souvenir to take home with you!

Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome

Also at the Animation Academy building you can enjoy an Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome experience. Enjoy some quality time during a very special meet and greet with the Frozen sisters.

We met with the beautiful Elsa who was very gracious. There was plenty of opportunity to talk together and take some treasured family photos with Elsa too.

This is such a special opportunity for any Disney Frozen fan, and makes for some magical Disney memories!

World Of Color

Cap your amazing day at Disney California Adventure Park off with the stunning night time World Of Color show.

This incredible presentation will take you on a nostalgic Disney journey using a coordinated symphony of lights, projections, water jets and fireworks. Half the magic is watching your child’s face react to the wonder of it all!

World Of Color is a truly unforgettable Disney experience. Head for the area opposite the big wheel in good time to secure a front row spot and sit back and let the Disney magic wash over you. Do not miss this!

Disneyland Resort Planning Tips!

It’s not all fun and games – you need to do some planning before you go! To learn how and where to buy Disneyland Resort tickets in Australia, go here.

Buy your Disneyland tickets here and use our discount code!

Let’s Go Mum Readers new to Klook get 10% off & existing customers get 3% off Disneyland tickets by using our Disneyland promocode: 

LETSGOMUMKLOOK at checkout.

Buy your Disneyland tickets online here

Klook Partner. Klook conditions: $50 min spend, $50 max discount, 5 times use. New customers can get 10% off and existing customers get 3% off. Find the exclusions list here. This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

More information can be found at Disneyland.com.au

Where to stay when visiting California Disneyland Resort

Whilst in visiting Disney California Adventure Park we stayed locally in Anaheim at the Anaheim Marriot Suites Garden Grove. Located only minutes from the Disneyland Resort attractions, this elegant full-service hotel is the perfect base for any Disneyland family holiday. Find out more about the Anaheim Marriot Suites hotel here.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please share it or comment below!

Read all about the three exciting California destinations we visited in just one trip here!

This page may contain affiliate links. If you book a stay or an attraction through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Visit California and their supporting partners for this trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.

Share one of our images to Pinterest…

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Santa Monica is a stunning coastal city in Southern California, USA.

Conveniently located just 25 minute’s drive from LAX and 45 minute’s from the Disneyland Resort theme parks, Santa Monica makes a great California family holiday base.

Watch our things to do in Santa Monica with kids video

Although many Californian attractions are a short drive – or Uber ride -away, there’s so much to explore in Santa Monica itself.

From surfing lessons year-round, to wandering through the elegant city boutiques and cycling along miles of beautiful beachfront bike paths, Santa Monica offers a plethora of family friendly activities.

Here are just some of our favourites things to do in Santa Monica – with kids!

Santa Monica Pier

A short walk from the city centre you’ll find the world-famous Santa Monica Pier.

This is where you’ll find family holiday entertainment galore, including an amusement park, souvenir shops and some really great restaurants.

From the neon-lit entry archway to the big wheel, the Santa Monica Pier is a highlight of any stay.

Pacific Park amusement park

Santa Monica Pier is home to the historic Pacific Park amusement park, where you’ll find plenty of old-school carnival games and rides. You can keep the kids entertained for hours at this fun fair!

Open both during the day and at night, there’s a range of rides suitable for all ages – from toddlers right up to adults.

Rides include a swinging Pirate Ship, Dodgem Cars and a roller coaster. But the ride Pacific Park is most famous for is its iconic Ferris Wheel, The Pacific Wheel.

The Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

The Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris Wheel.

Located at Pacific Fair fun park on Santa Monica Pier, this big wheel commands impressive California coastal views.

A fun ride in its own right, from the very top you are rewarded with unsurpassed vistas of both the sea and sandy beach coastline for miles in either direction.

A ride on the Pacific Wheel is an iconic must-do whilst in Santa Monica!

The end of Route 66

The Santa Monica Pier also happens to be the official end of the historic Route 66 highway which runs right across the USA.

A photo taken at the Santa Monica Pier “66 End of the Trail” sign has become a popular Instagram photo location, and is sure to impress anywhere!

Heal The Bay Aquarium

Another fun family Santa Monica Pier attraction is a visit to Heal The Bay Aquarium.

This wonderful little aquarium is located beneath the Pier, and offers valuable learning opportunities for children of all ages.

Even little ones can get involved at Heal The Bay, with their large touch-pools filled with tactile sea creatures.

There’s even the opportunity to take a behind the scenes tour and feed baby sharks. This was something everyone loves to have a turn at, and the kids can forever-more tell their friends they have fed sharks!

Watch the sunset from the end of the Santa Monica Pier

One of our most memorable moments in Santa Monica was simply watching the sun set into the ocean.

Head up to the very end of the Santa Monica Pier for the best sunset viewing spot.

We weren’t the only tourists to be drawn to the end of the Pier to watch the sunset, either – this very special experience draws quite an audience.

It’s a beautiful golden light show to round off the perfect day that doesn’t cost a cent – or a USA penny either, for that matter!

Santa Monica bike rentals

We did two really fun family bike rides in Santa Monica – and yet both were quite different!

Bike Hire at the Santa Monica Beach

Our first experience was a self-guided Santa Monica beach bike ride.

Bike hire is conveniently available directly from the Pier at Blazing Saddle Rentals.

Once we were all fitted-out to suitably-sized bikes and helmets, off we rode to Venice Beach with its eclectic hippie-style shops, murals and cafes.

Our turn-around point was the Venice Beach skateboard park where local skateboarders provided a fantastic free show of skateboarding bowl trick and skills.

The Bike Center Santa Monica

Our second bike ride the next day was a guided tour of the city of Santa Monica run out of The Bike Center Santa Monica.

This fun bike tour took us along the city streets, ocean-front park paths and through some of the richest residential areas of Santa Monica, where we got to ogle at massive mansions!

Historic buildings, geographical oddities and sweeping views were all highlights along the way, and the tour included a scrumptious visit to Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee Shop.

Here we sampled enough delicious doughnuts  to help replace all of those calories we managed to burn off during our ride!

Hiring a bicycle is a really unique and fun way to see Santa Monica and many of its wonderful sights.

Santa Monica shopping

A visit to Santa Monica is worth it for the shopping alone. The shopping precinct offers the perfect mix of large commercial shopping malls and street shopping.

Perhaps the most well-known is the charming 3^rd Street pedestrian mall.

3^rd Street Pedestrian Mall

This pedestrian shopping precinct is an elegant shopping experience, with plenty of high-end boutique shops and stores to browse through.

As you make your way along 3^rd Street, scattered sculptures and fun installations line the way.

Wooden rocking chairs are a great way to rest those sore shopping feet, and the kids will love the climbable-sculptures and toys – there are even huge spinning top seats you can sit in!

In the evening, red hanging lanterns atmospherically light the way, making for a beautiful stroll to a great range of quality restaurants and bars to choose from for dinner.

The VOID Virtual Reality

Also on 3^rd street you’ll find the VOID.

This virtual reality experience takes VR fun to the max as you suit and mask-up to head off into the exciting VR world of your choice!

We experienced both the Star Wars and Jumanji experiences, and they were amazing fun for both adults and kids.

The VOID is a great Santa Monica activity to do, particularly for families with older kids and teenagers.

Family restaurants in Santa Monica

There are numerous excellent restaurants and cafes spread throughout the city of Santa Monica – so many you could be forgiven for spending your time simply café and restaurant hopping!

Here are a couple of our family restaurant favourites…

Gallery Food Hall, 3rd Street

We loved eating at the Gallery Food Hall.

With different eateries laid out over two levels, there’s a dish at the Gallery Food Hall to suit every food craving.

Downstairs you’ll find a fabulous lolly shop for desert – decked out with pink chandeliers!

Seaside On The Pier restaurant, Santa Monica Pier

We enjoyed a delicious lunch upstairs at the Seaside On The Pier.

This restaurant is very easy to find, as it sports a full-sized model of Arnold Schwarzenegger from Terminator 2 movie (filmed in Santa Monica) standing at its entrance!

The food is delectable, and you can’t beat the location either – it’s well worth having a meal at this excellent local restaurant.

Where to stay in Santa Monica

Whilst in Santa Monica we stayed at the stunning Shore Hotel – an elegant, environmentally conscious luxury hotel located right at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier.

Take a look at our family suite and find out more about our stay at the Shore Hotel here.

Santa Monica really is the Californian city for all seasons. Make sure you include it in your USA family holiday itinerary for a true slice of California beach life and a whole lot of family fun!

Find out more about booking your next family holiday to Santa Monica, California at Visit California

Read all about the three exciting California destinations we visited in 2020 here!

If you enjoyed reading this article, please give it a Facebook “Like” or comment below!

This article is meant to inspire travel to California once it is safe to do to. The attractions and experiences featured in this article may be temporarily unavailable due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Please consult official travel resources and individual businesses to confirm future plans.

The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Visit California and their supporting partners for this trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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During a recent trip to Melbourne we found ourselves with a spare afternoon on our hands, so we decided to catch a tram over to the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel and see what all the fuss is about!

Located in Harbour Town, the Melbourne Star is pretty hard to miss due to it’s sheer size. Standing at 120 metres high, this gigantic Ferris wheel makes for an imposing Melbourne skyline stand-out.

The Melbourne Star is easily accessible from the city via the free city circle tram line or the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle buses, or you can simply catch a train or drive and park nearby (for the finer details, see our info section below).

A trip to the Melbourne Star also happens to have an added attraction for mums – on-site shopping! You need to walk right through the Harbour Town Shopping Centre from the tram stop to get to there – so you can do a bit of outlet shopping on the side before or after your Melbourne Star ride – bonus!

Boarding your “flight”!

Even though it was school holidays when we visited, we didn’t have to queue for long – it wasn’t busy at all. I bought our tickets at the entrance – Melbourne Star have 1 parent and children packages which is great for single parent families like us – and then we were directed to catch an escalator up to the short walk to the Observation Wheel loading point – it was exciting to think that we were going to be at the top of this gigantic moving structure before long!

Attendants assisted us all to step into our carriage – it was moving slowly, so getting in was no problem. The large carriages are shared, so there was other families being loaded into the same carriage as us – there were perhaps 15 people in our carriage in all. I couldn’t help but wish that with the low numbers of people they were boarding that day that we might have got lucky and got a carriage to ourselves, but alas – it wasn’t to be!

Riding the Melbourne Star

Off we went on our “flight”, with an estimated total rotation time of 30 minutes. If you’re a bit afraid of heights, don’t let that put you off. To me, the Melbourne Star seemed no more scary than being on a high floor of a skyscraper – albeit a moving one! Huge and almost imperceptibly rotating, no one in our carriage seemed phased at all by the fact that we were in a large glass container, attached to a massive steel wheel which was suspended as high as 120 metres!

Inside the carriage there was a communal wooden bench running down the centre to sit on if you wished to, and a hand rail running right around the windows – that is, apart from the doors which were rather disconcertingly signposted, “Do not lean against the door”! We made sure the kids kept well-away from those, although I’m sure it was just a precautionary measure…I think!

Obeservation Wheels give you a constantly changing elevated view – and a great overall picture of an area. Melbourne can be a hard place to get a size perspective of when you’re actually in it, so the Melbourne Star was great for appreciating the general size of the Melbourne CBD and the surrounding suburbs, docklands and bay.

Even though you are basically locked into a carriage for half and hour with a small group of strangers, don’t worry too much about the kids getting bored or noisy – particularly if they’re really little. We had a toddler in our carriage, but she found the ride fascinating from start to finish. My kids really enjoyed having the freedom to roam about the carriage at will to see the constantly changing vistas  – and sticky-beak at the neighbouring carriages too!

Within 15 minutes we had reached the very top of the wheel where we had spectacular 360 degree views of Melbourne and surrounds. It was a Melbourne I’d never really seen before in this way.

Inch-by-inch, we rotated back down to the ground, and disembarked from our flight on the Melbourne Eye. We headed out via the gift shop to grab a souvenir and check out their giant Lego Melbourne Star!

Riding on the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel had been an exciting, one-of-a kind experience. It’s a great school holiday activity for both Melbournians and visitors to Melbourne alike, and I’d definitely recommend the Melbourne Star as a fun, unique family experience – don’t miss it!

Melbourne Star Important Info

Admission prices (as at January 2016)

Adult $35.00
Child (5 – 15 Years) $21.00
Children (up to 4 Years) Free
Family (1 Adult & 2 Children) $62.00
Family (2 Adults & 1 Child) $73.00
Family – Additional Children $17.00
Seniors / Concession $31.00

Location of the Melbourne Star

101 Waterfront Way
Docklands
VIC 3008
Melbourne

Opening hours

Melbourne Star is open daily from 10am – 10pm with the last flight departure at 9.30pm

Contact details

Phone: +61 (3) 8688 9688
Official website – http://www.melbournestar.com/

How to get there

By Car – Paid parking is available at Pearl River Road West Car Park and Waterfront Way East Car Park.
By Train – Get off at Southern Cross Station.
By Tram – Catch the free City Circle tram no.35 and get off at Waterfront City/Harbour Town Shopping Centre – Docklands Stop.
By Melbourne Visitor Shuttle – catch this bus from any of the stops in and around the city.

Have you ever been on the Melbourne Star? What did you think – did your family enjoy it? Tell us in the comments below…

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