We booked this tour to celebrate two birthdays and were excited to experience it as a family of…read morefour--three adults and one 12‑year‑old. Two of us have zip‑lined in multiple states, so we had a good sense of what to expect. This experience was very different. The self‑braking system was a surprise. As someone who has zip‑lined many times, I've never encountered a setup where guests are responsible for that level of braking. It requires significant strength and precision, and it's tough for younger participants. The platform situation also felt unsafe. Having 12 people standing together on small, swaying tree stands with no railings and very limited space isn't something we've seen at any other course. Usually there are stable waiting areas where you're not packed tightly with nowhere to hold on. The biggest issue was how the braking expectations were handled with our 12‑year‑old. We were told she was having trouble braking after several lines, but nothing in the trial run or early lines indicated she was far off from what was required. Instead of coaching her more, she and her mom were suddenly removed from the tour after line four. Since we're family, we all left--four fully paid participants. We weren't offered a refund. One guide mentioned the ropes course as an alternative, and while we appreciated being allowed to switch, it wasn't something everyone wanted to do--especially one of the birthday girls, who doesn't do ropes courses. So the celebration was essentially derailed. If the braking system truly requires adult‑level strength, the minimum age should reflect that. Saying "10 and up" is misleading when the physical demands are clearly higher. We understand and respect safety policies, but the lack of communication and the absence of any refund or meaningful alternative made the experience disappointing. We weren't removed for behavior--we followed every instruction. Unfortunately, this ended up ruining what was supposed to be a special birthday outing.

This was supposed to be a fun zip-lining experience, but it felt more like Camp Ripley boot camp…read more After some slow and go progress with their system of braking (using a gloved hand on the wire). We were told we couldn't continue the tour (Asked to leave after completing 4 lines and after the bridge). Since we booked through Groupon, no refund.

Knowmad gets my highest recommendation from our initial phone conversation to having a Knowmad…read morespecialist see us off at the airport for our return trip home. We spent an unforgettable 10 days hiking the (express!) Inca trail to Machu Picchu and visiting Lima, The Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes and Cusco. I could write 10 pages about how much we loved traveling with Knowmad so I'll try to stick to the highlights. My husband and I usually handle all of our own travel planning, but when we came across Knowmad while researching how to visit Machu Picchu we realized we would probably get a lot more out of a trip to Peru traveling with specialists from the country. This was 1000% true and working with Knowmad made planning our trip so easy and fun. Our travel specialists Renee and Shannon found a way for us to do everything we wanted to do (and so much more!) while staying within our budget. They were remarkably thorough with answering my countless questions and we could not have been more prepared for our visit, with very minimal effort on our end. Once we met up with our Knowmad guide, Fernando, in Cusco every day of our trip was amazing and we learned so much about the Inca culture and the Andes while having a ton of fun and going at our own pace. By the time we made it to Machu Picchu it was so much more meaningful because we had an understanding of what makes it such a special and mystical site. The Inca trail was absolutely breathtaking (and I'm not talking about the altitude ) and we couldn't have done it without Fernando as our fearless guide. He looked out for us every step of the way and made us feel like family throughout our time with him. Our trip wouldn't have been nearly so memorable without him. Another highlight was our e-bike ride through the Sacred Valley with our awesome guide Kirvi, who was so kind and on top of making sure we were safe and even getting some awesome photos and videos along the way. Our driver Abraham made us feel so welcome and kept us moving along and safe throughout our trip. The restaurants and hotels Knowmad arranged for us were excellent, and our picnic in the Sacred Valley and Pachamanca experience were unbelievable. Thank you Knowmad for making our trip such an incredible experience we will never forget!

Knowmad planned our trip to Argentina in March. They listened to what we wanted and then arranged…read morea flawless trip. They were also very responsive whenever I had questions. I highly recommend them if you wish to have a special excursion to a South American country.

They force people to sign up for email and marketing campaigns to finish signing to waiver. There's…read moreno option to opt out. It's as essential to them as releasing liability if your child gets hurt.

I was so excited to host my son's birthday party at this location. I'm not sure if the issues we…read moreexperienced were because it only recently opened last fall, but unfortunately our experience with the Gold Party Package was disappointing. Not worth the money. I expected that we would have a dedicated table for the duration of the event. Instead, we were instructed to place the cake and presents on a rack near the front entrance, which did not feel secure or appropriate for a birthday party setup. With a 5pm start time, I anticipated pizza being served around 6pm, especially for a group of 7-year-olds who hadn't eaten since lunch. We were told the pizza would not arrive until 7pm and that the timing could not be adjusted. My parents even offered to pick it up themselves or provide an additional tip for earlier delivery, but both options were declined. We were then told we could pay an additional $35+ to have the pizza made onsite, which was confusing given what was included in the package. Additionally, the staff were not particularly friendly or accommodating. We did not receive the souvenir ICEE cups, the included 90-minute jump pass for the birthday boy, or the emailed receipt after payment. While the kids did have fun, the overall party experience did not meet my expectations. I hope management takes these concerns seriously and works to improve communication, organization, and customer service moving forward.

KIDS AT HEART Anyone…read morefrom 2 to 92 can have a blast at Mall of America's indoor theme park. Located in the center of the USA's largest mall is Nickelodeon Universe, a sprawling 7-acre amusement park covering 3 floors.  It's open year-round from 10am to 9pm with reduced hours on Sundays, and tickets can be bought online or in-person. I came here once in 1998 as a kid (back then it was called Knotts' Camp Snoopy) and in 2026 I returned with my wife and kids of my own.  Despite a colorful rebranding in 2008, this place seems frozen in time and looks virtually the same as when I visited 28 years ago.  Wow! We took advantage of specially priced "toddler Tuesdays", where kids admission is only $16.  A full day adult wristband is $52 but specially marked 'deal days' bring this down to $42.  Important note: if you have a kid under 48", you can go on rides with them as a designated chaperone and not have to pay!  This is HUGE and saved us $40 since my wife got to ride for free. There's enough attractions inside Nick Universe -- 26 in total -- to fill up an entire day.  I've delved into each of the major coasters plus the outstanding Log Chute (legitimately one of the best in the country) with separate reviews, but here's a brief summary. * Pepsi Orange Streak: a custom steel family coaster with a mesmerizingly long train, and one of the OG rides here * Fairly Odd Coaster: a chaotic spinning coaster with a decent amount of G-forces (beware the slow dispatch times) * Avatar Airbender: a brief U-shaped ride with a funky surfboard train and spinning seats * Spongebob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge: an intense roller coaster with 3 inversions that nearly scrapes the glass ceiling * El Circulo del Cielo: a large Ferris wheel delivers a relaxing ride and offers great views of the park * Shredder's Mutant Masher: an inverting 'Frisbee' ride with a Ninja Turtles theme, great for teens * Log Chute: a STELLAR log flume with a super long ride time and wonderful Paul Bunyan theme that doesn't soak you My 5yo son loved the Big Rigs, Crazy Cars, Diego's Rescue Rider, and Guppy Bubbler.  Our 2yo daughter enjoyed the Adventure Bay kids play area but kept her distance from most of the rides.  Swiper's Sweeper was a surprise hit, a 'whip' style ride where small cars on an oval track drift around tight curves. Staff were ~incredibly~ friendly and cut us plenty of slack when I brought my son with me on a couple rides that weren't part of the Toddler Tuesday discount wristband (oops!)  They waved us through and said, "don't worry about it, have fun!"  Big kudos to them for grace and understanding; this went a long way towards a 5* day. * TL;DR * It's always 72° and sunny inside Nickelodeon Universe, perfect conditions for fun. This amusement park is home to a plethora of rides including 5 roller coasters (1 kiddie, 3 moderate 'thrill' coasters, 1 'extreme' coaster), a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a fantastic log flume, a drop tower, a swing ride, a dark ride shooter, and lots of smaller attractions. While I can't comment on the quality or cost of food within Nick Universe, I do feel that we got a great value for admission.  We felt safe and the ride operators we encountered were very kind.  The natural sunlight gives this park wonderful energy year-round. If you've got kids (or if you're an adult who really likes rides), I highly recommend spending a day at Nickelodeon Universe!

This was pretty cool! A theme park in the mall, what a…read moreconcept! It's Nickelodeon themed, so it definitely appealed to my inner child! They have plenty of rides for all ages. I didn't go on the roller coaster to kill some time. It was a blast! I could easily spend a whole day here!

Before we start, as of May 2026, the zip line course has permanently closed due to high insurance…read morecosts I always get a pass, come back year after year! Great snowboarding and skiing! Always something new in the works! Great parks and trails! Great board shop aswell. Fantastic spot! Maybe they should offer mountain biking in the summer...

When we say we grew up at Trollhaugen, and have lived our lives here at times - we mean it…read more For pete's sake we've had people married here. (The most beautiful wedding and experience.) The hills are alive with the sound of a Troll's call. Everybody who works here is just wonderful - part of the family. Trollhaugen pizza is the best pizza for you and me, positively. Snowboarding and skiing is an amazing experience here, love tubing too. If you're nervous about going, don't be, you got this. Love this place, highly recommend. GO TROLL - Now and always. -The Tight Squad

My son went here 2-3 years ago but quit due to our lives getting busy with other activities. He…read moredecided he wanted to come back and it's been only a week but he's happy he came back! All the coaches are great and super supportive, they always think of cool obstacles to makes the kids better athletes. Scott and Jacob do a great job and my kid loves going to classes they teach. It's a great place to get in shape as well, they have classes for kids and adults. Only downside: prices per month... it's $99 month to month or $79 month to month with a year commitment. I know they don't have a choice due to the inflation of everything but it makes it hard to stick around for a really long time unless my kid is very serious about it.

My son and I visited and I can't say enough good things. Lots of space. Helpful staff. A wide…read morevariety of stations to try and experience. I was also struck by how clean the location was. I would come back for a party, open gym or anything in between.

Favorite rides and scares I have had since I was a kid!! Had an absolute blast with my partnerread more

This was a terribly run event. We had tickets to attend on a Saturday night and we even had people…read morethat drove 3+ hours to attend in our group. We arrived around 8pm to a huge line of cars to get into the parking lot and then the line of people to get in was the longest line I have ever seen in my entire life. We ended up leaving because we decided it was not worth it to waste more of our Saturday evening. We thankfully were able to get our tickets refunded but I really hope that ValleyScare learns a lesson going forward regarding this event. There needs to be a cap on the number of people that can buy tickets online.

Came for an 8 year old birthday party and had a fun time! This is a pretty new facility, so all the…read moreequipment space is very clean. The staff were helpful in guiding the kids and keeping them entertained with course. For parties you get 1 hour on the courses and then 45 minutes in the party room for cake & presents. There's also a play area and arcade area for the kids to do some free play. No coins needed for the old school video games. You can also bring g your own cake/food for the guests. It is in a random office looking building and it's at the end of the parking lot. It can be tough to give the first time you visit.

I took my child here for a birthday party, and it is the coolest place! There is a whole ninja…read morewarrior course, plus like a small indoor playground. My daughter had a great time; during the birthday party the kids were led through a whole course and loved getting their energy out. They also have a private room for the treats portion of the party. I highly recommend them!

Went to Trapped Puzzle Rooms for a small birthday thing. We had three adults and 2 kids (9 and 11)…read more We did the Wizard's Tower escape room and had a super fun time. The puzzles make you think, but the 9 and 11 year olds were still able to help out and didn't feel like it was too hard for them. The puzzles were very hands on, which was very fun. The Montessori kid in me always loves that. The room itself was so cool with a bunch of secrets and secret places hidden around! Really felt like you were in a wizard's toward! Cool lighting, walls, and ceiling. AND a staircase in the room which was awesome! We finished in under an hour (which we were kind of shocked by, because we thought we were taking a long time). Overall, a very fun small group activity!

This was the BEST first escape room experience I could have asked for!…read more We did the Harry Potter themed room, 'Wizards Tower,' with a group of 6 friends who are HP fans and we had an absolute blast solving the puzzles to ultimately find the Headmaster's wand and save the magical world! The room was so well done with creative and interactive mysteries. It truly felt like we were in a magical room, uncovering hidden clues and surprises. It was so exciting to uncover clues to get closer to completing our mission. The best part is that it was all Harry Potter themed which made it extra magical! We had 1 hr to complete and we escaped in the nick of time! Booking was easy and done online. It was easy to find parking nearby. The staff are super friendly and guide you through everything you need to know. I absolutely loved my first escape room experience! The whole group couldn't get over how much fun we had and already thinking about our next one! Highly recommend!