Our family took a trip to the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium for their GloWild: Time Traveler event. We met up with some friends and took in all of the holiday-themed wonder together.
The GloWild story begins with a young scientist known as the Time Traveler. He invented a machine to test whether time travel is possible. When his assistant tests the machine, he realizes he doesn’t know where she went. Join him through his journey through the 1960s, Mardi Gras, the Paris Exposition, the Wild West, America’s 100th birthday, Africa, a fairy tale, the Ice Age and the future, and of course, holiday fun!
As our crew made our way through the glowing spectacles, the kids gazed in awe at what they were seeing. There was so much to look at and a lot to take in. They found themselves walking through lit-up tunnels and gazing at glimmering light displays above them. The youngest kids enjoyed the piano that lit up as they stepped on the keys, which reminded me of the movie Big! My oldest daughter enjoyed walking through Paris and beneath the fully lit Eiffel Tower. The Magical Illusions show was exciting for the kids. They watched as a clown jump-roped on a unicycle and completed other amazing tricks!
The parents happened upon Glimmer, a 21+ pop-up holiday bar experience. Unfortunately, tickets were sold out, but the staff let me take a peek inside the dazzling bar. Twinkling lights hung from every inch of the ceiling with beautiful Christmas décor all around. There are even themed igloos you can rent for $150 for your friends and family. The bar offers specialized drinks including Whoville Tonic, Ho Ho Hot Chocolate, and Kingdom Punch. This experience sells out fast, so make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time at kansascityzoo.org/glowild/glimmer. Tickets are $15 per person and include one complimentary drink. No kids allowed, but this would be the perfect parents’ night out this winter.
Then we made our way to the Ice Castle Experience. There is a show every 15 minutes. The show featured the castle changing colors and showing a princess and her prince charming dancing the night away. This was quite a magical experience for the younger kids and definitely worth the stop.
As we made our way into the Christmas exhibits, we saw Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen, where Mrs. Claus herself tells stories at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. and helps children make reindeer treats from 5:30–9 p.m. Next, we made our way to the North Pole Village to see Santa. We walked through what felt like an enchanted forest and made our way to Santa’s cabin. It was getting late, and the line for Santa was long, so we decided to visit Santa another time.
KC Parent Pro Tip: Arrive early and go visit Santa first to avoid the long lines!
We ended our trip with a ride on the Grinch Express Train Ride. This was possibly our crew’s favorite part of the night. The train took us throughout the park for another spectacular view of all the GloWild magic throughout the zoo. By the time we got to the car, the girls were filled with holiday cheer but exhausted and ready for bed. Soon they were dreaming with visions of GloWild dancing in their heads.