Wilson Family Firsts in the 2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring #DriveMazda

We were provided the Mazda 6 Grand touring to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are 100% our own. Thank You Mazda & Drive Shop USA!

We've been aiming to plan out local day trips as a family at least one Saturday a month as it's the only day a week we are all home together. With Six Flag's Great Adventures open for the first time over the holidays we figured testing out the  2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring would be perfect. As a family of 4 we had such a great ride driving to New Jersey to check out Holiday in the Park and really loved a lot of features in this mid-size car that's also top 3 of mid-sized cars for affordability.

If you saw our post on the Mazda CX-5 then you know the boys were loving the solar red color that definitely stands out on this sleek car. They thought the pop of color on the Mazda 6 made it look like a cool sports car so to them it would be worth the extra on the price tag. The lean design and color of the car make it resemble a sportier vehicle but it's still perfect for families.

The Mazda 6 was named a top safety pick which was what made me the happiest about driving it around and named Driver 10 Best of the Year. In addition to those awards Here's a few things we thought were most impressive about this car: 

• An estimated 40 mpg on the highway - hubby only had to fill the tank once and he drove it almost daily over a course of 10 days for local errands and our drive to Jersey.
• Mazda advanced key-less entry means no digging  through the over-sized tote!
• Heated front seats - although it was unseasonably warm for December this feature of course comes in handy once the temperature drops at night or during season changes.
• Blind spot monitoring system, Rear cross traffic alert and Electronic parking brake// Smart City Break Support won me over in regards to keeping the family safe while traveling. If the Mazda 6 detects an impending collision it activates the break automatically, which is pretty amazing technology.
• The active driving display pictured below allows for the driver's eyes to stay on the road while glancing at the speed being driven.

                     

The boys had plenty of room in the back and were comfortable for the nearly 2 hour drive.

The holiday lights show was fantastic in it's first year and it had such a great turn out., we really loved the holiday themed food and shows. We couldn't have asked for better weather to ride around in the Mazda 6 Grand Touring. For more information on price points, specs and more head to MazdaUSA.com and make sure you watch our video and mark The Holiday Lights in the Park at Six Flags on your calendar for next year!

Wilson Family Firsts: New Holiday In The Park Festival at Six Flags Great Adventures #HolidayinthePark

Tis' the season for creating new traditions with the entire family at Six Flags Great Adventures. For the first time ever the theme park debuted it's annual Holiday in the Park, this year - which runs through January 3rd, 2016. We couldn't wait for our day trip in the Mazda 6 to see the millions of glittering lights, dazzling entertaining holiday shows and our favorite Looney Tunes characters to get in the holiday spirit. It was pretty cool to see that this summer destination was transformed into a winter wonderland and I'm sure has been an enjoyable way to spend time with friends and family with the unseasonable warm weather we've been having lately. What better way to spend 70 degree temperatures in December right?

During this visit, since we'd been to Six Flags twice already this year we decided to visit as an escape from the hustle and bustle and just leisurely checked out a few of the 10 new themed areas and enjoyed tasty, seasonal goodies.

Signature Holiday in the Park attractions (included with all season passes and active memberships) include: 

·         Holiday Magic: A Celebration of the Season ─ Spectacular light show on a 52-foot-tall tree in the heart of the park that dazzles nightly every 30 minutes through eye-popping effects and classic holiday music.

·         Jack Frost’s Magical Christmas ─ Jack Frost’s evil plot to steal Christmas is reversed by the warmth and magic of the holiday season in this live stage show filled with acrobatics, illusions and surprise guests. 

·         Gingerbread Junction ─ Features peppermint swirl-wrapped trees, dancing lights around the carousel pavilion, the Gumdrop Hop dance party and a giant gingerbread man towering above.

·         Joy to the World ─ Tranquil pathway of lit trees, luminaries and stained glass showcasing religious holidays from around the world.

·         North Pole ─ Guests are welcomed into the warmth of Santa’s home for a meet-and-greet and holiday photos by Kodak, plus kids can write letters to Santa, meet a reindeer and build a stuffed toy.

·         Poinsettia Peak ─ Skull Mountain roller coaster has been transformed into a mountain of dazzling red lights with a crimson beauty, the Poinsettia Princess, greeting guests nearby.

·         Treetop Summit ─ Parachute Tower transforms into one of the world’s tallest light trees.

·         Polar Point ─ Stunning, ice-blue trees twinkle with the illusion of falling snow up above, while the towering, larger-than-life Snow Queen meets guests below.

·         Storytime with Mrs. Claus ─ Kids can hear one of Santa’s favorite stories in Whimsical Wonderland.

·         Holiday Memories ─ Green, red and gold brighten this section filled with special photo opportunities like Mistletoe Moments, Wishing Tree and With Love giant greeting card, while nearby the Jingle Jammers sing holiday tunes by the fire pits as guests toast s’mores.

·         Stewie the Snowman ─ Guests can pass through a jolly, three-story inflatable in Snowman City.

There's nothing like the smell of sweet and savory tastes of the holiday season filling the air that can be found throughout the park. The holiday menu will bring a smile to your face and ill have your tummy rejoice over the Spiked egg nog, holiday-flavored coffee and hot chocolate, peppermint and mocha fudge, holiday beers, festive funnel cakes with peppermint eggnog and caramel pecan bacon toppings, specialty holiday platters of sliced turkey, smoked turkey leg and chicken platters with cranberry sauce, chili bowls, harvest salads and flatbreads and hot soups that are available in various restaurants. My mouth is watering all over again just thinking about it.

Holiday in the Park also features nearly 30 thrilling rides such as SkyScreamer, Carousel, Big Wheel and Tea Cups. Children can enjoy 11 pint-sized thrills in Whimsical Wonderland. Coaster fans can challenge world-class rides like Nitro, BATMAN™: The Ride, THE GREEN LANTERN and SUPERMAN – Ultimate Flight, THE DARK KNIGHT Coaster and Poinsettia Peak. All rides and entertainment are weather permitting. Frontier Adventures including Safari Off Road Adventure, Bugs Bunny National Park and Plaza del Carnaval will not operate during the festival.

 Check out our Video to get a peak at all the fun we had and for more information about Holiday in the Park is available at www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

               

Go Get Your Scare on! Six Flags Great Adventure for Fright Fest

 

Biggest, Scariest Fright Fest in History Unearthed

at Six Flags Great Adventure

Disclosure: We were provided complimentary media passes to attend in order to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are 100% my own and no other compensation was received.

Having grown up in a household that lived for watching scary horror movies all year long until the wee hours of the morning and because of my love/hate relationship with thrill rides 
( I get teary-eyed and anxious waiting on line to get on, only to end up cracking up laughing and screaming in enjoyment at every dip and turn) heading to Six Flags Great Adventure has always been on my list of must do's this time of year. After a busy month of coordinating events, I can't even tell you how much fun I had after an impromptu late night visit, sans the kids with my hubby and long time friend Sergio.

If you haven't been there yet, this is the last weekend {ends Nov 1st, 2015} of the year to enjoy Fright Fest, but in general it's definitely a spook filled experience worth visiting a few times. Six Flags Great Adventure promised its biggest, scariest Fright Fest® in history this fall with 22 Halloween-themed attractions including three new haunts and four new shows!The seven-week festival that features family-friendly Thrills by Dayand a zombie-filled Fright by Night began Sept. 19 and includes admission to some of the world’s best and most terrifying thrill rides.

I'm far from being somebody that scares easily, but I won't even pretend I wasn't a bit creeped out. We strictly went for the haunted houses experience and went from one themed scary adventure to the next all while walking through the park and being surprised by the shrills and screams from chainsaws and zombies. And of course the occasional selfie with the walking dead! A few standouts for us were the Big Top 3D Maze which was just visually amazing to look at and Total Darkness had us pretty freaked out as we tried to navigate our way through the maze guiding 5 other people that were holding on to a rope with a wonky flashlight that...... well I won't ruin it for you. 

“Fright Fest has become the most popular time of the year at Great Adventure, and this year’s event is our largest and scariest yet,” said Park President John Fitzgerald. “Fall is also the perfect time to enjoy our award-winning thrill rides like El Toro, Kingda Ka, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom and the new El Diablo in the crisp night air.”

By day, families can enjoy the new Spooky, Kooky Magic Show featuring the zany Doc Swan, and Just My Rottin’ Luck, a new comedic juggling and magic show. Back by popular demand, children under 12 can gather sweet treats in the Trick-or-Treat Trail and join in the fun at the Spooktacular Street Party. Families can also experience the park’s famous line-up of thrills for all ages, including the Safari Off Road Adventure, SkyScreamer, Skull Mountain and more.

At 6pm, the festival transitions to Fright by Night as 200 zombies are released into the midways during The Awakening. An array of crazy clowns, mutants and angry flesh eaters mingle among mortals throughout five themed areas known as “scare zones,” three haunted houses and four outdoor terror trails. New this season:

Big Top Terror 3-D – This new, indoor haunted maze transports guests to a forgotten carnival trapped in the netherworld, where freaks and inbred horrors need fresh, new souls to escape. This 3-D, in-your-face adventure blurs the line between reality and imagination. 

Demon District – Ugly, twisted villains have seized control in this new scare zone. Guests must make their way through a blanket of fog, laser lights and demons running amok.

 Blood Shed – This new terror trail features half-human, half-pig mutants in a backwoods adventure through a gory slaughter farm.

Nighttime shows, known as “monstertainment,” provide thrills, laugher, shock and awe. The iconic Dead Man’s Party, The Awakening and Circus of Thrills return by popular demand. New this season:

Hypnosteria – Comic hypnotist Denny More takes guests on a journey of the mind into the realm of ridiculous with side-splitting laughter and hilarious antics.  

Doc Swan’s Sideshow of Oddities – Magician, illusionist and freak show master Doc Swan thrills and awes audiences with amazing feats of skill and superhuman strength.

Bad Bob the Bone Butcher – Guest can journey to the Wild West where a bumbling sheriff and his deputy try to defeat the evil Bad Bob.

All scare zones and monstertainment are included with park admission. Terror trails and haunted houses require an additional fee. Fright by Night is not recommended for children under 12 and those who scare easily. For more details head here, if you dare!

Kicking Off Summer Vacation at Cabana Cove Grill's Blog-B-Q at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

Can you think of a better way to kick off summer vacation then to spend it splashing around in the water, soaking up the sun and diggin' into some delish food on a Friday afternoon? Summer is meant for fun adventures with family and friends, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to head to Great Adventure's Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, New Jersey to try their assortment of lunches at the new Cabana Cove Grill for a wonderful Blog-B-Q. Unlike the lil' monsters and I, my hubby had been to Hurricane Harbor in the past and couldn't wait to get the boys in the water after we tried out the menu. 

Despite the cloudy skies, the weather was warm and we knew we were going to enjoy the day with our blogger friends and their families. Hurricane Harbor definitely gives you a laid back, mellow feel in comparison to it's counter part Great Adventures. It was great that we couldn't hear the loud whirling rides in the distance an could just kick back. We were greeted by super friendly Cabana Cove staff that guided us to our private cabanas for the day, which was a really nice experience. They were extremely attentive and offered their assistance often, and offered us refreshing fruit smoothies while we got acclimated.

Have you ever rented a Cabana at an amusement park or resort before? Renting one was new to us but everyone enjoyed t for sure. The kids were so excited, they kept referring to the cabanas as "home" and would run from one to the next to visit each other. Each cabana came furnished with a  a few chairs, table, a fan and a fridge for comfort and convenience.  

After we all dropped off our belongings we headed for lunch at the outdoor bar and grill  and gathered around tables that overlooked the wave pool. My boys chose the foot-long hotdog and grilled chicken sandwich with chips, while the hubby ordered a Jerk chicken sandwich {he's Jamaican, so any chance he gets to indulge in Jerk-anything he will} and I had the fresh Jerk chicken Caesar salad. 

The food was prepared in front of us, while the cooks chatted with the kids and we were given large red tumblers that allowed us to get refills on drinks throughout the day. The menu has something for everyone and offered generous size portions that left us all happily full. Sometimes it's nice to just "Go" somewhere without worrying about packing lunches for the day like we normally do for our day excursions. The great thing about renting a cabana is that the packages for up to 4 people provide you with food!

After chowing down and relaxing, it was time to SPLASH AROUND!

It was nice to watch my boys relax after a very hectic school year and I was so proud of them for being brave enough to jump in the Blue Lagoon wave pool with their daddy and friends. The older kids had the best time because there were way more attractions geared towards them, they had a blast on The Cobra and The Bamboo and Reef Runner and the littlest monsters enjoyed a few spins around the lazy river.

If you're looking for a little escape from the hustle and bustle we'd definitely recommend living it up poolside to enjoy the cabana experience and lunch at their outdoor grill and bar Cabana Cove. Thanks for having us Six Flag's Hurricane Harbor, we had a fantastic time!

     
Disclosure: We were invited for a media day with complimentary admittance. Opinions expressed are 100% my own and no compensation was received for this post.