Beauty and the Beast #BeOurGuestOC

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is playing this week through Sunday at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The stage production of the animated classic was Disney’s first venture onto Broadway and is one of their most successful productions ever. My daughter and I caught the Wednesday night production and let me just say that it’s fabulous fun!

Photos by Joan Marcus and Amy Boyle.

This Tony Award winning musical follows the fortunes of Belle, a smart, beautiful young woman living in a quiet village in France, pursued by Gaston, the not-so-sharp local heart-throb. Her visit to the local castle takes her on a whole new adventure when she comes face to face with The Beast, and must decide whether to look beyond his outward appearance, or to shun and despise him as the villagers have done. There is singing, there is dancing and there is amazing special effects.

Beauty and the Beast has been an international sensation since it opened on Broadway and remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. The production is bright, beautiful and lively. My daughter is still asking about how they made the Beast transform into the prince while floating in mid-air. It’s a sight to behold. Tickets are available at the box office or online and great seats are available through the weekend. Take your family, take your friends and experience it while you can. The show is suitable for all ages.

Knott’s Scary Farm 2013 Halloween Haunt

October is here and so are the many fun things to do around Southern California for Halloween. Not for the young or squeamish, but excellent for a date night is Knott’s Scary Farm’s annual Halloween Haunt. It’s the original, it’s the biggest and arguably, the best Halloween event anywhere. My hubby has been going every year since 1988 and even did a couple seasons there as a monster. It’s equal parts scary and fun and guaranteed thrills and chills. We look forward to this every Fall.

Back again for the first time since 2001 is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark in her all new Sinema Seance show in the Ghoul Time Theater. There’s just two shows nightly, so be sure to get their early for a good seat. It’s hard to believe the woman is 62. She is just as funny and attractive as ever. The show is 30 minutes long and goes by fast, so don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to get back out there for funnel cake and more mazes.

This year has four new mazes including the first even Western-themed maze and the first used of a mirror maze at the Haunt. The scares are found everywhere. It sure seemed like there were more monsters walking around the park than anytime I remember before. If you choose to go on a busier night, like a Saturday, you may also choose to get a front-of-the-line Fright Lane pass for an additional $60 per admission. This will also get you a Skeleton Key, which gets you into a secret room inside four of the mazes. We experienced the secret room inside the Black Magic maze, which featured a seance to contact Harry Houdini. I will keep what happened during the seance a secret, you’ll just have to check it out for yourself.

From experience, we highly recommend going earlier in the month. Thursdays are the least crowded nights, followed by Fridays. Get a babysitter and go this weekend! I do not recommend bringing children younger than 13.

Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt dates are October 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 24-27, 30-31, and November 1-2, 2013. Event hours are 7pm-1am; Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm-2am. Haunt is a special ticket event not covered by regular Knott’s Berry Farm admission or a Knott’s Season Pass. Halloween Haunt is not recommended for children under 13. There are no guest costumes or re-entry privileges allowed for this event. Ticket prices are $38-$54 presale online and $62 day of event. Knott’s Scary Farm tickets are available at Knott’s Guest Relations, by phone at Knott’s Haunt Line (714) 220-5200, or online at the official Knott’s Scary Farm website (service charges apply). Check Burger King for discount coupons.

Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. I was invited to attend the media preview night, however all opinions are my very own.

Kids Night at Chick-Fil-A.. I don’t think I will make dinner on Tuesday nights ever again!

Last Tuesday, after picking up my daughter from dance class, I was tired and trying to figure out what to do for dinner. I couldn’t think of anything to whip up and decided to head over to the new Chick-fil-a that opened in our neighborhood. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.

Every Tuesday, most Chick-fil-a’s host Kids Night. On Kids Night, your kiddos will eat free with every adult combo/entree you purchase. It’s a great deal! A family of 4 can eat for around $12. It’s perfect! Yummie and pretty darn reasonable. The best part is the activities that take place. My kids had an absolutely fun time.

Last Tuesday they had a Valentine craft area where the kiddos made cards, today they had a face painter and of course the indoor play area is great and clean. My kiddos are also big fans of the “cow” mascot that comes out to greet the kids. They wanted to take pictures and dance with the cow all night long. There are usually also balloons for the kids to take home.

I know many of you probably already know about Kids Night but I thought I would share just in case you didn’t. We had such a great time and my picky kids ate all of their food. Chick-Fil-A Kids Night will definitely become a Tuesday night tradition for our family. Before you head out next Tuesday, make sure to call your local Chick-Fil-A to make sure they particpate(most do). To learn more about Chick-Fil-A and Kids Night head here.

*please excuse my camera photos

*I was not compensated for this post or given anything to review. I just plain old liked it!