DreamPlay in City of Dreams Manila

I've been wanting to bring my kids to DreamPlay ever since I saw pictures of the place in social media.

But side kwento first. We went on a weekday to avoid the crowds and planned to take the free shuttle from SM City BF.  I had already taken this shuttle before with a friend when we had a girls' lunch out at City of Dreams and didn't encounter any problems. The shuttle could fit 10 people including the driver and left every hour and a half starting from 10am.

However, it wasn't so hassle-free this time. We were 3 adults and my 3 kids. When we got to the 10am shuttle, there were 3 seats left but the driver said it wasn't allowed for the kids to sit on our laps. So fine, we said we'll just take the 11:30am one. We had lunch first and I saw that they were selling tickets for DreamPlay in the cinemas. So I decided to just buy there so we wouldn't have to line up anymore when we got to DreamPlay.

Anyway, we went back to the shuttle area before 11am just to check if the van was already there. Well it was, but lo and behold, it was FULL already (as in 1 seat left na lang)! Of course, we were understandably upset since how could the 11:30 shuttle be full already when it wasn't even 11? When I took the shuttle before, my friend and I boarded just 10 minutes before the departure time (11:20am) and there were plenty of seats available. Needless to say, we just took our car since we had already bought tickets so no choice. And we didn't want to get delayed again going home just in case all the shuttles were full na naman. But the funny thing was, a few days after when we passed by SM BF, we saw that they had upgraded the shuttle from vans to mini-buses and there were even 2 in the waiting area! Aba, nagwork ata ang reklamo namin! ;p

Sorry for the long intro, I just had to get it out there since it kinda started our day on a bad note. And this is also a warning to those who want to take the shuttle service. Just be sure to have a back-up plan for transportation.

Anyway, like I said, the one good thing about what happened was that I was able to buy our tickets in advance at the SM cinema outlet where there were no lines. We just got the 2 HOUR PASS, as recommended by my other friends who have already visited the place. There are height requirements kasi for some areas so my kids wouldn't be able to do all the activities naman. And besides, you can extend naman if you want to as stated in their rules: Once the 2-hour and 4-hour pass has already expired, guests may still enjoy the attractions. Charges for extensions shall just be billed at the check-out counter.

KIDS: 100cm up to 17 years old

ADULTS: 18 years old and above

- Children below 100cm are free of charge. Adult with no child will not be allowed to enter DreamPlay
- Adult non-participants and kids 99cm and below may enjoy DreamTales Library and Dream Theatre

If buying your tickets right there in DreamPlay, here's the ticket process:

Since we already had tickets, no more lining up when we got to DreamPlay. The portion where you have to "encode details through tablet" (basically just name and contact number) was also done beforehand in SM BF. So we were just ushered to the DreamShop entrance at the side where all we had to do was sign the waiver and we were given our wristbands at once. I highly recommend getting tickets in advance at any SM cinema outlet since when we left at around 3:30pm, the line was sooooo long already. And I've read lots of complaints about the ticket process being so slow at the main entrance, sometimes people having to line up for an hour up to 2 hours!

this is where we entered, through DreamPlay's souvenir shop

our wristbands: RED (Kung Fu Panda) for KIDS, GREEN (Shrek) for ADULTS, and ORANGE (Madagascar) for babies or kids below 100cm

Anyway, here were the different attractions:

KUNG FU PANDA

Kung Fu Lighting Fast as Lightning
Height Requirement: 100cm
No special clothing requirement

Join in the Kung Fu Panda Dojo and become a Kung Fu master alongside Po and The Furious Five! Ready your Fists of Fury and prepare to kick the dumplings out of your enemies as you train with these KFP legends. Who knows, you may even become the next Dragon Warrior!

Wall of Destiny
Height Requirement: 120cm
Clothing Requirement: Rubber shoes/closed shoes and sleeved shirt required, long shorts preferred

Test your warrior skills and buckle up to climb the Wall of Destiny, where you'll see the Valley of Peace from a dragon's eye point of view!

Thread of Enlightenment
Height Requirement: 140cm
Clothing Requirement: Rubber shoes/closed shoes and sleeved shirt required, long shorts preferred

We weren't able to try any of the attractions in this part since my kids were a bit scared pa. But I think older and more adventurous kids will definitely enjoy the thrill of the rope course and wall climbing


SHREK

Shrek's Swamp Stomp
Height Requirement: 100cm
Clothing Requirement: Socks required for ball pit

Get ready for an ogre the top experience as you tour Shrek's swamp house. Shrek is home to greet you, but he can't seem to find his keys and needs your help to look for them. Just be sure to stay away from his outhouse or you just might get an unpleasant surprise.

Gingy's Kitchen
Height Requirement: 100cm
No special clothing requirement

At Gingy’s Kitchen, you’ll earn how to make a gingerbread man from Gingy himself! Just don’t be surprised if Shrek and Donkey catch a whiff of your delicious treats and make an appearance too!

Warning, the line could get pretty long and they only allow about 15 kids per class. We didn't make the cut the first time so I had to line up for the next batch (while the kids explored the other areas) and waited for about 30-45 minutes. But it was worth it since this was the activity my kids enjoyed the most. I also like how they allow the parents/companions to enter as well to help and take pics. :)

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

How to Fly Your Dragon (Dragon Slides)
Height Requirement: 100cm
Clothing Requirement: Long Sleeves Shirts and Trousers, Socks Required

Again, my kids didn't want to go on the slides since they were scared. But it definitely looks cool! Maybe when they're a bit older na lang. :)

MADAGASCAR

Whatever Floats Your Boat
Height Requirement: 100cm
No special clothing requirement

Here you make and assemble your own boat and sail it down the river. Our boat didn't even make it halfway through hehe! ;p

AfroCircus
Height Requirement: 100cm
Clothing Requirement: Socks Required

My kids wanted us to join them inside this multilevel play area, but apparently, our wristbands were for non-participating adults. Good thing they just allowed my hubby to step inside and sit in the corner where the kids could see him. There are sudden bursts of loud noises and smoke though, which scared the kids at times.

DINOTRUX

Dinotrux
Height Requirement: 100cm
No special clothing requirement

Join the DinoTrux at this construction site millions of years in the making. Learn how to build and pilot your very own Reptools. Then enlist the support of Ty and the other DinoTrux to create a world unlike any other!

DREAMWORKS

DreamStudio
Height Requirement: 100cm
No special clothing requirement

I liked this activity where they teach you how to make your own animated film. No picture taking allowed inside the studio though, but basically it's just filled with touch-screen computer screens. You can stay for the maximum 15 minutes but you can also leave anytime when you're done.

Dream Theater
Adult non-participants and kids 99cm and below may enjoy the Dream Theatre
No special clothing requirement

Too bad we weren't able to try this 4-D theater, but we were able to experience the one in Universal Studios SG which I think is pretty much the same.

DreamTales Library
Adult non-participants and kids 99cm and below may enjoy DreamTales Library
Clothing Requirement: Socks Required

I love this library area which had lots of comfy beanbags strewn around for lounging or reading (books are provided). However, I was with my baby Skyler (who I'm still exclusively breastfeeding at 1.5 years old) and he must have been hungry already since he started tugging at my shirt. So I dragged one beanbag to the corner and naturally started nursing him. However, the attendant who was tidying up near me noticed I was feeding him and told me that breastfeeding wasn't allowed there. He said they had a mother's lounge outside so I would "be more comfortable." Well to be honest, I was super comfortable there already on the soft beanbag. And I told him that my baby was already hungry (and cranky) so I had to feed him at that moment already. And when I tried unlatching Skyler, he kept crying and making a fit. I was being discreet naman as always and unless you came near me, you wouldn't even know I was breastfeeding. Especially since the library was dark and we were in the corner facing the wall. I looked around and there were only 2 other people in the library just reading and minding their own business. In my mind I was thinking, if he asks me to leave I will really let him have it! Good thing he left me alone na lang. Ugh, can't a mom just breastfeed her baby in peace anywhere she wants to?!

CHEZ GINGY

This is the food court area. We didn't eat here anymore so I don't know if the food is good. But personally, I find it a bit pricey.

We also saw all the character appearances of Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda! Po even had a dance number with other DreamPlay employees.

Other reminders:

Other notes:

- I think the 2 HOURS was enough for me and my kids since they weren't allowed in the other attractions anyway. And personally, they were a bit scared since the place was a dark and loud. I think na-overwhelm sila hehe. We definitely have to go back when they're a bit older pa to fully enjoy the place.

- Go on a weekday, in the morning, if you can. Aside from the rates being cheaper, there are less people. The line was so long already mid-afternoon when we were there on a Monday.

- Definitely get your tickets in advance at any SM cinema ticket outlet or online at www.smtickets.com. This will save you a lot of time when you get to DreamPlay since the lines at the main entrance can get pretty long.

- There was no senior citizen discount given to us when we bought our tickets in SM Cinema. The attendant said it was only for walk-in guests, meaning when you buy your tickets at DreamPlay. I find this weird because shouldn't this be implemented regardless of where you buy your ticket?

- You cannot go in with your kids in the other attractions unless you have a RED wristband meaning you're an "adult participant". This means you have to pay the KIDS rate if you're an adult and want to experience all the attractions. We didn't know about this so we couldn't enter in the other areas and join our kids. Just take note of this, especially if your kids are quite small pa and would want you around.

- If you're a group of adults, you need to be accompanied by a child/children (up to 17 years old) to be allowed entry. Adult visitors with no kids will NOT be granted entry. There's no ratio naman for the number of kids to adults. Like you can be 4 adults and just have 1 kid, that should be fine.

- Credit cards are accepted.



DREAMPLAY, City Of Dreams
Asean Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard,
Entertainment City, Paranaque, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 800 8080 / +63 2 808 0909
Website: www.cityofdreams.com.ph/entertainment/dreamplay

Mati's Meat & Bread in Alabang

Festival Supermall in Alabang now has an extension called the River Park, which houses more restaurants like Mati's Meat & Bread. Managed by the Melo’s Group of Restaurants, Mati’s is known for their steaks and specializes in comfort food with a contemporary twist.

Here's their menu:

And here's what we ordered:

Truffled Bone Marrow
P385

deadly good!

USDA Salpicao Rice
P395

Their steaks were tender and delicious, and the price was not bad at all!

USDA Steak with mashed potato & vegetables
P395

USDA Steak & Fries
P395

gravy for the steak

I have to say the service was excellent too! We felt so taken care of the minute we sat down all the way to when we left.

nice smile Miley! ;p

And here's a view of River Park at night, which you can also see from inside the restaurant.

We definitely enjoyed our dining experience and will be back for more! :)


MATI’S MEAT AND BREAD
Unit B2, River Park, Festival SuperMall Expansion, Alabang
847-2273
www.facebook.com/matismeatandbread

DIY: Repainting my kids' room

I'm probably the most adventurous when it comes to doing painting projects in my kids' room since it's not that big. I know I can pretty much do it myself without spending a whole lot for materials. One of my very first DIY projects was doing this owl tree mural, which is probably one of my all-time favorites.

After, I decided to paint half the wall purple, just to give it an accent color.

Then, I went all out and painted stripes on the ceiling since I figured, why not? ;p

I guess I'd forgotten how much work it actually took to do these projects since after a while, I was itching to make some changes again. Plus the kids were getting older, which meant they could already give me input on what they wanted. Both my son and daughter stay in this room so I couldn't really choose between a "Princess Underwater" or "Power Rangers" theme. ;p

Basically, I knew I just wanted to change the color of the walls first. Of course, it had to be gender neutral and something that would match the striped grey and white ceiling (no way was I repainting that anytime soon since it took me forever to do that!). Honestly, it was so hard to choose especially when I was looking at paint swatches since there were so many nice colors!

In the end, I decided to go with an light blue color called PEACE RIVER in a satin finish. I got a gallon of paint which cost about P1k. This was honestly more than I was expecting to pay for the paint, but it was good quality which meant good coverage. So I figured it was fine since I was going to be looking at those walls for quite some time right? :)

Before I got started though, I first wiped the walls using a damp cloth. This is important since a lot of dirt and residue can accumulate on your walls over the years. Mine was super dusty, I didn't even realize it! I also sanded over any uneven parts from my previous paint job. You definitely want a smooth and clean surface when you start.

it was definitely hard to take the owl mural down, but it's time for a change ;)

Since I was repainting over the owl mural and also the purple half of the wall with a lighter color, I had to get a primer so I could even out the color first. Others might just go ahead and paint over everything at once, but you might need more coats to make sure the old paint color won't show through. Personally, I think a primer saves you time and energy and just ensures a nicer end result.

I loved putting on the primer since I didn't need to be neat about it. It doesn't have to be applied perfectly since you'll be covering it up with your new paint color anyway.

After everything was covered, it was finally time to really paint. I also love how my little assistant was back! She also helped me paint the purple half of the wall before. I had to kick her out after a while though, since honestly, we would never finish with her around! lol ;p

Anyway, if you think it was easy, it was NOT. I definitely need blog posts like these to remind me of the blood, sweat, and tears it took to finish painting the damn room! I blame HGTV for making it look like a breeze haha! And honestly, who here hasn't looked around a small space and confidently thought, "I could paint this in a few hours max!"

Well, it took me 3 days and I almost gave up and hired someone to finish it for me. I think maybe it was because of the cheap paint rollers I used, or maybe I just bit off more that I could chew. But I got the job done in the end and it's beautiful if I do say so myself!

I love how the color turned out! Even though it's blue, the light shade is still feminine enough for a girl. The primer definitely worked since it covered all the old paint perfectly. And the color made the room brighter and fresher, don't you think? My kids are happy and so am I!

My whole body was aching for days after I did this - from all the bending over, reaching up, and going up and down the ladder. I now have a newfound respect for house painters! I told hubby I won't bargain anymore when a painter charges for labor since I now know how hard it is to do their job haha! ;p

I honestly want to paint over a lot more walls in our house (like the accent wall in our living room and also our master bedroom). But with this weather, it will definitely take a while before I do manual labor again hehe! But stay tuned since I have a lot more home improvements coming up soon. :)