EASY 5-STEP GUIDE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF KIDZANIA MANILA!

After much anticipation, this Momma had the privilege of going to KidZania's press preview last (er...last!) week. And although I got the go-ahead from the folks at KidZania to bring RL with me, my mom thought it would be best for him not to skip school (it was a weekday) - given that he was already absent for two (plus some) weeks. He was soooo looking forward to KidZania as I had promised I'd take him after KidZania visited CSC last year.

So excuse the photos, because I have no particular subject. My friend Mish and I went as adult spectators. But I suppose it was to our advantage because we got to tour the whole place at our own leisure! I even had my own personal guide (thank you, Dan!), but only because the rest of the party went missing-in-action.

When you are new to KidZania, the place (and the language - remember your Zzzzs!) can be overwhelming, especially when your child wants to do everything! Mind you, KidZania isn't the usual amusement park. Folks, there are no rides here. KidZania is a whole different concept that allows kids to play out their dreams. Think "when I grow up, I wanna be..." but you don't have to wait 'til you're all grown up to be who you wanna be, because at KidZania, kids get to live out their big dreams! It is an operational city just for kids!

I can tell you all the details about KidZania, but I am saving that for another post (when the little boy has first-hand experience so he can give me feedback). Since everyone who has been to the previews has practically shown the world what you can expect from this theme park, I do not wish to rattle off the same things. So if you are looking for a what-to-expect-post, check out Michelle's report on Rappler here.

This post will tell you the key things to remember in order for you and your kids to get the most out of your KidZania Manila visit. Curious? Here's my...

EASY 5-STEP GUIDE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR KIDZANIA MANILA VISIT:

1. BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE | KidZania is currently on soft-opening. As such, they are offering discounted tickets for the next two months.

While yes, it is true that you can purchase your tickets at the counter when you get to KidZania, it will be wiser to book online (at least for the confirmed number of guests in your entourage; you will have to risk the rest). As of today, there are days where tickets have already sold out (and KidZania has only been open for a week!).

Also, do note that on weekdays (Monday to Thursday), there is only one shift for visitors - 9AM to 4PM. On these days, your kids can maximize their visit for a full 7 hours. On weekends and national holidays, however, there are two shifts - 9AM to 2PM (Shift 1) and 3PM to 8PM (Shift 2).

So head on to KidZania Manila's website or to ticketworld.com.ph to secure your desired slots today! Please note that unless you are accompanying a child, an adult (or a teen aged 15-17) cannot enter KidZania. Likewise, kids below 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Kids above 8 years old can enter the park on their own but the parent or guardian must fill up a Universal Adult form. However, if it is your child's first time at KidZania, it is best for you to be there with him so you can also act as guide.


2. GET YOUR CHILD A PAZZPORT | As I browsed through each blog post out there, I realized that most of those who did post about the KidZania preview missed out on the importance of getting your child a KidZania PaZZport.

See, the whole point of KidZania is to teach kids the ins and outs of operating a real city, albeit kid-size. KidZania is a play city where role play comes into effect, allowing kids to experience, understand and manage their own "real" world. Kids get to train and eventually find jobs and, get this, earn money in the form of KidZania currency called KidZos. Mind you, this is "real" money to earn and spend inside the whole of KidZania. Upon entry, kids are given a boarding pass and a cashier's check for 50Z (that's 50 KidZos) that you can encash at KidZania's very own BPI! Yes, BPI as in the bank - Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Boarding Pass and Cashier's Check | Photo by Michelle Aventajado

BPI! Yes, it is a "real" bank, exclusively for KidZos.

So why get a PaZZport? At KidZania, your child can be more than just a tourist - he can be a citiZen! Be one through their B-KidZanian Program. This way, your little one will have more benefits, enjoy more activities and note this, earn more KidZos. Yes, YOU CAN EARN MORE KIDZOS WITH A PAZZPORT!

There are two ways to apply for a paZZport: Online and Onsite. You can create a profile online and claim it at KidZania, or apply onsite at the PaZZport office, then create a profile online afterwards. There is a fee of P250 to process your citiZenship, but this is a one-time fee.

The PaZZport office is right across the Indepence Fountain.

Sample PaZZport. 

Once you get a PaZZport, you are now a Naturalized CitiZen. The goal now is to collect as much stamps as you can per visit. Note that only one unique stamp is given per activity per day. Once you have collected 30 stamps, you move on to the next CitiZenship tier. Each tier also gives the child benefits. For example, a Naturalized CitiZen gets a 2Z discount on paid activities. Likewise, he also gets paid an extra 2Z for each occupation or activity he accomplishes. What's more, citiZens get discounts on redemption of items at the Department Store and discounts on purchases of souvenirs.

As a citiZen, you are guaranteed more fun. Plus, you get to view your bank statements, accomplishments and CitiZenship status online! This is a great way to plan your next visits to KidZania. Yep, well worth the extra P250! To apply for a PaZZport online, click here.


3. ENROLL FIRST AT THE UNIVERSITY | Once inside KidZania, it is important to remember that everything is patterned after the real-real world. And like the real world, we all know that most establishments require you to be a graduate of a certain course before they even consider hiring you. It is the same at KidZania. If you get formal training (READ: a degree) for a particular profession first, you up your chances of getting paid a higher wage.

Jen's son, Jed got paid 2Z less than normal wage because he didn't have a university degree.
Here he is getting on-the-job training as a pharmacist at Mercury Drug.

So. Before you let your child train to be a doctor, a veterinarian, a nurse and so on, have him earn a degree at the university first. Yes, you get paid the right wage when you have a university degree or a master's degree - and you can get both at CEU (inside KidZania)!

Kai (Hello in KidZania-speak)! Welcome to college! 

Earn a degree. Study hard. Work hard. Play hard.

After your child has earned his degree at the University, he can opt to check out the Employment Office where he can take a personality assessment for 8Z. Results will show your child three jobs that fit him best. And if he finishes those three recommended jobs during his visit, he can take the stamped assessment back to the Employment Office and they will give him a 6Z refund. AweZome!

KIDS AT THE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE | RL is most excited about earning money and keeping his KidZos in his very own wallet. He says he already knows he is most fit to be a zookeeper, until I told him KidZania doesn't have a zoo. So maybe the personality test will show he is most fit to be a Vet. Close enough.

4. PLAN YOUR VISIT WELL | Before heading to KidZania, I recommend checking out their website first. See which activities your child is interested in. You can check out a detailed list of establishments and activities here. Do discuss the upcoming visit with your child, and make sure he knows he may not be able to do everything on his list of things-to-do. You can only do so much in a day (well, in 5 to 7 hours, that is).

Also, like any theme park, expect long lines. When you get to KidZania, you have to "check-in" at the airport before getting in. If you arrive just in time for your shift, there will be a line waiting for you (just like how it is in real-life airports). So be an early bird and come at least 30 minutes to an hour before your shift (or earlier). Come late, and expect to line up for the next hour just to get in. The lines are not limited to just the registration area. Each activity at KidZania is "first-come, first-served, and allows only a specific maximum number of participants per time. That means, if an activity reaches its max, your child will have to wait for the next "work shift," usually between 5 to 20 minutes.

LEARN HOW TO READ CENSUS PLAQUES OR ESTABLISHMENT INFORMATION SIGNS | These establishment
signs tell you exactly what you need to know about each activity. Take this one for example... your child can get a temporary tattoo at this Tattoo Studio.  The Tattoo Studio can only accommodate ONE kid at a time. This activity takes about 5 minutes per kid. You will need to pay 10Z for this activity.

The Fire Station is one of the most popular establishments in KidZania. Must be because of the fire engine that kids actually ride to go to the "burning" hotel building. This activity takes 20 minutes per work shift and can only accommodate a maximum capacity of 8 kids.

Want to make burgers with McDo? The Burger Shop can accommodate a maximum capacity of 12 kids per time. Usually takes 20 minutes.

The Vet Clinic can only take 4 kids every 20 minutes. But look! You can earn 10 KidZos!!!

Adults are also not allowed to line up for the child. So forget bringing a nanny or a bodyguard for this very purpose, and yes, this also includes you, Mommy and Daddy. You cannot save a space for your child. They have to fall in line themselves. Likewise, adults are not allowed inside the establishments except for the toddler areas, the TV Studio and the stadium (unless the child is a PWD, then one adult can accompany and assist). Make sure to check the map and the Census Plaque for more accurate information.

Also, it is important to note that although your child can repeat most activities, he can only visit establishments that involve food (ie. McDonald's Burger Shop, Magnolia Ice Cream Factory, Goldilocks Bake Shop, etc) once per KidZania visit. These establishments are most popular, hence KidZania would like to give every kid an opportunity to try these out. It might be best to explain this to your little ones, especially if we have a chef in the making who would want to spend his time at the cooking school all day, hehe.

To make sure your child's preferred activity is open on the day of your visit, I would suggest calling KidZania's customer service hotline to check if any of the establishments are closed. Because they are still on soft-opening, some establishments are not yet operational. There are also instances when there is an ongoing shoot at KidZania, and they have to close a few areas, so I really suggest you call beforehand.

A lot of people are asking as well about places to eat inside KidZania. And although I would suggest eating before going to the park, KidZania offers a few food choices - McDonald's, McCafe, Yellow Cab, Via Mare, Mini Stop, Purefoods Hotdog Stand, Goldilocks Pastries, Magnolia Ice Cream and Healthy Options (for snacks). You cannot bring food inside KidZania unless you have a baby (limited to baby food and water for milk) or your child has special dietary needs.

Toddlers and Babies are allowed inside KidZania (same rate as adults) but they cannot join the activities inside the establishments, and will be limited to the RightZKeepers' House and the Kindergarten (parents are welcome here as well). For parents with bigger kids, there is a Parents Lounge at the mezzanine level where they can relax and rest.

GoPros are not allowed, and I am guessing it would be safer to leave your selfie stick at home. Interchangeable lenses and lenses longer than 3 and half inches in length are also not allowed. So bring a small point and shoot instead.


5. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO SAVE | A KidZania experience is the perfect opportunity to teach your children about finances. Have them save their KidZos at the end of the day by opening a BPI Savings Account inside KidZania. Do this especially when you know your kids will be back. Of course they can choose to spend it all at the establishments (there are a lot of shops that take KidZos!) but if you want your children to grow up financially-wise, teach them the principles of saving. Or better yet, discuss this at home and have them put your financial advice to practice at the park.

A KidZania BPI Savings Account comes complete with an ATM Card, which your child can use at the in-park ATMs to withdraw KidZos. You can monitor their account online when you sign up to be a KidZanian!

Accounts can be monitored online. This is one of the many perks of being KidZanian, so sign up for a paZZport today!

Okayyyy... so my Easy 5-Step Guide turned out to be a long one at that. LOL! So let me cut this post here. We are heading back to KidZania on Friday, and today, I found out that even if the Ticketworld schedule for your preferred date says "SOLD OUT," you can call and check with KidZania if they still have tickets to sell onsite (they have allotments for walk-in customers). A wanted to bring a friend with her, so we were trying to book another ticket online this morning. I called KidZania and spoke with April and Nikki and they were both very helpful. I drove all the way to BGC earlier today to get that one ticket for A's friend. So yes, it's good to call and double-check.

My only wish is that they also sell Annual PaZZes. To a Momma like me who is constantly looking for educational and fun activities for my kids, I know for sure that I am bringing the kids back. An Annual Pass would be helpful, regardless if they put a big premium to it. So KidZania, please put that in your future plans! Zanks and Z-U!!!

KidZania Manila

Park Triangle

3245 North 11th Avenue

BGC, Taguig

+632 711-KidZ (5439)

| facebook.com/KidZaniaManila
| instagram.com/KidZaniaManila
| tweeter.com/KidZaniaManila

Beware of Scammers!

I've been receiving a lot of text messages from spammers lately. I don't know how they got my number, but I am assuming that credit companies have been selling their database to all these people. And really, do we know who these folks are? When I used to work in Makati, we would receive a ton of cold calls in the office - people offering their services, selling this and that. You must admit though that the weekly call from your phone or credit card company, offering you their new promo, does get irritating. I don't even appreciate that they "thought of me" or considered me their "preferred customer." Especially since they call all the time!

So anyway, aside from spammers, I've been getting quite a few text messages and emails from scammers as well. Yes, the ones who claim you actually won something, complete with a DTI permit to boost credibility. But hey, I'm no fool.

I don't understand how some people can fall for these ploys. Here are some tips on dealing with text scams:

• Don't reply if you don't recognize the number.
• Official text messages will not come from an 11-digit private number. If you won something from a particular company, the phone network will assign a special number or alpha code to identify that company. 
• When in doubt, ask someone else! Or better yet, call the publicly-listed number of the company they're supposed to be representing.
• If the text supposedly came from a relative in another country (and you happen to have a relative working overseas), call your relative to check! Chances are, he or she didn't change his or her number. A trick would be to agree on a password. If they need to contact you via text using another number (say, in emergencies), they must provide the password.
• Report scams (and spams) to the NTC.

~~~ * ~~~

The husband of a friend once received a text scam on his phone. He had a little time on his hands and decided to take the scammer for a ride. Here's a screen cap of his conversation with said scammer. I know this has gone viral on Facebook, but I might as well share here for those who aren't on his friend list. Hehe, enjoy.

Posted with permission. Thank you, AG! Click on photo to enlarge.

Beware of scammers! Don't be fooled!

Cracking Chestnuts!

It's that time of the year!

Okay, okay... I know you can get chestnuts (the Mandarin Castañas kind) all year round now, but you know what I mean! Mmmm... imagine walking past a stall where freshly cooked castañas are sold. Or remember how they used to actually cook it in front of you in Greenhills? I remember how this was such a treat for us whenever we'd spend Christmas in Hong Kong. Yes, cold weather + the smell of cooking chestnuts = Christmas.

So I was at the grocer's earlier (to get cake for an officemate) and right in front of the bakery was this stall selling castañas. Not exactly freshly cooked as it wasn't steaming hot, but fresh nonetheless. I was tempted to get a fourth of a kilo (more would always result in a sore throat) and was excited to start peeling my way to its delicious and meaty flesh. But they wouldn't crack right. Nope, they weren't hot enough to peel properly.

You know how frustrating it is to want to eat castañas when you can't enjoy the nut in full? Well yea, so I had to wait 'til I got to the office.

Here are two tips on how to get to the full flesh of it all without pulling your hair out:

1) HEAT OVER STOVE - They never tell you that you can reheat these things at home. Well you can. Just get out a pan, heat the nuts over low heat (so they don't burn) with NO OIL. Make sure you stir them around so you don't over-heat a particular side. When you smell them (should not smell burnt), take off heat, and peel 'em babies.

2) HEAT IN MICROWAVE - Just put one layer (don't let them sit on top of each other) in a microwable plate or bowl. Heat on high or medium high for around 20-30 seconds. Let cool for a few seconds before you touch them because they're going to be HOT! Then peel and eat to your heart's delight.

It's beginning to look and smell a lot like Christmas!

So yes, that's how you get the skin not to stick to the flesh. And that's how you get to enjoy those castañas at home.

Who said it should be difficult to crack and peel castañas?

Important SALE Reminders from S&R

Received an email just now from S&R. Here are some reminders for this month's Members' Treat:

1) DO NOT BRING KIDS. 
(Oops! I'm bringing mine, but just one, and with the nanny.) But yes, DO NOT BRING unless you absolutely have no choice.

2) EACH MEMBER/ CARDHOLDER CAN BRING A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) COMPANIONS. 
Okay, folks, that means, you can't bring the whole baranggay! EDIT: While it is true that S&R's regular policy allows for a cardholder to bring in three (3) companions (totaling 4 pax entering the store, including member) on normal days, for their Members' Treat this year, this is their policy: two companions/ guests per cardholder . This was also announced when we were in line to get in the store Wednesday morning. If on succeeding days, they allowed more than two guests, it would have been at the discretion of the store manager.

3) EACH MEMBER/ CARDHOLDER CAN GET A MAXIMUM OF ONE (1) CART.
This was implemented during the last Members' Treat. Good luck to hoarders!

4) SEE THE FOLLOWING GUIDE FOR SHOPPING FOR BIG ITEMS. 
This means, you need not worry about having an extra cart when getting a table, tent, cabinet, etc. because big items can be picked up out back at the Merchandise Pick Up Unit (MPU) or claiming area.

5) THE MEMBER/ CARDHOLDER MUST BE PRESENT.
There will be no proxies allowed. That also means, the picture on the card must match your face. LOL! Believe me, during past Members' Treats, there were people claiming to be the cardholders (you get the picture). Nyar.

6) FOR CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS, ONLY THE CREDIT CARD/S OF THE ACTUAL MEMBER/ CARDHOLDER WILL BE ACCEPTED.
However, the spouse or immediate relative (parent or sibling) may pay for the transaction using their respective credit cards provided that they hold the same last name/surname as the cardholder. KY couldn't pay for my purchases last time using her credit card as she carries my maiden name. That is their official procedure (yes, even if she is a sister, child or parent).

7) ONLY A MAXIMUM OF TWO (2) TRANSACTIONS PER CARD WILL BE ALLOWED. 
So if you're buying for a number of people, don't expect S&R to ring these up separately. Do the math after you pay.

8) BUY 1 TAKE 1 ITEMS WILL BE REPLENISHED EVERYDAY. 
This means they will be available from Wednesday thru Sunday. No need to fight over stocks, people!

9) S&R FOOD SERVICE SELLS HOTDOGS AT P99.00! 
They also sell Pizza, Roast Chicken and Rice, Burgers, Fries, Salads, etc. So if you're in line to the cashiers, and you get hungry, ease that stomach and buy food. You will need that card to buy from them, too.

HAPPY SHOPPING, EVERYONE!