Disclosure: This post is sponsored by US Family Guide. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are 100% my own.
Our family had a blast at the Midway Ice Castles last weekend! I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to involve Frozen somehow and they did not disappoint. The castles are such a unique experience and they do a great job at adding other things to do and see.
There were fountains.
Slides and a Slot Canyon.
Anna and Elsa.
And even a reflection pool.
My kids loved seeing everything and running around. My two youngest got cold after a while which meant it was time to go home, but I think my 3 year old could have stayed all night. I loved that they also had people there monitoring things to make sure everything was running smoothly. They even had a few guys working there standing by the reflection pool offering to take pictures! There were colored lights and music that added to the experience.
The only thing we didn’t like was that the lights went to the music which made it a little crazy to see where you were going since it was at night. And the ground had lots of chunks of ice on it which made it a little difficult to walk. But overall, we had a fun time! It’s definitely worth seeing!
Here are 5 tips we learned from our experience.
1. Show Up When It Starts
We got to the Ice Castles just after it opened and it was great timing for us. The line wasn’t too bad and it wasn’t overly crowded. More and more people came as the night went on, so if you can, get there when it opens!
2. Wear Snow Clothes
We made sure to dress extra warmly, but with ice being everywhere and a few ice slides, it’s smart just to wear snow clothes. That way when you sit or slide, you are nice and waterproof.
3. Wear Snow Boots Or Sturdy Shoes
With ice chunks covering the ground, it made the ground rather uneven. Our feet definitely got cold and I could have used some shoes with a little better traction.
4. Keep Your Phone In Your Pocket
If you’re taking pictures with your phone, keep it in your pocket until you use it. I was going to take a picture of my kids as they came down the ice slides and had my phone out waiting for them. Well, when I was time to take the picture, my camera literally froze. It finally took the picture long after they were down the slide. Keeping my phone in my pocket to keep it warm helped me take quicker pictures when I needed to.
5. Keep Hot Chocolate In The Car For After
The kids were pretty cold and grumpy by the time we got back to the car. Having a warm thermos of hot chocolate would have been perfect for the ride home.