Ep. 152: The Great Indoors, Your Ultimate Summer at MOA

[00:00:00] Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining, and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism. Hello and welcome to So Much More. I'm Jill Renzel, your host for today's podcast. And it's so much more because we are so much more than a mall and it is summertime and we have so many things planned. So we're excited to share with you all the things that make Mall of America a special

[00:00:24] destination during our summer. So today I'm joined by two of my favorites, Sarah Johnson and Kelsey Cunningham. Thank you ladies for joining today. We're going to talk all things summer. Are you excited? So excited. Hi Jill, yes. I love it. Well, let's get it started right away. The big idea for the summer, the campaign. So SJ, I would love for you to tell us what is the campaign, where did it come from, and why are we so excited about it for the summer? Absolutely. I am also extremely excited to be talking all things summer. So The Great Indoors is the overarching theme for

[00:00:54] Summer for Mall of America this year. And the concept came from a lot of just noodling through like what do Minnesotans and Midwesterners do during the summer? And I feel like we're maximizers. We love to get outside. You're jam-packing your schedule. You're doing all the things. But from the Mall of America standpoint, how can we put a little twist on that? We know people want to get outside, but how do we bring them inside? And so we wanted to do the playful nature of like summer is great, but at a certain point there are parts of summer that get really tricky. The mosquitoes come out. It gets overly hot. It rains. It's muggy. It's hot. What can

[00:01:24] we do to bring you in when you don't want to be outside? Because inside Mall of America every day is 70 and sunny, right? That's what we say. It absolutely is. No mosquitoes, no humidity, no rain. Yes. So we wanted to play on it. So I feel like it's such a fun campaign. Can't wait to see it out in market and see it live in so many different ways and channels, but really wanted to lean into what we know from a Midwestern or Minnesota standpoint, but put a little flair to it. I think the other thing that we had a lot of fun with

[00:01:49] is that there's so much going on in this market during the summer months. And we all love to get outside and enjoy dinner outside, enjoy music outside, enjoy festivals, all the things that are offered. And so before you go outside, you have to come inside to get your fit to look awesome for whether you're going to a sporting event or if you're going to a concert. And so it's about what to go outside. You have to come inside first. So it plays in all those different facets,

[00:02:17] the great indoors. So Kelsey, when you heard about this, really how did it unlock the creativity for the team to think a little differently for the summer? Oh, well, I was a big fan of the theme this summer because Nickelodeon Universe is an indoor theme park. So I'm like, yes, come inside. It is always 72 degrees and sunny here. And that is a message that we say year round. So I was a big fan of that because I was like, yes, come indoors, ride rides anytime of the year, anytime of the summer, whether it's raining or super hot out. You can have super fun. So when people

[00:02:46] are planning for the summer, whether they're going to the cabin or they're going to the lake, they're going to a theme park, they're coming to the mall, what does that perfect summer day at Mall of America look like? Oh my gosh. Well, I feel like, and I'm curious to get your guys' thoughts of what your day at Mall of America looks like. Mine is starting early. I am here right at beginning, at the opening. I want to beat the crowds. I want to get my coffee. I want to get my snacks. And I want to hit my favorite stores efficiently. So I feel like I have my full routine already planned

[00:03:16] before I even step inside. But it all is about starting early, making sure I'm getting my snacks and drinks, and then a lot of retail. It always cycles around snacks and drinks. What about you, Kelsey? I agree. That's the way to do it. Come in early, hit your coffee spots. And then for me lately, I've been going to Nickelodeon Universe and going on rides with little ones, which has been really fun. That is very fun. I think it's also just about planning a little bit, depending on who you're coming with. For me, it's are you entertaining

[00:03:43] an out-of-town guest? Are you coming with your family? Are you coming just for yourself to get a little retail therapy? What does that look like? So that you can plan a little bit in advance, whether you need to buy tickets in advance. If there's any sales or if there's things that you need to bring with you, if you're doing exchanges, if there's things you need to match up for outfits, just getting all that planning in place. That's where I'm a planner. I need to get everything set. So when you come, you can be efficient and enjoy your day. So lots of fun things.

[00:04:08] So SJ, we've got some fun things happening. Our mystery giveaways, our prizes are coming back by popular demand. So talk a little bit about what this promotion is all about. Absolutely. So we've been running mystery prizes for honestly, I believe over a decade at this point. I mean, it's been one of those nostalgic pieces that people just really love and look forward to us throughout the summer months. And it does run from the beginning of the campaign. So from June to August, and we have two different paths for mystery prizes this year. So historically, for those of you who know, you can receive it in a card format. So you're out in the community,

[00:04:37] as we mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, but you can be out in an event. You could be just out in the community, receive this card from one of our street team members with the goal to come back to property and go to one of our mystery kiosks and redeem for a prize. Everyone's a winner, so you don't have to worry about whether you're going to win or not. You will. And you can win this year up to $1,499. So $1,499 of value, which is really exciting. That's fantastic. With a lot of different prize options too. So it could be from purses to we have

[00:05:04] meta Ray-Ban glasses. We have attraction passes. We have a variety of really wonderful prizes this year. So we've enhanced it to make it a little more fun. So how do people find out about where we're going to be, where we're handing out these passes or just if they find us at these festivals, at these events, how do they know where to go? Yes. So everything lives on our website. So you can go to mallofamerica.com

[00:05:30] backslash summer for all details. We also have details listed in our app. So you just have to download the Mall of America app and join our loyalty program. It's very simple. It takes less than one minute and it's free. And then you can get all the details in that format as well. Fantastic. So you can kind of double dip. You get prizes all over the place. So what I love and I think is really important this year is we added gas and grocery prizes to the list. We all know that it's getting tough. Gas prices are so high. Grocery bills are high. It's hitting the pocketbook.

[00:05:59] So we recognize that. So talk a little bit about that integration this year. Absolutely. So we've been talking about this for a couple of months of how we wanted to make an impact a little bit different this summer. Obviously, gas and grocery, as you were alluding to, has been a conversation for a while. And so we wanted to find some really great partners in the market that could help us capitalize on it and give back to the community. So Cub and Circle K are two of our partners for the summer. And we will be giving away gift cards, a part of our mystery prize program, but also in different ways. So we'll be at off sites this summer too for the Mall of

[00:06:26] America team, not just our street team, that you can receive some of these gift cards as well. Thank you, Cub and Circle K. We're super excited to work with you. And I think our guests will be really excited too. So that's fantastic. So Kelsey, more fun in Nickelodeon universe. I love the whole theme of summer rewind. So talk a little bit about the nostalgia of how that works so well in a theme park because I think the generations love it when we can do a little throwback. So talk a little bit

[00:06:54] about that for the summer. Yeah, absolutely. So what makes Nickelodeon universe unique is that Nickelodeon is such an iconic brand that spans generations. So our kids are growing up watching Paw Patrol and we grew up watching Hey Arnold and Fairly Oddparents. And when you come to Nickelodeon universe, you're going to see all these characters out here. So beloved characters that mom and dad grew up watching and then their kids are loving these characters now too. So it's really about

[00:07:23] creating those different memories and experiences that are a good time for both the kids and then mom and dad as well. I love it. And it's SpongeBob's birthday. It's Rugrats anniversary. We've got lots of things happening. So talk about some of those highlights. Yeah. Nickelodeon is celebrating some really big milestone anniversaries this year and we're celebrating right along with them. So it is

[00:07:45] the 35th anniversary of Rugrats, of Hey Arnold, Fairly Oddparents, which is crazy. Ren and Stimpy, if you watched that show growing up. And we are joining in on the fun. So we are making sure that we have these iconic characters out throughout the summer. So we have really fun character scheduled meet and greets that you can come and get these unique photo ops that you don't normally see out

[00:08:11] in the park. So we'll get multiple characters in these photo ops. We'll have the Rugrats out here that you don't normally see. So it's anniversaries for all those characters? Yes. Some huge anniversaries. So like I said, the 35th for Rugrats, which is crazy. I feel so old. I was going to say, I do as well. I cannot believe that they are hitting those milestones. Isn't that? But they're still so relevant, which is so fun that people still have the love for them and will show up for them. Well, we have those IPs still on some of our rides, which makes it very relevant too. So

[00:08:40] the costume characters for these retro IPs, they're all coming back? Yeah. So you normally don't see these out in the park, but we're having the Rugrats characters out here. We'll have Hey Arnold. And then of course, we'll have the SpongeBob characters, but we're going to just continue adding characters throughout the summer that you don't normally see from even Squidward. We'll have Mrs. Puff and Sandy Cheeks out as well. So people love the characters. So how do they find out what the schedule? Will that be on the website?

[00:09:08] Yep. So it'll be, of course, will be on the Mall of America website, but you can also visit nickelodeonuniverse.com backslash summer to see the full schedule lineup. Okay. So I heard a rumor that Kenan and Kel might be stopping by. Yes. So that's another really big anniversary. It is the 30th anniversary of the iconic show, Kenan and Kel. And so of course, we had to partner with our friends at Nickelodeon and see if we could

[00:09:36] get one of them out here. So we are doing a really fun pop-up, a Good Burger pop-up with an appearance with Kel Mitchell. So that'll be a really fun, nostalgic experience and memory for our 90s fans. That is super fun. So fun. I will be first in line. Oh, yeah. Me too. I feel like it's one of those. And I try not to drink our... I love our Kool-Aid, but I try not to drink the Kool-Aid too much. And I feel like I will show up first in line for this one. They are so fun.

[00:10:03] And I learned all these fun things about you, SJ. She fangirls over just random celebrities. It's very fun. I am very random on it. This is true, Jill. Ridiculous. I agree with this one. This one is really fun. And we're really embracing it too. So if you grew up watching this show, you also know he was a really big fan of orange soda. So over at Coaster Cafe, we're going to do a really fun orange soda drip with Pepsi in partnership. So that'll be just really fun and really nostalgic. And who's not going to want to try it?

[00:10:32] I was going to say, who doesn't like orange soda? I feel like that's a guilty pleasure of a lot of people. Totally. It's actually really good with, as a root beer float, you do the ice cream with orange soda. I also do grape soda. We do that when we're kids all the time. And that's what we consider a dirty soda? Is that considered a dirty soda? Yes. With ice cream? With the topping? With the cream, with like creams in it. So Coaster Cafe has that as well. But they also do it with Dippin' Dots. So like vanilla Dippin' Dots with orange soda. So good. Oh yeah, that'd be really good. Yeah.

[00:11:01] It would taste like those popsicles that you'd have when you're young. Yeah, the cream soda. Yeah, cream soda ones. We're going immediately. Okay, I like this idea. I thought dirty soda was when you just mix different soda flavors together. Oh, I thought that was a topping. It's really just contaminate a soda with anything. Yeah, right. Just like mix all the different flavors. I think that's what it is. It's a thing, girls. We're going to be on this. It is. Okay, was there more about Paw Patrol that you wanted to talk about? Yes. So people are such big fans of our Paw Patrol characters. So we're doing some really

[00:11:27] unique exclusive character experiences this summer. It'll be a little bit more of an intimate character experience where you can get snacks and sips with the Paw Patrol pups. And then they will teach you the pup pup boogie with Chase and Marshall so your kiddos can feel like they're part of the Paw Patrol crew. The pup pup boogie? The pup pup boogie. Are you going to demonstrate for us? I can't. Oh my goodness. Come on, Kelsey. I know the whole song and dance is the pup pup boogie, but I won't do the whole thing. But

[00:11:57] it's really cute. It's a really fun time. And then you can take all the time you need to get photos with the pups. And it's not a rushed experience at all. It's really intimate and fun. And they'll have multiple of those pups out there. So you can really get a unique photo op. And then you can also package it with ride passes. We'll have a special package. So you can do a full day of family fun. Did I hear that we might have a new pup joining us? Can we release that yet? Or is that- Yes. All the tells on this podcast. You're dishing everything.

[00:12:25] We are. We are getting a new Paw Patrol character this summer. So we will have Everest joining our crew. Yes. Which I have to laugh because one of our coworkers, I'm not going to disclose who it was, but I make fun of her about this all the time. But she forgot that it was Everest. And she said, oh yes, Avalanche is coming. And for the life of me, I'm like, what is Avalanche? I could not figure this out, but we figured that she was trying to say Everest. So that's one of my favorite pups. And it's a very, very cute costume character. She is very cute.

[00:12:54] All of our little fans and big fans will love that new character. Anything else for Nick Universe? We've covered a lot. Yeah, we did. We are also celebrating SpongeBob's birthday every summer. His birthday is in July. And then National Roller Coaster Day is also in the summer. So each year we have featured a different roller coaster. Last year we did Fairly Odd Parents, the Fairly Odd Coaster. And then this

[00:13:19] year we are celebrating Back at the Barnyard, which is a kid family coaster. But it's really fun because each year we do an exclusive coaster poster. And so it's a collectible. So people are starting to catch on to that and then come out and get that exclusive poster. That is so fun. And recently we posted about the Ryan event. So I think we should talk a little bit about that because you guys, it is going viral. It is crazy.

[00:13:45] We have millions of views on this right now. So if your name is Ryan, and we have two gentlemen in our production crew that are named Ryan, and they're super excited about this. I know you guys are. But if your name is Ryan, you are part of this exclusive group that gets to be invited to Mall of America. Is it on July 24th? July 24th. 24th. So yeah, tell us about it, Kelsey. I am so excited for this group to be coming. So it's the Ryan Meetup group, if you haven't heard.

[00:14:12] It's just a group of Ryans. They don't take life seriously. They're very silly. And they just thought it was funny to get together with people with the same name as them. And they just built this channel that has just continued to grow. And so they do different meetups throughout the States. And they wanted to do one here. They're going to a Twins game. And they thought, hey, while we're here, why don't we reach out to Mall of America and see if they want to do something? And of course,

[00:14:39] we leaned in so hard on this. We were like, yes, absolutely, that I think now we're almost the main event. We were like, what can we turn into a Ryan? Like Ryan Coaster, our Rotunda, we're turning into the Ritunda. Like we are so excited. And these are just such a fun group of guys and gals. If you have the name Ryan, like Jill was saying. Yeah, join us. Yeah, join us. So we're having, you can come out and ride the Ryan Coaster, which is the Pepsi

[00:15:05] Orange Streak for free on that Friday from 630 to 9. And if your name's Ryan, you get a ride for free. If not, tune in because the content will be so fun and silly to watch. And we're actually, I think we're going to try to record a podcast with these guys. So tune in for more details about the Ryan day at the mall. We're very excited because we just like hit crazy numbers on our TikTok posts. So we're going to shift back over to SJ. Let's talk a little bit

[00:15:33] about itineraries because we know we talked about planning to come for the summer, all the fun things that are happening in Nick Universe. Like check out our website, make sure you look at all that. But we also have curated some fun ideas for guests. So talk a little bit about the itineraries and where people can find that information on our website, I believe. Yes, absolutely. So it's mallofamerica.com backslash itineraries. And you can also just navigate from our homepage as well. But we actually heard about this from our guest service desk. We really realized that we're a large property. We have a lot going on. Obviously,

[00:16:01] we're already alluding to everything we have for the summer. How do we make it easier for people to come experience Mall of America in a smooth and seamless way, but throw in really fun tips and tricks as well to make it just fun. So we have itineraries on our website as we're talking about, and we cover a half day, a full day, and a partial, or I'm sorry, a multi-day where you can really see the full breadth of everything you can do. Again, we recognize we're large, but we have it all, and we want to encourage you to do the most and make the most of your trip here. So you can find it all on our website. We'll also

[00:16:30] have different social pieces of content throughout the summer that you can find. We're really trying to make it as fun and playful as possible, but again, trying to help people make the most of their trip when they're here. And I think what's important is we have a lot of people that haven't been here often, or maybe they're first-time visitors, so it's a great tool for them. But even for you locals that come all the time, it gives you those hints of like, it's always fresh and new and exciting. And there's so many things that you probably still have not yet discovered here because we keep learning about new hidden gems. So any tips from that of whether you're

[00:17:00] a local or you're a visitor? Yeah. To your point, both ways. Something that I learned as we were developing them is one of the tips and tricks is, did you guys know that Rainforest Cafe were the first Rainforest Cafe? I did know that. I knew that. I figured you did, but it was something that I thought was so interesting, and it's such a nostalgic location when you're here. And people know about it, obviously, from across the country, but we're the first. So it adds just to the fun and nostalgia of our brand. But also a coupon book is a huge tip and trick. We have a lot of great deals for all the brands

[00:17:26] under our roof. Stop and get a coupon book at one of our guest services first before you start your journey and do a little savings. I love that. And attraction bundles are a great way to plan and save. So Kelsey, give us a little tip on how to plan with attraction bundles. Yeah. Attraction bundles are super user-friendly. They're really easy to customize. You can pick the package that works best for your visit. So you can pick a bundle of two or up to five. And really,

[00:17:52] the more you bundle, the more you save. And you just add on your attractions when you get here. So it's super easy. That's great. What would you say is the most popular bundle that we sell? Well, each bundle includes a Nickelodeon Universe wristband. So you get rides with each bundle. And then people really like the highest package, which is a pack of five. It has the highest savings. You're saving about 45% off gate prices. It includes Sea Life, Flyover, Crayola. So you can

[00:18:18] visit all these fun attractions. You have three days to visit them, so you don't have to use it all up in one day. But it's a really great way to see new attractions and go to attractions that are your favorites. Especially if you're going to be coming for an entire weekend or coming to visit family and friends. It's like grab those bundles and you get a chance. You still have the time. You don't have to use them up in one day, like you said. So you can spend a couple hours here. You can go to a Twins game. The next day, you can go to a concert. You can come here and have some more fun. You can really make it- Maximize.

[00:18:45] Yes. And you can customize it based on what your itinerary or your agenda is. You don't want to have FOMO. I feel like you'll start walking around. You're going to see all these other options and attractions. Just do it ahead of time. Just get yourself ready. Absolutely. Anything else with attraction bundles? No, it's a great way to save. It's a great way to try new attractions. If you haven't tried activate, that's a really fun one. Burn off some energy. So there's really fun ones to try. And the full list is on our ticketing website. So you can see all the attractions that are included. So

[00:19:14] if you have any questions, you can check that out. Love it. Well, this is the time that I get to surprise you guys with some fun. They always get so nervous when I do this. But we're going to do a little game called MOA Summer Superlatives. So I'm just going to say a little brief statement or a little phrase, and then you guys just give me a good answer. So chill. This is stressful. A good answer. I don't want a bad answer. I want a good answer. Okay. So this MOA Summer Fun. So best spot to cool off on a hot day. Kelsey.

[00:19:43] The log shoot. That's a good one. I went beverages. I was thinking Nordstrom Ebar to go get a nice little soft drink. I like it. Okay, we'll start. We'll just go every other. Okay. SJ, most underrated ride in Nickelodeon universe. Oh my gosh. This is so hard. Ghost Blasters? I really like Ghost Blasters. I've written that one with you a few times. That is fun. Does she win or do you win?

[00:20:10] I don't usually win, so Kelsey would probably. I just am very entertained the whole time. I was going to say, I just love watching you just be entertained by it too. So I don't think I always look at my score. Jill, I feel like you're the competitive one. I am for sure. You're like, what's my score? That's why I'm like, who has the best score? You guys are just like, we're along for the ride. For those that have not been on the Ghost Blasters, you literally are shooting at little targets so you score points. So it is all about winning, people. Let's go. You're right, Jill. So what's your ride? It's underrated.

[00:20:36] I like Fly With Appa. It's a newer ride. So I don't think everyone's been on it, but it's been open now for a couple of years. It's really cute. It's just like a little gliding ride in the center of our park and it's really peaceful and fun for all ages. I love that. Okay. Best photo moment at MOA this summer? Ooh. We have a really fun photo op inside of Nickelodeon Universe. We just added it this spring,

[00:21:03] but it's a Double Dare photo op. So if you're a fan of those nostalgic moments, you know the iconic show Double Dare. We have a podium and a big picket nose. And if you're daring and put your hand up the nose, there's like feeling like gooey stuff in there, which was intentional. Okay. I'm laughing at Kate's face right now. We knew there was going to be some people out there that put their fingers up that nose and we wanted to have a surprise and delight for those that did.

[00:21:33] Oh my goodness. Okay. On to you, SJ. What's your photo moment? Oh my gosh. Okay. I'm going to have two. Can I have two? Yes, you can have two. So we have the Artful Arches, which is an art installation in our atrium on the north side, which is really beautiful. A lot of different arches to the name that you can take photos under, but also by the star on the north side too. It's just such an iconic location. The weather's nice. It's beautiful. Take that picture before you come in. Yeah. Or what I love is closer to sunset. There's some really pretty light elements with that. So if

[00:22:02] you stick around for sunset timeframe, I love that. Okay. The thing most guests don't know, but absolutely should. That we haven't talked about yet. I think one, I just want to say that you can get a point pass, a six point pass and go on just one ride if you want to. So you don't need the parks ungated if you have a limited amount of time, but you can still just hop on one ride. So getting our point passes, it's a great deal and a great

[00:22:30] way to have a little bit of fun during your day. I was going to go savings. I don't think a lot of people realize that we have a deals page. We have a lot of different, like a hub of the deals going on at Mall of America at any given time, no matter the season. So go to mallofamerica.com backslash deals, but it's just a great resource for a bunch of different savings. Great tip. Okay. Best thing to eat at MOA right now. We've just had some really good food

[00:22:53] places open. So really good food places. I keep going back to beverages. I really like Nico Nico, the bubble tea. They have a bunch of seasonal options and then coffee everywhere, but Nico Nico, there's several locations. I was going to say Roni's because they just opened. So if you're a mac and cheese fan, it doesn't even matter. Like if you're full or not, go. It is so delightful,

[00:23:18] but also Mogollon noodles. So hand pulled noodles. Those are two really just great new offerings, different aesthetics, different price points too, but both really great options. For the summer rewind and Nick you, who are you most excited to take a photo with? Arnold. Oh, the Rugrats. Oh shoot. That's so tough. You can have both. You can have both. Are all the Rugrats going to be there? Yes.

[00:23:42] Okay. Cause I want to picture with Angelica. Cause I hosted the toddler Tuesdays when I was back in the events department back in the day and Angelica was one of my favorite costume characters. That is a good one. I'm going to go Kel. I am really excited about this throwback. I mean, we've been talking about it. He is just so fun and such a core memory for me as a young person. So excited for that. So as we wrap up, personal favorite way to spend your summer day, like you personally,

[00:24:10] what do you love most about summer at Mall of America? Oh my gosh. Summer's my favorite season. And I say that like, I love our holiday season as well, but I love summer at Mall of America. I think the light coming in is amazing. All the different touch points of the property, but the, my journey at Mall of America on my favorite summer day, about the question, however one I would interpret it, I would say kind of what I alluded to earlier. I love coming early. I love getting the coffee. I love the natural light coming through. I love just

[00:24:36] to be able to walk around and take it all in. I would say that's my favorite part of the summer. How about you, Kelsey? I feel like you have extra time in the summer. Just with the light being out longer, I just feel like you have extra time. So for me, it is starting the day early, getting those coffees, getting those fun smoothies and drinks, and then spending just like a little bit more time here and spending more time at the park. And for some reason, being out until 9 PM with a little one

[00:25:03] doesn't feel as late as in the middle of the winter. So it just feels like you have this extra time to make memories with your family, which I really love. Okay. Leave our listeners and viewers with that one thing you want to make sure that they have on their list for this summer season and something that if they don't do it, they're going to be missing out. I would say check out the character schedule. Go to our website, nickelodeonuniverse.com backslashsummer and see all the really fun character experiences from the free photo apps

[00:25:32] to the experience with Kyle Mitchell this summer. You don't want to miss those. I say go through our mystery prize experience. It is so fun. Everyone's a winner. It's a really cool build out on our property too. Just make sure you give it a go. I mean, who doesn't love free staff? I know. Well, hopefully all of you listening and viewing got a lot of good tips for the summer because hopefully you guys can find your version of the great indoors here at Mall of America

[00:25:57] during the summer of 2026. We'd love to see you here. Bring your family, bring your friends, enjoy all the great outdoors, but come to the great indoors to get ready for the outdoors. So that's going to do it for this episode of So Much More. Be sure to like us and favorite us and make comments on our podcast because we'd love to hear from you. So we'll see you again soon. Have a great day. Thanks for listening to So Much More, a Mall of America podcast. Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This show is presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.