Ep. 86: Mall of America, Your Spring Break HQ

[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. Hey Mall of America fans, welcome to So Much More. We have a very special episode for you today, all about spring break. So getting you ready to pack your suitcases to head off to either a warm weather vacation, maybe the mountains, maybe the ski hills or an adventure. I want to get you ready

[00:00:27] for that, but also you might be planning to celebrate with some friends and family that are coming into town. So we want to give you some ideas for that or for your family to escape and have a little staycation here at Mall of America in Minnesota. So we have so much to share with you. So I'm your host, Jill Renslow. I have my co-host, Dan Jasper, as you guys all know very, very well. And excited to welcome SJ and Kelsey from our marketing team here that have so many wonderful ideas for all of you. So really excited.

[00:00:51] Our campaign this year is Yaycation. So I'm going to have SJ start off by telling us about the idea behind Yaycation. Yes. Well, it's fun and playful as it sounds. So I feel like as we all know, Mall of America is the destination and the hub of all things. Shop, dine, stay, play. That's really our tagline. And so when we were thinking about spring break, we were trying to embody what that meant to us. And Yaycation just felt like it was the big thing. We are the hub of all things. We are the yay. So we really wanted to lean into that and explore it a little bit further and build it out and make it a

[00:01:20] really fun, robust campaign. Well, it is very fun. The creative behind it, the imagery. So people need to go to our website, check everything out. So tons, tons of fun. So Dan, I know that you love to host people this time of year, especially to give them a little behind the scenes sneak peek of Mall of America. You host VIP tours. So talk to us about the tours and how people could maybe sign up to participate in what's one. Sure. And a lot of people don't know that we offer VIP behind the scenes tours. We do. They're amazing. So we have public tours and

[00:01:49] people can find those on our website. So go to mallofamerica.com, go to visit. You'll see a VIP tours located there. And then you can just register for the day, the time you'd like to come. Uh, and we limit groups to like 15 people. So it's a nice intimate experience doing those tours. Our, uh, experienced tour guys take you throughout the Mall of America. They tell stories about the history, fun facts about them all, but they also show you behind the scenes areas that you never get

[00:02:17] to see. I mean, you go behind one of our famous rides and you get to see how that operates. And it's actually really, really cool back there. You get to go into a holiday warehouse and it's one of three that we have here at Mall of America. And then we take you to a very, very special place. I'm not even going to say what it is to end the tour and you will leave with a smile on your face. Or if you're coming in with a larger family or a group, we're happy to customize that and book it at a time that's

[00:02:45] most convenient for you. That's great. So what is one of your favorite memories from giving tours, whether it's one of the stops on the tour, one of the groups. I know you've been known to make people cry once in a while because you have some very sentimental stories that you share. So share one of those stories with us. Yeah. And I just want to be really clear that we make them cry in a very good way. It's not a bad way. Um, because there are some really heart touching stories that we share about Mall of America and some of the people that have had an impact on this amazing place. Um, I'm just

[00:03:14] going to go with, I gave a tour just last week or the week before last, uh, to, um, I think it was Lakeville Chamber of Commerce. It was amazing. It was a smaller group, uh, of people that are familiar with the Twin Cities. They know the history of the mall. They love the mall. They were astonished at what they learned and it was so fun and had them laughing, had them crying. And at the end, they surprised me back in the office. They went and bought me a delicious dessert from Carlos Bakery. So,

[00:03:43] so it was a really good impact. That's great. I love that SJ and Kelsey. I know you guys have been on the tours before. What's one of your favorite moments? You want me to go first? Go for it. Dan, I feel like you do a tour like no one I've ever been on a tour with. I feel like I cannot stress that enough. If you have not booked, please book immediately. They're fantastic. Um, but I feel like some of my favorite elements of the tours that you provide, I feel like I learned a lot about our sports history. I love the different elements, especially Nickelodeon universe that set us apart

[00:04:10] and then just has such a rich outlet. It just contributes to us in such a different way. And I really loved hearing that storyline from you. So that's my favorite part, I would say. That's fun. Thank you. No, I love when people fact check Dan while they're on tour. They got their phones up and trust me, he is right on everything. So it is great. You retain all those facts, which is great. Kelsey, how about you? Yeah, I think all of the unique places that you see on the tours, I think one of my favorites is behind the log shoot. I think it's so exciting and just seeing people's faces light up because it's such an

[00:04:40] they get so excited. They can see behind the scenes of the log shoot. I also think the holiday storage space, everyone knows them all is so huge, but when you see that storage place, it is crazy how big it is and how much stuff we actually have for holiday that all comes out. It's great. Hmm. And I don't want to give away the secrets, but we just added a new element to the storage space. We put on display Christopher Straub during the Super Bowl in 2018 designed five beautiful outfits for us

[00:05:08] all to honor the Super Bowl. Those are now on display with a story behind each of them. It's really cool to see. How many people buy you snacks after? I feel like this has got to be an astronomical amount. I would buy you snacks. Now I feel like I'd let you down. Thank you. No, no, no, no, no. That's good. I mean, I've had a lot of people offer to go and take me out, you know, to dinner, to drink. I haven't accepted one marriage proposal so far. Dan. I'm kidding. I was going to say, wait, I didn't hear both of us. I'm kidding. I haven't had a lot of tours yet. That is great. That is great.

[00:05:38] Didn't happen. You should just tell everyone that instead. Just like keep it on the, I've been proposed to. I love it. Well, I think it's ironic that Kelsey brought up some facts about Nickelodeon because Kelsey is our in-house Nickelodeon expert planning all these fun things for families to enjoy. We know that a lot of the families that come here during spring break love our attractions. Obviously, our showcase piece is Nickelodeon Universe. So talk about some of the fun things that people can do and whether they need, let them know they need to plan in advance if you need to book tickets or

[00:06:07] anything or if you can just come and enjoy the time. So start rolling down the list. Yeah. Well, it's slime break at Nickelodeon Universe right now. So we have all things slime and we've brought back our famous get slimed at Nickelodeon Universe. So we have our huge slimeulator. It's the famous Nickelodeon blimp and it's your chance to come out to the park and get slimed again. So you can come, you can do it yourself or you can bring some friends to do it with you. But it's a really fun experience. It does sell out so you can book your reservation online,

[00:06:36] but it's a fun show. Our Nickelodeon entertainment team does a fun dance. So come out and watch it, whether you want to get slimed yourself or if you just want to get a coffee and watch people get slimed, Coaster Cafe is right next door. It's so entertaining. Sounds very memorable and I'm assuming great photo op for people to be able to capture, you know, have to keep and also to share online. Absolutely. And we have a commemorative towel. So if you do get slimed, you get an I got slime towel that you can take home with you and bring out to the beach. A little badge of honor.

[00:07:06] Yeah, a little badge of honor. I like that. What else do you have going on in Nick Universe? Yeah, lots going on. So if you don't want to get slimed, we also have DIY slime making. So you can make some slime, bring it home. And then we are also celebrating Avatar's 20th anniversary. It is the 20th anniversary of the Avatar Last Airbender show, but we are celebrating the one year anniversary of Fly with Appa. So this is a family friendly ride. It's the one

[00:07:32] year anniversary. It's a really fun, cute ride where you can jump on a sky bison with your friends and family. But with that event, we're going to have the character meet and greet. So Aang will come out and then we'll also have airbrush tattoos so you can select your element, which is really fun. That is very cool. And Fly with Appa, that's located right around the corner from the Eminem experience. So in the northeast corner of the park, plus the Avatar Airbender, which is my favorite

[00:07:59] ride in the park, is right in the center. It's kind of that skateboard looking ride, which is very thrilling and enjoyable for all ages. Yeah. And it has such good views. So truly for all ages, get on the ride. It's more thrilling than you would think because the goal is really fast. And then you can control it. You can go up and down at the ride. It's really cute. Especially if you can get them spinning. Oh yeah. You have the right weight distribution. You can really get it spinning while you're going up and down. So have you guys done Fly with Appa yet?

[00:08:27] I have not. And I need to. I feel embarrassed that I don't. I have. And it's very fun. And just the ride vehicles are just so adorable, right? But then Avatar is just amazing because you feel like you're going to go out. I feel like I'm going to go out through the ceiling, right? That's what it feels like. It's just a fun ride. It is a fun ride. Oh, go ahead. I was going to say, fun fact. So if you're a fan of the show, the voice actor of Aang does our ride safety announcement at the beginning of the ride. So it's actually the character that you hear on the

[00:08:57] show does our announcement. So he does the yip-yip to get the ride started, which is really, if you're a fan of the show, you know that's how Appa gets up and soars. So it's the actual voice that does Aang from the show. Oh, that's cute. One of our most popular merchandise items is Appa, which is crazy because we sell a lot of them online, but also in store. And I think there's a new, very large scale Appa coming soon, which you'll have to do. If you guys are fans, come check it out on our retail stores because

[00:09:26] that's coming soon. Yes, it's in the works. There is also a fantastic sweepstakes. I believe you've got kicked off here soon. So tell us about that. Yes. We have the ultimate spring break sweepstakes giveaway. We're giving away two trips to the Nickelodeon hotels and resorts. So two lucky families will have a chance to go to the Nickelodeon themed resorts in either Punta Cana or Riviera Maya. It's super easy to enter the sweepstakes in our North atrium space. We'll have a couple of kiosks set up and you can bring your MOA

[00:09:56] Insiders app, scan to enter to win. We'll have that through March through April. And then there's two ways to enter. So download the MOA Insiders app, scan every time you come during spring break, you enter to win. But you can also use your points. So when you shop, enter your receipts, you can enter, get extra entries to enter that sweepstakes. Very cool. Yeah. I would imagine we can't register since we work here. I'm guessing it's not eligible. Dang it. Although those sound like fabulous destinations.

[00:10:26] Yes. I love it. When I looked up some fun facts, did you guys know that over half of spring breakers go to Mexico for their giveaway? I believe it. Which doesn't surprise me because a lot of college students are going to spring break, but also a lot of families go down there. So Mexico is a very hot spot. Actually Cancun specifically. So very fun. Now, I also heard as we turn the corner towards Easter, we have a little Easter promotion. Thankfully, we don't have to rely on the eggs, the real eggs, but we have a scrambled egg mix up.

[00:10:55] So talk a little bit about that. Yeah. So we have really fun, giant, oversized Easter eggs hidden throughout the park. We have six of them. Each have a different Nickelodeon character hidden on them. And then we have this really fun scavenger hunt map that you can purchase at any of the Knicks stores. And then you can go throughout the park, find these fun Easter overlays, look for them and match the characters on the map. You can bring it back and get a prize at the end. So it's really cute. And we also, we have SpongeBob in his bunny ears, which is really cute. So you can get a photo

[00:11:24] with him as well. If you're looking forward to spring, it's a really cute photo app, fun overlays for the season that we just have out for a couple of months of the year. So you'll have to come out and check it out. Very fun. You can find out all that information on nickelodeonuniverse.com or go through mallofamerica.com through the attractions to Nickelodeon. Yep. All those fun things. So there's also a lot of people that come from out of town to Mall of America during the holidays or during the spring break timeframe. What are some great tips with regards

[00:11:52] to maybe looking for hotels and also other packages and things like that? What would you guys recommend? Yeah, I'm happy to go first. So our A-Res or hotel partner, so on mallofamerica.com, you can find some links to explore other hotels. So we have a wide swath of hotels that we are partners with that also offer great deals and incentives. So if you go to mallofamerica.com, you can learn a little bit more, but I would highly recommend that specifically if you're looking for a place to stay. But of course, too, on mallofamerica.com, we have a variety of deals,

[00:12:20] attraction bundles, just anything that you could be looking for to make your experience better and at a better cost-effective price point for yourself too. Absolutely. Now, Dan, I know that you have a lot of folks, whether it's through the tours or through other means as far as with presentations that you give and things. Talk about kind of the staycation package or when we look at the locals that like to just come and get away for a couple days. They do. And we have lots of locals come during spring break and they really enjoy it.

[00:12:50] They'll come for a day or two. Oftentimes, they will stay at a local hotel. And we have, what, something like 45 within a couple of miles of Mall of America. They all have free shuttle service to Mall of America, which makes it really convenient, especially for those that are local that are staying here. And families love to come because many of those hotels have pools and stuff. So they can spend the day at Mall of America. They can go to Nickelodeon. They can go to Sea Life. They can do some really cool shopping, have dinner. And then oftentimes, they'll go back to their hotel and

[00:13:20] enjoy water time in the pool. I get to talk to a lot of families who come and a lot who are local as well. And they absolutely love it. And among all those hotels, there's a number of them that are literally right across the street. We have two attached, which are awesome, but then right across the street and people just stay there. They walk over and that's part of their adventure too. And it's actually kind of fun during spring break. It's a beautiful day today that we're taping this, but sometimes you have a little snow flurries coming down and stuff. And I love watching those

[00:13:49] families walk over for their adventure. The kids are just enjoying it. The best part, now this doesn't happen as much with locals, but with those who are visiting for the first time is when you're standing down at our north entrance and you watch families come in. And especially when they enter Nickelodeon for the first time. First of all, they all have cameras, right? And they're all doing this as they walk in and taking video and stuff and taking selfies. And it's just cool because they're all smiling

[00:14:15] and they're all happy and they're all excited. And even with our locals, because I do get to talk to a lot of them, when they come in, something about this place just brings out a joy within them. And it's just a fun place to come, relax, spend time with family or friends. And that's why we love spring break as well because so many of those folks. Well, there's something for everyone. And that's what I love about Mall of America. And I would love for each one of you to share, for that family that's on a tighter budget and they're coming

[00:14:43] because it might maybe just be a couple day getaway. What are some of those fun finds or fun activities that people can do that doesn't cost a lot, but that you can have a lot of fun here and really have something for all ages. So do you want to start us with something that's more budget friendly here? Yeah. I would say attraction bundles. I mentioned that earlier. So if you are a big attraction based family, if you know your kiddos are in that age range for a Nickelodeon, a Crayola, or we have a variety of other attractions too, we offer a really great program

[00:15:11] for you to bundle so you can maximize your budget and also see more. So if you're here for one or two days, it's going to be the best bang for your buck and also the most fun. We see so many people who are looking for that attraction driven element when they're here, especially when it's kind of cold outside. So I would say attraction bundles, hands down. You can find more information at mallofamerica.com for that. That's great. Kelsey, how about you? Absolutely. I mentioned it earlier, but honestly coming out to watch people get slimed is so much fun. Watching someone else get slimed.

[00:15:39] Someone else get slimed. And there's a full show, so you can come out, watch the show. There's a dance routine. It's really cute to watch. We also have the DIY slime making, so you can get a six point pass and participate in that activity. And you can get six point passes for any of our individual rides too. So if you want to come out, just try one ride or two. You can go and fly with APA and you just do that experience. And it's really great time with the family and you don't have to do a full day of rides, but you still get that experience. Dan, how about you? Yeah. A couple of things I would

[00:16:09] mention for family. First of all, we have a ton of events that take place and they're almost always free, right? So folks should check out our website, mallofamerica.com. Look for events because we have stuff going on all the time and it's really fun to watch. A lot of people don't know we have a really nice movie theater here, which is often, and they have a special day. I think it's Tuesdays or something when it's a cheaper price. So that might be a really affordable option. Our Lego store, which just going in there is amazing. But if you have little kids, they have this whole play area

[00:16:38] where they can just play with Legos for like three hours and keep them happy. And right across from Lego, just down the hallway is Capital One Cafe. So if mom and dad just need some quiet and a cup of coffee, go in there, have a cup of coffee. Don't leave your kids. I'm not saying leave your kids. Make sure your kids are in tow. But it is kind of a nice quiet place that's inexpensive to have a cup of coffee as well. So there's a lot to do here on a budget. There really is. Yeah. Go ahead. I was just going to say, just to add on really quick too, we don't talk a lot about it,

[00:17:06] at least haven't so far in this episode, but our loyalty program. So if you're looking for additional deals, whether that's going to be for attractions or dining or retail, our loyalty program on our Mall of America app will give you a bunch of fresh deals too. If you're looking for idea starters or just again, a good discount. Yeah. I think people watching and just exploring and discovering different things, I think for a family, you'd be able to do some planning before they come out here. Even if it's just making a list of a variety of different things that they want to go see,

[00:17:33] there's fun photo ops along the way. But even if you create your own scavenger hunt and kind of create that list of things you want to go see, and then you take pictures in front of those places and put together a fun little album of all the exploration that you've conquered. So I think there's just so many things just to walk around and check things out. As you guys know, we have miles and miles of area to walk in that's outside the element and being connected to light rail transit also makes it super convenient for people to check out downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and

[00:18:01] everything in between. So depending on the weather, because we never know in March what's going to happen, but we truly have people coming from across the United States throughout the whole entire month of March and into April. And so we have it all mapped out because there's hundreds of thousands of people that are on their way out from school and having some time away. So as we noted that you might not be coming here maybe to spend your spring break, but a lot of people come out here to prepare for their spring break and getting their suitcases ready. So you might still have a few items

[00:18:28] that you're looking for, whether that's a swimsuit or some flip-flops, some different things. So SJ, I would love for you to share some of those tips and tricks about getting ready for spring break and maybe some of the new stores that we have open that people might want to shop at before they leave. Yeah, absolutely. Well, finding out that 50% of people go to Mexico is blowing my mind a little bit, though I shouldn't be shocked either. And also I just got back from Mexico. So I feel like I can give some good tidbits on this. Is Pack Light, we were talking about this right before, is do you need

[00:18:54] the big suitcase? Probably not. But if you do bring the big suitcase, you can try to find some items that are going to be light, airy, and more effective and helpful for you as you are traveling. But I have a good little list for you guys today on places that I think that you should go based on any individual that you have within your family and what their age bracket is. So if you're looking for swim, again, that 50% to Mexico, Old Navy, Macy's, Nordstrom, they're all great options at any price point for the family, whether it's

[00:19:19] for you, your partner, or your kids. They have something for everyone, which is fantastic. If you're looking for something a little bit more trendy for the teens, Addicted has been a huge hit, opened with us last year. They're fun. Highly recommend if you have not made it in yet. They're going to be a great option for you. If you're looking for just fun pieces, that bright, playful, which is very trendy right now, just that vibrance. I'm wearing a bright green shirt right now if you're watching or if you're not, but I feel like Aritzia, H&M, Zara are great options for that too. For fun menswear, we opened

[00:19:49] Chubbies last year. Chubbies is huge not only for swim, but also for just that fun, playful, show us a little extra thigh if that's something that you're interested in. But also for athleisure, I know that when we get on the planes or even when you're there, you want to have something a little bit more comfortable. Free People Movement just opened last year and has been a huge hit for us. Wilson or Viore are all great options too for that athleisure. And then two other quick ones, if you're looking for comfort shoes, Kizik opened with us last year

[00:20:16] too. They're new and they're fantastic for those slip-on shoes. And then also for sunglasses, Shady Rays. So I gave you guys a large list, but all good options. And we highly recommend you come and shop with us before you head out. And hundreds more. Hundreds more. That doesn't fit your list. We have something for everybody. Yes. Love that. Okay. How about favorite restaurants? When people are here, you always need to take a little time to refuel and keep going. So what are the hot spots for where

[00:20:43] you guys like to dine, Kelsey? I was going to say, just on that Mexico train, Cantina Laredo. So good. And they have really great lunch specials, which are really feeling amazing. And then the chips and salsa, so good. Their margaritas are so good. They have a really good spicy margarita. So that would be mine. Love it. We should have brought spicy margaritas for this. I know. I know. It would have been very fitting for the theme. Well, I love Cantina Laredo as well. And they have great – I'm vegetarian.

[00:21:10] They have great vegetarian options for someone who's looking for that. I also like – this is someone that's been around for a while, but they have really good options, is Crave. I like Crave up on third floor. They have pretty much everything that you would want to have. But my favorite is Twin City Grill. It's just kind of been a classic forever, and I've loved it since before I worked here. Best mac and cheese ever. French onion soup, I was going to say the same. Oh, tried and true.

[00:21:37] True. See, when we talk about restaurants, we need to eat lunch before. We should. We should. I'm so hungry. As we're thinking about it. I'm so hungry. Ask you what some of your favorites. I am on the experience train. I ditto everything that you guys have said thus far, but I love Benihana for that little bit of a show if you're looking for something fun, not only for the kiddos, but also just for adults. It's just a good time. And then Kira Sushi. So it's our unique sushi spot where they have conveyor belts of sushi coming around. So if you want something that's a little bit more engaging or for that younger person too, that's fun, I would say those

[00:22:07] two options are great. One of my favorites is Nordstrom Cafe. It's a nice little getaway. You get to have the sunlight because it's one of the only restaurants outside of our hotels that have the windows. That's always a nice one. And then there's so many. Fire Lake is one of my favorites in Radisson Blue. It depends on kind of what type of vibe you're looking for, but even we have so many quick

[00:22:33] things and go. But food courts oftentimes get very busy on the weekends during spring break. So just plan ahead, maybe have your meals at off times, maybe go a little bit earlier, a little bit later, just so you miss the rushes. But we're expecting some big crowds. I think the key thing is to plan, look at our website, get things in advance the best you can because the weekends will be very busy. I know two family favorites for people on spring break are Rainforest Cafe. That's a huge one. So if you can,

[00:23:00] make a reservation or Bubba Gump, right? Because those are very family friendly and kids love Rainforest. Just the whole atmosphere. Oh, it's classic. Nostalgic. Yes. We also have a lot of other attractions we mentioned, Nickelodeon Universe. I believe there's some other special things happening at Sea Life. Kelsey, do you have some details on Sea Life? Yeah, they have really fun tours. So you can go, they have behind the scenes tours as well.

[00:23:28] But just going through the attraction, you can go through the tunnel and see all the different sharks. And then they have their turtles. So they do save the sea turtles. That's a big, big one for this coming month. But they have some special animals that you can see right now. So another great one to visit. Yeah, I was just gonna say the cool thing with Sea Life for those who have been there in a while is not only is it a fun atmosphere and something fun for kids to do, but they're educational.

[00:23:54] And they really try to teach from a conservation point of view. And I love that about them. It's a good, good partner of ours. Other fun attractions to must see. Oh my gosh. I know that I've said this on the podcast numerous times, but I have to keep plugging them. Activate! It's us too favorite. Activate! Oh, it's a blast. So six and older, but it's obviously really fun for teenagers, adults, no matter your family size, is a phenomenal attraction. And then also Cocomelon is obviously great

[00:24:21] two for six and below. I know I've plugged them multiple times, but they are so fun. It just feels like a nice little breath of fresh air outside of the mall. So if you're looking for a little bit of an escape, those are two really great ones too. But when you go into the bundling section of our website, you can see all the different attractions, whether you want to go to Wink World or Museum of Illusions or do a little miniature golf at Moose Mountain. There's a variety of different things. And if you want to do a full day or if you just are looking for something to fill an hour, a lot of different varieties. So definitely check that out. So another thing that happens this time of year

[00:24:49] is prom. So I know a lot of families will be able to do double duty, have some fun spring break getaways, but also their younger ones might be looking for some prom getaway or attire. So Esther, do you have a couple quick retailers that they can check out while they're here? Jill, I thought you'd never ask. I would say Macy's, of course, Nordstrom are fantastic, but we also have Maggie's Boutique, which specializes in prom outfits, dresses, and other items that you would need. So we have a variety of other options to the point we've been making. We talk a lot about spring break,

[00:25:18] but we have a lot of really great choices too for prom. Fantastic. Well, we're going to wrap up this section with a little trivia because you guys know that I love trivia. And this is fun for listeners to follow along and also to guess because a lot of these might be a little... Actually, all four of them are multiple choice. Oh, great. Okay. So if you guys have the answer, you need to chime in by saying your first name and then you will... And if you cheat, then you get docked points. Here we go. Okay. First question. There's four questions. First one talks about the origin of spring break.

[00:25:46] So true or false, a swim coach from Colgate University took his team to Fort Lauderdale in 1936 and it eventually turned into a tradition. True or false? Dan. Yes. True. It is true. So isn't that a fun little... That's the group of swimmers back in 1930. Wow. Yeah. I would not have made something like that up. That would have been false. It was kind of a chance, right? We're just getting warmed up here. Okay. So talking about hot spots for party in 1985, which city held the record for the

[00:26:15] most spring break visitors? A, South Padre. B, Fort Lauderdale. C, Cancun. D, Daytona Beach. Sarah. Okay. I'll give it to us, Jay. Thank you. A, that's wrong. Next. Dan. Dan. South Padre. That was A and that was already wrong. Oh, I didn't mean A. I meant the last one. That was wrong too. Kelsey, you're down to either Fort Lauderdale or Cancun. I would say Cancun. Wrong. Okay. The answer was Fort Lauderdale. 350,000 spring breakers.

[00:26:44] It was the original spring break capital before the city started cracking down on its party scene. Okay. So those of us that remember MTV, what year did MTV launch its first spring break special? A, 1979. B, 1986. C, 1992 or D, 2001. Kelsey. I'm going to go SJ. 86. That is correct. Good job. So MTV revolutionized, oh my gosh, I can't say this word, spring break with wild beach

[00:27:15] performances, celebrity guests, and iconic pop culture moments. Amazing. Well done. Thank you. And who was alive in 1986 to see that? Yay. Oh my gosh, Dan. Thanks for making us feel very old. Okay. Last question. Which U.S. city officially banned alcohol on this beach during spring break to control crowds? A, Miami Beach. B, Panama Beach. C, Myrtle Beach. Or D, South Padre.

[00:27:40] Kelsey. Kelsey. Kelsey. B. Yay. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, city beach. They banned drinking in 2015 after years of rowdy parties. Wow. I think we've heard of a few other cities that have instilled that as well, just to keep it under control for all ages to enjoy. But you know what? Spring break is right here and we have been enjoying seeing a lot of friends and family here already. So we look forward to having you and your family and friends join us on spring break, whether you're here to entertain, have fun with your families or prepare for your packing,

[00:28:09] for your getaway. So thank you for joining us for this episode of So Much More and we will see you soon. 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.