Discovery Cube OC: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of The Sewer Oct 1 - Jan 16

Last night I was invited to check out the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Secrets of the Sewer Exhibit at the Discovery Cube OC! I grew up as a huge fan of the heroes in a half-shell and brought along a couple of friends to join in on the fun! We were given ninja masks and quickly went to check out the exhibit!

Not only is Leonardo the leader of the turtles but he is also my favorite turtle! He is my favorite because he always tries to do the right thing!

The exhibit features a ton of hand-on, interactive areas to put your teamwork and problem-solving skills to the test!

First Look at BubbleFest 2016 at the Discovery Cube OC! Celebrating its 20th Year!

One of my favorite events of the year is back! Bubblefest 2016 is here and celebrating its 20th Anniversary! Here my friend Lorrie and I are with master Bubble scientist Deni Yang!

This is the first year they brought all of the fun activities indoors! There is so much to do with your kids!

One of my favorite things are the hands on activities that actually teach you about different scientific principles.

Sasaki Time at BubbleFest 2015 at the Discovery Cube OC!

Hard to believe that another year has come and gone and it is once again time for Bubblefest at the Discovery Cube OC!

This is the first year that the awesome Mega Bubblefest Laser Show is located in the amazing new expansion space!

This sign greets you to a variety of activities that are all outdoors!

Here I am showing off my graceful skills inside the inflatable ball sitting on water! I never knew that had inflatable balls for adults! This is something I am going to do every year from now on! Kids shouldn't have all the fun!

Ever been inside a bubble before? My friend Carla, Kristen and I put the team to the test as they had never put three adults in a bubble before!

Here I am back outside and putting my bubble skills to the test! I think I passed!

Inside the state-of-the-art theater that is host to the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show!

This is the show that I look forward to each and every year!

Deni Yang is the Bubble Man and will astound you with the things he can do with bubbles!

The show is not to be missed! Let's look at some of the highlights!

Smoked filled bubbles are really cool to watch in the air.

Blowing smoke rings right at the audience!

Creating enormous bubbles!

The sheer joy of a gazillion bubbles!

The laser show has been greatly expanded this year and to great effect!

Deni is amazing!

Remember to check out the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show! It is an experience you will never forget!

It was a pleasure to meet the Bubble Man himself!

Bubblefest runs until April 12th! It continues to be one of my favorite events of the year and the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show in its new theater takes this show to a whole different level! A great day to spend with the kids and arrive early if you want to be able to try out all the activities!

To learn more check out the link below:

http://www.discoverycube.org/oc/exhibits/bubblefest/

Discovery Cube OC Opens New Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater with Annual Bubblefest Extravaganza

Discovery Cube Orange County Opens New Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater with Annual Spring Break Extravaganza: Bubblefest XIX

OC’s most POPular event begins March 28 and features the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show in the $1.5 million, first-of-its-kind Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater

Santa Ana, Calif. (March 9, 2015) – Discovery Cube Orange County’s most POPular event, Bubblefest, returns to the Cube March 28 through April 12, 2015. The annual festival will include the fan favorite Mega Bubblefest Laser Show, featuring star performer Deni Yang, and a variety of fun bubble activities, such as: Bubble Lagoon, Bubble Wall, Cube Jr. bubble play area, “Me in a Bubble” photo opportunity, and the best food trucks in Orange County. Special to this year’s festival is the grand opening of the $1.5 million Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater, which was generously funded by the Argyros Family Foundation. The 10,000 square-foot flexible space is a first-of-its-kind in the museum world with the ability to transform from a world-class exhibit hall to a 500 seat theater.

Inside the Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater, bubble fanatics will witness Bubble Scientist Deni Yang perform his signature bubble artistry and stunts with bubbles, smoke, lasers, and a few young volunteers from the audience. His repertoire of tricks include a bubble carousel, smoking bubbles, bubbles within bubbles, and many more. Yang has been demonstrating bubble art with his family since childhood. Through his career, he has earned international acclaim and the Guinness World Record for producing the largest bubble ever, measuring over 170 feet.

“Ambassador and Mrs. Argyros’ generous gift enables the Cube to continue to offer programs that connect real science with exciting topics to inspire children and adults throughout the community,” said Joe Adams, CEO, Discovery Science Foundation.  “Given their commitment to the children of Orange County, it is absolutely fitting that this year we are featuring our most popular signature event, Bubblefest and the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show, inside the brand new, state-of-the-art Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater.”

The Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater is a stunning climate-controlled venue, with innovative flex-space design. Designed by nationally renowned architects John Sergio Fisher & Associates, this exceptional visual and technical facility will feature digital surround-sound and state-of-the-art lighting. The Julianne Argyros Showcase Theater will serve nearly one million visitors annually and host special events, galas, lectures, science fairs and other fun community events throughout the year.

Along with the featured Mega Bubblefest Laser Show, the outdoor festival will offer hands-on exhibits and experiments to demonstrate science concepts on surface tension, elasticity, air pressure, friction and energy. These science concepts are brought to life through hands-on, soapy fun for children and parents of all ages. Guests will also enjoy a fun inflatable play zone with slides and obstacle courses.

To top off a day bursting with fun, guests visiting Bubblefest will also get to experience LEGO Travel Adventure and National Geographic Presents Earth Explorers. These two exhibits bring to life travel and adventure across the globe through interactive set pieces and exhibits.

Bubblefest XIX, which includes the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show, Water Spheres, and all outdoor activities are an additional charge of $5 for members and $7 for non-members on top of general admission to Discovery Cube Orange County. Tickets can be bought online at www.discoverycube.org or on campus at Discovery Cube OC. General admission prices are as follows: adult ($16.95), senior ($12.95), and children 3-14 ($12.95). During Bubblefest, Discovery Cube OC will have extended hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Discovery Cube OC is located at 2500 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California 92705. 

About Discovery Science Foundation

The Discovery Science Foundation serves as the program-development, marketing and fundraising arm for hands-on science learning museums in Orange County and Los Angeles. Established in 1989, the original non-profit Taco Bell Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, now renamed Discovery Cube Orange County, presented by Taco Bell, continues to inspire and educate millions of young minds through engaging science based programs and exhibits. In 2012, the Center was named one of the ten “Most Trusted Brands” in Orange County and in 2013 was awarded the National Medal of Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In November 2014, Discovery Cube Los Angeles, a second not-for-profit museum offering an exhibit and program mix unique to Los Angeles, opened in the Hansen Dam Recreational Area of the San Fernando Valley.  For more information, call (866) 552-CUBE (2823) or visitwww.discoverycube.org. Follow the Orange County and Los Angeles campus on Twitter (@DiscoveryCubeOC and @DiscoveryCubeLA).

About Deni Yang

Deni Yang has been combining entertainment, art and science performing in bubble shows for the most of his young life. Following in the footsteps of his parents Fan and Ana Yang, Deni has entertained audiences around the world with his marvelous stage performances. His first live appearance was at the age of four on RAI 1 Italian Television where he fascinated millions of viewers across Europe. It was the beginning of what would eventually bring Deni international acclaim at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival (Monaco) in 1997, where he solidified his career as a bubble artist.

Deni has toured the globe with his spectacular stage show and has been featured at the National Museum of Science and Technology (Ottawa, Canada) and the Pacific Science Centre (Seattle, WA). He has also made numerous appearances on television shows around the world in Italy, Greece, France, and USA. Most recently Deni starred in the “White Bubble Show” in Seoul, Korea. For more information on Deni, visit gazillionbubbleshow.com

About John Sergio Fisher and Associates

John Sergio Fisher and Associates (JSFA) is an award winning architectural, planning/urban design, theatre and acoustical consulting firm. Celebrating its 37^th anniversary, JSFA focuses on theatres, performing arts centers, entertainment and educational facilities; and it specializes in programming and design of new, restored and renovated theatres, as well as visual/performing arts and entertainment facilities. JSFA has designed over 285 performing arts venues throughout the US, Europe, Asia and South America.  Projects include dance studios, theme parks, exhibits, fairs, video studios and specialty cinemas, sound stages, radio and recording studios, editing facilities and multimedia conference rooms, as well as educational institutions. JSFA is one of only three firms in the U.S. with in-house theatre and acoustical consulting divisions. Notable clients include:  Orange County Performing Arts Center Samueli Theatre Renovation; Orpheum Theatre; Shanghai Disneyland Walt Disney Theatre; Newseum 4D Theatre; and Times Square Broadway 4D Theatre to name a few. www.jsfarchs.com

Discovery Cube OC Hosts Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails

Discovery Cube OC Hosts Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails
Guests are invited to climb aboard on an imaginative adventure featuring everyone’s favorite train engine beginning Oct. 4, 2014

SANTA ANA, Calif. (Sept. 30, 2014) – The world’s most beloved blue engine rolls into Discovery Cube OC just in time for the holiday season on October 4, 2014. Thomas & Friends®: Explore the Rails is an interactive, hands-on exhibit, and is locally sponsored by PBS SoCal. The exhibit is set to run through January 4, 2015.

Featuring the favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends, the STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) -focused exhibit seeks to engage children and families in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences.  The exhibit incorporates foundational STEM practices that encourage thinking mathematically, making comparisons, experimenting to solve problems using a variety of methods and tools, thinking creatively and reflecting on actions and results.

Visitors to the 1500 square foot exhibit will be delighted as they find themselves surrounded by the Island of Sodor’s iconic locations: Knapford Station, Sodor Steamworks and much more. In the exhibit, children help Thomas and his friends solve a variety of challenges, from a simple sorting and shape identification activity to more complex engineering obstacles, such as completing a train track using track pieces with different levels of elevation. As children confront new challenges and test their abilities, the smiling faces of Thomas, Percy, Victor and others are there to offer encouragement and remind children how “really useful” they all are.

Inside the Exhibit:

• Climb into Thomas’ cab and explore the engine’s inner workings. Flip levers and investigate other moveable parts that trigger train noises such as braking, whistles and steam.
• Fix Percy’s wobbly wheel by removing and replacing parts and experimenting to find a combination of wheels, rods and bolts that work.
• Explore the favorite Island of Sodor destinations including: Tidmouth Sheds, Brendam Docks and the Sodor Search & Rescue Station on an over-sized Thomas Wooden Railway train table.
• Work with old and new friends loading luggage, livestock and other freight into the coaches of two train cars.
• Collaborate with others to get Percy moving by loading coal into his coal box and filling his tank with water from a water tower.
• Suit up as the conductor to exchange money and sell tickets to other visitors taking a ride on the train.
• Wander through a Thomas & Friends retrospective featuring model engines from the original live action series produced in London, copies of the original drawings and manuscripts from the Rev. W. Awdry, the creator of Thomas & Friends, and a collection of memorabilia documenting the history and evolution of Thomas & Friends through books, television, and toys.

The Thomas & Friends exhibit was designed and developed by Minnesota Children’s Museum in partnership with HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. The national tour is sponsored by 3M.  PBS SoCal is the local media sponsor for the exhibit and the television home for Thomas & Friends. PBS SoCaL is excited that their PBS show is being brought to life by this dynamic exhibit for Thomas & Friends’ fans across Southern California.

Doors open to the public on October 4, 2014. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails is included with general admission fees. Tickets can be purchased at Discovery Cube Orange County or online at www.discoverycube.org/oc. General admission prices are as follows: adult ($16.95), senior ($12.95), and children ages 3-14 ($12.95).

About Thomas & Friends®
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created by a father for his son nearly 70 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages.  The #1 blue engine and his friends invite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and teamwork.  Thomas & Friends is the #1 preschool toy license in the US, according to The NPD Group, Inc., and makes tracks to great destinations on PBS KIDS® and Sprout® in the US and on Treehouse and Télé-Québec in Canada and with downloadable episodes available through iTunes. For more information, please visit Thomas and Friends website. Follow Thomas onFacebook and Twitter.

About Minnesota Children’s Museum
For more than 30 years, Minnesota Children’s Museum has combined early childhood research and best practices to provide children and families with hands-on experiences that develop healthy minds and bodies, build critical and creative thinking skills and prepare children for success in school and in life. A non-profit community organization and leading cultural institution, the Museum serves more than 450,000 children and adults each year through immersive experiences and environments that encourage children’s active exploration and adult engagement.

As the nation’s leading developer of traveling children’s museum exhibits, the Museum is a trailblazer in creating immersive learning environments, reaching more than 10 million children and adults in the United States, Canada and Mexico through the nation’s largest collection of children’s traveling exhibits. The Museum is consistently rated as one of the top children’s museums in the country by national media outlets like Forbes and Parents and was recently named as a finalist for an Institute of Museum and Library Services Medal of Service, the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries.

About Hit Entertainment
HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading preschool entertainment companies, specializing in building powerful brands based on engaging stories.  HIT Entertainment’s world-class portfolio includes  Thomas & Friends®, Mike the Knight™, Fireman Sam®, Bob the Builder, Barney®, Angelina Ballerina®, Pingu® and Rainbow Magic®.

HIT Entertainment excels at creating and building globally successful brands which capture the hearts and imaginations of preschoolers and their families.  This is achieved through exceptional storytelling in multiple formats, enhanced by creating high quality character-based products and experiences with best-in-class partners. HIT Entertainment’s lines of business span television and home entertainment production, content distribution, digital media, publishing, consumer products and live events and attractions.  HIT Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. For more information visit HIT Entertainment.

ABOUT PBS SoCaL
PBS SoCaL is PBS for Greater Los Angeles and is dedicated to educating, entertaining and enlightening viewers throughout Southern California.  With its three unique broadcast channels, PBS SoCaL HD, PBS SoCaL Plus and PBS SoCaL World, PBS SoCaL provides award-winning programs like Frontline, NewsHour, NOVA, Nature and Masterpiece, as well as local productions including Studio SoCaL and LAaRT.  Through community outreach initiatives including PBS SoCaL Education, PBS SoCaL provides local schools access to new media materials that engage students in 21st century learning.  Explore the future of PBS in Southern California at www.pbssocal.org.

About 3Mgives
3Mgives is a recognized leader in corporate giving, philanthropy, volunteerism and community engagement. Since 1953, 3M has invested $1.3 billion in cash and products around the world and was most recently honored with the United Way Spirit of America Award, the Silver U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award and the Excellence in Mentoring Award for Corporate Leadership. For more information, visit the 3Mgives website or follow on Twitter.

About Discovery Science Foundation
The Discovery Science Foundation serves as the program-development, marketing and fundraising arm for hands-on science learning museums in Orange County and Los Angeles. Established in 1989, the original non-profit Taco Bell Discovery Science Center (DSC) in Santa Ana, now renamed Discovery Cube Orange County, presented by Taco Bell, continues to inspire and educate millions of young minds through engaging science based programs and exhibits. In 2012, the Center was named one of the ten “Most Trusted Brands” in Orange County and in 2013 was awarded the National Medal of Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

In November 2014, Discovery Cube Los Angeles, a second museum offering an exhibit and program mix unique to Los Angeles, will open in the Hansen Dam Recreational Area of the San Fernando Valley.  For more information, call (866) 552-CUBE (2823) or visitwww.discoverycube.org.