A Day of Family Fun at Dolphin Mall {& a $250 Dolphin Mall Gift Card Giveaway!}

Disclosure: A very special thank you to Dolphin Mall for inviting my family to experience all that Dolphin Mall has to offer.  The mall was gracious enough to provide me with a gift card to facilitate my review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.I love to shop.  I mean, really love to shop.  As a kid, I remember saving my money for weeks just so we could go to the mall.  We didn’t go to the mall a lot, but when we did, I would spend all day searching out sales and deciding how to spend my hard earned money.  And at the end of the day, I would gleefully tow home my newest treasures, only to start planning our next trip to the mall.   Now, as the busy mom to 3 kids of my own, I don’t have a ton of time to shop, but I still love going to the mall.  So when Dolphin Mall invited me for a tour, it was a no-brainer.  I was going.

The funny thing about Dolphin Mall is that I drive past it everyday on my way to work.  I’ve heard people talk about it.  I’ve seen people post pictures on Facebook and Instagram.  But I’d never been.  I was really excited to go myself and see what all the buzz was about.

Since we were running a bit late that morning, we started the day with some valet parking and a quick run to Starbucks – the convenience and caffeine were very much appreciated since I was just back from San Jose, CA the day before and still on Pacific time.  I had only been at the mall for about a minute before I ran into this sign.  Finally, a mall that loves me back!After a few quick pictures it was off to Bloomingdale’s for a bit of shopping.

Although I’ve seen Dolphin Mall from the highway, I had no idea just how big it is.  There are so many factory and outlet stores to choose from – Banana Republic, Coach, Gap, Armani Exchange, DSW, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and so, so many more.  The mall is big enough to have everything you need, but not so big that it’s overwhelming.  You can easily get through it in a couple hours and there are tons of maps, so I never once got lost.  After hitting Bloomingdale’s we stopped at Nine West, Old Navy, and Wacoal, before eventually ending up at Gymboree and the brand new Heartstrings boutique.  Greenleigh’s choice, naturally.  I promised myself before I left the house that the girls already had enough clothing, but caved at the last minute.

And then it was off to the swanky Cinebistro for lunch and a movie.

Despite being 21 and up in the evenings, Cinebistro has started family movies during the day (be sure to check availability before hand as days and times may change).  The beauty of Cinebistro is that you can not only select your movie, but you can also select your seats and have a fabulous meal, which ends the rush of trying to eat before going to the movie early so you can get seats.  The theaters at Cinebistro are smaller than normal theaters and come with nice wide seats.  Upon arrival, your server will greet you, take your order, and then deliver your food before your movie starts.  I can assure you, this is the best way to watch Planes: Fire & Rescue, or any movie for that matter.

After the movie was over, it was off to Dave & Busters for drinks and more family fun.My daughter had the best time playing all the games and winning tickets.  She even learned to love skee-ball thanks to this kid-friendly game that had a slightly shorter ramp.And then our day at Dolphin Mall was over.  We needed to get back to pick Hazeline up at school (despite being invited, she opted out at the last moment).  As we left, I felt like there were so many places I still wanted to go – the Cool de Sac children’s entertainment center, Strike Miami for a little bowling, the Cheesecake Factory, PINK, Smoothie King…I could go on and on.

Having spent the day at Dolphin Mall, I can say that it is more than just a mall – It’s a destination.  Sure there are stores boasting great bargains, but there’s also movie theaters, places for kids and adults to play, restaurants for every palate, and so much more.  I can’t wait to go back!

Now for the best part – If you want to check out Dolphin Mall for yourself, I’m giving away a $250 Dolphin Mall Gift Card!  And best of all, this gift card is good at Dolphin Mall or any of the Taubman Properties!  Just use the entry form below and it could be yours.  Good luck everyone!