A mum has revealed she ditched the usual birthday presents and whisked her daughter off on an extreme day trip to Amsterdam for a once-in-a-lifetime Barbie experience.
Krissy Serino, 38, treated six-year-old Dolcie to Barbie: The Dream Experience, a colourful attraction packed with life-size replicas of iconic Barbie moments.
And despite hopping on a plane and back in the same day, the whole trip cost around £150 per person.
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The mum-of-three, from Bedford, said the whirlwind getaway was worth every penny.
“It was a unique, exciting, memorable experience that, for me, was worth more than any present I could have bought her,” Krissy told What’s The Jam.
Krissy surprised Dolcie with the trip on the way to the airport.
She said: “I surprised her on the way to the airport with a Barbie themed birthday card with an invitation to visit the Barbie experience.
“My daughter was so excited and so blown away with the fact we were on our way to get on a plane!”
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The pair flew from Luton Airport at 10:25am, landing in Amsterdam less than an hour later after breezing through security with just their passports.
After arriving, they hopped on a train, took a free five-minute ferry and even grabbed a €10 (around £8.65) taxi due to the cold.
Dolcie was “super excited” and instantly nicknamed the attraction ‘Barbie Land’.
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Krissy said: “My daughter was absolutely blown away with the Barbie experience, even more than I thought she would be.
“She absolutely loved it and has talked about it since.
“The experience itself is very well put together, it walks you through the history of Barbie and the years.
“Everything is super interactive, you can ride in the Barbie car, take a seat on Barbie airlines and even print your very own boarding pass.
“Rock out on guitars, practise your skiing skills and end with walking through the Barbie house with the slide.”
The 90-minute experience offered plenty of photo opportunities, with Krissy saying a portable phone charger was a must.
Tickets cost £25 for adults and £20 for children, and the pair rounded off the visit with food at the Barbie café.
Dolcie was even given a free birthday cupcake before picking out a new Barbie doll from the gift shop.
The pair then headed back to the airport for their 7:30pm flight home, completing their whirlwind eight-hour adventure.
Krissy said: “I wanted to do something different and memorable and I think the Barbie experience was exactly that.
“It exceeded all my expectations and I would 100% recommend it to any Barbie fan.
“Once home, we watched the latest Barbie film and she recognised the first Barbie released from seeing it at the experience and the date it was released so she obviously took lots of information in too.
“I knew I’d loved it but seeing her enjoy it so much made it much more special.”
Krissy insists the trip was “good value for money” and even cheaper than many days out in the UK.
She added: “I always compare a day in London or a ticket to a West End show and these day trips always come up less.
“When I say I have been abroad for the day it can get a surprised reaction as it sounds very extravagant and people expect it to cost a lot more than it does.
“Once I explain the cost and how easy it is most people think it a brilliantly fun, wild idea and want to know more.
“The cost of a birthday party can be over £500 when you pay for a hall, entertainer and food.
“So a memorable day out is worth it in my opinion.
“Life is short and memories are priceless.”
She added that the one-on-one time with her daughter made it even more special.
“Spending a whole day together was super special.
“Being a mum of three, getting individual time isn’t always easy, so when I do I like to make the most of it.”
Krissy is now a huge fan of extreme day trips and has taken her other children on similar adventures, including a trip to Dublin Zoo and a football tour in Glasgow.
She added: “My little girl got home and said ‘that was the best day of my life’.
“What a great day, super easy and such fun.”
Cost breakdown
- Return flights – £80pp
- Train – £10-12 each
- Taxi – €10 (around £8.65)
- Ferry – free
- Barbie: The Dream Experience – £25 per adult, £20 per child
- Barbie toy – £20
- Food and drink – £30
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