Well, if there’s one animated character that’s a perfect fit for Legoland, it’s definitely Bob the Builder – what else are those little blocks for but tripping over building cool stuff?

Bob will debut his film at the theme parks starting in March 2009 with openings in the US and the UK.  Come April, you’ll also find the movie at the park’s Denmark and Germany locations.  The cool 10-minute 4-D flick, in which Bob and the rest of the crew build a roller coaster, focuses on what happens when troublemaker Spud decides a la Fleetwood Mac to go his own way.  Doesn’t take a brainiac to guess the kind of trouble that ensues, but of course it all ends up well, with the kiddies learning the importance of having and following a plan when starting a project.

The film is exclusively licensed to Legoland for a year only.  What happens after that, who knows?  So make your own plan to visit Legoland come next spring.

And thank God for that. While we will someday make the required pilgrimage to see the mouse, we won’t be posting about it here unless the lodging satisfies the luxury requirement of this blog. However, whenever that day arrives – and trust us, exciting though Disney may be we are dreading the lines and the overtired kid drama – it would be great to have a guide that points us to the non-Disney offering Orlando’s got in store… (more…)

Have some vacay time left this summer? Here are some products/facts/information that you can use before summer wraps up:

• Remember those Reef Stash sandals we told you about a while back? Well, they’ve come up with something more radical: for men, the Reef Dram. If you remember the Stash and know what a dram is, you can take a wild guess at what this sandal does. This is a cool feature at the beach – not so cool, maybe, at airport security. [via Travel Gadgets]
• Over at MSNBC, travel writer Rob Lovitt points you to the best thriller rides around the country as well as the splashiest places (as in wet) to have fun.
• Speaking of gadgets, check out this itch zapper. We’ve always been skeptical about products like these but some fans are swearing this works better than all the lotions in the world. You can find them at Amazon; if it works for you, let us know. [via Trendhunter]
• National Geographic Traveler illuminates the best of San Francisco’s free things to do.  There’s a special section on kid-friendly attractions, but don’t be limited: many of the other spots are just as interesting even to families.
• Although the name alone would make us like The Silly Wagon, this cool online children’s store has, among other things, combo chalkboard/placemats to keep kiddo entertained at restaurants.  Draw on one side, when the food comes, flip it over to eat.  Crayon freaks will also like the rollup crayon holder that flattens into a placemat.