Last Tuesday, we watched a screening of THE LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE™ at iPic theatres, sponsored by new ride sharing app, KANGO partnered with CHRYSLER. We were invited as members of the media to to enjoy the movie and learn about the Kango/Chrysler partnership.
Celeb Appearances
Brooke Burke stopped by the event with husband David Charvet, daughter Heaven Rain Charvet and son Shaya Charvet after a full day of filming an episode Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry on E!
Heather McDonald came with her family debuting a special video introducing Chrysler and Kango as well as performing a bit of standup and moderating a Q&A about the service. Her family loved The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
iPic Theatres
I love iPic Theatres! Although there are multiple locations, we have only been to the Westwood location. Located on Wilshire Boulevard near UCLA, it’s a convenient and comfortable theater to visit with kids. The Tuck Room is the restaurant in the lobby of the theater. It serves delicious food that is kid and adult friendly, with adult beverages to boot! I love the decor and comfy seating. My daughter really liked the angus slider, and my favorite appetizer was the tuna tartar on seared rice cake. Wait service extends to inside of the theater (by the touch of a button), where there is a table for every two reclining seats. Blankets and pillows are provided to get you extra comfortable!
Website: iPic Theatres
THE LEGO® NINJAGO® MOVIE™
I’d never seen a LEGO movie before this one, so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the cheeky humor and puns, and my daughter liked the music and LEGO mini-figures dancing. The story is about a villain’s son and how he manages to accept himself for how different he is than the other kids. His true personality comes out only when no one knows who he truly is. Their adventure is heartwarming, humorous, and fun. It’s a movie parents will enjoy with their children. I think it’s best enjoyed by kids between the ages of 5-10.
Website for The LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE
My pics
Kango App + Chrysler
Kango is a ride sharing app which will be launching in Los Angeles soon. Currently, it’s available for residents of the San Francisco area. Kango drivers are background-checked and have caretaker experience. The are the only ride sharing company with a partnership with a major automotive brand. Chrysler teamed up with Kango to offer rides in safety-checked Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans.
It all sounds great. But I had a few questions. See below for my Q&A with the company.
Q. Is the pickup and drop-off always point-to-point, reassuring your children are the only ones in the car, unless pre-arranged with other parents you already know?
A. Yes absolutely, no other children are added to the ride unless you have requested to share the ride with specific families that you know. For example, one Kango driver drove 5 kids from 4 families to school every day in SF last year, in a ride with 3 pickup locations, but those families had contacted Kango together about setting up the shared ‘carpool’ ride to school.
In terms of point-to-point: since Kango drivers can also babysit, it’s also possible to request a ride, followed by a few hours of childcare – or the reverse.
Q. How much advance notice do you need to arrange for a ride through the app?
A. We recommend that you enter your ride as soon as you know what you need. Though Kango does not have a cutoff time for ride requests, the majority of rides for kids are entered at least 24 hours in advance, if not more. Therefore, drivers may get pre-booked especially at the busiest times for kids, such as between 7-8am and 3-6pm. All drivers carry at least one booster seat, and a subset also carry a toddler car seat – so car seat requests should ideally be entered a few days in advance as they get ‘full’ faster. That said, we understand that things come up in the lives of parents and kids. That’s why Kango is the only service to also accept same-day ride requests without cutoff restrictions – we always try very hard to find you a driver, whenever your request comes in.
Q. How are the drivers screened?
A. Each Driver or Sitter must pass our Kango Safety Check:
- Trustline caregiver certification by the state of California (includes fingerprinting)
- Background check (includes criminal and sex offender searches from multiple states, counties and databases as well as check for multiple aliases)
- DMV check (from multiple states, counties and databases)
- Vehicle inspection
- Phone screen
- Two reference checks
- In-person interview
- All Drivers and Sitters must also complete in- person training before becoming available for booking
Q. Where are the vehicles when not in use by the driver?
A. Kango is a “Transportation Network Company” (or “TNC”) – like ridesharing companies for adults). So by law, drivers must use their own vehicle, which can be a vehicle that they lease. Drivers eligible to drive a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan, lease the vehicle as well. When they are not using their vehicles for Kango rides, drivers can drive them for their personal use, and park/store them as they would their other personal vehicles. All vehicles used for Kango rides are inspected by a certified mechanic before they can be used to drive Kango customers.
About Kango
Kango was founded by CEO and Silicon Valley startup veteran Sara Schaer and her business partner and Kango CTO Kaliyuga Sivakumar, to meet the critical need for safe on-demand and scheduled rides and childcare services for busy families. Since launching its Rides and Care service in late 2015, Kango has provided thousands of rides for kids of all ages, parents and nannies included, across six counties in the San Francisco Bay area. The service has over 250 screened drivers.
Learn more about Kango at: www.kangoapp.co
About the Chrysler Pacifica and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
The new Chrysler Pacifica reinvents the minivan segment with an unprecedented level of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling. Re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, the Pacifica delivers class-leading gasoline and hybrid powertrains to the minivan segment. Equipped with more than 100 available safety and security features, the Uconnect Theater rear seat entertainment system, and a full array of comfort and convenience technologies, the Chrysler Pacifica is a no-compromises minivan ideally suited for today’s families and has earned its spot as the most awarded minivan of 2016 and 2017.
The Pacifica Hybrid takes this revolutionary vehicle a step further with its class-exclusive, innovative hybrid powertrain. It’s the first electrified vehicle in the minivan segment and achieves 84 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in electric-only mode and 33 miles of all-electric range. The Pacifica Hybrid has all the same great features available in the gas model along with the Uconnect Theater rear seat entertainment system.
Learn more about Chrysler at: www.chrysler.com
Disclaimer: Westside Mommy was invited as a member of the media to this screening and learn about the Kango and Chrysler partnership. No monetary compensation was made for this post. All opinions are my own.
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