MaryAnnDVC
"Mare", DISing since '99; prefers being tagless
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2001
- Messages
- 14,950
Have never been to an IKEA before, but I've heard about it, and couldn't wait for the one in New Haven to open. I wanted to go on Wednesday for their Grand Opening, but DH convinced me I'd have to get there at midnight (or earlier)...he was probably right! They were giving away $159 chairs to the first 100, I think, adults. (Anyone know how bad the crowds were on Wednesday?)
So DD (13) and I went today. It's about 100 miles away
and took two hours, in occasional rain and occasional traffic on Rte 95 in CT. But we had fun, and a lot of laughs on the way (DD is a nut). Excitedly approached Exit 46 to find...a line of cars. Not surprising. But it was the first of many lines of the day. (The plan was to arrive at 10 AM, when the store opened, but we LEFT our house at 10 AM. 
)
The police officers directing traffic wouldn't let anyone take a right off the exit towards the store...we saw groups of people walking from a distance coming from the left...I was in no mood to WALK another hike, after I had just driven one. I rolled down my window and said to the officer "but I wanna go THAT way" (just like we saw several others do, who also weren't allowed to turn right
), and he just pointed to my left. So I went straight. 
Drove through...in another line...a large parking lot belonging to several businesses, including a trucking company, I think. But...wha-la! There's the parking lot for IKEA up ahead!! We SLOWLY creeped towards it.
But the police officer directing traffic there stopped my line of cars about 3 cars in front of me
and let, oh, about 1000 cars coming from the other direction go in. So we sat...and sat...and sat...and noticed the other officers directing cars pulling into the parking lot to go LEFT, further AWAY from the store when DD and I had, while waiting in line to get into the parking lot, just passed many spaces closer (we decided that driving over the curb to get to them might be frowned upon).
When it was our turn to pull in, there was...of course...a cop up ahead, in the parking lot, waving us forward, and of course, to the LEFT. But I just mouthed to her "We're going THAT way", and went RIGHT, and moments later pulled into one of the MANY spaces that were open closer to the store.
Took a long walk to the front entrance (past several exits from the store)...to get in a line to get IN to the store. As we walked towards the line, DD said "reminds me of Disneyworld" (without the magic, of course). IN line, we overheard the woman in front of us say to her husband "This is like waiting in line at Disney."
We followed the line into the store, and up the stairs to the showroom, because we had no clue what else to do. Still not sure...do you HAVE TO go upstairs?
It was really mobbed, so we went with the flow.
The store IS incredible, and if I were furnishing an apartment as someone just starting out, or a kids room from scratch, or a dorm room, it's a great way to get started! They had so many cute things for young kids, I was wishing my kids were little again.
I found the flow of the displays a little confusing...maybe just because there is SO MUCH to see. It was like a museum. And DD pointed out that I kept going the "wrong" way (who knew!)...SHE had the map. But it's neat the way they display everything (prices are readily available on the display, but not on the items themselves), and their system of self-service furniture pick-up. (They have paper and pencils and even tape measures to bring with you as you shop...you jot down the "aisle" and "bin" numbers, and then downstairs it's like a warehouse, where you find the aisle and bin and pick up what you want!)
Then we headed downstairs to the marketplace...great stuff! I wish I NEEDED it. Some of the stuff I would love to go back for (ie, storage and organizing items), now that I know what they have, and I can plan and measure at home for what I do need. Not sure I'm up for another trip too soon tho!
We did buy (after standing in the checkout line, but it was actually one of the shortest lines of the day) some cardboard put-together storage boxes and magazine boxes, and components to build shelves in the room DD (13) and DD (15) share...they need some organizing in there big time...only spent about $32 I think? We put our purchases in the car (good thing we didn't go LEFT and park a mile+ away!) and went back in to eat, at 2 PM.
I ASSURED DD, the most picky eater, that they'd have the standard "kids' meals", but they don't...just mac and cheese, and swedish meatballs, and besides, it's for kids 12 and under and she's 13 and 5'8".
First...I couldn't believe the cafeteria LINES! There were two, and we got in the LEFT one...should've stayed RIGHT on one more line, because we realized later that the right line had one less loop in it so it was, in fact shorter, and we had plenty of time to blame each other for making the decision to get in the left line. Oh well.
After an HOUR (YES!!), we got our food...swedish meatballs (no gravy for Ms Picky), potato, and DAIM (?) torte...the meatballs and torte were DELISH! We keep saying to each other, every so often, that was a GOOD torte. They were running a special...$1.99 for 10 meatballs and potato, and $.50 for the torte. The torte came with a piece of candy that tastes like the torte, so I took mine home and got to savor the flavor for a little longer.
We left after eating (somehow ended up winding through the store again), decided to forego the "food store" they have there (even tho we had hoped they'd have the torte to take home; I know you can buy the swedish meatballs) because of the huge LINE at the cash register, and headed to the car.
Got in line to get OUT of the parking lot, and amazingly enough, the line to get onto Rte 95 North was extremely short (we thought we must have gone the wrong way) and we were on our way home.
No one has called yet to tell me I won the $10,000 furniture drawing.
So...if you're going to an IKEA grand opening, take this as a warning...BE PREPARED FOR CROWDS!
So DD (13) and I went today. It's about 100 miles away
and took two hours, in occasional rain and occasional traffic on Rte 95 in CT. But we had fun, and a lot of laughs on the way (DD is a nut). Excitedly approached Exit 46 to find...a line of cars. Not surprising. But it was the first of many lines of the day. (The plan was to arrive at 10 AM, when the store opened, but we LEFT our house at 10 AM. )The police officers directing traffic wouldn't let anyone take a right off the exit towards the store...we saw groups of people walking from a distance coming from the left...I was in no mood to WALK another hike, after I had just driven one. I rolled down my window and said to the officer "but I wanna go THAT way" (just like we saw several others do, who also weren't allowed to turn right
), and he just pointed to my left. So I went straight. Drove through...in another line...a large parking lot belonging to several businesses, including a trucking company, I think. But...wha-la! There's the parking lot for IKEA up ahead!! We SLOWLY creeped towards it.But the police officer directing traffic there stopped my line of cars about 3 cars in front of me
and let, oh, about 1000 cars coming from the other direction go in. So we sat...and sat...and sat...and noticed the other officers directing cars pulling into the parking lot to go LEFT, further AWAY from the store when DD and I had, while waiting in line to get into the parking lot, just passed many spaces closer (we decided that driving over the curb to get to them might be frowned upon).When it was our turn to pull in, there was...of course...a cop up ahead, in the parking lot, waving us forward, and of course, to the LEFT. But I just mouthed to her "We're going THAT way", and went RIGHT, and moments later pulled into one of the MANY spaces that were open closer to the store.
Took a long walk to the front entrance (past several exits from the store)...to get in a line to get IN to the store. As we walked towards the line, DD said "reminds me of Disneyworld" (without the magic, of course). IN line, we overheard the woman in front of us say to her husband "This is like waiting in line at Disney."
We followed the line into the store, and up the stairs to the showroom, because we had no clue what else to do. Still not sure...do you HAVE TO go upstairs?
It was really mobbed, so we went with the flow.The store IS incredible, and if I were furnishing an apartment as someone just starting out, or a kids room from scratch, or a dorm room, it's a great way to get started! They had so many cute things for young kids, I was wishing my kids were little again.
I found the flow of the displays a little confusing...maybe just because there is SO MUCH to see. It was like a museum.
And DD pointed out that I kept going the "wrong" way (who knew!)...SHE had the map. But it's neat the way they display everything (prices are readily available on the display, but not on the items themselves), and their system of self-service furniture pick-up. (They have paper and pencils and even tape measures to bring with you as you shop...you jot down the "aisle" and "bin" numbers, and then downstairs it's like a warehouse, where you find the aisle and bin and pick up what you want!)Then we headed downstairs to the marketplace...great stuff! I wish I NEEDED it. Some of the stuff I would love to go back for (ie, storage and organizing items), now that I know what they have, and I can plan and measure at home for what I do need. Not sure I'm up for another trip too soon tho!
We did buy (after standing in the checkout line, but it was actually one of the shortest lines of the day) some cardboard put-together storage boxes and magazine boxes, and components to build shelves in the room DD (13) and DD (15) share...they need some organizing in there big time...only spent about $32 I think? We put our purchases in the car (good thing we didn't go LEFT and park a mile+ away!) and went back in to eat, at 2 PM.
I ASSURED DD, the most picky eater, that they'd have the standard "kids' meals", but they don't...just mac and cheese, and swedish meatballs, and besides, it's for kids 12 and under and she's 13 and 5'8".
First...I couldn't believe the cafeteria LINES! There were two, and we got in the LEFT one...should've stayed RIGHT on one more line, because we realized later that the right line had one less loop in it
so it was, in fact shorter, and we had plenty of time to blame each other for making the decision to get in the left line. Oh well.After an HOUR (YES!!), we got our food...swedish meatballs (no gravy for Ms Picky), potato, and DAIM (?) torte...the meatballs and torte were DELISH! We keep saying to each other, every so often, that was a GOOD torte.
They were running a special...$1.99 for 10 meatballs and potato, and $.50 for the torte. The torte came with a piece of candy that tastes like the torte, so I took mine home and got to savor the flavor for a little longer. We left after eating (somehow ended up winding through the store again), decided to forego the "food store" they have there (even tho we had hoped they'd have the torte to take home; I know you can buy the swedish meatballs) because of the huge LINE at the cash register, and headed to the car.
Got in line to get OUT of the parking lot, and amazingly enough, the line to get onto Rte 95 North was extremely short (we thought we must have gone the wrong way) and we were on our way home.
No one has called yet to tell me I won the $10,000 furniture drawing.
So...if you're going to an IKEA grand opening, take this as a warning...BE PREPARED FOR CROWDS!
Sorry, couldn't resist.
