Atlanta trip in the works - ACK!

[momofkhm]

I was talking with my mom tonight and she suggested going on-line and reserving tickets for the aquarium. While I was at that site, they have combo tickets - World of Coke, CNN, zoo, Legoland, etc. Oh my!

 

I will be dropping my middle off at a teenpact camp and then my youngest and I will be staying with my (single) brother near Atlanta. My brother will be working during the week. DS will be 12 next month. He was major into legos then Nerf guns and now Rubiks cubes. I only have Monday and Tuesday, not worried about the weekend. (Not tomorrow/today!)

 

I don't like driving into big cities. I want to only go places where I can take Marta. All of the above sound like things he or I or both would enjoy. But can I take in more than one in a day? What is reasonable? What am I missing?

 

Oh, we'll be in time for a Braves game and brother already has tickets. He will be driving for that one. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks!

[Joker]

Atlanta has never seemed that big to me. I hate driving in big, busy cities but I'm fine in Atlanta. We've done the aquarium, World of Coke, and CNN in one day. They were all great, and dds still talk about the aquarium.

[Paige]

I hate driving in big cities but I'd rather drive into Atlanta than take MARTA- any day. You can easily do the Aquarium and World of Coke in one day. They are very close to each other. Legoland is farther away than the rest. The zoo and cnn center are reasonably close but I think it would be hard to do all of those on one day. I've never been to the CNN Center, so I'm not sure how long it takes. If you have time, I highly recommend the Botanical Gardens and the High Museum.

[Jan in SC]

I think the CNN center is by the aquarium and the World of Coke, but I could be imagining that! There is an Ikea nearby, too!!!

 

I would drive to the aquarium, use the parking garage, and see the aquarium and World of Coke on the same day. A small field with kiosks and a restaurant separate them.

 

I would take the Marta. Let the people get to work, go to the aquarium, eat lunch, hit the world of coke, then regret the last choice as you drive home before the traffic, but realizing you drank way too much coke to make it without stopping!!!

[loulou belle]

I just got back from atlanta three days ago. The world of coke, aquarium, and the CNN center are all within walking distance of each other. You will have to drive to the zoo. If you intend to see all Of those sites, look onto the city pass. It payed for itself, after visiting the aquarium and the zoo. The CNN tour is 45 minutes. My kids- ages 10, 5, and 3- had a great time at the CNN center. The Olympic park is between the CNN center and the aquarium and world of coke. Also, the CNN center has fast food, meaning cheaper than the stuff offered around the aquarium. The children's museum is next door to the world of coke. They are offering half price admission after noon until the end of September.

 

Hope tha is helpful. Sorry about the typos, I am on my phone

[momofkhm]

Just talked with dh this morning about doing stuff. Is there any reason not to buy the City Pass?

[Annie G]

Is Legoland the one at Phipps Plaza? We took the granddaughters there in July- they're 3 and 5. We were disappointed- the girls had a great time but we really thought they would be too young for many of the things. They weren't. The vast majority of kids there were under 9, and we saw no groups of teens.

 

When I say we were disappointed, let we make it clear- we thought this was going to be something they could grow into- enjoy a few things now, and go back every year when they grew 'into' an exhibit.

[Kaleidoscope]

Yeah, the legoland isn't really a teen thing. My 8 year olds were amazed by it but my 11 year olds said, "Well that was cute."

[Rbsmrter]

Yeah, the legoland isn't really a teen thing. My 8 year olds were amazed by it but my 11 year olds said, "Well that was cute."

 

:iagree:

 

I've taken my 4 and 3 year old twice and while they've had fun they've always asked "where's everything else?" Its very small and geared towards a much younger audience. We wet on random weekdays and it was packed with daycare groups that were mostly unsupervised so it was a bit rowdy.

 

If you can swing it I'd drive over taking the Marta. The highway that runs through the city is a big one but once you get off, the streets are

fairly easy to navigate. We've had some friends hve some

scary experiences on the Marta, so for us the the pros don't outweigh the cons. Of course plenty of people take it daily without a problem so were probably the minority.

 

The World of Coke, the aquarium and CNN center are all huge hits when family comes to visit. As pp mentioned they're all within walking distance and could be done in a (long) day. The zoo is small but well planned. It's well shaded and a pleasant walk. If you don't want to get a city pass check out groupon and living social for a couple of weeks. One of the sites just ran a deal for zoo tickets.

[allie911]

I live in Atlanta. PP's were correct in saying the aquarium, World of Coke and CNN center are within walking distance of each other. The aquarium is awesome, and my family also loved the CNN center. The World of Coke is okay - but I honestly wouldn't pay $16 for admission. It includes a quick tour - a docent tells you about some of the history and shows you some memorabilia - then you see a short film. The highlight is the tasting room where you can try Coca Cola products from all over the world. The Imagine-It Children's Museum is neat, but definitely skews younger than your DS. The Center of Puppetry Arts is also in the vicinity. Fairly close by are the High Museum of Art and Atlantic Station. Atlantic Station includes lots of shopping, dining, etc., and is where IKEA is located. Also here is a good IMAX theatre.

 

Do you know in which area you are staying? If you are on the East side of town, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History is wonderful. Also near this area (at Emory University) is a wonderful little museum called the Michael C. Carlos. They have an awesome Egyptian collection. Northwest of the city is a great museum called Tellus. The Zoo is a little south of the city. It's a good zoo - the Pandas are a huge attraction, especially. Grant Park, next to the Zoo, is a great area as well. Also located right next to the Zoo is the Cyclorama and Civil War Museum.

 

Stone Mountain Park is awesome. It's a great mix of history, nature, and fun.

 

The Citypass is definitely a good deal, depending on which attractions you choose. You can also check out deals on www.atlantaonthecheap.com.

 

Hope this helps! Have a great visit!

 

Allie

 

ETA: I drive frequently in Atlanta, and have also taken Marta. Driving is not too difficult, although I will say that parking in the city can be difficult/expensive. Parking at the aquarium will cost around $10. If you do decide to drive, I would probably pick out a couple of parking options near your destination using the interactive parking map. Marta is perfectly fine/safe, especially during the daytime. I don't think that I would travel on it alone/with my kids *at night*, though.

Edited September 24, 2012 by allie911