Day 1 of the “Staycation”

While we decided to stay home this weekend so the girls could have time with their friends, I decided that didn’t mean we had to stay *home*. This afternoon the girls decided that it was high time for a trip to the World of Coca-Cola, in the new(ish) Centennial Park museum district of downtown Atlanta.

I decided to buy tickets online to avoid the line, but that backfired. I had some issues with the website, and finally managed to purchase our tickets ($45 for me and the three kids), but never got the promised email with our tickets. We headed out anyway. As we arrived at the World of Coke parking garage (around the block from the museum …), we saw the sign “Lot Full”. But then, just as we got closer, a man came and removed the sign… perfect timing!

World of Coca-Cola

We waited in the ticket line –if I hadn’t pre-bought tickets, we could have used the line-free self-service ticket booths. The cashier was supremely helpful and friendly and printed our tickets — but then I walked away with three instead of four tickets. I made my way back, and he found the missing ticket on the floor near the printer. Wheeee!

The security line moved fast and soon we were inside for the initial presentation and movie. Both were heavy on the marketing and light on the history. (When people head into a movie, why do they sit on the end instead of moving to the center? I’m sorry if I step on your toes, but there’s no other way to get to the empty seats if you sit on the end!!!)

Milan Fashions

The museum itself is laid out nicely with bright, airy spaces between exhibits. The girls were less interested in the nostalgia/history exhibit than with the others, though the Olympic torches were interesting. They liked the bottling “factory” area. We all loved the decorated Coke bottles that were throughout the main areas; the girls especially liked the “evil eye talisman” one and the line of “fashion bottles”. We headed upstairs to the 4-D movie; it was very “Disneyesque” and lots of fun for everyone.

Bottling Factory

The pop art exhibit was probably my favorite. Cool art, coke style. They even had a Howard Finster! The girls made their own “pop art” on the computers. No line was long, and we never had to wait long for any movie, exhibit or activity.

Coke Pop Art

Finally, the part the girls were most excited to visit, and the part with the stickiest floor — the tasting room! We got our cups. I appreciated the signs asking people to reduce waste by reusing their cup! We tried all sorts of Coke products from around the world. I liked the :”Apple Kiwi Fanta”. We stood in a short line for the 160 flavors machine. Chloe and Camille tried “Sprite Raspberry”. I tried “Coke Orange”….yum!

Foreign Flavors

On the way out, we each got a small glass bottle of soda – the ones we had seen bottled in the “factory”; we enjoyed looking at the products in the store, but managed to leave without buying anything.

I had three very punch happy, sugar wired girls when we left. Even I felt the need to burp (and to not have another soda for a month!).

PS. The tickets arrived in my inbox at 6pm, after we had finished up our afternoon of fun. Better late than never? Or why bother?

Big Bottles