My review of Boo at the Zoo if you have considered going"

To sum it up: BOO-HOO!!!

So tonight we ventured with friends to the Atlanta Zoo. We had tickets for Boo at the Zoo. After the member's only night several weeks ago and having such a total blast that night we all decided that same night we would all go together to boo at the zoo. Well it was a big Boo-Hoo!
Now let me first say we always love being with our wonderful friends - we have fun no matter what together so I'm so very thankful to have spent the evening and night with great friends!
As far as Boo at the Zoo goes...if you are searching online for other's thoughts and opinipns on the matter to decide whether to go
My vote: not worth the money!

Now, I LOVE the zoo! I love the zoo...really I do!
But here's the thing - we bought tickets for the first time slot of tonight's event. Well first they never even looked at our time slot that we purchased and they were selling tickets like crazy at the gates even...I mean MADHOUSE just to get in even for members and those who had pre-purchsed and that was with 3 lines for them. Then you got totally caught in the madness trying just to get into the actual zoo as there were so many people they were having to close a gate on the inside even to limit how many could go in. I mean MADHOUSE!!

So then we go to the "Candy forest" now I don't know what we were expecting, but it didn't meet our expectations, but that was just fine, we were still fine as that was right when you walk into the pathway into the zoo....it was more like a candy village (my kids had just envisioned trees with candy hanging on them I think when they said you "enter the candy forest". But just along the path were Little painted wooden kiosks (to look like houses) with windows all around where they were giving out candy...hmmmm 6-7 kiosks perhaps in all. But adults were not allowed any candy...hmmm....not that I want to take candy from little ones, but the entry-fee was the same no matter the age. You had to pay extra for ride tickets when you purchased your tickets online. My friend and I thought we purchased some sort of unlimited thing...but I was given 2 tickets...

okay no biggie right. Except all their extra activities...even to play bingo needed a $2 ticket. The kids got to do just what they wanted the rock climbing wall and that was it. One friend had paid to get an armband so he could do anything (somehow me and another friend got just the tickets when we ordered) - but poor thing. The waits for the carousel and train, and well...everything were over an hour long. REALLY! It was NUTS...plain ol nuts. So for our money each kid got about 7 pieces of candy, to climb the rock wall (extra fee on top of entry fee), and to see some dressed up characters...the good news...the zoo was making a killing so research, food, etc should have just gotten a good boost in their account, so we did our part to help the zoo even a little more tonight for sure. What else I am thankful for...that the entry fee for a family of 4 with memberships was only $5 a person...if you aren't a member it's $10 a person...$10 a person for a few pieces of candy for your children only....and that's it! That's what you get....because seriously as we arrived and were waiting for the gates inside to be open a visiting family asked about the animals to the man holding everyone back and he explained to them that most every animal was put up for the night, that this was just a night of fun...no animals except birds and kangaroos really he told them. Even the playground was closed...understandable as it wouldn't have been safe with the hundreds of children on it nor any way to regulate it..

My thoughts overall...
that is some very expensive candy for your children!! My kids were so bummed, I think is what got my bummed about it even more...I could go along with just about anything if they were having a great time. But the kids in our party were pretty disappointed and don't care to return in the future.

I went off and left my memory stick in the laptop - had the camera, but it was of course useless....MaryKyle made it to the top of the climbing wall twice though FYI...HOORAY MK!! The other kids decided it wasn't their thing so much!

So there you have it...my review of Boo at the Zoo!!