It’s just a bunch of stores…
Are you going to be staying in a hotel anywhere near the MoA itself? I can’t remember the name of the one I stayed at when I was there, but it had a free shuttle service to the mall and that made things much, much easier. No worrying about parking, no worrying about finding the car! There were a number of other shuttles from other hotels in the area, so I know it wasn’t just that one, either. I’ll have to check with my best friend to figure out what hotel that was, since I’d definitely recommend it. It was a nice place, not too expensive and had a good breakfast.
Definitely put some thought into your shoes, as others have said. There’s a lot of walking and wandering around inside of a huge mall makes for a slow shuffle that’s murder on your knees and back. There are a couple of different “nap stores” where you can go lay down for a while if you need a rest, but I really don’t think it’s worth it beyond being able to claim you had the experience. It’s just a lot easier to make sure you’ve got good shoes with lots of padding and save your legs and back.
The PB&J restaurant with all of the different types of peanut butter was pretty fun for a lunchtime snack. For the most part, though, all of the restaurants were chains you could find in any city, so the food wasn’t particularly exciting. The Italian place on the first floor was okay, but it didn’t exactly wow me, and aside from those two and the Rainforest Cafe (cute, but way too much of a wait) I can’t even remember where else we had meals. I have a tendency to hyperanalyze restaurants for quality and method, too, so I’m surprised I can’t remember.
There’s a nice movie theatre there–I think it’s on the third or fourth floor–and I’d recommend spending some time in the theme park. Just spending a few minutes to admire the Lego Land stuff was cool, too.
It’s not the most exciting place I’ve ever been, but if you’re looking for something low-key and lots of shopping, it’s a good choice. So long as you’re prepared for the walking and the fact that a lot of the stores are national chains and do have multiple locations inside of the mall, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Surely she means clothes & shoes comfortable enough for a LOT of walking.
Comfy shoes, a lightweight, non-cumbersome purse and leave your coat in the car, of course! You don’t want any of those nuisances if you’re power shopping in a gigantic mall. It’ll kill the experience.
IANAMP (not a mall person), but I can kill a day in the MoA. My suggestion would be to set a generous budget and let your wife enjoy shopping. Yeah, the stores are the same as everywhere, but I do remember several flagships. Maybe not NYC/Times Square level flagships, but definitely A-level stores. Speaking for myself, I don’t set aside a day to just shop very often, so it can be fun just to devote a day to it. I’m pretty sure there are lockers you can rent to secure purchases rather than haul them around all day. Also, if you feel yourself getting grouchy, just stop and get a treat, don’t turn it into a forced march. If there are any “guy stores” you want to see, make a note of those so you can head for one of those when you’ve about reached your limit of bath & body products or whatever.
Beyond the Mall, Minnehaha Falls is very beautiful. If you happen to get a nice day (honestly, not likely in March) that could be a scenic, romantic place to go and take some pictures. It will be an outdoorsy change of pace from the mall.
I’ve been there a number of times.
I have to admit, it’s simply not a very impressive thing. It’s just a big mall; I found it something of a letdown. As big as it is, it doesn’t really feel it because it’s so dull. Even just as malls go it’s not all that impressive; the Galleria in Houston, on Post Oak Rd., was a lot cooler.
It’s certainly not even remotely close to the West Edmonton Mall, which is legitimately a really cool place and worth a visit if you’re ever in Edmonton.
I can’t imagine spending 3 days there. Especially once you get to the upper levels, the store selection thins. Examples–the farm toy store, the 3rd or 4th store devoted to MOA merchandise, the 3rd or 4th store devoted to kitchy Minnesota merchandise, the “as seen on TV store,” etc.
Please explore the rest of the Twin Cities. I’m not a huge mall person (if you couldn’t tell), and the MOA is just a standard mall writ large. I do go there, primarily if I don’t feel like mall hopping among the other area malls and because I can take the light rail there (I live in downtown Minneapolis). Also, it has the only Nordstrom in the Twin Cities.
Oh, and Camp Snoopy is no more. The amusement park is still there, but it’s no longer affiliated with the Peanuts. Spongebob Squarepants will be the new theme.
I have. Several times. Fun. My son always beats me. Damn it.
The Upper East Side used to be pretty cool with all of the bars, bowling, arcades and comedy club. Now, I think that Hooters is basically it.
I was in the vicinity a couple of years ago, and decided to check the place out. Meh. Seen one big mall, seen 'em all. You can change the chain store names around, but the merchandise is pretty much all the same. Yeah, the rides and stuff may be unique, but not enough to make visiting a singular experience.
Its on my way between work and home.
I usually take business guests from out of two to the California Cafe. Fairly expensive, but good food - a fancy restaurant for being inside a mall. The family ends up at Tucchi Bennuch for dinner a few times a year (Italian).
The Camp Formerly Known As Snoopy isn’t too exciting - particularly midweek. Just not really busy enough to get a good vibe. Weekends can be a little zooish. The kids used to have annual passes.
Other than that, its a lot of stores. I’m not much of a shopper, so I don’t tend to go and shop. Their Barnes and Noble is well stocked.
worst. service. ever.
Of course, I’ve been holding a grudge for at least five years, but it was that horrendous. So bad, that 'til this day, when I walk past I put in a reservation for Donner. Party of 5. Juvenile? Yes, but damn they pissed me off. And the hostesses all tend to be young, pretty, and very uneducated in history and cannibalism.
They announce over a loud speaker “_______ party of _______” when your reservation comes up.
Hey, apologies about the rude post. Didn’t come off as tongue-in-cheek as I intended.
Last year, my wife and I celebrated #10, and we had chinese take out!
We’ve had good luck - occationally great luck - with servers. And they give out the little flashy pagers now.
Hey! I’m less juvenile then I thought! It’s been a while. 
With a comment like that, you are a true Prince(ss).
And NurseCarmen – Nasty. Delightfully nasty!
My Mom and I went to Minneapolis specifically to have a “mall weekend” and didn’t make it through half a day at MOA (although that underwater thing sounds neat, we didn’t know about it). We’d taken the hotel shuttle over, but managed to get around Minneapolis pretty well via their buses. There’s a beautiful cathedral downtown. The art museums are fabulous, indoors and out, although the Walker is closed on Mondays.