I would say I'm a regular IKEA-ER. Yes I admit it, guilty as charged. I'm the lady who has the same £25 carpet and same flat-packed shelves, units, beds and candles as around 25 million of the British population, but I do mean it when I say what I have bought from IKEA does feel and look like something truly original.
Ikea does have a certain appeal, it does have something that sets it apart from the British high street or your MFI superstores. There's something high-fashion but also classic about it. Ok, maybe that sounds a tad weird but to put it another way If myself, my 6 year old step-daughter and my father were to go for an Ikea excursion I think we would all find something we needed - and didn't know we needed- which ALWAYS happened to moi.
Well firstly that scenario is highly unlikely - Infact I went to the Big Blue Monster itself yesterday. I would recommend not filling the car, the more people you take, the more you bring back - and most of this is the scented candles and v.modern futuristic candleholders or watering can/pen pots that you only just realised you needed. But if you are planning on bringing back some furniture ot anything bigger than a trolly-size full I would also recommend bringing a Big Strong Man as you are very unlikely to get any help once your out of the sliding doors. You could rely on the help on the other shoppers but by the time your ready to leave everyone's tends to have a very high stress-level. The fact you cant take your trolly to the car and have to wait in the 'loading bay' is very annoying - the competion to get a parking slot in this bay is strong - you don't want to have to lug a trolly (or two) with piles of flat-packed goods just-for now balancing underneath around the vast area. Its bad enough getting a place in the whole car park when your arriving - Its pretty much busy during the whole opening hours - many a time I have tried, and failed to beat the rush.
Another tip is to get a little look at the catalogue, and unless you've already been to Ikea your going to have to beg, borrow or steal one - although my mother received one in the post and she lives nowhere near an Ikea...
Getting there for me is quite easy- I live around an hour from the Bristol Branch. But there aren't really that many Ikea if your not very central. And if your not driving or renting a van there's going to be big getting-home-with-the-goods problems. Although there are public transport services, my advice Don't Even Think About It.
So anyway, I arrived at the Big Blue Bristol Branch, Parked underneath - which slightly worried me, it does seem very secure, but with all car-parks I wouldn't take this for granted.
Once you've managed to park -which is a matter of luck you enter the store via escalator. There is a children's crèche, but although I haven't used it myself I wouldn't recommend it - It looked like just a ball pool to me, considering the time it takes to complete the Ikea Experience (At least half a day) I wouldn't be confident to leave my kiddies for this long. Also I have found the little'uns enjoy the whole Ikea trip, I think in a way it slightly over-wealms them - and they Love the children's area. There is also plenty of space for them to run around,and jump on displays - The first stage of Ikea is very touchy-feely. Basically the first floor is a very large display of all the different products and ways of using/displaying them. Its like a giant showroom. You can walk all over these, sit on the chairs, lye on the beds, fiddle with the lights - its great fun!
The fist thing you do is pick up a plastic large ikea bag, although these are hardly yellow..There is also paper, pencils and paper measuring tapes to help yourself to. When you see something you like you can either get it from the warehouse (write down the aisle number), pick it up in the smaller warehouse (which is all the small-medium sized products you can carry in a bag/trolly), order it from the information point or sometimes just pick it up now.
Around this vast showroom of furniture, room designs, kitchens, bathrooms, offices and more are some cleavery placed gadgets, objects , accessories and more that make scence at the time and are mostly very useful. By the time I leave the showroom stage I have a washing-basket sized bag full of extras I hadn't planned on buying.
The last stage of this showroom is the kids area. This is fantastic, different to the rest of the showrooms you can pick up what you want here. It like a toyshop and playgroup mixed together.- Try Before You Buy. As well as kids beds with slides and other fun furniture there are many toys, games and soft toys which are really good value and quality - compared to somewhere like ELC, I would choose Ikea and so would my kids. The kids stuff is really for the kids. There's pop-up tents in interesting shapes. Swings, climbing walls and more to hang from walls, great value art supplies,fun character chairs (inflatable inside instead of beans). There is a wonderful double-sided art board with a cleaver-paper roll gadget, blackboard and white board for only £12.50.
The teddies and stuffed toys are amazing value compared to the high street - and just as good.
Following the showrooms is the Swedish Food Hall. This can get Very busy, but can be worth the wait. They do kids meals with toys from 50p Some of the food is better then others - the cakes are lovely and I highly recommend the Swedish meatballs meal. But other more english meals can be just your average 'canteen food' But for what you may - most drinks are refillable- it is worth it.
If you don't want to wait there's a Swedish food shop and a fast-food type hot-dog bar and coffee facilities at the exit. By then your ready to revive- Ikea is quite draining after a whole day. The Swedish food shop gives you the opportunity to get some snacks for the journey home or maybe something a little different like mouse-blood alcoholic drink (have no idea about this one) or the many seafood products in jars. What you buy can be a little look-and-guess as it is all in Swedish, but most products have pictures or sea-through wrappers. The biscuits and coffee are a favourite of mine.
Anyway back to the proper-shopping, Following the Food Hall down to the next floor (you work you way down) is the marketplace - small warehouse. Here you can finally get a trolley and relieve your aching arms from the oversized plastic bags - only to realise the same things you've been carrying around are available down here too...
This is where you buy anything you can fit into the trolley/s and the carpets. There are basically giant rooms filled floor to roof , starting off with:

• Kitchen accessories - great value plates, cups (from 30p) cutlery, cooking-wear - everything really
  then its through to
• interiors - This is something Ikea does well, There's cushions from 30p, bedding, curtains, carpets, really nice aprons, a large selection of candles - lots really.
• Arts and lighting - a lot of frames, art work copies (a bit rubbish, but there are some nice pieces) and a Huge selection of lighting, shades, stands, light bulbs, batteries.
  - I think I properly have left something out here, but you get the drift.
  Ikea has everything your going to need for your home from plants (fake or real) and garden furniture to beds and kids toys. Its not cheap and cheerful. There is some really nice stuff, and some great quality goods. Its just amazing how they can sell it for such little cost. (The buy in bulk - Big Time) Another misconception is that Ikea is very modern and trendy, well this it is, but there is also some classic european and scandinavian style furniture. Many of Ikea's products are amazingly practical - many have space saving devices or other unique features.
  After you've filled your trolley its off through the warehouse, This is the Big One. A Very Large warehouse with all the flat-packed everything you could ever need. This is properly the most stressful thing. Rushing around looking for your goods, which are actually very clearly labeled. This is the time you may need a hand. The trolleys do have a space underneath for holding the flat-packet products but if your buying a few things there are the flat trolley type things for this.
  The worst thing that can happen is to find its out of stock, after all that way you've travelled and with no way of checking if its instock before hand its a matter of luck. Although this is very unlikely - Ikea have huge stock - you only have to look around to see it. I have only ever had this problem once in many trips and the staff will tell you when the next delivery is due, even if you cant order it - which is very frustrating.
  Finding your item is quite easy, although sometimes things are in different spaces then labelled. You will find that all the flat-packed cardboard boxes will look the same but they all have a clear picture of the product and its colour - This is a big help.
  So, you've chosen what you want (and more) and its time to join the Que. and go home. Although some people complain about hour-long queues I have never had a great problem. I have visited at the busiest times and never waited more then 20mins. The staff working around this area are very efficient and willing to help.(except in returns!). On my last visit my bags were packed for me by boy scouts!
  I must say I was impressed with the staff - When one of the little'uns dropped his toy car in the bin, they were more then happy to run around finding someone with a key for the bind and then going through the rubbish to find it and then clean it for him!
  Time for a quick refuel at the food market - but this is also busy , so get someone to get something while you wait in the que.
  Time to Que. for the escalator (5mins max.)- and off to the carpark - which I've mentioned above.
  And Don't Forget the catalogue (Which always happens to me!)
  Well that's the Ikea Experience, well my toll on it. Enjoy!