Disney and The City
NYC Day 2
It would have been really off brand for me to go on a trip that didn’t involve something Disney. Of course, I wanted to see the city, but there’s something very comforting in finding some Disney magic when I’m away from home.
Though some options were more obvious than others, we were able to find a few Disney things around the city during our short trip to NYC!
Here are three Disney themes experiences that Rebecca and I did in NYC!
1) Times Square Disney Store
Visiting the Disney Store in Times Square is a staple for Disney fans. You can pick up some exclusive New York themed merchandise and take pictures with oversized Disney props.
The Disney Store is always a fun escape from your average retail store. It has magical theming, enthusiastic Cast Members, and something for everyone (no matter how old).
What is special about the Times Square Disney Store is that they have overloaded the store with extra special decorations and props. Although this isn’t the biggest Disney Store, it might be one of the most visited.
Over 50 million people visit Times Square every year, so there are always a lot of tourists making their way in and around the Disney Store. The store has two levels, and props throughout the entire space aims to bring the Disney magic to life.
To get to the second floor you get to take an escalator through the lanterns from Tangled. As you travel up the escalator you can hear I See the Light from the Tangled soundtrack. Truly magical.
This passage acts as a portal from a regular Disney Store to a magical escape. The second floor is where the notorious castle is displayed, and other large statues are interspersed around this level.
The Hulk, a golden Mickey Mouse, The Statue of Liberty Minnie, Anna and Elsa, and the castle are all life-sized props that Guests are encouraged to take pictures with.
What this Disney Store offers which is unique from all other stores, is the opportunity for 30 seconds of fame. For $20 you can buy the “Photo Experience” where your photo will get displayed on the billboard right outside of the store.
That’s right. Your photo can be amongst the bright lights of Times Square for 30 seconds. This is well worth the $20, because it really is one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences. The process is simple: a Cast Member takes your picture against a green screen, you choose the backdrop and the time it airs, you get your 30 seconds of screen time in the big leagues.
You get a digital copy of your image as well as a printed 8″ X 11″ copy in a souvenir cardboard sleeve with The Statue of Liberty Minnie on it. We crossed the street to have a prime location for see our picture, and I must admit that the fun extended outside of the 30 seconds we were on the screen.
We waited in anticipation for our time slot and once our picture was up we went a little crazy. A woman beside us noticed our excitement and when she saw what we were looking at she asked to take a picture with us.
Her excitement dissolved when we explained that we paid to be up there. Nevertheless, we were thrilled all the way home. It was the perfect way to end a day in NYC.
2) Disney on Broadway
You’ve probably heard Let it Go about a thousand times… and so have I! The idea of watching Frozen again made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
I am happy that Rebecca, and my cousin Jenn, booked the tickets without consulting me because then I would have missed out on an extraordinary show!
If they had asked for my input, I would have said, "NO" for sure! I have nothing against Frozen. I liked both movies, but it was so soon after the release of Frozen II that I thought I needed a break from the Frozen Fever. Thankfully they knew better and went ahead and booked.
The costumes, the songs, the atmosphere— it was all simply magical. While the show still told the same story, the production had a different soundtrack and different plot points. The way they brought Olaf and Sven to life through puppeteering was phenomenal.
The puppets allowed you to experience the characters coming alive through the actor, and through the suspension of disbelief Olaf and Sven were playing in Elsa's winter wonderland right in front of my eyes.
There were a lot of children in attendance, and they made a disclaimer at the beginning of the performance that the show was NOT a sing-along... and that audience members should refrain from joining the chorus (thank God).
Because Broadway is primarily targeted towards adults, they offered a specialty drink at the bar, and it came in a cute souvenir cup! Rebecca and Jenn both enjoyed the very "strong" specialty drink, but I skipped it because I wanted to stay awake during the show...
There are currently three Disney on Broadway shows out: The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen. I had the opportunity to see The Lion King when it was in Toronto and Aladdin the last time I was in NYC. Now that I have seen all three I can confidently say that you can't go wrong with any of the shows— they are all perfection!
3) Mickey Wall in Soho
Taking pictures in front of Disney walls have kind of become a staple for Disney fans, so it only felt right to take a trip to this street art.
It was serendipitous the way we stumbled upon this gem. A friend of mine (who is 100% a New York City girl) posted a photo in front of this awesome Mickey painting the day before we left for our trip! When she told me where I could find Mickey, it ended up being a 15 minute walk from our hotel! Totally perfect!
Truthfully, if I didn't have the address I would have walked right by it. The painting is right outside of a CVS, and from far away it can blend into the background (especially without my glasses).
What was great about finding the Mickey wall was that it was in an area that was plain and simply uninteresting. There was nothing out of the ordinary going on... it was just a regular street. Mickey added some much needed pizazz to the block.
That is what I think Disney does in our own lives too. It adds some extra magic to our seemingly plain and average lives. I think that is why I loved this spot so much.