Deeply embedded within the layers of pop-culture lies one of the most influential and iconic brands that has fan loyalties ranging from barely walking to hardly standing. And that brand is none other than Walt Disney.
With its first animated picture, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1939, Disney began building its royal empire, which now expands to all corners of the globe.
It's mid-winter break in NYC. People are off looking for places to blow off steam, have an adventure, and even unleash their inner child. Of course, getting to Disney World at this point is wildly impractical.
You don't have to drop $150 for a Broadway ticket to experience that legendary magic in the city either.
No matter if you have the Disney bug or not, there are a number of ways you can re-discover your inner child, get your Disney geek on and maybe even feel like a prince or princess in the process.
1. The Disney Store (1540 Broadway)
The indisputable headquarters of all things Happily Ever After, The Disney Store has become the epicenter of the mouse-eared magic fueling this city. Many of the locals who venture through the insanity to 47th and Broadway say itâs the only reason to brave Times Square.
A veritable Cave of Wonders can be found on either of this megastoreâs two floors, including gems from its two most recent acquisitions, Marvel and Star Wars.
[anad]
On the top floor you can also find a mini movie theater playing one of the classic movies.
Want some even more magic? If you go on your birthday and get your friend to tell a cast member, they will announce you a Birthday Prince of Princess and officially dub you as such right there in the store. You even get a nifty little certificate of your coronation.
2. Barnes & Noble (33 East 17th Street)
What masquerades as merely a massive bookstore, Union Squareâs Barnes & Noble hides a whole grotto of Disney merchandise, collectibles and toys, from Frozen book-markers to Toy Story calendars to Disney-themed Monopoly.
But the second floor is where the jackpot lies. Gizmos and gadgets galore lie in wait, such as ceramic busts of Disney Villain vixens Maleficent and Cruella de Vil as well as hard-to-find novelties like a 3D puzzle of Cinderellaâs castle.
3. Chelsea Grill of Hellâs Kitchen (675 9th Avenue)
seyahatgurusu Chelsea Grill of Hell's Kitchen @ New York Manhattan'dasiniz ve karniniz acikti.. Size ogle yemegi icin harika bir yer tavsiye edecegim! Times Meydani'ndan sadece bir kac blok uzakta 9. Cadde uzerinde yer alan Chelsea Grill of Hell's Kitchen! Amerika'da sonu gelmez fast food cilginligindan sonra taze, doyurucu ve saglikli yemekler icin dogru adres. Calisanlar oldukca kibar ve ilgili.. Ogle yemegi icin izgara somon, ispanakli salata ve filtre kahve menusunu secmenizi tavsiye ederim! Oldukca buyuk ve doyurucu, taptaze bir ispanakli salata yaninda ise yine doyurucu, maydonozlu sosla sunulan izgara somon! Ve sinirsiz taze cekim filtre kahve! Tum bu menu icin odeyeceginiz tutar ise 10$ â€ïž Bilmeyenler için dipnot; Amerika'da restorantlarda bahĆiĆ vermek kĂŒltĂŒrĂŒn bir parçası, verilmediÄi takdirde de ayıp karĆılanan bir unsur. Toplam tutarın en az %10 miktarında bahĆiĆ bırakmalısınız. BahĆiĆ kĂŒltĂŒrĂŒn ve çalıĆan maaĆlarının bĂŒyĂŒk bir parçasını oluĆturduÄundan servis elemanları sizlerle gĂŒler yĂŒzlĂŒ ve dostça bir Ćekilde ilgilenip hizmet ediyorlar đ #nyc #newyork #manhattan #chelseagrill #mytravelgram #instatravel #seyahatgurusu #yoldaolmak #zamanidurdur #hurriyetseyahat #cokgezenlerkulubu #aniyasa #aniyakala #geziyoruz #kesfettik #nereyekacsak #neyesek #neredeyesek #yirtik_harita #gezirehberi #objektifimden #kesfetsene #denemenlazim #hayatakarken #dunyabizimevimiz #dunyabuyuk #benimgozumden #fotografheryerde #ig_newyorkcity #yolaskigurme
Almost everyone loves a night out to compete in some good olâ team-style trivia. So why not try out a night of Disney Movie Trivia, hosted by Trivia, AD? They usually have two Disney trivia nights a month, and the venue itâs held in is rarely the same.
Their next Disney night is this coming Monday the 22nd at 8 p.m. at the cozy Chelsea Grill of Hellâs Kitchen.
[anad2]
Sharpen your enchanted sword against a slew of other Disney fans to prove you're the fairest of them all. Or at least the smartest.
Oh, and it is not unheard of for people to show up in costume either.
,4. Queens Center Mall (90-15 Queens Blvd)
stephensimagesoflife Queensland. #newyorkcity #queenscentermall #stephensamericantour2015 #stephenltylerphotography #everydaylife #mobilephotography
What used to be the dark den of overly emo and gothic-inspired regalia, Hot Topic has now found a new and slightly brighter identity, becoming one of the biggest shops to find loot from just about any fandom under the sun. And among its top brands we find Disney, of course.
[anad]
From one-of-a-kind accessories and must-have t-shirts to exclusive Funko POP! Vinyl figures and movie-themed socks and underwear, itâs almost impossible for a Disney geek to walk in and not instantly find three new wishes for things to add to their collection.
5. Hardware Bar (697 10th Avenue)
karikerning #tbt going through old photos on my phone #july4th #independenceday with #thorgythor at #hardwarebarnyc #drag #dragqueen #queen #nyc #lookqueen #painted #instagay #instaqueen #instaqueer #rpdr #hotdogs #picnic #nyc #nycnightlife #lol #scottyroxs #djscottyrox
One of nightlifeâs most colorful bar nights of the week, Hardware brings the magic back to Hellâs Kitchen every Monday night with Broadway Mondays at 7 p.m., a celebration of songs from the Great White Way and classic Disney movies.
Hosted by the sensational Judy Darling and nightlight wunderkind Justin Luke, itâs a blast of a night that eventually has the whole bar singing out loud before the 11 p.m. talent show.
In addition, once a month there's a special âDisney Nightâ where all your favorite songs take over in an all-out Disney domination.
You havenât lived until an entire bar breaks out into âPoor Unfortunate Souls,â complete with âbody languageâ hip shaking by bar patrons.
6. Kingâs Theater (1027 Flatbush Avenue - Brooklyn)
Itâs easy to see why NYC would be a definite stop on any traveling Disney show, like the very well known Disney On Ice spectaculars, and more often than not they can be found setting up shop in Brooklyn for a weekend to put make the magic happen.
As one of the regular theaters they use, Kingâs Theater will be holding the new Mickey & Minnieâs Doorway to Magic, a mesmerizing musical featuring over 20 characters from the from ages 5 to 75 believe in dreams coming true.
[anad2]
Itâs no wonder that in NYC, one of the most magical cities in the world, both Disney and their extremely loyal fans keep sprinkling some pixie dust over these streets, helping us to remember to never grow up.
Check out 6 Must-Do Things to Cross Off Your Bucket List This Winter in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy The Disney Blog]