This post is sponsored by Adventures by Disney. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
If you are looking for a review of Adventures by Disney trips, you have come to the right place.
This past weekend, My mom and I went on our first girls trip…just the two of us to New York City! We jumped on a plane to experience Adventures by Disney NYC. Disney rolls out the red carpet like no one else. If you haven’t heard about these trips, Adventures by Disney provides hassle-free group travel to domestic and international locations. You become completely immersed into the culture, people, and places of the location you visit. Adventure by Disney plans your entire itinerary. Your package will include most meals, admission to various attractions, VIP access to private events, amazing accommodations, transportation, and 2 adventure guides.
I have visited NYC multiple times, but I’ve never experienced it like this. This trip is perfect for families, best friends, and couples. It is truly designed for everyone, at any age. We felt like the trip was made just for us.
We experienced a short preview of the full trip, and were able to experience many of the highlights the Adventures by Disney NYC trip has to offer. From the moment we stepped off the plane and were transported by driver to the hotel, we felt like movie stars. We had a little free time to explore the city on our own before meeting-up with the other members of our group for a special dinner in the hotel. We had a great welcome reception where we met the awesome guides for the remainder our trip. We also enjoyed an amazing delicious meal.
After dinner…we were off! There are so many incredible highlights of the Adventures by Disney NYC trip, but I want to share a few of my favorites.
The Intercontinental Times Square
Adventures by Disney NYC sets the tone for this trip with the hotel they chose. The Intercontinental Times Square is one of the city’s most beautiful, and elegant hotels. The stylish decor was stunning, and the rooms were modern and spacious. If you ever stayed in NYC hotel rooms, you know “spacious” is not the word commonly used to describe them. Having a beautiful place to return while relaxing in the evening, just helped us escape into full “vacation-mode.” The bathroom felt like a spa on it’s own right.
The location of the hotel is the best feature. It is right in the middle of the Broadway district. We were literally a couple blocks away from Times Square, Central Park, and so much more. Also, they happen to have one of the best rated restaurants in the city. One night we enjoyed dinner on our own here, and thoroughly enjoyed all the delicious food “The Stinger” had to offer.
The Ride: NYC Tour
On our first night in the city, we all boarded “The Ride” to visit some of the major sights of New York City. The Ride is an interactive entertainment experience with floor to ceiling glass windows, and stadium style seating, featuring TV’s, LED lights, and surround sound in a wonderful motor coach. We enjoyed a 75 minute ride around the city and were able to see some of New York’s best sights, while watching ballet, break dancers, rappers, and various acts perform from the street. For a while, we truly thought these performers were strangers and not part of the ride. Here’s the best part…New Yorker’s are so used to seeing “unique” activity on the street, they barely flinched as the acts performed. Some of the locations included on The Ride are Times Square, Columbus Circle, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, and Bryant Park.
Our tour guides were fantastic, and kept us laughing the entire time. We were having so much fun, the time went really fast. This was definitely the best way to see NYC!
Good Morning America
We woke up bright and early, met our guides, and headed over to Good Morning America to receive VIP access to the studios. It was fascinating talking to the stage manager, and hearing about his journey to the top of the TV industry. He even shared advice for anyone wanting to have success pursuing this career.
After having a delicious breakfast of donuts, coffee, and fruit, we headed down to see the amazing newscasters delivering the day’s top news. It was great seeing the people I watch on TV every morning…up close and personal. There are so many professionals, behind the scenes, that help this show run smoothly. I was a bit star struck, and completely amazed by all of this!
I also majorly freaked-out, when I learned two of my favorite celebs…Chrissy Tiegen and Emma Stone were going to visit the show! I am a big fan of their work, and entertaining personalities. We had amazing seats during the live taping thanks to my mom. I could literally reach out and touch them. My face hurt a bit from constantly smiling, and getting to be in so many live television shots. My sister even recorded the show, so we could watch it when we got home.
New Amsterdam Theater
We received a private tour of the New Amsterdam Theater and it was breath-taking. We learned a ton of cool history about the site. We were only able to photograph certain sections of theater due to copyright protections. Overall the theater was so beautiful, and such an incredible experience touring a venue of this magnitude.
We learned all about how the site was remastered, and its importance as a major landmark in NYC. Aladdin is currently on Broadway at the theater, and we were able to learn some cool tricks that make the show come alive, and become truly magical. We also saw many of the costumes and creations of the sets. We were then escorted to another room where we were able to lay eyes on some of the legendary props from Mary Poppins, the Newsies, and Lion King. We had to be incredibly careful with the items, but had a ball trying-on some of the items, and being part of that history.
John’s Pizzeria
You can’t go to NYC without getting pizza, and Adventures by Disney NYC only serves up the best. We had lunch at the biggest pizzeria in the country. The restaurant was converted from a tabernacle into this beautiful restaurant.
The story behind this restaurant is so inspiring and unique. We tried such a large assortment of pizzas, and everything we tasted was insanely delicious. All pizzas here are cooked in coal-fired brick ovens, and they are absolute perfection.
Broadway Workshop
After lunch, we went to experience a behind-the-scenes look at Frozen on Broadway, and learned what it really takes to land the part in these amazing Broadway shows. Our class was led by two Broadway dance instructors in a real studio. This studio hosts try-outs and teaches classes. We learned how to sing and dance to one of the numbers in Frozen, and it still rings in my ears daily. It was such a great time to let loose, relax, have fun, and pretend we were real Broadway stars.
If you ever thought it was easy to get one of these roles…after that workshop, you will greatly admire every Broadway performer. This was such a fun setup to our highly anticipated viewing of Frozen on Broadway later that evening.
Frozen
No trip with Adventures by Disney NYC is complete without a Broadway show of a Disney film. AMAZING!!!! This is the only word that could describe this show. I could go back and see this one a million times, and never get tired of it. I was curious how they would adapt this movie to the stage….they did an exceptional job. There were many scenes that seemed to include magic tricks and illusions of all sorts. I think every person in the audience wanted to give a standing ovation after every scene, because it was just that good. Adventures by Disney does everything in the most fabulous way, so you know we had the best seats in the house. We also were able to get up close and personal with the cast after the show was over. They answered our questions about the entire show and their paths to get to this point. It was so inspirational!
The next morning, we met our group for one last farewell breakfast in the hotel, and said our good-byes. This trip was magical in every way, and perfect for every age group. After experiencing Adventures by Disney NYC, I don’t think I could see this city any other way.
They truly raised the bar, and fulfilled every possible dream you could hope for when visiting the Big Apple.
My full review is to take every possible trip with Adventures by Disney! It will blow your mind!
For more Disney related articles, check out: Disney Social Media Moms Conference Pt. 1
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11 comments
Harmony, Momma To Go
I live in NY – its a great place to visit and it looks like you did so much! Love John’s pizza for sure!
Brittany
I had no idea this was even a thing! What an amazing opportunity you had. I would love to experience a little Disney in NYC!
Kristina
So nice to meet you and your mom! It was definitely a “magical” experience!
Tatanisha Worthey
Oh my gosh, you guys had a BLLLLLLASSSTTT!! I loved following your IG stories to be part of the moment!! And to be that close to Strahan- oh my!! Thanks for sharing this, I’ll have to check it out. I love going to NYC, but having a travel guide would be a lot of fun!!
Diedre Anthony
OMG…Chrissy Teigan?! What an amazing experience! This all looks amazing girl! You are doing big things!
Jenn
This looks like such a fun trip. Of course you had me at Disney and then you went and threw in NYC. Wow, like a dream trip, and that food. Wow!
Helen Little
What an amazing trip! I didn’t know Disney offered tours like this. I’m from the UK and this sort of thing would be perfect for a complete newbie to town!
Christa
This looks like such an incredible trip! I had no idea Disney provided these tours. Just one of those experiences would have made a memorable vacation but to do so much is amazing.
Marya
I enjoyed learning about this. I’m actually from Queens originally but have been looking forward to making a trip happen for my daughter that’s easy to navigate for me.
Courtney Byers
Omg how fun is this. I didn’t even know about this. Thanks for sharing. We went to NYC in the spring and I would’ve loved this. I’m a huge Disney fan. You definitely convinced me to do this next time.
Mary
Omg so jealous of this! It’s been years since I have done anything Disney! This makes me want to again 🙂