Whenever I’m in New York, I always go to the Disney Store in Times Square, so it’s unsurprising that I booked tickets to the Disney on Broadway tour. The tour has been on my radar for a few years and the timing finally worked out on my last trip.
We stayed in the Theater District, so the meeting place for the tour was steps away from our hotel. It was nice to go on the tour with my mom because we saw The Lion King musical together.
The tour is split in 2 parts: walking around Times Square and then visiting Disney’s New Amsterdam Theatre. I wish we spent more time at the theatre and less time on the street. We heard general information about how Times Square has evolved, whereas I was more interested in Disney. I enjoyed hearing about how Walt Disney approached Julie Andrews to star in Mary Poppins after seeing her in Camelot at the Majestic Theatre, but I could find most facts online.
Tour Guide Colin Israel
Our group was small, so it was easy to hear our tour guide Colin Israel outside. As an actor, Colin offered a unique perspective about Broadway. For example, he was a swing in Matilda the Musical, which I saw in New York in 2014. The best information he shared was off the record, so I won’t repeat it here!
The short walk seemed long because I was dying to see what we could do at the New Amsterdam Theatre. It’s the 2nd oldest operating Broadway theatre. The interior has lots of curves and there is nothing boxy. The light and muted colours, such as green, pink and cream, make you feel like you’re in a garden at twilight. In my notes, I wrote “highest number of women’s washrooms on Broadway lol” and I still think that’s noteworthy.
We all enjoyed having a moment in the spotlight as we stood centerstage. The most exciting part of the tour came next: trying on costumes and playing with props backstage. This was special because they were real pieces from Disney shows. In fact, the masks from The Lion King were worth $7,000 each. Pretending I was starring in Newsies was also a treat because I’ve seen it twice!
Unfortunately, the dress up portion was rushed. Judging by the pictures on the tour’s website, I knew this would be the highlight and I wish the organizers would reconsider the schedule. When you’re on vacation, you don’t want to be confined by a strict timer.
The Disney on Broadway tour costs about $100 per person and caters to Disney fans, so guests should have more time to interact with the props and costumes. Considering how much businesses are doing to create photo ops for customers and the theatre already has the best props in the business, I think there is some room for improvement.
Between theatre buffs and Disney fans, there’s a big market for this tour. It’s so rare to get to play with props and costumes from Broadway or Hollywood. Overall, the tour would make a fun addition to any New York trip and you can buy tickets here. Hopefully the organizers will consider my thoughts about how you spend your time on the tour.