Aladdin Times Square Palace Suite Experience is Magical

Aladdin’s Times Square Palace Suite Experience Is Truly Magical

If I rubbed a magic lamp and a genie popped out, I’d probably wish for more things to do with my kids that we could all enjoy together. Rarely does an activity or experience come along that is not only entertaining, but strengthens the bond between parent and child. After my night in Aladdin’s Times Square Palace suite with my 11-year-old daughter, I found I didn’t need a magic lamp to make my wish come true.

Aladdin’s Times Square Palace suite experience is a new crossover offering from the Hilton New York Times Square and Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway that includes a night in a themed suite, plus premium orchestra seats to the play, complimentary breakfast, parking and drinks.

We arrived at the Hilton New York Times Square during a busy Wednesday rush hour and I was thoroughly grateful parking was included. We were then handed the key to the Aladdin suite, a private, themed room on the hotel’s 22nd floor, where we were transported to the 16th century Middle East. The room was stunning, with silky, fluorescent bedsheets and pillows, shiny gold treasure props, oriental rugs galore – even the bathroom was glammed up, Arabian style. For a moment I completely forgot we were in Times Square.

After sending photos of the suite to everyone I know, we freshened up and headed out for some dinner and a show. My daughter loves seafood and Red Lobster was right next door. Obviously there are a zillion other dinner options in that area, but you can’t deny the convenience of being a few feet from your next destination, especially with kids in tow.

Once our bellies were full, we shuffled a few steps over to the New Amsterdam theater and sat down in our seats – our amazingly close, fifth row, dead center, orchestra seats that made the stage appear larger than life.

Next we took a few obligatory selfies with our Playbills and I waited for the show to start, worried that she wouldn’t like the show. It was her first Broadway play; what if she got bored? Kids today are so easily distracted. At the very least I hoped it would hold her interest long enough to stay off the phone for the duration of the show.

I didn’t have to worry for long. She was hooked from the moment that stage came to life. From the sparkly, elaborate costumes, to the dazzling special effects and complex set design, to the genuinely lovable actors and characters, we were both captivated from start to finish. After all my concerns, she only pulled out her phone to snap some photos of the actors at the end, and later, to find their social media accounts. Yep, she liked it that much.

After the show, we headed back to the hotel lobby for a complimentary Genie-tini and a Magic Mocktail, which was served alongside our very own magic lamp. We boomerang-toasted for the ‘Gram and headed back to the room singing “A Whole New World” the whole way. Upon entry to the suite, we discovered it to be even more enchanting at night, alit with brilliant colors and neon lights. Inspired, I played songs from the soundtrack on my phone while we laughed and danced the night away. At one point we laid on the carpet and pretended to soar above New York City!

Everything about the experience was magical – and I swear that’s not a cliche, what with the whole genie/lamp thing. It was truly a bonding moment, and I’m so grateful my daughter and I now share an incredibly special memory of it together.

The Aladdin’s Times Square Palace suite experience is available through Oct. 31, 2023. Visit the hotel’s website, contact [email protected] or call 212-913-9488 to reserve the suite. Rates and tickets start from $599 per night and must be booked 72 hours in advance.

Psst… Check out our Guide to Family Fun on Coney Island

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Speakitaly NYC

SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.&nbsp; Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress.&nbsp; Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge. Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City&hellip; Who doesn&rsquo;t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history &amp; in the arts? Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor&rsquo;s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.