New York City help

MomRN

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 14, 2010
Venturing out of my Disney comfort zone and wanting to take my son to New York City for his 13th birthday) end of June 2019). I have no idea of the layout of NYC. We are from small town Indiana with Indianapolis being our "big city."

I don't know where to start.

I know we want to go to three full days, four nights, and one of those to encompass June 29th. I want to see Time Square, 9/11 museum, Ellis Island, Central Park, and a Broadway show. Also would love any suggestions of must sees.

What I need is to know where best to stay, specifically what area, and hotel suggestions. I have Hilton points to use but don't have to use. Also, how do we divide up our days? What locations are close to each other and can be fit in the same day?

I just need help figuring out where to start.
 
Look at a map! I’m local, so I don’t have a lot of hotel information, but divide your days by areas. To get to Ellis Island/SOL, you will take a ferry from downtown (book ahead of time, months in advance if you want to go to the crown). 9/11 memorial and museum are downtown, as is the observatory at one World Trade Center (tickets available online, memorial is free but booking online for the others lets you bypass long lines).

Manhattan isn’t huge, but no matter where you stay you won’t be walking distance for everything. Find a hotel close to a subway stop. Combine Central Park with a museum like the museum of natural history. Times Square is best at night, and walking distance to broadway theaters.

Go on sites like trip advisor, see what is of interest, and map it out. Research how long each attraction takes on average. For me, the SOL takes most of a day, with the audio tours there and on Ellis Island.
 
I live 20 minutes from NYC. We have seen and done so many things there over the years. I have seen almost every Broadway show running currently and have tips on scoring cheap tickets. Do you guys have any idea what you want to see?

When you see Ellis Island you can also go see the Statue of Liberty. They are a short ferry ride away from each other.

I would look into getting tickets for a tour bus that is "hop on and hop off". You can ride the cool two-story tour bus and just get off where ever you want. Get off in Time Square and walk around and when you are ready to go somewhere new you just wait for the bus and ride it again.

You can also go to the top of the Empire State building. St. Patrick's Cathedral is also beautiful to walk through.
 


I love those ideas.

I would live to see Frozen, but any highly acclaimed Broadway show would be great.

When should I be looking into getting tickets? We have a Disney cruise in March that I would lkke to get through first, but if I need to seriously plan now I will. We are Disney people, planning our days six months in advance is normal.
 
Venturing out of my Disney comfort zone and wanting to take my son to New York City for his 13th birthday) end of June 2019). I have no idea of the layout of NYC. We are from small town Indiana with Indianapolis being our "big city."

I don't know where to start.

I know we want to go to three full days, four nights, and one of those to encompass June 29th. I want to see Time Square, 9/11 museum, Ellis Island, Central Park, and a Broadway show. Also would love any suggestions of must sees.

What I need is to know where best to stay, specifically what area, and hotel suggestions. I have Hilton points to use but don't have to use. Also, how do we divide up our days? What locations are close to each other and can be fit in the same day?

I just need help figuring out where to start.

If you are interested in seeing Hamilton, a new block of tickets go on sale to the general public at 10am, November 13th.
 
I love those ideas.

I would live to see Frozen, but any highly acclaimed Broadway show would be great.

When should I be looking into getting tickets? We have a Disney cruise in March that I would lkke to get through first, but if I need to seriously plan now I will. We are Disney people, planning our days six months in advance is normal.

If you want Hamilton tickets expect to pay a lot. About $375 for one ticket. The show is absolutely amazing though. My favorite so far. I was gifted tickets and saw the show in September. My friend bought me the tickets in January, just to get an idea of how far in advance you need to get those.

Frozen is amazing but what about Wicked? I LOVE love love Wicked. It's one of the longest running shows.

I have to run out but I'll be back to share all my tricks!
 


When going to Times Square, always avoid the creepy characters that want to mug you for a photo opportunity, and most of all, avoid the CD hawkers. However, Times Square does have the iconic Disney Store, which is a must-visit for many a Disney fan (I've been there every day when I was there earlier this year and last year), and has a bunch of exclusive NYC Disney merchandise.
 
Personally, I like to stay around the West 35th & West 36th street area between 5th and 6th Ave. Several very reasonably priced hotels on both of those streets and a bunch of decent restaurants PLUS I feel safe in this area. You are within walking distance of Times Square and Herald Square (Macy's). You are close to Bryant Park and IMO Grand Central. If you are going to, say the Financial District, you are going to want to take the subway or a taxi/uber/lyft, but you can walk to so much of the city from here. I love NYC because it is so easy to navigate and is so walkable.
 
When going to Times Square, always avoid the creepy characters that want to mug you for a photo opportunity, and most of all, avoid the CD hawkers. However, Times Square does have the iconic Disney Store, which is a must-visit for many a Disney fan (I've been there every day when I was there earlier this year and last year), and has a bunch of exclusive NYC Disney merchandise.

I've seen pictures of those characters... very scary! But the Disney store is a must.
 
Look online at local magazines like "New York Magazine" and "Time Out" for articles on what to do, where to go and when. Try when possible to eat outside the Times Square area which will have many familiar named eateries with unfamiliar prices. Go to Grand Central Station and stand in the "whispering corners" outside the Oyster Bar on the lower mezzanine level.

Since you're an admitted Disney planner take the time to read before you go and find out what if any museums and sights you've an interest in. Be sure you know the correct spelling of any family members' names who entered this country through Ellis Island; you can look them up there and find documents they may have signed. Sometimes you can even find recordings of their voices. Should you feel it's relevant visit the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street (it's within walking distance of the Chinatown). Along with Chinatown's eats you'll be close to Katz', home of some of the best pastrami and Jewish style brisket of beef sandwichs still in the city. You can grab a ticket and pick up your order from the counter or sit at the table for waiter service. Wash it down with a Dr. Brown's soda and at least one of you should get a Celray soda just for the taste sensation, LOL.

I no longer suggest people walk over the Brooklyn Bridge since it's too well known now and annoyingly crazy busy w/ people stopping in the middle of foot traffic to take pictures oblivious to the cyclists and skateboarders whizzing by; try the Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridge instead. Both still lead you to interesting Brooklyn neighborhoods and have convenient subway transport back to Manhattan but watch out for the "L" train; it's about to close down for a year or so for maintenance work. There will be bus transport instead.

Wear comfortable sturdy walking shoes and leave the plastic clogs at home. You may well be doing the most walking of your life. Think Epcot or AK on steroids.

You can get free subway and bus maps from NYC's convention and tourist center. Also info about getting discounted B'way tickets (No, you will NOT find Hamilton there, LOL):

https://www.nycgo.com/



HTH
 
As a New Yorker, my favorite thing to do is pick a neighborhood and walk around. Since you like to plan, perhaps try to find restaurants or activities in different areas of the city and then wander around those neighborhoods a little.

I love Central Park and always find something new to look at there. I always suggest the High Line, which is our elevated park built into old train tracks. It's really beautiful and stretches more than 30 blocks.

It's also possible to see the Statue of Liberty quite nicely from the Staten Island Ferry, which is free to take and also provides beautiful views of the skyline. So really, just decide how much going to Liberty Island really means to you.

I actually don't suggest the 9/11 museum to tourists who are going to be in the city for a limited time. I do suggest visiting the site and the outdoor memorial, but the museum itself is very raw, especially for children. If you truly feel your trip won't be complete without visiting it, it is well done but it's not something I would opt to do myself if I were visiting the city.

I also would say that if you visit Times Square, you really only need the time around when you go to your Broadway show. It's cool to see, but not really a time-consuming visit. Even food-wise, the better restaurants are over on 9th Ave. in Hell's Kitchen.

My biggest tip would be to get familiar with the subway and don't be afraid to take it! It will help you a lot. And just like with Disney, be prepared to WALK.
 
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If you want Hamilton tickets expect to pay a lot. About $375 for one ticket. The show is absolutely amazing though. My favorite so far. I was gifted tickets and saw the show in September. My friend bought me the tickets in January, just to get an idea of how far in advance you need to get those.

Frozen is amazing but what about Wicked? I LOVE love love Wicked. It's one of the longest running shows.

I have to run out but I'll be back to share all my tricks!
When they visited over the summer, I gave my nieces the option of a play- they chose Wicked and we all loved it! No seat is a bad seat; but center, Orchestra are the best seats in the house. We've done high, side etc. for a discount- and they are still pricey tickets with a neck strain.

The advice you got about grouping things to do, and reserving certain things like SOL early are spot on.
 
As a New Yorker, my favorite thing to do is pick a neighborhood and walk around. Since you like to plan, perhaps try to find restaurants or activities in different areas of the city and then wander around those neighborhoods a little.

I love Central Park and always find something new to look at there. I always suggest the High Line, which is our elevated park built into old train tracks. It's really beautiful and stretches more than 30 blocks.

It's also possible to see the Statue of Liberty quite nicely from the Staten Island Ferry, which is free to take and also provides beautiful views of the skyline. So really, just decide how much going to Liberty Island really means to you.

I actually don't suggest the 9/11 museum to tourists who are going to be in the city for a limited time. I do suggest visiting the site and the outdoor memorial, but the museum itself is very raw, especially for children. If you truly feel your trip won't be complete without visiting it, it is well done but it's not something I would opt to do myself if I were visiting the city.

I also would say that if you visit Times Square, you really only need the time around when you go to your Broadway show. It's cool to see, but not really a time-consuming visit. Even food-wise, the better restaurants are over on 9th Ave. in Hell's Kitchen.

My biggest tip would be to get familiar with the subway and don't be afraid to take it! It will help you a lot. And just like with Disney, be prepared to WALK.

I agree about the 9/11 museum to a certain extent....you really have to have a need to see it to appreciate it. I was down at Vesey and West Streets then and still have vivid memories of the day and it's aftermath. Took DGD down there when she was 11 or 12 with the man because we felt it was important for her to see but refused to enter the place myself; still a mental process I need to work through but OP's son is 13 and probably old enough to visit the museum.

I can't stress enough that most of Manhattan is not a place to visit using Uber, Lyft or yellow/green taxis. We depend on mass transit for a reason and I always encourage my visiting guests to avail themselves of it.
 
Wow... so many more things to consider. So if I were to consider the following things priority, would it be possible to get them in a full three day trip, and how best to group them?

Time Square/Broadway (Wicked would also be a great option)
Staten Island Ferry (want to see SOL, not go in)
9/11 memorial/museum
St Patricks Cathedral
Empire State Building
Central Park
 
St. Patrick's and Central Park would make sense to do on the same day, since they are in walking distance of one another, and then you could also walk along 5th Avenue, where many of the high end stores are (it can be fun to window shop, and if your son is into sports, there is a fantastic NBA store in that area).

Reminder that late June can be HOT in the city, so whatever you do, plan breaks to rest/recharge/cool down. If you plan a trip with a Wednesday, that also opens up the option of seeing a matinee of a Broadway show (2pm performance). Of the things you listed, only the ferry and the memorial are downtown.
 
Wow... so many more things to consider. So if I were to consider the following things priority, would it be possible to get them in a full three day trip, and how best to group them?

Time Square/Broadway (Wicked would also be a great option)
Staten Island Ferry (want to see SOL, not go in)
9/11 memorial/museum
St Patricks Cathedral
Empire State Building
Central Park
Sure, your list could fit into a 3 day trip with room to spare depending on how energetic you want to be. Also depends on where you want to stay:

Staten Island Ferry
9/11 memorial and museum on arrival day.

St. Patrick's and Empire State Bldg during the day and a nighttime visit to Time Sq (no idea what you want to do there past seeing a play)

Central Park on departure day.

ETA: since you plan to be there the end of June you might want to see Central Park at night by viewing one of the Metropolitan Opera's summer time concerts. It's a NYC tradition among those who haven't gone on vacation yet. You grab a picnic meal and gear and sit in the middle of the park at night listening to beautiful music. Truly magical.
 
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This is a frequent topic here; you can search for previous threads for more info.

A general suggestion is to have a backup plan for something indoors if you get a very hot or rainy day. I always recommend one of the big museums: either the Museum of Natural History or the Met (on opposite sides of Central Park).

If you’re a Pooh fan, stop by the NY Public Library on Fifth Ave. in midtown to see the real Pooh and friends (original stuffed animals owned by Christopher Robin Milne) on display in the children’s room.

A 13-yr old boy may also enjoy the Intrepid (west side piers).
 
If you want Hamilton tickets expect to pay a lot. About $375 for one ticket!

If you get a chance to purchase the tickets as soon as they become available that morning, they are still face value prices though. Once people scoop up all the tickets, that’s when the prices go up because people are just reselling the ones they just bought. (Tickets are still pretty expensive at face value though - is it @ $225 for orchestra now?)
 

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