If you follow our Familiagram, you know that Westchester's Ridge Hill is one of our favorite places to hang. We shop, eat and play there. Less than 30 minutes from The Bronx, Ridge Hill feels like no other mall in New York.
Ridge Hill is ready for the holiday season and it's created a DreamWorks DreamPlace -
The North Pole Adventure.
TOY DRIVE: Now through Sunday, December 14th, please donate new, unwrapped toys appropriate for children ages 3-12. Donations may be dropped off at the Holiday Tree in the lobby of the WESTMED building at Ridge Hill (73 Market Street, Yonkers, NY). Toys will be distributed to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, and Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle.
As soon as we arrived we were greeted by Shrek. We received our passports and entered the beautifully decorated house. Not really knowing what to expect, I thought we'd walk around a house and meet Santa, take a picture and that would be it. I was wrong. We were taken on a journey. We entered the design lab to create (and name) our very own sleigh - this would be the sleigh that would take us on a magical journey guided by Shrek and his pals to the North Pole. We were now ready to board our sleigh - the Sonic Chrome - and head on our journey!
Inside another room, we boarded a sleigh that featured "leather cushioned seats, a red body with gold filigree, and curled silver runners." At first Norrin was a little nervous but after a few seconds he was totally into it! It was an "immersive, cinematic adventure featuring a wrap-around screen and motion based effects." (It's less than 10 minutes) We arrived at our destination and taken to the meet the man himself - Santa Claus. We got our picture with Santa and made our way to a little gift shop where we bought Norrin a souvenir - a Toothless t-shirt, his favorite dragon from How to Train Your Dragon.
What I loved about the The North Pole Adventure is that it combined story-telling, technology and imagination. It was so cool - like nothing we've ever experienced!
As of now, there isn't an "autism/sensory friendly" day or evening scheduled. I attended a private media event so I'm not sure how crowded it will get. BUT if you make your appointment early in the morning (and within the next few weeks before the Christmas rush really kicks in) it may be more manageable.
A photo posted by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez (@laliquin) on
Disclosure: We were invited as media to preview The North Pole Adventure at Ridge Hill. We were not provided with compensation. All opinions are our own.
