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[title]You know all those New Yorkers who complain about the Disneyfication of Times Square? Well, now they have even more of a reason to grump, and we're okay with that. The new Disney flagship store is literally a sparkly princess's paradise. A twinkling blue path (smiling employees explain to young guests that it's made of pixie dust) winds through bright displays of Rapunzel costumes, singing Ariel dolls, light-up wands and dress-up shoes. Eventually, families come upon a 20-foot-tall pink-and-gold castle. Have your child look up—she might just catch an animated Tinkerbell flitting across the walls. But fear not, little brothers of the world; there's plenty for boys at the two-level store, including Buzz Lightyear super blasters, customizable Lightning McQueen cars and a $500 life-size Hulk head in the Marvel Comics section (the company was acquired by the big D last year).
A handful of interactive features might actually tear the kids away from the merch, like the cozy Disney Store Theater, where they can cue up scenes from their favorite movies on the big-screen video jukebox, and the castle's Magic Mirrors, where a wave of a special wand causes princesses to appear in the background. Just like the perpetually happy employees, tykes will be grinning from ear to ear during their visit. Parents, though, will likely end up grimacing from having to spend a ton of money...but it's certainly cheaper than a trip to Orlando.
1540 Broadway between 45th and 46th Sts (212-626-2910, disneystore.com). Daily 9am--midnight.