New York City is a town that roles out the Red Carpet for all to enjoy during wonderful season of celebration. Starting with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and running through the first week of January, there is much to do and see. In conjunction with that celebration is a unique attraction called The Ride, Holiday Edition which runs now through January 6, 2019. The mother ship, The Ride, runs all year. Created, written and directed by Richard Humphrey, it has won many awards including its sixth TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence Award. If you walk the streets of New York City, you are bound to have seen the boldly painted Motor Coaches used for The Ride.
The Ride is designed to give people an opportunity to see the sights and the streets become a stage as performers speak to you, dance, sing, or both. An unscripted part is the way typical New Yorkers just walk past the street performers and carry on about their own business. But it is also fun to see people walking who spot the ride and wave to you on the bus.
I had an opportunity to take The Holiday Edition of The Ride on a very busy Saturday night in December. In addition to being a freelance writer, I am also a Licensed New York City Tour Guide and the area that they cover is in my agenda for walking tours. So I was interested to see how they would handle this busy area.
How was is? In a word, it was fun. But it was more than that. Please read on!
Very Good Customer Service
Departure time was scheduled for 7:00. We were asked to arrive at 42nd and 8thAve. at least 15 minutes before that which my companion and I dd. When we got there, it was obvious to see that 42nd Street was experiencing major traffic which caused gridlock leading into and past 8th Avenue. When there was no bus by 7:00, the staff immediately came and informed us of a problem and gave an estimate of when the bus would arrive. That alone would have been enough, but they also came around to each group and spent time talking with us. They were personable, funny, and they really helped pass the time. They continued to update us and were right on target with the bus arrival. By 7:45 we were loading onto the Motor Coach for our experience.
The Ride Motor Coaches
As a long-legged person who needs ample seating, I can attest to the fact that The Ride is very comfortable. Seating is set up in three rows stadium style facing out one side of the motor coach. The seating goes higher on each row so there is no one blocking your view. Temperature inside the coach was just right especially on a night where the mercury was starting to drop.
Inside the motor coach, there are interactive screens with custom created videos. Speakers are mounted that play music created for The Ride. There are LED light panels and software to run everything that is comparable to that used in a Broadway show. It is a totally unique experience to go through New York City in this motor coach. It’s part tour vehicle and part live theater. The driver knew how to smoothly drive through the traffic. I don’t know when I have ever felt so comfortable riding through New York City.
To see what happens on The Ride, Holiday Edition, take a look at this video.
What We Saw and Experienced
As we began our trip, two guides, a man and a woman, introduced themselves. It’s hard to define who works in these positions as they are part tour guide, part group facilitators, and another part entertainer including singing and stand-up comedy. They did a wonderful job on the 90-minute excursion as they interacted with the performers located on the street. In between stops, they engaged in discussion with us bus riders as they told us many things about the attractions, we were riding past. Traffic continued to be heavy so there were times we slowed down.The two had plenty of information and quips to keep the show going at a lively pace.
The Holiday Edition of The Ride goes past many of the sights so popular this time of year. We rode past the tree at Rockefeller Center and saw the Saks Department Store beautifully lit up. An unexpected highlight was riding past Bryant Park as we saw one side of the Holiday Markets lit up. We rode up 8th Avenue and had a performer dressed as a grown up Tiny Tim follow us and sing and dance for several block. As we approached Columbus Circle we saw the Time Warner Building and several other large facilities elaborately decorated. At Columbus Circle, we stopped and watched a ballerina start dancing by the famous statue in the Circle. A partner came out and they performed to music from the Nutcracker.
As we continued our journey back to 42nd Street, we encountered several more street performers who sang and even did some break dancing on the sidewalk. As our journey ended back at 42nd and 8th, we were very happy with all that we saw and experienced on our trip.
Who Will Enjoy The Ride Holiday Edition?
Promotional materials advertise this for shoppers, students, seniors, groups, and corporate holiday parties.
I would also include:
Tourists looking for a unique event.
Local people can enjoy this too because it gives them a chance to get a good look at all the lovely decorations, lights, and attractions with the ease of being seated and not having to do walking or driving themselves.
All in all,The Ride Holiday Edition is a very enjoyable experience. It gives you a chance to see the sights and enjoy the spirit of the holidays New York City style.
For more information, visit The Ride’s website.