Let me start by saying that we at OWTK are not tourists. Not in Paris. Not in Los Angeles. And definitely not in New York City. That said, we were invited to take a ride on THE RIDE and I gotta admit that this high-tech, very air-conditioned tour looked to be quite fun. And, well, it was that. And quite a bit more.
THE RIDE isn’t built for kids, per se, but is absolutely family friendly. My girls (ages 7 and 4) loved waving at people on the street (which, to be fair, they could’ve done on any MTA bus, but still…) and watching the organized-spontaneity on the streets of midtown Manhattan as performers danced, sang, rapped, acted silly and, best of all fluttered about the Columbus Circle fountain in full, glorious ballet apparel while subtle piano music played in the sleek, custom-built, stadium-style-seated tour bus.
You spend about an hour and 15 minutes in a very comfortable seat with ample legroom (I’m 6’4″ and fit comfortably), in an impressive, multi-media bus with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that holds less than 50 people. So this is not a cattle herd production like other tours, but rather a front row seat to a series of intimate performances in the most active and intense city in the country. The contrast is stunning, the theatrics nothing short of delightful – even for this jaded non-tourist.
The hosts – we had Scott and Jackie – were sometimes irreverent (never in a crude way), sometimes informative, but always humorous and pleasant. In fact, I could argue that even with all of the performances we saw outside, some of the best moments occurred in the cabin of the bus as the two of them bantered back and forth with each other and the passengers, and awarded completely fictional RIDE Points willy-nilly for random, zany reasons. The Bear “won” the non-competition and received a RIDE hat that she wore with pride for the remainder of the day. The super friendly staff really seems to want to get to know you – your names and where you’re from. There is a good reason for this, and your family will be enjoy becoming a small part of the event. Everyone walks away from THE RIDE a winner.
THE RIDE isn’t for New Yorkers, but for visitors wanting to experience something creative in the Big Apple that seamlessly fuses a classic city tour bus with live theatrical entertainment, THE RIDE is your ticket to ride…on THE RIDE. Okay, enough. You get the point. In a city full of entertainment options, there is nothing quite like this. THE RIDE is a hoot for families and if you can spring for the price (discounted for the summer with code: RDSUMMER) you should do it. Did I mention it’s very well air-conditioned?
A note about the price (regularly $65pp): that seems crazy expensive, I know. But if you think of THE RIDE as part off-Broadway show and part-tour bus then it actually flips around to being a bargain. I mean, have you priced NYC theater tickets recently?
Check out the schedule, ticket options, additional photos and a promotional video on the official website for THE RIDE.
*OWTK received 4 tickets for THE RIDE for review considerations. The opinions expressed above are honest and unbiased. No arm-twisting took place in the review process.
