American Girl Place ~ Your daughter won't want to miss it!
Written: Aug 19 '03 (Updated Aug 28 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible store filled with amazing items!
Cons: You can't walk out of this store with just one item! :)
The Bottom Line: I would highly recommend the American Girl Place adventure. Just remember to bring your credit card along!
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| sblaydes's Full Review: American Girl Place |
If you have a daughter, chances are you have gotten the American Girl catalog in the mail. I know that when we first received our first one in the mail I couldn’t wait until my daughter would be old enough to make a purchase from this catalog for her.
My how the time flies…
When my daughter announced to her father and I this past February that she would like to get Kit for her birthday, I knew that my little girl was growing up. (Okay, so there were other obvious signs of this as well!) She has loved her Bitty Baby (Miss Stephanie) for many years and had recently decided that her Kit doll could be an older version of her Miss Stephanie (Bitty Baby).
Since my husband and I were currently discussing about where to go during the kid’s spring break from school, I knew immediately where I wanted to go after my daughter’s announcement. Chicago. The four of us love spending time in downtown Chicago. There is incredible shopping, amazing museums, awesome food, sometimes-good sports, and … the American Girl Place. Need I say any more?
~ My, my … look at all those girls lined up outside this store! ~
First things first, where is the American Girl Place located? The address, and telephone number is:
American Girl Place
111 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: 1-877-AG PLACE
Trust me, when you come to the corner of N. Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue, look for all the girls carrying the very distinctive red (with white lettering) American Girl Place shopping bags. If the store is open, you will see the bags. The American Girl Place is located across the street from the historic Water Tower and is right next door to the Ralph Lauren Store. It also happens to be right across the street from the Park Hyatt Chicago, which is where we stayed while on this trip. How convenient was that?
I will say right now that I only wish that I had been the creative mind to suggest opening up an American Girl Place in the heart of downtown Chicago. This place has to be a cash cow. From the size of packages I have seen leave this store, along with our own purchases, the American Girl Place brings in the business.
If you are curious as to when the American Girl Place opens daily, and don’t have computer access or a telephone handy, just keep an eye on the store. When the time draws near for the store to open, the line of girls grows longer. I kid you not; we glanced every morning from our hotel across the street to see if a day would go by without a line outside the store. It did not happen. Mind you, the wonderful displays shown through the windows will clearly excite your daughter as to what she is about to embark into. There are dolls, books, accessories, you name it … all splattered in these windows. If you think that you can walk into this store and only purchase one item, I wish you luck. You will need it!
If you are a bit more anal (hmm… like myself) and want to know the store hours prior to your shopping adventure, visit the American Girl website. Or, if going to the American Girl Place in Chicago (The New York AGP will be opening 11/08/03.) follow this link to find their hours:
http://www.americangirlplace.com/agp_chi_plan_info.php
~ Where to begin? ~
Once you enter the American Girl Place your daughter will be amazed with the choices she has, as well as you. There are three levels for your shopping enjoyment. When you first walk into the store you will find the Bookstore straight ahead of you. While the area might not seem large, it is packed full of choices to choose from. For example, my daughter picked up the book Games and Giggles, which is from the American Girl Library Collection. She also picked up the book Meet Kit which is from the American Girls Collection.
I have to admit that I did not realize that the following was also located on this level. The Photo Studio is the spot to go if your child would like to have their photo taken (With their doll of course!) on a souvenir issue of American Girl Magazine. Somehow I missed this while in the store but found it while surfing the American Girl website. While I am sure that it would have cost an arm and a leg for this type of photo it really would have made a great keepsake of her day at American Girl Place. And since it was her birthday I would have definitely done it. Oh well…
The Girls of Many Lands are also available on this level. These 9-inch dolls (and book sets) is a collection of dolls from around the world. I will admit that we did not pay attention to these dolls are they are meant to be displayed, and quite honestly … my daughter had her mind set on Kit. A doll that she could spend many hours playing with.
After you have taken a look in the bookstore it is time to decide what is next. Directly to the left of the bookstore are escalators. Oh, I would also be remise if I forgot to mention that there was a checkout available in this location as well (there are checkouts available on each level), along with a few last minute items you might want to take home with you. Like what you might ask? Well, lucky for my daughter it was cool (Okay, cooler than what we are accustomed too!) while we in Chicago. It was also my daughters birthday. So what does my husband decide to purchase? An American Girl jacket (which reminds me of my high school letter jacket), and an American Girl T-shirt. Then, this mom couldn’t resist the cute little American Girl umbrella Kit size. Yes, it is a very sneaky trap if I might say so myself to have this checkout available in this spot!
Okay, back to those elevators… and down to the lower level…
Since my daughter already knew that she would be coming to the American Girl Place for her birthday, she knew that she was here to pick out her birthday present(s). On top of this list was Kit. So, we decided to hit the lower level of the American Girl Place and head directly towards the American Girls Collection.
The American Girls Collection will not be hard to spot, trust me. You have never seen so many Kaya’s, Josefina’s, Kirsten’s, Addy’s, Samantha’s, Molly’s and of course, Kit’s in your life! And as if just seeing the dolls is not enough, there are displays throughout of each doll and their many, many accessories. It really is quite amazing! I must admit that we spent a great deal of time in this area alone as my daughter wanted to see everything, and then… decide which accessories she would like for Kit.
You will also find in the lower level of American Girl Place Peek Into the Past, which will take you back into time. Here in Peek Into the Past you will find life size re-creation of rooms from the home of each one of the American Girls Collection dolls. It really should come as no surprise that my daughter found Kit’s attic to be her favorite room displayed! This exhibit is free to all visitors and is open during regular store hours.
An exhibit that is not free to all visitors takes place in the American Girl Place Theater, also located in the lower level. The Circle of Friends: An American Girls Musical does require reservations and the current ticket price is $26.00 per person, with performance times varying. Since I had already made reservations to celebrate my daughter’s birthday in the America Girl Café, we did not see this musical. When it came down to whether or not to spend the $26.00 per person for lunch or for the musical, I opted for the lunch. Believe me when I say that my daughter was not disappointed one bit!
Also located on this lower level were the AG Mini*s. There was quite a display of the many different sets that were available. I have been told though that these are no longer in the store and are only available through their catalog or website.
Back to those elevators … and up to the top level…
While you were walking through American Girl Place wondering why some of the children you are passing are dressed like, well … and American Girl, you will immediately know why when you reach the top of the elevator. While I mentioned that American Girl jackets and T-shirts were available on the main level, there is so much more to choose from on the top level of American Girl Place. While we lucked out in only making the purchase of a Coconut T-shirt (dog) there were many other incredible options to choose from. Oh, and did I mention that these clothes matched the clothes available for the America Girl Today dolls? Yes, both your daughter and their doll could have matching coats, pants, shirts and yes, even pajamas. Were you looking for some hair accessories? You are in luck because you will find hair accessories, jewelry, purses and so much more! Remember when I mentioned that you most likely would not make it out of the store with just one time?
Mixed in around this clothing are the dolls American Girl Today and her accessories, including furniture, bicycles and so much more! While my daughter does not have any of the American Girl Today dolls this is where she picked up her dog Coconut. Hey, we found it hard to resist our daughter who just loves dogs! And besides … it was her birthday! I would like to mention here that I found the help in the American Girl Place to be extremely helpful. When my daughter discovered Coconut and had to have him, we thought that it would be cute for her to have the Coconut T-shirt. The only problem, there was not one in her size. One of the sales ladies informed me that a new shipment was coming in the next day and would we still be in town. Since we were, she took down my name, my daughters size and held back a T-shirt her size when the shipment came in. I simply came in the following afternoon and picked up the shirt. How easy was that? They will also hold your packages for you on each level until you are ready to leave.
If you are worried that your child might be a bit too young for those areas I have spoken about so far, sit back and relax because your section is next. Yes, it is time for Bitty Baby and the Bitty Twins. We saw many young girls walking around the store carrying their Bitty Baby’s with parents following behind with boxes containing an outfit, toy, book and accessories. There were also the few parents around carrying Bitty Baby’s crib, stroller, and anything else necessary to complete a nursery for Bitty Baby. Yes, you will find that each Bitty Baby outfit is showcased and it is quite a site to see. We have always been quite fond of Bitty Baby (Miss Stephanie) so we enjoyed walking around this area as well.
Another area that I did not know existed during our visit was the Doll Hair Salon located on the upper level. Apparently you can have a specially trained stylist give your doll a new look. According to the American Girl website prices for this range from $10-$20. The Doll Hair Salon is open during regular business hours and does not require an appointment.
For those who collect Angelina Ballerina there is also a section on the upper level for you! Here you will find Angelina (of course), friends, books, toys and accessories. Since we do not collect Angelina Ballerina (yet) we did not spend any time looking around in this section.
~ Are you hungry? ~
If you have not made an appointment for the American Girl Café during your visit, do not be surprised if you can not get in. I have been told those appointments during the weekend and summer hours’ book quickly, so when we decided that we were going to go to Chicago during spring break, I made our reservations to the American Girl Café at the same time. While you can have brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner in the American Girl Café I opted for the Birthday Party package. While it was going to be just my daughter and I having lunch in the café I decided to splurge and spend the extra money to surprise her. And was she ever surprised! My daughter knew that her and I would be having lunch together in the café on her birthday prior to our visit. She just did not know about the birthday party portion of it.
What did we get with the Birthday Party Package?
~ They sent us prior to our visit, two invitations with matching thank-you notes. These notes are in the colors black, hot pink and white. They were very cute.
~ Sitting on the table when we sat down was a rather large birthday card from American Girl. This card was two-fold and had the cutest red bow closure. My daughter really thought that she was something else when she saw this card just for her! (Even with her name and date inside.)
~A two-course meal. What we had was:
To begin with ~ Two warm cinnamon buns (We both wanted another!)
First course ~ Fresh Fruit Kabobs on a Pineapple Wheel (My daughter’s favorite was the celery with peanut butter.)
Second course ~ My daughter choose The American Girl Picnic Lunch which consisted of a miniature hamburger and hot dog, side of macaroni and cheese, and slices of cantaloupe. She loved it! I choose the Café Waldorf Salad which, she says pleasantly surprised, very good! It didn’t hurt that it was served with lemon pound cake either.
Beverage ~ Both my daughter and I opted for the pink lemonade.
~ Birthday cake! This is where my daughter was quite surprised. While she saw the trays of chocolate mousse flower pot and cookies coming around the room, our waitress was quite clever in keeping my daughters cake a total surprise from her. The chocolate and white iced cake was adorable, and plenty big. Our waitress was quick to bring out a box for us to take the remainder with us.
~ Pink peppermint ice cream. Yum!
~ A keepsake for both my daughter and I, which was an American Girl bracelet, tucked nicely inside a burgundy pouch.
I found the entire lunch experience a great experience. At the beginning I was curious what I really would think, as we were all gathered outside the café waiting for entrance. While standing out in the mass confusion after checking in, staff members of the café came out and gave each girl a high chair. A what? I think that I may have forgotten to mention that one of the neatest attractions to the American Girl Café is that dolls are invited. In fact, they are expected to be at your table, complete with their own teacup.
When we allowed entrance to the café and taken to our table you could see the gleam in my daughter’s eye. While my son would be rolling his eyes at all the pink, white and black my daughter was in heaven! Hot pink flowers are on each table. On each napkin is a black/white striped, which I thought was, a napkin holder. Actually, it is not. It was a ponytail holder for each child to take home. There were matching black/white-striped teacups not only for your doll but also for you yourself. And if you want, they sell these as well! Also on each table is a cute little box (color coordinated) filled with little cards for you to ask one another questions to fill your time while waiting for your food. This was such a cute idea.
When I booked my reservation for the American Girl Café they required a credit card payment of $50.00. Considering that the Birthday Party package is $26.00 per person, plus tax and gratuity, I knew that on the actual day I would not have a large balance to pay. Believe me, after the large sum of money we spent in the store itself it was nice to only have to dish out a small sum for our meal. To make a reservation for the American Girl Café simply call: 1-877-AG PLACE (877-247-5223)
~ So, was it worth the trip? ~
Believe it or not, I’m sure that I have forgotten to include some detail in this rather long (sorry) review on American Girl Place. There really is so much to cover!
If you are planning a visit to American Girl Place I highly recommend it, and… highly recommend that you visit the American Girl website at www.americangirl.com. Click on the link American Girl Place. You will want to make sure that you take a look at Special Events for Special Girls to see if they have any activities planned during your visit. Some of the activities that they offer that I have seen are cooking classes, after school tea and theater, art exhibits and so much more. You might also want to visit the link Plan Your Visit where you can view general information about the store and even print out an itinerary. I swear, American Girl Place has thought of everything! If you are traveling in the winter there is even a coat storage service.
Was it worth the trip? I’ll say it was. While I was completely intrigued myself with the whole visit my daughter was thrilled. When she walked out of the store she looked up at me and smiled and said that today was just the best. Thanks Mommy! I could have sworn that I heard the store whispering behind me thank you as well!
Other reviews that may be helpful for your trip planning:
Bitty Baby
http://www.epinions.com/kifm-review-28B7-3DC0A42-39535A59-prod3
Park Hyatt Chicago
http://www.epinions.com/content_106485747332
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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