Could we have been anymore excited?!?!?!
I'm not sure if I have expressed before how much my sisters and I love the show FRIENDS! If you have followed along closely I'm sure you may have noticed! When we heard that it was coming to Denver, we could not have been more excited! So we bought the tickets right away and somehow managed to get all the sisters to go! On our way up we realized that for our whole adult lives we are not sure that we have ever, I mean absolutely never managed to have a sister's only getaway! Granted we drove up on Friday and came home on a Saturday but hey it still counts right?! We paid the extra for the VIP experience, so I am here to tell you it was worth it! And to tell you which part wasn't (yes there is an area they could have done better). But it's F.R.I.E.N.D.S!!!
After a 4 ish hour drive, we arrived at the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver. The location was very convenient for us because we were able to do some shopping before our time slot at 7:30 pm and we were able to walk from the mall across the street to the F.R.I.E.N.D.S experience. First, let's start with the gift shop (here is what I was talking about above). We arrived about thirty minutes early because we were excited and wanted time to check out EVERYTHING. I mean you can't go to something like this and leave with nothing right?! It was honestly a huge letdown! I was expecting and planning for things to be overpriced because you are buying it straight from the source, but I wasn't expecting for it to just not have much. You can honestly get through the whole "store" in about 3-5 minutes. There was not much variety of merchandise and I'm telling you those 3-5 minutes you will have seen every little thing. I was so excited for a mug (I mean Central Perk right? Coffee shop?). You would think there would be several different mugs to choose from and yet there were only two options. I'm not sure if other locations are better in this aspect, but the Denver one was seriously lacking in the souvenir department. All that to say, I wouldn't recommend showing up as early as we did because we had to wait around for about an hour or so until our group was ready to go through.
Once called in, they brought us into a separate room where we did some trivia while waiting for the next group to move through. The guide we had with us was totally fun and we were super hyped up at this point. Between the six of us, we got one question wrong. I'd say that qualifies us as super fans! Once we moved through the trivia and little video clip they show you we went through that beautiful purple door. The first thing you see of course is the infamous fountain and the couch scene. While it was cool to see, this one in Denver did not have actual water, and the lighting was really bad. This room unfortunately was the one with the worst photos.
Now just hang with me here because this is when everything gets really fun! As you walk throughout the hallways you are shown a ton of replicas and a bunch of props from the actual show (everything in glass cases is the real deal!). The next big scene you get to interact with is the couch on the stairs. It is fully interactive where you have space for you to climb up and reenact the scene with your best pals. PIVOT! PIVOT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUOUPP! After this area and some fun photo ops onto a bit more trivia! Turn the corner and...
Welcome to Chandler & Joey's living room. Relax in the lazy boy recliners, play some foosball (watch out for the chick!) If you bought a Hugsie at the store this is a great spot to include him. They did an awesome job with all the details in this room. You'll notice the cut-in-half door, the bobbleheads, even the posters, and really be careful at the foosball table you never know where that chick is!
I personally loved the hallway! You're able to stand right there at the heart of the show, one area that connects them all. Take the time to get some really good photos here. Peek around the hallway or throw yourself down the stairs like Ross (we don't recommend this lol but pretending would be fun!). When you're done here head over to Monica and Rachel's kitchen. This scene was sooooo fun and clean (Monica clean). Be sure to take a look out the window to the city and if you have time, poke the naked guy! This area wasn't as big as the other experiences in New York or California. It is missing the entire living room set which was kind of a letdown but it was a favorite still for us all.
Before you get to the end and the beloved Central Perk, make sure to take in and enjoy all those details in between scenes. We loved reading "Science Boy" and the full letter Rachel wrote to Ross (front and back). There are so many little but fantastic details and to be honest, I can't remember them all so you'll just have to check it out for yourself. Now, Central Perk! I loved every piece in this room! The full coffee bar, the beautiful couches, and the coffee mugs were set so perfectly. The only thing missing here is the stage in the coffee shop. Even with the few things missing it was overall a wonderful experience and we had so much fun. Don't leave without some jam and all the pictures you can think of!
Afterward, we went to a local bar called the Cherry Cricket where we had just missed the Avs who decided to party it up in celebration of their recent win! I mean you take home the Stanley Cup so I would be celebrating too. The food was amazing and the drinks were even better!!! Highly recommend the spiked rootbeer float if you're looking for something fun, different, and cold. Now, take it all in, check it all out and enjoy the full F.R.I.E.N.D.S Experience!
