Since The FRIENDS™ Experience opened last month, we’ve really wanted to check it out ourselves. The nostalgic adventure comprising 9 realistic rooms was way too tempting, so we had to see it with our own eyes. Trust us when we say it’s a journey through your favorite sitcom you do not want to miss.
Before the experience made its debut in Philadelphia, it’s been in places like NYC, Toronto and Paris. Gathering stellar reviews from attendees everywhere it went, the ‘90s adventure has finally made its way near the city of brotherly love, at the iconic King of Prussia mall — and fans of the series are rejoicing. But — PIVOT! — before you convince your lobster to take you on a hysterical date to The FRIENDS™ Experience, read on for our full review.
We got to King of Prussia mall, and it suddenly became real: we were literally about to step inside our favorite show. As we walked through a colorful arch of The FRIENDS™ Experience balloons, nothing could have prepared us for the adventure we were about to embark on.
Cue the opening scene: a photo-op at the legendary FRIENDS™ fountain! We got to recreate the famous intro scene and yes, we were totally humming “I’ll be there for youuuuu” in between shots. There was no need for complicated selfie-taking at the photo-ops of the experience since a staff member encouraged us to pose while they snapped our flicks. We found that to be super helpful, especially if you’re planning to go with a large group of friends. For an add-on price, you can also get those professional photos printed or sent to your email as a souvenir of the experience, which is an added bonus!
The next room we walked through featured tons of FRIENDS™ memorabilia, from cast costumes to original scripts, concept designs and behind the scenes of the show. It was super interesting to get an inside look into the series!
We experienced the hilarious couch move-up and some more memorabilia (because when could we ever have enough) before we made it to Chandler and Joey’s apartment. We beat our best scores at the darting game up on the wall and dare I say, improved our skills at table soccer. After we sat on Chandler’s (or Joey’s) sturdy recliner, it was time to replicate Joey’s “could I BE wearing anymore clothes?!” scene from The One Where No One’s Ready.
We then got inside Rachel and Monica’s kitchen — that is, after avoiding a mysterious piece of cheesecake on the floor (if you know, you know). That locked apartment door was calling our name, so we of course had to snap a few photos in front of it to pretend we lived in the teal blue and lilac flat.
Excited for more, we walked over to Central Perk where we saw Phoebe’s musical equipment first-hand. Convinced she would pop up at any time to perform “Smelly Cat” (she didn’t, bummer!), we patiently waited inside of the coffee shop to uncover the go-to meeting spot of FRIENDS™ characters in all of its glory. And it was glorious: exclusive merch, fun accessories and games to take home… We stocked up on all that FRIENDS™ content before it was officially time to say goodbye.
It was a phenomenal experience and we’ll be back. Maybe we’ll see you there?