On customized buses, multimedia tours turn New York into a living stage

The Ride treats New York City as a living stage, offering it up for the entertainment of guests seated in specialized, multimedia vehicles.

There are many ways the standard guided tour can be improved, whether by focusing on a specific niche or offering expedited transportation, for example. The Ride in New York City, however, treats the city as a living stage, offering it up for the entertainment of guests seated in specialized, multimedia vehicles. The Ride uses a combination of customized vehicles, advanced audio and video technology, live performances and local insider information to help visitors see New York in a new way, it says. As the service’s super-sized, technology-packed vehicles travel the streets of New York, stadium-style, sideways seating and massive windows give riders the equivalent of front row seats to the big city. Departing daily from the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, The Ride can accommodate as many as 49 riders for a 75-minute tour along its 4.2-mile route. No tour is the same, either, thanks to on-board hosts as well as an assortment of actors and performers along the route who interact with the vehicle and its passengers. Measuring more than 13 feet high, 45 feet long, and eight feet wide, the service’s custom-built vehicles feature external speakers and exterior lighting to help make everyone on the street a part of the experience. Performances include dancing, singing, music and more. Tickets cost USD 65. New York may be “the world’s biggest stage”, but it seems a safe bet that plenty of others could offer their own, show-stopping experiences. Entertainment entrepreneurs in tourist destinations around the globe: be inspired!