Happy Place is something of an Instagram paradise, mixed with a children's birthday party. Video / Happy Place
OPINION:
On Saturday I attended the exhibit that sold out in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia - and if that fact is anything to go by, there wasn't a doubt in my mind my expectations would be met.
That exhibit is called Happy Place - and is something of an Instagram paradise, mixed with a children's birthday party.
After checking it out myself over the weekend and falling victim to the lover's dream room, I decided to share my tips and tricks so you can nail your Happy Place experience and leave feeling #instafamous
The exhibit sold out in LA, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Las Vegas and more - but was it any good? Photo / Supplied
Patience is key. There are lines and a lot of them, due to the interactive nature of the installations and multi-sensory immersive rooms, you are encouraged to take your time and take LOTS of photos.
Come prepared. A lot of the rooms require you to take your shoes off so don't be a failure of an adult like me and wear a holey pair of socks or shoes with annoying laces.
Get comfortable. There are a lot of people in the exhibit so at one point or another you'll have someone watching you get your picture taken.
The actual dream. Photo / Supplied
When you walk through the smiley face doors, you'll receive a bag of gummy bears, and if that isn't cool enough the first thing you'll see is the gumball room complete with a slide so you can let your inner kid (or your literal kid) run wild.
If you're a singleton scared of love like me, you'll want to run as fast as you can from the next room because it's a ... lover's dream (cue the shudder). Fortunately, I didn't see any couples xo-ing in front of the six-foot-tall X's and O's, or snuggling on the lip-shaped couch, but I did sneak a picture in the room so I can Photoshop my future boyfriend in at a later date.
Up next was a rainbow streamer wall complete with confetti you can throw in the air. After years of trying to get the flatties to have a confetti party and years of them telling me it would be "too messy" I finally got one! And I was so excited about it, I, an Influencer failure, forgot to get a picture in front of it.
Next up was the ball pit, yes, a pool-sized ball pit. Are you excited? I wasn't, but my friend begged me to do it and I have ZERO regrets because now I have a hilarious picture to bring out on her birthday every year.
Did we just become best friends? Photo / Supplied
I'm cautious of spoiling the exhibit for you so let's stop the play by play and go straight into a breakdown.
The Happy Place is just that, a happy place. You're going to leave feeling lighter, happier and with a camera album chocker block full of pictures - but the best part about the whole thing is if you can't convince your friend, lover or teenage cousins (who are too cool to be seen in public with any family member) it's inclusive to all ages! So, grab Grandma or your friends' new baby and explore a world of happiness. They can even jump in the ball pit.
As for being Instagrammer's heaven? My camera roll is full, and I mean full, of pictures. But how could it not be when everything has been tailored for Instagram from the colours to the helpful staff trained to know the right angles of every installation.
If you're a hardcore Insta influencer, do your Pinterest "Happy Place photo ideas" research before you go and when you're there don't be afraid to get creative. Take your time, have some fun and capture an envy-worthy picture.
If your day has been too long, your week too glum or you are looking for a boost of happiness, I would highly recommend forking out the $25 for a ticket, grabbing a friend and making the most of this fun pop up.
