Midtown ManhattanMay 2025
Lilo & Stitch in 4DX and a Hawaiian day in New York City
Carolyn and I love Lilo & Stitch, and she is a MAJOR Stitch fan. When the live-action movie came out, we turned a Saturday in Midtown into a whole Hawaiian day: poke, the live-action movie in 4DX at Regal Times Square, and a night at a tiki bar where everyone who walked in got a very loud welcome.
The plan
Four stops, one very Hawaiian Saturday
We love Lilo & Stitch.
Carolyn especially. She’s a MAJOR Stitch fan (Experiment 626 himself, for the non-fans), so when the live-action movie came out in May 2025, we went that very first weekend.
Then we made a whole day out of it.
If you were on social media around then, you probably saw the viral “Hawaiian roller coaster ride” videos showing just how dramatic Lilo & Stitch gets in Regal’s 4DX. I already knew how dramatic Regal’s 4DX can be from seeing Twisters at the same theater (that one’s on the blog too). So 4DX it was.
And if we were doing Hawaiian, we were doing Hawaiian. Poke first. Tiki bar after.
The whole thing fit inside a few blocks of Times Square, which makes it very easy to copy. Here’s the route.
Map not to scale.
Stop 1 · West 39th Street
Poke first, because obviously
We kicked things off with a late lunch at Poke Bowl on West 39th Street.
Poke is Hawaiian, so it was the obvious first stop. And the wall behind our table was a huge mural of red hibiscus flowers. The theme was basically setting itself up for us.
Two bowls later, we were off to the movies.
Poke Bowl has more than a dozen locations around Manhattan. This one is the Theater District spot at 120 W 39th St, a few blocks’ walk from Regal Times Square.
Next stop: Regal Times SquareStop 2 · Regal Times Square
Lilo & Stitch in 4DX at Regal Times Square
Regal Times Square on 42nd Street is where I saw Twisters in 4DX (here’s how that went). It has two 4DX auditoriums, including one Regal unveiled in 2024 as the world’s largest 4DX theater, with 296 seats and a 60-foot screen.
If you’ve never done 4DX, it’s a movie you feel. The seats move with the action, and depending on the scene you get wind, water, fog, bubbles, flashing lights and even scents.
Our showing was in 3D too, so the glasses came out. And Carolyn? She wore her Stitch sweatshirt, of course.
4DX was so fun with this movie. They surf in Hawaii, so the water and wind effects went off quite often.
I really enjoyed the seats moving, too. It makes the film so much more immersive.
It wasn’t as extreme as Twisters. But then again, I don’t think any movie will ever compete with Twisters in 4DX specifically.
What 4DX can throw at you
- Motion seats
- Wind
- Water
- Fog
- Bubbles
- Strobes
- Scents
Haven’t seen it yet? This is Disney’s official trailer.
Before you book 4DX
- There’s a little Water On / Water Off button on your armrest. Find it before the lights go down if you’re wearing something you care about.
- No hot drinks allowed, cold ones need a lid, and Regal’s own advice is not to eat or drink during the intense scenes.
- You have to be at least 3½ feet tall and 4 years old. Regal doesn’t recommend it if you’re pregnant or have heart, back or neck problems.
- It costs more than a regular ticket. My Twisters 4DX ticket at this same theater was $30.14 in 2024, and NBC News puts the average 4DX upcharge at about $8.
Rules via Regal’s safety and age policy (via Atom Tickets) and Variety.
Stop 3 · Times Square
Stitch everywhere, and uniforms everywhere else
From the theater we wandered up through Times Square toward the tiki bar.
Miniso had a giant pink Angel filling its window, and inside, Carolyn found a giant Stitch plush to hug.
Back outside, there were people in uniform everywhere.
It was Fleet Week! The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard come to New York for a week around Memorial Day, and in 2025 it ran May 21 to 27.
Planning a trip for late May? Fleet Week lands on Memorial Day weekend, so expect to see a lot of uniforms around Times Square.
Stop 4 · West 44th Street
Closing out the night at The Friki Tiki
We closed out the night at The Friki Tiki, a tiki bar tucked underneath Marseille on West 44th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.
It calls itself part Hawaiian tiki hut, part 1970s Florida resort. It’s in the basement of the old Film Center Building, and the bank vault that once stored film reels is still right there in the bar. (It holds wine now.)
Out front, a sign on a grass skirt advertised live music with Samantha Sayah.
It was super fun.
The vault, the neon, the tiki bar
What we ordered
Our whole tab, Aloha-Ritas included
We started with Aloha-Ritas: chipotle tequila, mezcal, caramelized pineapple, lime and a Tajín rim. We caught them at the happy hour price, too.
We also had a Piña Colada, a Don Ho (rum, orange curaçao, lime, mint and almond orgeat), one shot, and two snacks: the Frikimole, which is guac with mango, pomegranate and pepitas, and the Totchos, tater tots loaded with queso.
Here’s the whole tab, for the curious.
The Friki Tiki
Saturday, May 24, 2025 · two of us
2 Aloha-Ritas (happy hour)$20.00
Frikimole$10.00
Piña Colada$16.00
The Don Ho$16.00
Totchos$9.00
1 oz Jose Cuervo$9.00
Subtotal$80.00
Tax$7.09
Tip$10.00
Total$97.09
House cocktails were $16. Our happy-hour Aloha-Ritas were $10 each.
The best part
Hey everybody, look who’s here!
The live music that night was Samantha Sayah, at the piano with a drummer beside her. She was just a great host, entertainer, singer and musician.
And she had a bit.
Literally every time somebody walked in, she’d yell, “Hey everybody, look who’s here!”
And she had told all of us to yell back: “HOLY $HIT!”
So every new guest walked into a whole bar screaming at them. It made for some very confused and very hilarious entrances.
It also created this bond between everyone who was already inside, which was so fun.
This is the real one, with a patron walking in. Turn your sound on.
Your turn. Somebody’s at the door.
Guests welcomed: 0
Meanwhile, at the bar
Fleet Week found the tiki bar too
Remember all those uniforms in Times Square? Fleet Week was at The Friki Tiki too.
And one of them was SO HOT.
He was with a girl, and we never spoke. But I was certainly jealous, and I definitely wished he was single and not interested in women. LOL.
The rest of the night was music, a dance floor full of people, and a lot more yelling at the door.
We loved it.
Steal this day
How to plan your own Hawaiian day in NYC
You don’t need a new Disney movie to do this. Pick a theme, stack a few stops within walking distance, and go all in. Here’s ours, with the details you’ll want.
Poke Bowl
120 W 39th St (Theater District)
Hawaiian-style poke with more than a dozen locations in Manhattan. We went for a late lunch before the movie.
Regal Times Square
247 W 42nd St
Two 4DX auditoriums, one of them billed as the world’s largest when it opened in 2024. 4DX costs more than a standard ticket, so check showtimes and prices on Regal’s site, and find the water button on your armrest before the movie starts.
Times Square
Broadway, 42nd to 47th St
It’s right on the way. When we went, Miniso was full of Angel plushies, plus a giant Stitch. Around Memorial Day, add Fleet Week.
The Friki Tiki
357 W 44th St, under Marseille
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 PM. Happy hour runs 5 to 8 PM with $10 cocktails, and you can reserve for up to seven people on Resy. The music schedule changes, so check their site (and Samantha’s Instagram) before you go.
Our tiki bar tab came to $97.09 for the two of us, tax and tip included.
Hours, prices and schedules checked September 2026. They change, so double-check before you go.
Next time
Lilo & Stitch 2 is coming May 26, 2028
Disney has set the live-action sequel for May 26, 2028, with Chris Sanders, the original voice of Stitch, directing.
So, have you seen Lilo & Stitch in 4DX? Would you plan a whole themed day around a movie? And if you’ve been to The Friki Tiki, did you get the “Holy $hit!” welcome too?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Aloha from Midtown!
Sources
- Lilo & Stitch (2025), release and formats
- Regal: 4DX Lilo & Stitch 3D fan event
- Boxoffice Pro: Regal unveils the world’s largest 4DX auditorium in Times Square
- CJ 4DPlex: how 4DX works
- Variety: what is 4DX (the water switch)
- Regal safety and age policy (via Atom Tickets)
- NBC News: what 4DX costs
- DVIDS: Fleet Week New York 2025
- The Friki Tiki: hours, happy hour and reservations
- FOX 5 New York: inside The Friki Tiki
- Poke Bowl NY: locations
- WDWNT: Lilo & Stitch 2 release date
- The Walt Disney Company: Stitch, Experiment 626
Not affiliated with Disney, Regal, Poke Bowl or The Friki Tiki.
