Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the Toys R' Us Journey Girls Dolls with an Italy Inspired Collection

Bienvenuto ! That was the welcome we received at the Journey Girls 5th anniversary celebration at Toys R' Us in midtown, NYC. From the music and decor everything was simply stunning, while we checked out the latest in the line and definitely made a lasting impression on my princess who will certainly cherish the memories. 

In the five years since the brand’s inception, Journey Girls characters have gone on worldwide adventures spanning 20,000 miles around the globe, from London to Paris and now Italy, adding to their individual and collective backstory. 

Featuring fresh faces, trendy fashions & delightful accessories, the Journey Girls collection is comprised of seven 18-inch dolls that offer children the opportunity to take imaginative, adventurous journeys with characters they can identify with. Little ones can select the doll that most inspires them, choosing from Chavonne, the multi-talented performer; Callie, an aspiring dancer; Dana, the animal lover; Kelsey, who loves to seek out exciting new adventures or participate in extreme sports; Kyla, an amazing artist; Meredith, the energetic team athlete; and Mikaella, the latest addition to the Journey Girls who loves cooking and baking.

We were welcomed by a lovely display of Journey girls dressed in stylish & fun new clothing. Upon entering my Audrey was asked which dolls she wanted, she was in such awe she couldn't reply for about five minutes. After carefully reviewing what each doll was significant for, she chose Kelsey, the adventurer.

Once we were escorted to into the beautifully decorated room, it was clear that we were on a journey to Italy. The sounds and smells of Italy just came through the door. The look of delight on the faces of all the little girls was such a sight. My Audrey was a little nervous at first, this being our first event like this but as soon as the activities were set out she was in heaven. Moving from station to station like a little buzzing bee. 

She started at the dressing room area, where she was asked to select one item of clothing to "change" her doll into. We thought it was just an outfit but we were wrong. It was the entire outfit including fun hair accessories. After closely looking through everything she selected a pretty lace dress with purple shoes and bag to match and a few hair clips to finish the look. While she dressed her Kelsey, we had a chance to speak with the creative wardrobe designer Jenny who explained how she used sites like Tumbler, Pinterest and social media to help influence her designs from Italy.

We then moved on to playing with the newest accessories. She was obsessed with two really cool items: a wheelchair, which had her turn and say "mommy now even my friends who can't walk can have a doll like them" and a moped. Let's just say I now need to purchase both, but with such a comfortable price tag, I actually don't mind. 

After coloring, decorating luggage tags and making her own cannoli let me say she was tired and excited to share stories about her day with everyone. Before we left we sampled some wonderful food, mini meatball sandwiches, mozzarella ,tomato, basil skewers and mini gelato shakesit truly was a heavenly display. 

My favorite part besides seeing my princess's face of pure joy was the interactive photo booth. After posing for a picture, Audrey and I got to select a background for our image. Once more, we were torn by the several choices and she ended up selecting the background of an outdoor cafe in Italy. 

To celebrate the gal-pals’ fifth anniversary trip to Italy, the company is encouraging parents and kids to share their Journey Girls experiences with @ToysRUs on Instagram and Twitter, as well as Facebook.com/Toysrus. Fans are invited to post photos of themselves and their dolls traveling the country – or even the globe – as well as engage with one another and Toys“R”Us using #JourneyGirls. For enthusiasts looking for Journey Girls inspiration online, the Toys“R”Us Pinterest page, Pinterest.com/Toysrus, will feature the dolls’ different fashion looks, delicious Italian treat ideas, do-it-yourself arts and crafts and more.

It was truly a magical time and we look forward to more adventures with the journey girls. 
Audrey has new obsession and I don't mind the next journey we go on.



Contributing Writer: Jocelyn Santiago is a teacher, mom of three and baker. Enjoying adventures with three  age ranges {teen, elementary and newborn} to the fullest.

Note: We were invited as media to attend and received a giftbag. No other compensation was received and opinions expressed are 100% our own.