Our Visit to American Girl in Honolulu: Taking Grace Thomas Home

American Girl review

My family just returned from a family vacation on Oahu in Hawaii. While we were there we knew we had to make time to visit the American Girl store at Ala Moana Shopping Center in Waikiki.

My daughter absolutely loves her American Girl dolls. She loves dressing them, doing their hair and bringing them with her when she visits friends. We do not have an American Girl store in our city so we knew we had to visit the American Girl store while on vacation. My daughter brought her My American Girl doll, Alicia, on our trip especially to visit the store.

We arrived at the beautiful American Girl store and were greeted by Jenn, the store manager.

Jenn showed us around the store. She shared so much great information about everything American Girl. We got to see the latest American Girl Doll outfits and accessories.

American Girl doll review

{The 2015 Girl of the Year: Grace Thomas}

Soon Jenn led us to the 2015 Girl of Year, Grace Thomas.

Here are a few things you need to know about Grace:

  • She is 9 years old
  • She lives in Boston
  • She has a French Bulldog named Bonbon
  • She loves baking
  • She is an entrepreneur at heart
  • She travels to Paris and learns how to bake French pastries and more
  • Once she returns home she starts a bakery business with her two best friends

Grace Thomas is so beautiful and talented. We loved her so much that we had to take her home with us!

American Girl Doll review

American Girl review

American Girl review

Grace comes with a cute sparkly graphic t-shirt and pink skirt, pink underwear, boots and a charm bracelet that her mom gave her. She also comes with a paperback book. Her long shinny brown hair has cute side-swept bangs and a small braid.

You can purchase several extra products that go along with Grace including a city outfit, a baking outfit and an amazing pastry cart.

There are currently two Grace Thomas books available. The first book, Grace, is included with the doll. You can also purchase this book on it’s own. The second book, Grace Stir’s it up! is about Grace and her friends as they start their business. It also focusses on Grace learning how to manage both a business and train her new puppy.

{For Goodness, Bake!}

This year, American Girl has created a fundraising program called For Goodness, Bake! Throughout the year American Girl is encouraging girls to host bake sales and to donate proceeds to No Kid Hungry.

Once you register at Bake.NoKidHungry.org you will receive your free bake sale tool kit. After you collect $35 in online donations in the first three weeks after you sign up you will receive a t-shirt, balloons and coupons from the For Goodness, Bake! sponsors.

For Goodness, Bake! is a great way to encourage young girls to host bake sales in their communities to help end childhood hunger in America.

For Goodness, Bake!

My daughter absolutely loves Grace Thomas. She has barely left her sight since we brought her home with us.

The 2015 American Girl of the year is a gorgeous doll. This doll and accessories are extremely well made, you can tell they are quality products. I highly recommend American Girl dolls.

{Where to Buy}

The American Girl store in Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is a temporary store. You can purchase Grace Thomas and other American Girl products at American Girl stores across the USA.

In Canada, you can purchase the 2015 American Girl of the year at select Chapters/Indigo stores. You can also purchase her online on the American Girl website.

To learn more about Grace Thomas and other American Girl products check out the American Girl website. You can also follow American Girl on Facebook and Twitter.

I’d love to know, does your daughter have an American Girl doll? If so, which one does she have?

35 Comments

  1. I’m sure most little girls would be thrilled to be able to visit any American Girl store. Me I’d be thrilled to be in Honolulu 🙂

  2. My little girl is all grown up now and left the nest,your daughter is beautiful and her Doll is real cute

  3. What an amazing day for her! I loved my American Girl Dolls when I was younger too. I wish they’d make a boy doll. (Not just the boy baby doll.)

  4. My daughter loved American Girl dolls when she was younger. It was always fun to go and buy outfits for her. My daughter is now 17 and still has her doll.

  5. Oh my goodness, what HEAVEN. My girls wouldn’t know what to do first. This really has to be the coolest store ever. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Yes! It was such a great experience. I’m still smiling when I think about it. We are AG fans for life!

  6. What a fabulous experience for your daughter, she must have had a blast! I’ve heard of American Girl dolls in passing mostly, but the parents that spoke about it always have this excited look about them, like they did something amazing by getting this doll for their children, which is cool!

    Just looking at their store through your pics though, I can entirely see why everyone is so excited over these dolls! I also love that, at nine years old, Grace has traveled to Paris to learn how to bake French pastries,and then opens a biz with her two best friends.

    Are there any American *Women* dolls that I can admire and look up to now?? At 35, I’ve still never been to Paris, but its on my travel to do list, heh.

    1. Yes Aeryn Lynne, the shopping experience was amazing! There is so much to look at in the store, so many cool accessories and dolls. I also love that Grace travels to such a wonderful city at only 9 years old. My daughter has a bit of a travel bug so I think she was very impressed by Grace’s travel experience.

      I wish they made an American *woman* doll. That would be too fun!

  7. What a great adventure! My DD has a MapleLeaf Girl (Canada’s version) that she loves to pieces. It is a great size and so much fun to dress and do her hair.Going to the store would be a real treat!

    1. It was such a treat Jenn. We had such a good time. The AG products are so beautiful and the staff was so kind and helpful.

  8. My daughter is getting close to the age where she will be getting into the American Doll era. I can’t wait. I have always loved the American Dolls. I love the stories behind them. And they are always so inspiring for young girls.

    1. The stories behind the dolls are so great Amber. I hope my daughter is into American Girl for a LONG time!

  9. My daughter has the itty bitty twins. And recently this Spring Break we too added Geace Thomas. We visited the American Girl Store in chapters in Vancouver. We had never been. We have never been to any of the stores before. I was with someone who had and she said the selection at the one in Vancouver is great. Of course they don’t have the twins there but you can purchase any American girl there as well as doll of the year. They have lots of outfit selections and accessories. I was pleasantly surprised. I did recently read that the location on Robson is closing but they said they will be moving the American Girl stuff to the chapters location on Granville street. We will def have to make a trip to the mainland in the summer as well as for some xmas shopping. The staff were so nice. Oh and we had the ears pierced. They do ear piercing and they have a salon. Made my girls whole year !!! I actually want one 🙂

    1. Isn’t Grace so beautiful? I love that she travels and bakes too. I also really enjoyed the Robson Chapters store. I’m happy they are moving the AG store to the Granville store. We’ll have to check it out next time we are in Vancouver.

  10. I have a son, so I’ve never gotten to do anything like this. =( I love my son to death, but there are only so many explosions and action figures a girl can take!

    1. LOL. I’m lucky to have a girl and a boy. Best of both worlds! Maybe you’ll have a girl to buy for one day 😉

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