Happiest mall on Earth

At the heart of Uptown Bonifacio, Disney has quietly staged an ambush.

The new 52Toys pop-up, a shrine to surprise and nostalgia, has lured collectors, children and the emotionally vulnerable with its blind boxes of Stitch and Disney Princesses.

Open one, and it’s either Cinderella or heartbreak. That’s the game. You don’t pick. You pray.

There are plushies and dollies. Delicate miniatures and photo contests.

There are hashtags, too. Because nothing is real unless it’s posted.

But there’s also a strange sort of joy here. The kind that catches you off guard.

The kind that reminds you what it felt like to want something with your whole chest.

Only until 6 June. Then the lights dim. Shelves go bare. And the dream goes back in the box.