A trip through the alternate reality of Selfie WRLD Myrtle Beach
Walking in to Selfie WRLD Myrtle Beach, I expected to see walls splashed neon pink and an adult ball pit that may or may not be COVID friendly.
Tucked inside Coastal Grand Mall’s food court, Selfie WRLD offers people the chance to take some memorable vacation photos on their trip to the beach that don’t actually feature anything beachy.
Only two of the 20 or so different backdrops inside the selfie Candy Land actually referenced travel or the ocean. One had a surfboard with “Myrtle Beach” written in the background and the other showcased the inside of a plane’s cabin.
And yes, I said “adult ball pit.” In the land of selfie shops (experiences? studios?), adult ball pits are often a mainstay, though some places choose the more 20-something friendly term of “champagne bubbles.” However, this happened to be the only common feature of selfie experiences that Selfie WRLD Myrtle Beach lacked.
Tickets to the studio cost $20 per person. It’s free for children under 2 years old. Customers get an hour to take as many photos as they want.
Selfie WRLD also has phone stands and Bluetooth connected clickers to help you take photos from afar with all your friends, or by yourself.
Only open since April 10, owners Dale and Allison Schumaker said they’ve already had plenty of people stopping by, including someone who they said was “TikTok famous.”
With the help of a friend, I took photos at a dozen of the different backdrops around the store.
One enclosure disco balls hanging from the ceiling like raindrops. I felt like I was inside of Taylor Swift’s “mirrorball” song from her 2020 album “folklore.” Maybe that was the point. Being inside of Selfie WRLD in some ways feels like being stuck inside of a pop song. (There was plenty of pop music playing, as well.)
There was the “Friends” stand with an “official” couch from the show.
Next to that stood a “fashion jail” with plenty of different mug shot placards you can hold up with “charges” that are not appropriate to publish in a newspaper, but that your Instagram followers I’m sure will die for.
Other backdrops had slinkies hanging from the ceiling, or swings surrounded by splatter-paint walls.
There was significantly less pink than I expected, but it was still everywhere I looked.
By the time I left, I’d taken more selfies than ever before in my life.
These selfie experiences have been growing in popularity for years, the New York Times reported on them in 2018. Selfie WRLD, taking advantage of this trend, has been opening up more Selfie WRLD franchises around the country in recent months.
Yet, as I wandered around the studio, one question kept coming to my mind as I looked at all of these idyllic backdrops.
Are the Grand Strand’s beaches not enough of an the idyllic backdrop for all of our tourists?
Check out my full experience on The Sun News’ Instagram.
