Enchanted's 'That's How You Know' Is a Central Park Walking Route in Disguise

The 'That's How You Know' sequence in Disney's Enchanted (2007) is often remembered for Amy Adams singing through a park. Its geography is the useful part. The number begins at Conservatory Water, with Gapstow Bridge in view, then passes the Dairy and the Naumburg Bandshell. It crosses Bow BridgeCentral ParkThe 843-acre engineered wilderness at Manhattan's heart, designed by Olmsted and Vaux in 1858. before the finale at Bethesda Fountain, where the Angel of the Waters statue watches a mass dance. Buskers, a steel band, mariachis and rollerbladers join in.

A Route Hiding in a Song

For visitors trying to read Central Park as a film set, the sequence works because each location sits on a natural south-to-mid-park line. The song does not announce a route, but the camera moves like a walker: start small, build through performance spaces, cross water, finish where a crowd can gather. The result is a compact tour of five landmarks that appear again and again in New York film and television.

The Five Landmarks in Order

Conservatory Water is the model-boat pond. Gapstow Bridge frames the Pond from the south. The Dairy comes next on the route. The Naumburg Bandshell sits on the Mall, where the song's forward motion gets a stage. Bow Bridge arcs over the Lake, carrying the sequence toward its climax. Bethesda Fountain and the Angel of the Waters close the number, with the mass dance filling the terrace.

Why It Works as a Walk

The order makes sense for a walker: a small pond, a landmark building, a performance space, a bridge, and a wide terrace. It also solves a common Central Park problem. The park is large, and a first visit can turn into wandering. This route gives a clear start and finish without leaving the lower park. The Enchanted number simply adds a pop-culture spine to paths that already carry carriage traffic, runners, and dog walkers. For a different filmable New York crossing after the park, the Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe 1883 Gothic-towered suspension bridge whose elevated walkway is the city's most famous free walk. offers a skyline walk with its own movie history.

Do the Route Yourself

Start at Conservatory Water in the morning, when the light is softer and the pond is less crowded. Stand on the east side for the Gapstow Bridge view, then follow the path south to the Dairy. Continue to the Naumburg Bandshell, cross Bow Bridge, and finish at Bethesda Terrace. At the fountain, stand on the upper terrace for the Angel of the Waters framing, the lower plaza is where the film's crowd gathers. Weekday mornings are calmer than weekends.

A small-group Central Park film-locations walk traces this same south-to-mid-park route and points out where the Enchanted number was staged. Check traveler reviews on the activity page, rates from $35 (estimated). After the walk, a subway ride south leads to ChinatownChinatownManhattan's dense, working Chinese neighborhood of markets, dumpling counters and a century and a half of history. and Little Italy for a late lunch. The full route fits in roughly 60 to 90 minutes at an easy pace, with pauses for photos.

More on the place itself: central park.