The Nintendo store is just ok. I've been there twice, but never really saw anything worth buying. It was way more awesome when the whole place was devoted entirely to Pokemon. They had way more exclusive stuff that was worth whipping out the credit card for.

And yeah, I've been at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in person a few times. It's way more awesome in person, but having to wake up ULTRA early to catch a train to the city is tough. Also, finding a decent spot can be tricky also, but it is really cool to see everything in person and not have to be bombarded with ads!