BTS POP-UP: MAP OF THE SOUL | Manila, Philippines (How To Book A Slot and other Frequently Asked Questions)

After seeing BTS visit the BTS Pop-Up Store Seoul on their Bangtan Bomb, and my cousin suddenly sending me pictures of the installation in Singapore a few months ago, FINALLY! I had the chance to visit the BTS POP-UP: MAP OF THE SOUL Showcase on their first week here in Manila.

Some stuff I learned from reading up online is that you will need to pre-book a slot to be able to enter the store smoothly. An extra step, but anything to avoid a crazy crowd since we're still in the middle of a pandemic. There's a walk-in option, but since I live far from SM Mega Mall, I made sure to secure a slot first before going on a trip up north.

Follow morningKall on Facebook to get updates about the BTS POP-UP. They post about the openings, policies, and new merch for BTS Pop-Up Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines etc. 

HOW TO BOOK FOR A SLOT?

Slots are FREE but not quite easy to acquire. Here are some of the steps I went through to book a slot. By being on time, and with sheer luck, fast internet, and quick clicking skills, I was able to book for a June 1 schedule.

1. Go to morningKall's website, and make sure to sign up for an account before the scheduled release of new slots. This will lessen the steps during your actual booking.

Registration Dates and Showcase Dates for BTS Pop-Up Manila:

2. For the Megamall pop-up here in Manila, slots will be available every Wednesdays 10am. Upcoming scheds are June 9 and June 16, again here's morningKall's website.

3. Make sure you're also on the website at least 5 minutes before 10am. By 9:59am, I was already refreshing and refreshing the page! Naalala ko I was even counting to 60 before refreshing, and ayun na nga the date options suddenly appeared at 10 am! 

Also, click the RESERVATIONS tab of the website as this is where you will see the date and time options and not on the home page. Click on your preferred date (format is day, month, year). And as if you're just online shopping, simply add preferred date to cart.

Naalala ko nag hang din the site while I was trying to book, so I opened a new tab for morningKall page, and biglang booked nako! 

4. Take note, morningKall has a ONE ACCOUNT, ONE SLOT policy. So make sure to inform your ARMY friends prior the booking day so you can individually book for your slots. Agree on a day and time that you all want to visit.

Time Slots for BTS Pop-Up in Manila (Megamall):

5. Check for a confirmation email, it has to include your Order Number. 

6. Make sure to also register for a MandaTrack QR code so you can enter Megamall without any hassles or delays. You can get it here: https://mandatrack.appcase.net/

NOTES: On the Day of Your Visit

1. Be there early to avoid forfeiture of slot. Around 10-15 minutes before your schedule, approach any of the staff at the entrance (they are all wearing a uniformed blue jacket) and show your email. You will receive a small cardboard with a number that you will hand back to them later on when you enter the store. Again, make sure to acquire this number first before you take a seat, just to secure your slot.

2. When you have your cardboard number, keep it (I almost lost mine in that few minutes, bakit ako ganito hahaha). Seats were provided where you can rest till your turn in the store, we waited in front of H&M.

3. Exactly 2pm, we were allowed to enter the store! They handed each of us a small basket for shopping convenience, plus a snap strap and postcard freebies! You can just go there to window shop or to take photos, and you'll get these souvenirs parin. But if you can, sayang naman if you can't take home at least a piece from this legit BTS pop-up! Lowest price I saw during our visit is Php 250 for a TinyTan washi tape.

4. You can shop and take photos around the store for 30 minutes, and then another 15 minutes to fall in line and pay for your purchase. 

Another tip: Do not run to the installations the moment your batch enters the store. For sure everybody's planning to do that! Let the others finish their turn, and mag shop ka muna. During the 15-minute payment leeway, the store suddenly turned empty so it's easier to take photos minus the crowd!

5. They have a lot of payment options, but since the pandemic started, I always go cashless to lessen any contact. Aside from the usual cash and credit card, BTS Pop-Up Manila also accepts PayMaya payment option through QR scanning. So don't pay cash, PayMaya! Hehe! Very convenient.

Here are more pop-up guidelines to ensure safety of all guests:

As always, keep safe and be cautious, but still have fun and enjoy your less-than-an-hour time inside this legit Bangtan store here in Manila! Fangirl responsibly, BORAHAE ARMY!!! ❤

What I got from this visit:

If you have other questions not provided in this post, feel free to send me a direct message on my Instagram @anagon!