Banished by Queen Narissa from the kingdom of Andalasia, Giselle, looking as beautiful as Cinderella in her tiara and white wedding gown, awakens in a Manhattan sewer. Upon learning of his bride-to-be's disappearance from Giselle's furry chipmunk friend, Pip, played by Jeff Bennett in Andalasia and Kevin Lima in New York, Prince Edward mounts a rescue mission throughout the streets of Manhattan aided by Pip and the Queen's pawn, Nathaniel, played by Timothy Spall, however Nathaniel has a separate mission in mind - murder by poisonous apple courtesy of the evil Queen Narissa.

Meanwhile on the streets of Manhattan, charming divorce attorney, Robert Philip, played by Patrick Dempsey, and his daughter Morgan, played by Rachel Covey, spot Giselle attempting to enter through the door of a billboard that is in the image of a castle. While explaining her sudden displacement from Andalasia to Robert and Morgan, Giselle falls off the billboard catwalk into the arms of Robert, a real-life knight in shining armor, so to speak.

While waiting for Prince Edward to come for her, Giselle bestows some much-needed enchantment upon Manhattan, and Robert in particular. Skeptical that true love exists in the world, Robert is at odds with Giselle almost from the moment they meet. Giselle's belief in the fairy tale perception of “love at first sight ending in happily ever after…” is an unrealistic view in Robert's profession and personal life. Certain that love at first is nothing more than a myth bringing pain to those who believe in such a ridiculous idea, Robert, who has been dating Nancy, played by Idina Menzel, for five years, attempts to persuade Giselle that falling in love in just one day is impossible. But is it?