Disney does it right
‘Disney on Ice’ creates spectacle the whole family can enjoy
Disney is a big deal at my house.
It kind of has to be. My wife and I are raising two little boys, one of whom is quickly approaching 4 years old, so he is in the prime Mickey phase. When we found out “Disney on Ice” was coming to Shreveport, we showed our son some Youtube clips, and he was astounded. I thought it was a little ho-hum.
And boy was I wrong. “Disney on Ice” is a spectacle guaranteed to bring the child out in every parent and delight actual children. It features a cast of the Mouse House’s most notable figures. Aladdin, Dory, Mulan and the core four of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy all gracefully make their way across a frozen arena.
The show is two hours with one 20-minute intermission. It’s perfectly timed to give potty breaks while also using a run time that will hold the interest of most kids. It also features one longer form story – this year’s was “Frozen” – in addition to multiple vignettes. The experience does a wonderful job of weaving an overarching narrative of Goofy seeking inspiration for a movie while showcasing some of the company’s best work.
Prices for the show range anywhere from $40 to $150, with a sweet spot right around the $60 mark. When I started researching the production, I thought the cost was a little steep, but after my family’s experience, I found the prices to be fair. Given the size of the costumes, superb lighting and overall production quality of the event, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Now, it is loud. And there are a good deal of flashing lights and the occasional firework used during the show. I could see how this would scare some children, so it’s important to keep that in mind.
My son doesn’t care for fireworks, so following the first use of one, which was fairly early on, I thought he would want to leave. He actually turned to me and said he was scared. After some reassuring, he agreed to stay and moved past his fear quickly due to the overall grandeur of the experience. Each time a new character he recognized came on scene, he would scream their name and clap, and he completely forgot about his fireworks fear.
As an adult, it can be difficult to endure children’s programming. It certainly can get tiresome watching “Toy Story” for the hundredth time. Still, “Disney on Ice” was a refreshing approach to classic tales that added new light and perspective.
Our experience was nothing short of magical, and my son was still talking about it two days later, so it had a wonderful impact. And as those with young children know, if something will hold a child’s attention for two hours, then it is most likely worth the price.
My expectations were more than met, and I see many more sojourns into the wonderful world of “Disney on Ice” for my family and me.