We took Abby to see Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream the other night and I can honestly say our experience was truly magical. Abby was so excited when I told her we were going to see all her favorite princesses; she talked all day about going and even called her daddy three times to remind him. Abby’s Mimi joined us for the show and even found Abby a Rapunzel shirt to wear for our special night out. We saw several little girls all decked out in their princess dresses, crowns, and princess shoes and oh my goodness they were adorable! I had thought about dressing Abby up but she’s really not that big into major frills. Her princess shirt was perfect paired with a cute skirt and her cowboy boots… yes, her boots! I remember my mom commenting that she wasn’t really dressed like a princess but you know what, she was. She was dressed in her version of princess attire and she was absolutely adorable!
We arrived a little early so we could get in line; I like to get inside early and take care of all the extra stuff before we go find our seats. Last time we attended Disney On Ice they had a super cute photo set up and I wanted to see if something similar was set up for this show. Lucky for us it was a pretty day so standing in line wasn’t terrible… well, not for the grown-ups anyways. Abby was a completely different story. She was more than ready to get inside and see the princesses! When no one would unlock and open the doors for her, she decided to take matters into her own hands and try out all of her daddy’s keys. It entertained her so we just let her have fun, it definitely gave the ladies inside a good laugh!
Once inside we located the fun photo area and got Abby’s picture taken with Rapunzel. We did this last year with Mickey & Minnie so we were thrilled to have one for this year.
After that all we had left to do was get our refreshments and find our seats. Of course, the lobby area is lined with several stands selling all kinds of toys, figurines, tees, treats, all kinds of wonderful things for children. And yes, Abby easily got distracted by one stand and wanted everything she saw. She wanted Maximus the horse but she also had her eyes on several other items so we bypassed the stands for the time being, got our snacks, found our seats and waited for the show to begin. The more people that sat down around us (with lots of kids who had several of the available stuffed animals, including Maximus) the more she wanted a horse so her daddy decided to surprise her
The show begins with The Princess and The Frog, one of our favorite movies! Out of the three featured in the show, this one was definitely Hubby’s favorite. The opening number completely captured the spirit of New Orleans with the jazz music, the brightly colored costumes, it perfectly matched the beginning of the movie! Hubby’s favorite part was of course Shadow Man, that was such a great part and the special effects when Prince Naveen turned into a frog were really neat. Mine and Abby’s favorite part was definitely Momma Odie! Oh my goodness, the skater had that part down perfect! “Dig a Little Deeper” was absolutely perfect, such a colorful and high energy number!
We ran into a small problem as the music started; Abby became quite upset with it being so loud and ended up covering her ears and cried to go home. She’s a little sensitive to loud sounds so it bothered her just a little (if you have a little one that is slightly sensitive to loud noises just bring along headphones or ear plugs). I finally got her calmed down enough to sit in my lap and eventually convinced her to allow me to cover her ears so she could enjoy the show. By the time Momma Odie performed “Dig a Little Deeper” Abby was clapping, grinning and pointing things out to her daddy.
Next was Cinderella and I was so excited for Abby to see the Fairy Godmother. Abby knows who Cinderella is but has never seen the movie. It was so nice to see a classic favorite brought to life and Abby not only loved the Fairy Godmother singing “Bippity Boppity Boo” but she absolutely adored the mice! Cinderella’s carriage was stunning, Cinderella and Prince Charming skating together was beautiful, the mice “cute” according to Abby, and the stepsisters quite funny.
About halfway through Cinderella there was a brief intermission. This is great for those with older children who might need a restroom break or a wonderful time to grab a snack, refill or souvenir. This wasn’t so great for us because I had just gotten Abby calm and enjoying the show, with everything stopping and the lights coming on she thought it was time to go home. That’s when we met Mike.
Mike was one of many walking around selling souvenirs for the show. He was wearing one of the Rapunzel braids and was having lot of fun showing it off. Some of the people I saw walking around selling the toys, drinks and programs seemed a little more focused on their job than interacting with the children. I know it’s insanely busy with such a large crowd but when it’s a children’s event, it really helps when they pay attention to the little ones. Well, Mike stopped by our section and he was just what we needed to distract Abby. He talked to her, showed her all the toys he had, showed off his braid, I could tell he was having a total blast working and truly enjoyed being there! I asked him if I could take a picture of him with his pretty braid and he was more than happy to pose, didn’t even mind when I warned him it might show up on my blog! Thanks to Mike’s help, Abby made it through the intermission and was ready for the second half of the show!
Next up: Tangled! When she realized it was Tangled, Abby’s little face lit up with such joy and excitement. Mickey, Minnie and the gang got the story started while Flynn Rider quietly dropped down behind them to swipe the crown. Once Abby noticed Flynn, she kept pointing him out to her daddy. When Rapunzel made her entrance Abby actually squealed with happiness and told me “mommy look it’s Rapunzel! It’s princess!!” It brought a big smile to my face to see her so excited and happy. Then came Maximus and oh my goodness I don’t know when he became such a favorite but he totally stole the show for Abby. Although there were several times she laughed, cheered, waved and was amazed, I can honestly say the lanterns were her favorite part. When she saw the lanterns her whole face lit up with excitement and she immediately started pointing them out to her daddy and her Mimi. My favorite part was Rapunzel and Flynn skating to “I see the Light”.
Tangled is by far our favorite Disney princess movie and seeing the movie come to life was such a magical experience to share with my daughter, husband and mom. The skating was exquisite, very entertaining and even quite funny at times (especially when Maximus was out on the ice). The performers not only skated beautifully but they brought the characters to life with so much energy and personality. The aerial part of the show was absolutely breathtaking; I was expecting it and was still blown away by how incredible it was. Abby was thrilled when she saw them flying and the look on her little face was priceless. The stunts were amazing and the skaters were wonderful, my mom even commented on how great of a skater Flynn was.The very end was definitely another favorite for me! It’s when all the other princesses welcome Rapunzel home and the big number with all the skaters is just … wow! Seriously, I can’t think of a better word to describe it 🙂 WOW just about sums it up, you just have to go see for yourself!
All of the skaters for the entire show were amazing and so very talented! The choreography was great, the costumes were stunning, it was definitely the ultimate princess experience!
I know I have shared quite a bit from our evening, can you tell how excited we were and how much we loved the show?! Abby has asked continuously to go back and see the princesses! Although I did share a lot, my words and pictures cannot completely capture this magical show. If you have children or even if you just love Disney yourself, I highly recommend going and seeing the show yourself. Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream is perfect for children and adults of all ages! Check out http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/ to see when a they might be heading to a city near you and go experience this amazing show and creating lasting memories for yourself and your family.
For those in the Little Rock area, you’re in luck! You still have a few chances to see the show at Verizon Arena:
Saturday April 27th at 11:00 am, 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Sunday April 28th at 2:00 pm
Visit HERE for more information, ticket prices and to purchase tickets
Before the show, I had the pleasure of chatting with Flynn Rider! Click HERE to find out all kinds of fun facts and interesting information about the show!
When we got home I just had to upload the pictures, I couldn’t wait to see what all Hubby had captured (since I had Abby in my lap, he took over taking pictures for me). Abby was still so wound up from the excitement, talking nonstop about Mickey and Minnie and the princesses, that she stayed up with me for a little while. She insisted on watching Tangled and when I peeked my head in the room to check on her, I found her curled up with Maximus and wearing her crown. I couldn’t resist grabbing my camera for a few more pictures from our magical evening.
As Rapunzel would say… “Best Day EVER!”
Disclosure: I received tickets to attend the show in order to share a personal review of our experience. My opinions were in no way influenced by the company, all thoughts are my own. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. My thoughts and opinions may differ from yours. If you have any questions you are welcome to contact me.
She is super cute..such an awesome event. That is really a great idea to take pictures of her with the stand up because then you can keep track and see how much she has grown from yr to yr…looks like every one had such a fun time. Cherish the memories.
This looks like a fun event. Your little girl is adorable! I’m glad that you were able to take so many pictures because it is such a great memory for your little princess. 🙂
This looks like SUCH a cool show. I wish my grandma were still around, she loved ice skating and I bet she would have fun at a show like this.
Looks like she had a great time. You got some really good pictures! I love the one of her trying to unlock the door!!