by Soarin’ Diva
Disney on Ice and Frozen combined in one package? Yes, please! What more could a girl want, right? I was recently contacted by Feld entertainment with a request to review Disney On Ice Presents Frozen, presented by Stonyfield YoKids, when the show was scheduled to open on Wednesday, April 20, at Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth, Georgia. Um…review a Disney on Ice show? Do you really think I’m going to turn that down? Of COURSE I’ll be happy to review it.
I’ve only had the opportunity to see one other Disney On Ice show (Worlds of Fantasy), and it was amazing. I wasn’t about to go into this one thinking it would be anything less than amazing. Disney is renowned for putting on amazing, mind-blowing shows, even in the smallest of arenas. Can I just say, Disney did not disappoint me at all! From the gorgeous costumes to the lighting, no detail was overlooked. After the initial introduction from the shows hosts, none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse, you can enjoy the sight of all of your favorite characters arriving on the scene. I don’t just mean the characters of Frozen, I’m talking Timon and Pumbaa, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Rapunzel and Flynn, Marlin, Nemo and Dory, Snow White and the Prince, Eric and Ariel, as well as Donald Duck and Goofy. I won’t lie, this was a bit of relief for me. The reason being, I don’t have little daughters- I have a twelve year old son and a fifteen year old son. I was very worried about whether they would enjoy this particular show or not since it was a Frozen show. Frozen…the movie and story line that holds the number one slot in every little girl’s heart… not so much in every teen boy. With the entrance of all of our old favorites, I could now relax knowing that my guys would enjoy the show as well. I will also say, mine weren’t the only teens there, nor the only teen boys, who were NOT there with a small child.
After the appearance of our old favorite Disney characters, we now enter the world of Frozen. True to Disney On Ice form, the show stays on plot to the original movie. As the young, childlike version of Sven and Kristoff come out, you can pretty much guarantee every heart in the place is going to melt, it’s just that adorable. From there, we also see a young version of Anna and Elsa in the bedroom, playing together. Again, the show plays very true to the movie. I won’t get into all of the details of the storyline; let’s face it, you’ve probably seen the movie and already know. I will tell you, the soundtrack in the Disney On Ice Presents Frozen, as well as all the character voices, are actually FROM the original movie. I actually like this, it helps it stay more authentic, as well as reassuring the youngsters when they hear those original voices, that this really is a Disney Frozen show.
I’m pretty sure the highlight of the show for most of the crowd is the entrance of everyone’s favorite round snowball, Olaf. The crowd of miniature Ana’s and Elsa’s in that building actually vibrated with excitement when Olaf skates out. He’s just as adorable and clumsy in the show as he is on the big screen. I adored listening to the little girls seated around me laughing gleefully at his antics, as well as singing along with his song, “In Summer.” That’s the thing I really loved about Disney On Ice Presents Frozen, as well as all of the Disney On Ice shows. They actually encourage audience participation. They want you to sing along with all of the songs, to be part of the show with them. Even when some of the skaters would go to the sideline as other skaters were being featured, the one’s on the sideline would be sure to wave and speak to the guests seated near them.
Again, I don’t want to get into the actual storyline with this review, I will focus more on what I liked or didn’t like about it. I’ll start with the negative first….yeah, I really have nothing for that. I can’t find anything in the show to not like. Moving on to the positive, I love the lighting. The colors used make you feel like you really are in a frozen land. I loved the special effects. You don’t expect to see miniature explosions…but guess what…you do. Don’t worry, its’ just a couple of tiny explosions, but it was a little surprising (not in a negative way.) I think my favorite was the actual character of the Marshmallow Ice Monster. I was puzzled about how he would play into the show, how would Elsa be able to form him right before our eyes. I love the way he was brought in, I felt it was very creative and done in a pretty cool way (I’m not telling you how, you have to see the show to find out.) I love the characters, of course. In a condensed version of the movie, it’s very hard to bring out the best features of the characters, but they have done it in a magnificent way. I love the huge production of it all. The arena we were in isn’t a huge arena, so to make this show as big of a production as it is can’t be easy, but it certainly appears to be easy for them. I love the skating, of course. It’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s professional, it’s graceful. I guess my list of “love’s” could go on and on, so I will just say, Disney On Ice Presents Frozen gets two big Mickey Mouse thumbs up from me and my family. I highly recommend you grabbing tickets and taking your family to see it. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s an extremely enjoyable performance for all ages, you aren’t even required to dress up as Anna or Elsa. Wishing On a Star Diva had the chance to see the show earlier this year, you can see her review and find out her favorites here.
I was also impressed with the merchandise they had to offer. Of course you have your toys that light up, and there were also princess tiaras, stuffed animals and tee shirts galore. I loved the snow cone cups. They had a variety of princess cups, as well as an adorable Olaf cup. I even came upon a “sleigh” led by Sven which was carrying a wide variety of stuffed dolls and animals. If your kids are into souvenirs, make sure you bring your wallet, because there’s plenty to choose from.
All in all, Disney On Ice lived up my expectations. It was a truly wonderful show, full of that Disney magic we all know and love. Do you live in the Atlanta area? You can see the show too, it’s still in town a few more days, check out this website for show and ticket information. Don’t live in the Atlanta area? That’s okay, the tour isn’t over, you can see the Disney On Ice website for full tour details. Again, if you haven’t seen the show yet and were thinking about it, I highly recommend it. My whole family enjoyed it, even my fifteen year old son. It’s a great show for any age. Have you already seen it? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on it, feel free to leave a comment below.
****Disney Diva Disclaimer: All of the images of the Frozen performers used in this article were provided by Feld Entertainment. Feld Entertainment also provided my family with complimentary tickets for the show, as well as four other tickets for a giveaway in exchange for my review. Though we did receive these benefits, the writers at Tips From the Disney Divas & Devos always provide their honest opinion and the thoughts expressed in this article are 100% entirely my own.
