Review: Disney On Ice

In the interest of full disclosure, I received tickets to the show and dinner prior to the show for myself and the wee ones. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Last night, the wee ones had a special treat. Mommy took them to see Disney on Ice Princess Classics. They had no idea where we were going until they got inside and saw the set, and boy were they stoked.

(Yeah, I know... they don't take good posed photos. I try.)

While Mister Man decried it, saying he "didn't like classic princesses" he quickly changed his mind once the show started. He was so happy to see that his favorite one was a part of the show. Mulan he adores, and I think it's partly because she's strong and does something akin to martial arts.

Regardless, it was a great show.

I love how the shows use the dialogue from the original movies in snippets to tell the stories, making it all that much more real to the wee ones - and to me. The same goes for the songs, and Disney always has such great music in their movies. So yes, I do currently have the some from Mulan going through my head.

The skaters do a fantastic job of telling the story and making it look as though they really are saying their lines, and the costuming is very true to the movies, with only some allowances made for appropriate skating costumes.

The show starts off with the wee ones' favorite fairy Tinker Bell, which was fortunate, as Little Miss had on her Tinker Bell costume. Mickey and Minnie soon appeared, as well, and then the actual show began.

Aladdin was the first show, and they did a great job of telling the story. I loved the elephant Aladdin rode in on after becoming Prince Ali, and the magic carpet was very cool - both when played by a skater and when flying Jasmine and Aladdin themselves.

Sleeping Beauty was a lot of fun with the fairies changing the dress from pink to blue and back. Briar Rose did a great job with her famous song of "Once Upon a Dream" that was very reminiscent of the movie. The story deviated some from the movie - as it would have to given the constraints of a quick ice show - with the pricking of her finger. It was a dramatic moment, and one that had the wee ones on the edges of their seats worried about what would happen next.

The Little Mermaid opens with Sebastian singing "Under the Sea" with some very cool glow in the dark fish and coral. Ursula's costume and the playing of Flotsam and Jetsam were excellent, although a little scary for the younger set.

When Mulan appeared, Mister Man was beside himself with excitement. This story was probably the closest to the version told in the Disney on Ice we saw last year, but he didn't care. Mushu was a great scamp, and the wee ones are still talking about him. I was hoping for a battle scene in this, but the story here was the least developed of all the vignettes we saw.

Snow White and the dwarves were adorable. They did a neat job skating with their chairs and creating a fun atmosphere for the show. The witch tempting Snow White with the apple really got the crowd involved, and everyone was crushed when she took that fateful bite of the apple.

Beauty and the Beast was the next show, although it picked up pretty far into the story. If you don't know what's going on (and granted - most do), having Gaston come in near the end of the vignette to stab the Beast is sort of confusing.

If you notice, all the stories end at the climax. They all stop with the princess at her most vulnerable and before the happy ending appears. This was disturbing to the wee ones, and I was a little concerned that it would continue through the end. I would have liked to see each story finish with the happy ending before moving to the next one.

After intermission, Cinderella was the focus, and it was hilarious. The step-sisters were wonderful, bumbling fools, and the step-mother appropriately hideous and appalling. The Archduke who is in charge of delivering the invitations and travling with the prince to find the owner of the slipper really reminded me of the exact character from the movie. More fun, I haven't seen this movie in ages, and there were parts of the vignette that I had forgotten about from the mice creating Cinderella's dress from scaps of the step sisters' belongings to Anastasia and Drusilla being the names of the step sisters.

As Cinderella discovered her prince, the show began to end. Each story was then brought to its conclusion with Erik dancing with Ariel, Prince Charming kissing and awakening Snow White (ditto for Prince Phillip and Aurora), etc. The audience sees that there is a happy ending for each story, although the exact ending isn't clear.

The final revue was gorgeous, and the dancing kept the wee ones entertained until the end. And yes, they're asking when they can go back!

The show is still at the United Center until Sunday, and tickets are available for all the shows: 7pm each day from tonight to Sunday September 12. There are also shows at 11:30am and 3:30pm on Saturday and Sunday (September 11 and 12). Don't forget that the Sunday 7pm show is a Spanish language show.

Ticket prices vary based on your seating area and date. However, you can get them for a discount. By using the code "MOM" you can get a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 (Valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows. Just order your tickets from TicketMaster (at the United Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000) and enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster.com. You need to purchase a minimum of 4 tickets for the discount, and it is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply.

Have a great time!



PS Don't forget your long sleeves/jacket. It's cold in the UC for ice shows!