EVENT REVIEW: Disney on Ice’s Dare to Dream”

KULJEET KAILA
VANCOUVER DESI

Two big and two little thumbs up!

It was a packed house on opening night at Pacific Coliseum as hundreds of kids dressed in Disney outfits, mostly princesses, skipped their way to the venue. Even before you entered the stadium, Disney displays and keepsakes were being sold everywhere.

Our first purchase for two girls, ages 8 and 5? Colouring books in Disney bags. It was my niece and I along with one of my best friends and her daughter – going in pairs was a great idea and double the fun!

Inside there were all the favorite characters on cups, popcorn buckets, handheld light displays – it was like Halloween meets Christmas meets PNE. A few stops and goodies inside the venue, and kids were singing and dancing to their seats.

The second the show started, it was like magic filled the arena. Even the big kids fell into the Disney trance, reliving childhood stories and watching the little kids’ reactions to seeing their favourite characters come to life before their eyes.

Classic Disney stories one after another poured out onto the ice with flawless performances and seamless transitions between sets. One couldn’t help but think of the amazing auditions to find such great actors and skaters to pull this off. Even the two skaters inside the horse didn’t miss a “skip.”

The talk of the evening was Tangled! After the show, on Twitter, people claimed Rapunzel the new Disney favourite. She took to the ice with her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, as they told their fairy tale story through an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Be ready for some amazing, high flying acrobatics, skating and storytelling braided together in this set.

Colourful scenes, true to the story displays and set designs brought Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog to life in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss – that of course was covered for the little eyes.

The funniest characters were Cinderella’s stepsisters, who had mastered the art of zero sophistication on ice and made for lots of laughter. Disney dreams were made reality before everyone’s eyes as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true.

One by one, all the favourite Disney princesses, and even special appearances by Disney favorites like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and gang, were made.

From start to finish, this is one of the most engaging, fascinating and memorable shows for kids and worth every penny of the ticket and a few keepsakes along the way.

Tip: Arrive early for parking and shopping before the show. Allow your child or children to dress up as many kids did!

The show runs until Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Event info is at http://www.pne.ca

Kuljeet Kaila is a writer for Vancouver Desi.