The cars were lined up on Renfrew Street, headlights blazing, trying to squeeze into the parking lot. Little kids streamed up the sidewalks, eagerly clutching their parents’ hands, dragging them to the entrance of Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum. If you’ve been around any kid who likes Disney movies, you’ve probably heard of Disney On Ice. It’s Disney characters on skates, featuring extremely exaggerated physical gestures, and it’s been around in one form or another for 35 years.
When media passes have been offered in the past, I’ve opted to take my niece, nephews, and close friends’ kids. This year, for the first time in forever, I hesitantly took my very own son. He’s only three years old and had no idea what Disney On Ice was, but he’s a fan of Toy Story and the massive 2013 box office hit Frozen – two of the featured “acts” in this year’s “Worlds of Enchantment” show, alongside The Little Mermaid and Cars – so I hoped he’d enjoy the spectacle.
When you enter the arena at a Disney On Ice show, an endless barrage of branded merchandise assaults your field of vision. Merch stands are set up literally every 10 feet or so, all over the concourse, selling every imaginable plush toy and illuminating piece of plastic associated with the featured films. There are mobs of customers surrounding all of them.
By some sort of Disney-like miracle, though, my son’s usual skill for honing in on shiny plastic crap failed him. He was too overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd, thousands strong, all trying to get to their seats. Disney On Ice started very promptly at 7pm. This was not a Snoop Dogg concert.
Our seats sucked. You’d think they’d want the media up front, ready to be dazzled, but the complimentary seats were first-come/first-serve (I know, cry me a river, free tickets, boo hoo). We got stuck way up in the blues – so high, in fact, that it felt like we were watching the show from atop the Matterhorn. Mickey really did look like the size of a mouse. My son didn’t seem to mind. Maybe I should… let it go?
It was opening night for the 2016 run (Nov. 23-27) and jitters amongst the skaters were palpable. There were two wipe outs in the first act alone: the skater playing “Andy” from Toy Story slipped on an attempted double axel jump, but quickly made good on a second one, which the crowd recognized with a roar. A few moments later, in a carefully coordinated sequence involving dozens of cast members, one of the green Toy Story soldiers bailed at high speed, sprawling face first, green rifle sliding across the ice. The kids didn’t seem to notice, but 10,000 parents winced at once.
Intermission! Near the end of the condensed, 10-minute merch-buying frenzy that made Black Friday seem grey, the PA announcer declared: “Please take your seats, the second half will begin in three minutes." Before adding, "Which is just enough time to post your photos and videos on social media using the hashtag #DisneyOnIce!”
The finale (a skating Coles Notes of Frozen) was why most of the kids were there, or at least hanging on to the end – including my son. Props were minimal, but the famous songs soared, and Vancouver sang along – even a little three-year-old boy and his cynical-on-the-surface dad; frozen heart officially melted.
I think my son enjoyed his first Disney On Ice experience, but on the walk home he admitted that some parts were “too scary” (Ursula the sea witch from The Little Mermaid and some minor fireworks). The scariest thing I saw? A $15 bag of popcorn. See you next year?
