One of our favorite traditions every year is Disney On Ice. This is not Disney World, nor is it close to it. The kiddos don't get to meet the characters from the Disney movies (like at Disney World) BUT they do get the privilege of watching them "ice-skate" across the rink to their fav Disney movie. After many years of taking my kiddos to a Disney On Ice show... This year, by far, was the most scariest moments ever. Foreal though -- hands down the best On Ice show I've seen in years, yes. But while we were inside, there was a monsoon outside! So we had to work with that too!
Here are tips you can use rain or shine: You always want to be prepared.
Give the movie (and soundtrack) a break beforehand.
"Frozen" is full of really great songs. We all know them by heart, whether we want to or not. ("Love Is An Open Door" is my favorite, if you must know.) So if you want to avoid being sick of them, give yourself a break around the house or car-rides whenever possible so that you can better enjoy them during the show. They're also going to be playing as pre-show music. Just FYI.
- Consider your seats carefully.
Our seats were in the first few rows, above the actual floor seats. This was great, and it was nice to see the skater's faces and expressions from that close. if you are going to doit, I say "do it right." We were able to see the skaters near and far. The seats were chosen perfectly and you could tell that it was a completely sold out show. Also -- just be aware -- every child there will know all the words so be prepared to hear children screaming at the top of their lungs from start to finish. It's what makes the show... the fans :-)
- Feed the kids before arriving.
The Giant Center has food available, but if your kids are like mine, they'll demand food because they're starving, but then eat a few bites and insist they don't really like it. Sigh. Also, there's not really any convenient places to eat. For adults, this isn't really a big deal, but do you really need to held your child juggle a platter of chicken fingers on their lap? Go with the snacks instead. I was worried constantly that it would get on their clothes and mess up the whole outfit. But thankfully mines are older and can "try" to hold it for a bit, until they tell you it's too heavy on their lap....
- Dress everyone comfortably.
If this means to put them in costume, goahead -- that's a lot of fun. Just be aware that there is a lot of walking, so I suggest comfortable shoes, (even if she might think those plastic Elsa heels are really awesome), but just tell her that there will be a lot of walking to get to your seats and that will get her to put her sneakers on, espcecially if it's raining cats and dogs outside!
- Give yourself enough travel time.
The doors open for the show an hour beforehand, and you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to navigate the traffic and parking. We like to get there early just because the crowds are crazy and the parking can be chaotic. This time we made it 40 mins early AND pssshhhh, that still wasn't enough time! Maybe because the weather was storming when we arrived. Parents were smart to get there 45 mins extra early. We should have known that Friday night plus the monsoon outside -- would be crazy. I mean it is Frozen and despite the weather... WE'RE STILL GOING!
Upon arrival:
- Be ready to spend some money on merchandise.
There is no shortage of things to buy. Some of your options include a program for the show ($15, $20 for matching coloring book), plush dolls of Anna, Elsa and other Disney princesses ($20-$38) or pictures with cardboard cutouts of "Frozen" characters ($22-$25). The two snow cones for my daughters cost around $35, together with commemorative "Frozen" mugs and the Olaf straw/spoons (we call them "stoons"). The coolest piece of merchandise I saw was a plush Olaf doll that can come apart and re-attach with velcro. Oh, and there's all sorts of sparkly light-up doodads, and vendors will be literally everywhere, including walking through the seats. So if you're not ready to buy something...
Can you really put a price tag on happiness? Maybe talk with the kids before you get there about what they can or can't get. I always make sure to do this and tell them that we can leave with atleast ONE souvenir (usually a snowcone cup). Besides, they have all the dolls and collection of Elsa, Ana and Olaf shananagins anyways... Whew-- now that was smart.
- Find (and use) the bathrooms early.
Lines will be extremely long at intermission, and the men's and ladies' rooms aren't always close to one another. Your best bet is to scout them out upon arrival to make sure you know where you're going. I guarentee your kiddos will ask to use the restroom IF you fill them up with drinks and snacks AND in our case, napkins to dry ourselves from the thunderstorm we walked through to get there.
This may sound obvious, but there's going to be a lot of people there. Brace yourself. It's also one of those places where kids can get lots very easily. And if yours just happens to be dressed up as Elsa? Good luck finding them in a sea of blue dresses and white braided wigs especially, wet ones (since we were rained "in."
Seriously, Mom ... just let it go. "Frozen" is a phenomenon for a reason. It's filled with fun songs, funny characters, and lots of magic. The ice show manages to capture a lot of that and add in some really impressive skating. Don't forget to enjoy some of that while you're there. It was all worth it even after you read this complete tip list -- it really isn't that bad!
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