Ask any kids around and it is their dream to meet Mickey Mouse and his bunch of goofy friends up close and personal. That aside, some lucky children get to meet their favourite Disney characters like “The Incredibles” and Disney Princesses. While Peter Pan and his friends can’t wait to take a break from poking Captain Hook, the kinder and gentler pirates from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” are having a great time singing and dancing – on ice.
Yes, that’s the sort of thing that you get when you pay a visit to the Disney on Ice show, which ends its run yesterday night at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil. A yearly event that kids labelled as “Priority” has so much to offer, though the price that comes before that is quite expensive. Surely, parents especially with two or more kids tagging along won’t look like a good idea, but for a one-in-a-lifetime show, it was all worth every cents paid. Here’s why:
1. Oh, that costumes’ so nice that I’m wearing it next Halloween
When it comes to a Disney production, expect nothing less than what you might get from your local “pasar malam” stall. For every detail are well-taken care off, its not only catches the attention of anyone viewing but easy for the kids to just scream out “that’s Sleeping Beauty!” Stage Manager, Sean Tilly who is responsible for all the stage designs and costumes say “every year, we came up with something different and new for the audiences.”
2. It’s another boring Disney characters skating on thin ice
Well, if you’re thinking this, then you’re absolutely wrong. Zach Ellar, the Director of Marketing, who is responsible forbringing the show to our shore, says “for every show we bring in, we bring in the latest with new storyline and introduces more character. Here, you can meet over 50 characters, made up of 38 skaters. It’s a chance for Disneyland to come to Malaysia.”
3. Convince me
I had the opportunity to go for the first time to a Disney on Ice show, which usually takes place somewhere near where I live. I wasn’t feeling all excited as my little sister did, but nonetheless, the opening show took my breath away – well, literally speaking. There was so much happening on the ground that I did not realise a young boy seated behind was putting his head on my shoulder all the time. Every character that came out, greeted the audiences well with their arm-breaking waves and handshakes. Never once did the character came out looking all grumpy (except Malificent) and just want to do their job.
4. Disney merchandises selling like hot cakes
Eager to get your hands on those Mickey Mouse ears? Now, to walk away without having the urge to buy that cute Jack Jack mug would be an understatement. Every now and then, you need strength like Mr Incredible to resist the urge to take a look at those merchandises and pulling that RM50 crisp note out of your wallet. Lo and behold, before purchasing anything, do walk around for a bit and try to bargain. It’s your day if the man behind the counter says “it’s your for free”
5. Energetic performance throughout the show
If all the above statements don’t convince you to go next year, here’s another pointer. All of the performances you see are so much lively that you normally see them on TV. No pun intended, seriously. Dora Viker, a skater from Hungary who plays Mrs Incredible says that it was all fun and games when it comes to entertaining kids and putting smiles on everyone’s faces. There’s a lot of going on behind and on the stage. Of course, there are hard moments on and off the ice, but being part of the big Disney family is like an adventurous ride. This year’s Disney on Ice stresses more on crowd-participations. “Throughout the show, we ask audiences to participate in our exploration so when they (audiences) leave the hall, they will bring something memorable with them. It’s equivalent to “hey, I help save Donald Duck from that evil Maleficent!”
The highlight of this show was when Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story made his appearance on stage. His introduction took centre stage when firecrackers were involved but of course, no one was harm during the event. The show has created a whole a high-tech skating version of Buzz, and it’s hard to see who’s behind it, slipping and turning on powerful carbon-fiber jet wings. Ah well, that one’s on ice.
