A few months ago , I went to the opening night of the newest Disney on Ice show, “DARE TO DREAM” at the United Center in Chicago. I have grown up going to Disney on Ice shows every time they skate into town. My mom took me, and now I am able to take my daughter (and my mom usually joins us too which is very cool)
I had heard excellent reviews of this show and I have to say, it was one of the better ones I have seen lately. Could it be that the show centered on the two newest Disney Princess….Tiana and Rapunzel, who just happen to be some of my favorite princess? Ya….possibly. *smile* But seriously, this show is not to be missed!!
According to Feld Entertainment/Disney on Ice’s website (http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/): “Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths! Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime! Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!”
We entered the arena about 40 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin, and we first made the most important stop, the bathroom. Then we got some food to munch on during the first half of the show. Fair warning, since these shows are usually held in sporting arenas, the prices are inflated. We had a kids meal that came with a hot dog, bag of chips, and a juice and it was $6.25, nachos that were $6.50, and a large Cherry Coke for $5.50. We have been to the shows so many times so we knew what to expect, but I overheard some people blaming the prices being so high on Disney. Sorry folks, please don’t blame the Disney company. Honestly, you should expect food, souvenirs, ect to be overpriced at events like this. My mom and I laughed as we compared the prices at the ice show to the prices you would pay at WDW also! I should add also, souvenirs are very overpriced and some things are not of the greatest quality. You actually could purchase more for your money at your local Disney Store or online! For example, they had the Disney Princess dolls selling for $30 and plush for $20-$40! Some items are exclusive to the Ice shows, like the programs, shirts, and cups, but you can actually also order those online through the Disney On Ice website if you are unable to at the show. There is also opportunities to take pictures with various statues or cardboard characters, which run between $15-$25 dollars! We usually have a tradition of buying a program and a picture, but we did not this show, due to limited funds! 
We found our seats, which unfortunately were up in the nosebleed section. We came on opening night, so tickets were $14 for all seats, minus the VIP seats, and soo many people come out for this first night because of the savings. We waited until we arrived at the box office to buy our tickets, so we missed out on some better seats, that we would of gotten if we had been able to purchase our tickets online. Which we normally do buy our tickets online or at a Ticketmaster location to have better seats. We also like to look for coupons or discounts through our local magazines or newspapers!
The show began promptly at 7pm with Mickey and gang coming out, greeting everyone and introducing us to the story of Princess and the Frog with Tiana. I enjoyed this story, the music had you clapping along and the skating was just incredible! The story of Cinderella followed. During the scene when the Prince is searching with the glass slipper, they try it on a few audience members in the front row, which is really a magical moment! Intermission was 15 minutes long and it was neat to see the “Zamboni” machine cleaning up the ice. Kayla just loves to watch it go around! The show began again with the newest Disney story of Rapunzel. The most amazing part of the show was the use of Rapunzel’s “hair” which she and Flynn performed high above the ice and “flew” around. The finale of the show was when all the Disney Princess and their Princes came out and joined Rapunzel, Flynn, Mickey and the gang! The show runs about 2 hours total, including the 15 minute intermission! The stories are told from the main points, and highlight certain scenes to showcase the skaters talents! I always enjoyed the fact that these shows bring Olympic quality skating to some people who may never otherwise be exposed to that venue! So many kids in turn, enjoy the shows so much that they want to learn how to skate and end up pursuing careers with Disney On Ice when they grow up! I dreamt of that when I was younger, but was never coordinated enough to learn how to skate! LOL
In my opinion, the Disney On Ice shows are incredible and should not be missed when they come to your hometown! There are some great preview videos on YouTube for this show, as well as all the others that are touring! I would recommend checking them out, even if you are not planning on going to a Disney on Ice show anytime soon. It’s always fun to take a few minutes and enjoy some Disney characters, music, and magic!!
Follow Jamie on Twitter @jrobbins79 and @ www.mydreamingcorner.blogspot.com
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