As with the annual arrival of the Coca-Cola truck so it comes to pass that the Disney juggernaut rolls into Cardiff – and during an end-of-half-term weekend that also features the arrival into the Welsh capital of some blokes in chariots too. With an expectant crowd, replica outfits all around, and protagonists seeking glory the parallels between the two quests being played out just half a mile apart in the same city are striking.
Warren Gatland’s side will very much be looking for a dream Disney-style conclusion to a tumultuous week as they face England. Fans hoping for a sure bet of feelgood, though, would be better off trading in their spots in the Principality Stadium stands for a seat rink-side at the iced-out Cardiff International Arena because this show promises magic and it wholeheartedly delivers.
Like a splash of Torvill and Dean for the Disney+ generation this performance – which begins with a pre-show 10 minutes or so before the advertised time, so be in your seats early – is part-slapstick, part quest, part musical, part film compendium, and part ice-skating dance extravaganza interspersed with circus-style stunts, aerobatics, and rope work. In short it’s an absolute feast of entertainment with immense attention to detail and the high-calibre finish you’d expect from a production under the world-famous Disney livery.
Favourites from Moana to Beauty and the Beast all feature as the Disney big-hitters – Mickey, Minnie, and pals – all seek to boost the magic meter in order to retrieve a trapped Tinkerbell and foil Captain Hook. The earworms that have been warping your algorithms since your kids were old enough to direct Alexa are matched with elaborate visual effects but more importantly stunning skating and epic stunts that make it feel like a cross between a six-year-old’s most fantastical daydream and the Winter Olympics. There’s something for everyone from Disney devotees to debutantes and you’d have to be made of stone not to enjoy it – particularly the real crowd-pleasers. If we say that Woody and Buzz get a reception like that reserved for Sir Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood on tour then Elsa’s arrival is treated like something between a visit from the risen Christ and a supermarket manager seeing a delivery driver with tomatoes. As they skate off at the end Tinkerbell hollers to the audience: “Remember we love you!” A quick glance around tells you the feeling is mutual.
Disney on Ice presents Discover the Magic is on three times daily on Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26, at Cardiff International Arena. For tickets go here.
