Disney On Ice

We took the godson to Disney on Ice today. Last year it was Nemo throughout, but the setup was different this year. Four product lines - I'm sorry, Disney movies - were featured this year. Splashy. Colorful. Unsubtle. Which is fine - this is geared to 3-10 year olds, for whom irony and moral complexity are not especially entertaining.

We were in Row R, from whence you can tell theoretically, I'll bet those are very pretty girls down there. With the amount of souvenir and OH-MY! childish voice stressors you are going to encounter with your wee ones, I wouldn't recommend this for dads unless you can sit a lot closer. But if so, be a hero and take the tykes to see Ariel and her sisters while your wife rests at home.

The effects are nice - dramatic without being frightening - and the music is good. The variety show format leads to some odd moments in the curtain calls, but it touches something deep in the male psyche to watch Wendy and Mrs. Darling dance to hunka-hunka-burning-love, however briefly. Even from Row R.

I recommend you scout the souvenirs before buying, though they are all ridiculously overpriced. Flounder hats are fetching, but the child wearing it can't see it, and it has limited distraction value after about, oh, 2.2 minutes. Something that changes lights or makes a variety of soft sounds is just what you are looking for.