I received complimentary tickets to the show for review purposes and to give away. No compensation was received and the opinions expressed in this article are my own.
Hot Diggity Dog! Mickey's done it again! The new Disney on Ice production, "Mickey's Search Party!" was nothing short of incredible! If you're a Disney fan, and I certainly am, this show proves again that Disney has mastered the art of entertainment with extreme attention to detail, and a "Be Our Guest" approach to entertaining that thrills the whole family from young to old.
The show opened with Tinkerbell being captured by some of Captain Hook's Pirates, and the only way to rescue Tink was to fill the "Magic Meter." Throughout the remainder of the show, the audience accompanies Disney favorite characters, Minnie, Mickey, Donald and Goofy, as they gather clues that lead them from one beautiful performance to another, gathering a bit of magic each step of the way to fill the Magic Meter and save Tinkerbell!
The the show featured Frozen, Moana, Coco, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story and other family favorites. This "kids show" quickly established itself with my husband and I as a legitimate, incredible performance for all ages. Awesome aerial performances and stage tricks surprised and thrilled us at every turn! My four year old son loved figuring out the clues with Mickey and his friends. He really loved the stunts featured in the Toy Story and Frozen segments of the show, leaping to his feet in awe during the Frozen performance!
My twelve year old step-daughter and I loved the stunning stage design, costumes and lighting that transformed the arena into one magical movie after the next. My favorite segments were Moana and Coco, with several others making it hard to choose favorites! An absolutely gorgeous representation of Moana's grandmother as the stingray filled the stage and my heart as she circled Moana's boat. My step-daughter liked the creativity of the costumes in the Little Mermaid segment the best. My two year old daughter is simply obsessed with Goofy!! While she enjoyed the princesses and singing along with all of the songs she knew so well (already!), it was abundantly clear that her favorite moments were between the movie based performances when her beloved Goofy would return to stage and help Mickey find clues that would fill the Magic Meter and rescue Tink!
Mickey's Search Party is great for all ages. My two year old is a bit afraid of scary things these days, we've learned as we enter any store with a Halloween display! She didn't seem to react with fear or anxiety at any point in the Disney on Ice show, though, which was a relief! One thing I was not prepared for, though, was the huge array of light up wands and toys and souvenir cups and the like that filled the hallways of the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA and were peddled through the aisles near our seats, leaving my young kids begging for me to buy them. While the merchandise all looked pretty cool, especially Maui's light up hook, they ranged from $20-$35 each, with even a frozen drink in a take home cup priced at $15.
Take a professional quality ice skating and dance performance, pair it with beautifully performed songs that you know every word to and LOVE to sing along with, and finish it with visually stunning costumes and set designs that transform you from one magical movie to the next, oh and then add in Mickey Mouse and all of the other Disney characters that the kids (and the adults) just adore. There is something for everyone in this latest Disney on Ice production - you've got to see it for yourself!
While the run at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA has ended, the show will be at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore from October 10-14th. Tickets for the Baltimore run can be purchased online here!
