Disney on Ice Dream Big, Arena Birmingham - review

Moana makes her debut in Disney on Ice Dream Big, which skated into Arena Birmingham last night and with her supersized Polynesian pal Maui she was certainly the main attraction on the ice this year.

The two whizzing around the rink to, You're Welcome, from the soundtrack to the movie was an amazing moment for the hundreds of youngsters in the crowd – flashing wands in one hand and overflowing slush puppies in the other.

I thought the Maui costume was fantastic and the skater's performance made the character move just like he does in the 2016 animated film famously voice by Dwyane 'The Rock' Johnson. With the epic, How Far I'll Go, song pounding out across the arena, the two glided around skillfully and it was captivating. . and not just for the young fans.

There was also more than a touch of a drama this year with flames bursting alive on the ice at times leaving me feeling a tad nervous for those cast members in the huge flammable looking costumes - thankfully they were all very surefooted!

The show as a whole is always a safe bet for a great night out with the young children - or even if you're just a big kid with Disney at heart. This year's was no different. With Mickey Mouse as the host - who incidentally turns 90 next month - Dream Big, as with all of the Disney on Ice productions before it, takes the audience on a whistle-stop journey through some of the best-loved films of recent and not so recent times.

Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Rapunzel all make an appearance during the show that runs for around two hours with an interval. But for me and the kids it was the Moana section that impressed the most.

My other favourite was Under The Sea, which was like being in a surreal disco at one point and it is always a thrill for the children to see the clouds of bubbles drifting down from the ceiling.

The fantastic costumes helped to bring the show to life and it never ceases to amaze just how the super-talented skaters manage to stay upright whilst wearing some of these creations - never mind managing to pull off tricks and wave to the crowd at the same time.

Disney on Ice runs until Sunday at Arena Birmingham.

A brilliant time and I am sure many of the children who catch this year's show will be 'Dreaming Big' about its return in the Spring when Finding Dory will be added to the cast.

The production is at Resorts World Arena from April 3-7, 2019 with tickets already on sale via disneyonice.co.uk