Disney on Ice - Worlds of Enchantment Review

A few weeks ago, we were invited to see the new Disney on Ice Worlds of Enchantment show at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.

Both of my children have always been massive Disney fans and with the show falling on my son's birthday, the answer was an easy yes, so we headed there after some birthday tea.

I love watching shows at the arena and on an unseasonably warm day it was nice to be inside in the cool.

The show itself is preceded by a Fit to Dance show to get the audience warmed up, for me the All-American preppiness of the dancers was a bit much, but the kids loved it.

The show starts with Toy Story 3 and the awesome green army soldiers, marching in sync. It was a really lively way to start the show and had us all smiling from the start.

Moving onto the main act, we were transported through the Toy Story gang's ill-fated trip to Sunnyside Daycare where we meet Lotso Bear and Stretch the Octopus, the romance blossoms between Barbie and Ken and we were treated to some fun skating between the lovebirds.

Afterwards we were taken Under the Sea with Ariel and her friends, the bright colours of the fish and underwater scenes were really breathtaking and my daughters face lit up when Ariel came on. We follow the story of Ursula stealing Ariel's voice and the journey of love that follows in order for her to speak and sing again.

After the break we were treated to what for my son and daughter, was the highlight of the evening. Having both recently gotten back into the 'Cars' world, my daughter even bought her plush Lightning McQueen with her.

The life size cars drove and skidded around on the ice, and featured all our favourite characters including Mater, Sally, Flo and Ramone. It was a really fun part of the show and to see the cars in all their glory was quite spectacular.

The finale was probably the highlight for most of the crowd in the arena, and told the story of the hit movie, Frozen. With all our favourite songs and lots of snow and special effects, it was a really wonderful performance and we all enjoyed dancing and singing along.

With Mickey and the gang there too, it was a truly full-on Disney experience and well worth the money if you have a Disney fan in your house.

The only downside to these events are the extras which can soon add up, with lots of spinning lightsticks, ice cups and bags of popcorn thrown into the mix, it could get expensive if you aren't careful. But what price a little family fun!

We were given tickets to this performance in return for this review, all words and opinions are my own.

Disney on Ice - Magical Ice Festival Review

Last week, we went to see the magic that is Disney on Ice. It's the first time we have taken the children to see anything on ice and it won't be the last, the magic, speed and atmosphere was just amazing and we all had a fantastic time.

Starting off with The Little Mermaid, the songs and theatrics dazzled, with Ariel spinning from a rope in the centre of the ice. I had forgotten how moving the songs from The Little Mermaid are and I have to admit I had a tear in my eye as I sang along to the songs (sorry to anyone next to me)

Next up was Rapunzle from Tangled, we love this film, it is beautifully sweet and the characters they chose to use had something for everyone, including my seven year old son. It wasn't completely princess related and with Maximus the horse and the the pub thugs playing a huge part it really was great fun.

After the break, we went on to Beauty and the Beast, a beautiful classic which I was looking forward to, with some wonderful characters including Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Pots it was sure to be a visual delight and we weren't disappointed.

I expected the children to be a little scared of the Beast but they weren't, instead with the excitement of the ice skating they were in awe.

And finally, on to the moment we had all been waiting for, you could almost feel the anticipation for this part of the show, especially with so many Anna's and Elsa's in the audience.

Frozen was as exciting as I'd hoped it would be, with my daughter not quite sure where to put herself with all the excitement, Elsa's ice skating skills were brilliant and it was amazing that just one person on the ice could bring such magic.

The much loved Olaf brought the biggest cheer of the evening as well as some colour and magic to the ice, absolutely brilliant!

Sven and Kristoff were so lovely, quite how the ice skaters inside managed to make Sven act so real is beyond me, but they were great.

Now that we know both children love something like this, we will definitely be back to watch another, I was worried that the dark arena would be a little scary for my four year old daughter and when she'd seen other pictures she said the same but in the end it was fine.

My daughter said that she like 'everything' apart from the part with Prince Hans was about to kill Elsa, which I think is fair.

My one gripe about the show was the cost of the merchandise, £8 for a small Disney bag and some popcorn is a little much, but it's the same wherever you go so was expected.

There is still time to see this magical show as it is playing at Leeds First Direct Arena from 13-17th May, for more information check out the Disney website.

NB: We were given tickets to attend the show, all pictures and words are my own.

Disney on Ice - Magical Ice Festival

Who hasn't loved Disney at some point in their life? I love sharing the Disney stories that I enjoyed as a child with my daughter, so imagine being able to see some of those characters for real and on ice.

With the new Disney on Ice - Magical Ice Festival currently working its way around the UK, there is no better time to enjoy some of your favourite characters as part of a spectacular event on ice.

With firm Disney favourites including Mickey and friends leading the way....

...and some of the more recent characters Disney have created popping up as well. Including a duo sure to get most little girl's attention, Anna and Elsa from Frozen, they are sure to be a huge hit and have everyone singing along.

This is sure to be a spectacular show, full of energy and a great way for the family to spend some time together.

You can see your favourite Disney characters between now and 17th May at London, Cardiff, Nottingham and Leeds so why not book your tickets to Disney on Ice - Magical Ice Festival.

NB: I have been given a family ticket in exchange for a preview post and review of the Disney on Ice show.

Disney on Ice Tour - 100 Years of Magic

You may have seen on the telly recently about the new Disney on Ice Tour, 100 Years of Magic. This is billed as, a celebration of 100 years of unforgettable characters and beloved stories bought to life on the ice, a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you'll remember forever.

I don't think there are many of us that haven't enjoyed a Disney movie at some point in our lives, and all of us will have our favourite characters. My daughter loves all of the princesses and my son, well probably a mixture of everyone, he used to adore Mickey and even now will sit and watch him. 

Me, I love Aladdin, it has wonderful characters, singing and my favourite of them all, Genie.

The tour is heading to some great cities around the UK so why not stay in a hotel close to the venue and make a weekend of it, here is my guide to a few of cities on the tour.

How about Birmingham for shopping at the Bull Ring, jewellery quarter and dinner at one of it's many restaurants. Or Manchester for it's fabulous museums and culture, if you haven't been to the Museum of Science and Industry, it is well worth a visit, and free as well!

For those further north then how about a trip to the wonderful city of Glasgow with it's Botanical Gardens, beautiful art and architecture. Then top the day off with a memorable evening watching the Disney On Ice, 100 Years of Magic with your family.

With a short journey back to the hotel you don't have to worry about travelling home,  refreshed after a night’s sleep, you can be ready to enjoy the next day and more sightseeing or should you prefer shopping.  A great way to make special memories for you and your family and maybe visiting and falling in love with a new city and all it has to offer.

The Disney on Ice Tour will be appearing around the UK at the following locations:

Glasgow - Braehead Arena - 26th September - 5th October 2014

Newcastle - Metro Radio Arena - 7th - 12th October 2014    

Manchester - Phones 4u Arena - 15th - 19th October 2014  

Birmingham - National Indoor Arena - 22nd October - 2nd November 2014

Sheffield - Motorpoint Arena - 5th - 9th November 2014  

London - O2 Arena - 24th December 2014 - 4th January 2015           

More information on dates, locations etc can be found at http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-on-ice/100-years-of-magic/index.html

This is a collaborative post, however all words are my own.

Munchkin Minnie Toddler Dining Set Review

We were kindly sent a Minnie Mouse Toddler Dining set and flip top drinking cup from Munchkin to review.

I love the set and cup, the pink and green really look good together and they are girly without being overly girly if you know what I mean.

On opening the box my daughter was super excited as she loves Minnie Mouse and we tested the flip top cup straight away, it is easy for her to open and she loves that it has a straw (great for me too as it doesn't spill and cannot be tipped up and spilt).

The click lid means I know it is locked and the flip straw means it is away when not in use, the cup can be popped in my bag and nothing gets spilt and it doesn't get dirty.

The dining set comes with a plate which has compartments, a bowl and a fork and a spoon.

She loves the plate and so do I, the little compartments mean I can put different foods in them just like a little picnic.

The bowl is just the right size for breakfast and pudding and the fork and spoon are great for her little hands.

The rubber strips on the bottom of the plate and bowl stop it from moving about on the table, which helps stops knocks and spills.

Overall I am impressed with the quality of the set and they don't feel like they will break easily like some of the sets we have bought and have so far washed really well.

I think it is fair to say this set was a hit with my daughter and myself, it is always nice for a child to look forward to eating their food and having a plate they want to eat from is one way to ensure this happens.

Available from Munchkin on Amazon

NB. We were sent this set to review, all words and opinions are my own.