A supercharged double-dose of childlike wonder. That’s what Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero feels like. The lights dim, and the air chills as the ice stage is unveiled. The technicolour kiddie toys glitter across the arena, illuminating tiny faces that sparkle with glee. Thousands of children’s joy and anticipation of seeing their favourite characters (in the flesh for the first time!) is palpable. It is as much a part of the show as the dancers that fly across the stage.
Disney’s World On Ice dates back to 1987 with its international debut in Japan of Happy Birthday Donald. The next year it had five touring shows, and in 1998, the name was changed to Disney on Ice. Since 2008, it has launched a new show every year. For me, it has been a school holiday tradition for over a decade. At the matinee I attended, there were three generations of my family present.
Find Your Hero, much like many other Disney On Ice touring shows, is hosted by the core four: Micky, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck. For younger viewers, they may not have the same association with these beloved figures. However, it’s heartwarming to see that they are being exposed to these classic characters, so that their parents can show them where Disney came from.
The show finds a very clever way to take the best songs from some of Disney’s most popular cartoons and present them with such scale, scope and size. The Little Mermaid opens the show with Under The Sea and Kiss the Girl. The way the show elevates an already iconic song like Part Of Your World is absolutely next level!
Maui and Moana take us across the sea to see How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome. And when she declares, “I am Moana!” in all her splendour, every young girl is singing right along with her.
Tangled closes out Act One with the spectacle of I Have A Dream and the show-stopping, lantern-raising I See The Light. The dancers who played Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are exceptionally elegant and expressive. Their fluidity and chemistry are second to none.
My Nanna’s favourite was Beauty and the Beast including their dazzling rendition of Gaston and the titular track. Despite having a stellar costume for Lumiere, there was no Be Our Guest which was a little disheartening.
Frozen is where the show kicks into high gear. The always aloof and adorable Olaf dances his heart out to Summer. The iconic Let It Go is both the only song to be played all the way through and the only one where the audience was louder than the performers. Truly magical to experience.
One of Disney’s most recent adventures, Encanto, brings the production home on a high with the earworms of Surface Pressure and We Don’t Talk About Bruno. The spinning flower mechanism with the acrobatic dancer inside it was a sensational sight to behold.
The costumes, sets, lighting, practical effects, and dancing, of course, are all top tier and entirely immersive. The two hours fly by quicker than a snap of one’s fingers. Watching this show feels like an old band coming back on tour to play their greatest hits. Except this band is still writing music, and their newer songs are (mostly) still as legendary as the ones that have stood the test of time.
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero made me nostalgic for my childhood. It made me long for the kids I don’t have yet. It made me rediscover that sense of awe and aspiration I had as a child (that we all had!) that, as adults, we tend to forget. These school holidays, take yourself, your children, your grandchildren, your friends and your enemies to see this delight of a show. You might just come out of it wanting to go ice-skating the next day.
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero tours the country from 12 June – 20 July 2025. Dates and cities are below.
Tickets: http://www.ticketek.com.au/disneyonice
Website: https://www.disneyonice.com
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/DisneyOnIce
Remaining Australian Tour Dates
Sydney 9 – 13 July, Qudos Bank Arena
Melbourne 16 – 20 July, Rod Laver Arena
