Disney on Ice Review | Theater
The vibrant, high-energy spectacle of that early March 2018 run of The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice at the Columbus Civic Center was actually cute.
From Apathy to Magic: Reliving Disney on Ice 2018 at the Columbus Civic Center
If your previous theater outing left you staring at a bare-bones set and wishing for a bit more budget, stepping into the Columbus Civic Center in March 2018 for The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice was the ultimate antidote.
Produced by the spectacle-masters at Feld Entertainment, this arena-scale production was the exact opposite of minimalist.
It was a massive, high-octane celebration of pure nostalgia that transformed a standard sports arena into a glittering landscape of pure childhood joy.
Unlike a quiet afternoon at an intimate second-stage play, the energy inside the Civic Center was electric from the moment you walked through the doors. The arena was absolutely packed with families, light-up wands, and small children in full princess attire, creating a collective buzz that you just don't get in a smaller theater setting.
The show kicked off promptly, anchored by the "Fab Four"—Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy — who acted as the hosts for the evening, weaving between classic Disney vignettes as they searched for the meaning of true treasure.
Visually, the production didn't skimp on a single detail. It featured over thirty world-class figure skaters moving at a rapid clip across the ice, dressed in flawless, vibrant costumes.
Instead of relying on a single set of stairs or a lone couch to represent a setting, this show brought entirely distinct cinematic worlds to life with massive props and sweeping choreography.
Audiences were treated to a rapid-fire tour of the Disney vault, featuring beautifully staged, two-song medleys from favorites like Aladdin, Snow White, Tangled, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid.
The real highlights of the production, however, were saved for the major structural anchors at the beginning and the end.
The first half opened with a massive, sweeping segment dedicated to The Lion King, which instantly got the crowd energized. But it was the post-intermission second half that truly blew the roof off the arena.
The production values shifted into overdrive for a massive Frozen sequence. Watching the skaters glide effortlessly across the ice while the entire arena erupted into a massive, deafening crowd sing-along to Let It Go was an unforgettable sensory overload.
Even for adults who might have walked in expecting a standard, cookie-cutter kid's event, the sheer athletic talent of the skaters and the nostalgia of the classic music brought back memories of childhood trips and family traditions.
It was a fast-paced, grand-scale production where the technical execution met the sky-high expectations of the Disney brand. For anyone sitting in the stands that weekend, it was a vivid reminder of what live entertainment feels like when a show embraces pure, unadulterated spectacle.
