NE1 Reviews: Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic
Our review of Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic at Utilita Arena
Disney On Ice skates into Newcastle this November, so of course we jumped at the chance to don our Mickey ears and head over to the Utilita Arena for the show’s opening night.
Spoilers: we had an absolute blast.
Since Walt Disney’s World On Ice first premiered to a sold-out audience at the New Jersey Meadowlands in 1981, the show has become something of a phenomenon, bringing faith, trust and pixie dust to more than 350 million guests in the 45 years that it’s skating around the world.
Discover the Magic continues that legacy – bringing the magic of the movies to life with beloved characters, hilarious sidekicks and villainous baddies taking to the ice. From The Little Mermaid and Moana, to Aladdin and Coco, each new act brought more jaw-dropping performances to the rink.
But this is Disney we’re talking about, so they don’t simply skate from one scene into the next! No, each character has been enlisted to help rescue Tinkerbell from Captain Hook’s mischievous pirates, and restore the magic metre. That doesn’t mean the audience gets off scot-free though, so expect to stomp, clap and sing through the show to help Mickey, Minnie and all their pals!
And don’t worry – there’s no shortage of tunes to sing along to throughout the show. Whilst an upbeat pop number gets everyone excited for Disney On Ice to begin, and Belle starts to restore the magic with an incredible Beauty and the Beast melody (mascara warning for the adults, this one might cause a few tears!), it isn’t long until Cogsworth and Lumiere join her for a show-stopping Be Our Guest number.
Later on, whilst Moana literally sails across the ice to restore the heart of Te Fiti with Maui, toe-tapping tunes like How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome had us resisting the urge to get out of our seats for a dance… it probably wouldn’t have helped the magic metre, in all fairness! And how could we forget that Sebastian and Ariel took us Under the Sea, proving that they really do have a “hot crustacean band” as all manner of weird and wonderful creatures "swam" past us under a curtain of bubbles.
We’d be remiss to talk about Disney On Ice without mentioning the incredible craftsmanship of each and every costume. It’s an incredible feat to balance aesthetics with the practicality each dancer needs to perform on the ice, and one that deserves to be recognised. From the luminescent dresses and masks of Coco, to the Genie’s bedazzled blazer in the Aladdin number, you won’t want to look away from the rink even for a split second!
And of course, there’s the dancers themselves. The talent on display is absolutely incredible, as the cast defy expectations with any number of acrobatics, tricks and jaw-dropping choreography on the ice. We don’t want to spoil too much here, but rest assured that there’s no shortage of stunts to see.
So, why not get the whole family together for some proper Disney magic, and head over to the Utilita for Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic this November? It’s a Whole New World, and one we’d happily relive again and again!
Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic is playing at Utilita Arena up until Sunday 15th November 2026. To find out more, including how to book tickets, click here.
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