Disney On Ice bringing Aladdin, Toy Story and Little Mermaid magic to Manchester

The Disney On Ice Discover the Magic show is coming to Manchester in December with families calling early performances “amazing” and “fantastic for kids and adults” with “incredible skating”.

The show’s Manchester run starts on Wednesday, December 16, and promises “a fast-paced, family-friendly production” featuring “spectacular ice-skating, daring aerial stunts, and memorable moments from Aladdin, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid”.

The good news is that the cheapest tickets for the Manchester shows are priced at £23.95 which is less expensive than most of the other shows on the Discover the Magic UK tour and a reasonable price point for a pre-Christmas family treat.

Furthermore, children under two years old are free as long as they sit on the lap of a parent or guardian.

That said, a few visitors to the early Birmingham shows last week thought that prices being charged for merchandise and refreshments were a bit over the top though prices in Manchester may not be the same.

Probably best not to go there with hungry children or hungry adults for that matter.

One reviewer advised parents to buy cheap wands before going rather than pay “£30 or £34” from the merch stand, according to one mum who went to a Birmingham show.

Without wishing to give the game away, the story itself is about the search to find Tinkerbell and we meet loads of Disney favourites along the way so there’s something for everyone.

The first reviews are in from families who saw last week’s shows and it has picked up a rating of 4.3 stars on Ticketmaster where tickets and VIP packages can be purchased.

One mum said: “Fantastic for kids and adults. Brilliant characters and the skating was just incredible.”

Another parent wrote: “Took my 3 children aged 4, 14 and 15 to watch Disney on Ice and what a show it was. The way the show was put together and ran seamlessly throughout was amazing.

“The ice skaters are so talented and all of my children were in awe.”

Another said: “Wow, just wow. This has been the best year to go in a long time. They have definitely brought the magic back this year.”

There were some criticisms of the event, however, one Disney fan described the merchandise prices as “absolutely ridiculous” while another described the show as “brilliant” but that the price of food and drinks at the venue was “extortionate”.

There are also VIP packages available for the Sheffield shows, priced from £30 to £125 but seats closest to the ice appear to be in short supply.

One grandma on a family day out said: “An amazing show as always. I brought my grandson for the first time and he's a Disney fan and he loved it.

“Keep up the great work. We will be back next year.”

The Manchester AO Arena shows which are taking place from Wednesday, December 16, to Sunday, December 20.