“Mommy, I am so excited to see all my friends, Mickey, Minnie, Belle, Anna, Else, and I think the rest of the princesses can make it too!” exclaimed our 4 year old as we made our way to the Huntington Center. “There better be some Heroes too, not just Princesses!” declared our 7 year old son. “There is a hero in every story. Just look for them!” kindly replied our 9 year old daughter. Before the show we had a little surprise for the kids. A meet and greet with a very special Princess/Queen! But this wasn’t any meet and greet, this one was extra special because the children who were attending had a parent that was either deployed, serving, or served in the military. Thanks to Heroes in Action, a local Military outreach committed to supporting our service members, veterans, and their families, military families were able to attend the meet & greet and the show! The experience was a touching one. It broke my heart hearing about some of the struggles these families face, especially after sacrificing so much for their country.
To know that I was standing in a climate controlled building, safe, with my family, enjoying watching all the children’s expressions as they went up to Princess/Queen Elsa, meanwhile their own parents’ were missing this awesome experience so I could have my freedom. It was an extremely humbling experience!! I am so grateful for all our service men and women who sacrifice these special moments with their own children so that mine can be safe and freed. Clearly our daughter was correct; there is a Hero in every story! For we each have many Heroes in our own life stories…sometimes we just need reminding. After shedding a tear or two we headed for our seats.
With the wave of Tinker Bell’s wand and the comforting lull of ‘When you wish upon a Star’ it was as if the entire crowd was magically transformed back to childhood! Adults and children singing side-by-side, clapping ferociously each time a princess appeared, and when they were gracefully lifted up by their Heroes….so romantic!
Intermission fun…pause for some comical relief with silly faces! Don’t know what it is about Disney that just brings out my childlike side. Haha!
It was a night filled with classic Disney songs, characters, and magic but the real man of the hour, the showstopper was this guy…..
I wish I had recorded the screams and yelps of excitement coming from the Huntington Center when this cute snowman made his grand entrance! Olaf was by far the most popular character on ice! And his infamous line, “Only an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart”, gets me every time! I had a rather emotional night, haha!
We all had a great time, yes, even our little man. It wasn’t all princesses as he had fear. In fact during one scene he actually let out a loud “Wow! Awesome!” when there was fire on the ice! He has been talking about it ever since! (And…he would kill me if he knew I told you but, I caught him singing a few of the Frozen songs. Shhh! Haha!)
We had a magnificent time at Disney on Ice Princesses & Heroes! I so enjoyed watching my children’s faces light up throughout the performance. It was the perfect family experience! And the meet & greet beforehand truly opened up my eyes to the amazing opportunities I have been given, how truly blessed our families is, and how grateful and thankful I am for all the Heroes who fought/fight for our freedom & all the sacrifices they have made. Please consider donating to Heroes in Action….they support families by meeting with personal needs, housing and auto repairs, food baskets, newborn baskets, blankets for the wounded and whatever else they are able to do. They work with many other organizations to help educate, prepare and equip families with benefit information and emotional issues that may occur with service members. They do the unique and operate on donations.
Also, be sure to get Disney on Ice Princesses & Heroes tickets for your family if you haven’t done so already! You will be glad you did!
Disclosure: I was given tickets for the family to attend the show and kiddos enjoyed meeting Elsa and received Snow White souvenir and other goodies. No other compensation was received, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 