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Disney on Ice: Toy Story 2
From the mouths of 7-year-olds, 'cool' says it all

Here’s a perfect opportunity for your children to see their favorite characters from the movie Toy Story 2 zipping lifelike across the floor at America West Arena. And, through a child’s eye, they look like really big toys that have come to life.

At least that’s what I was told by a couple of seven-year-olds. My editor told me it would be good to secure an opinion from a representative of the target audience. So, I took my son and his friend to the show, and asked them to share their thoughts.

Unfortunately, they were so awestruck by the performance and the excitement of being in such a big venue that it was like pulling teeth to get their opinions. Seasoned politicians are more forthcoming when it comes to interviews.

I asked the children open-ended questions hoping for those cute, creative responses parents always brag about.

Instead, the responses I received were monosyllables. 

Question: How did it feel seeing Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Mr. Potato Head skating on ice?

Answer: “Good.”

Q. What part of the show did you like best?

A. “All of it.”

Q. What did you think about the big airplane wheel? 

A. “Cool.”

In the end, the best barometer for determining whether or not a live entertainment is appreciated by young kids is their attention span.

If their eyes stay riveted to the performers and forgo asking you for money to buy something, then they liked the show.

My two small companions obviously liked the show because they stayed in their seats, were oblivious to my presence and followed the story as it is visually told by animated characters crisscrossing the ice below.

However, when the show was over, they did ask for some ice cream.

Disney On Ice Toy Story 2 brings all of the toys from Andy’s playroom, including Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, Hamm, the Green Army Men and their new friends Jessie, Bullseye and the Prospector. 

With state-of-the-art special effects and oversized, larger-than-life sets, Toy Disney On Ice faithfully recreates the storyline, beginning with Woody’s abduction by Big Al, the unscrupulous owner of Al’s Toy Barn, to his high-altitude rescue by Buzz Lightyear and friends.       

Remember the scene in the movie when Buzz and company put on orange traffic cones and cross a busy street to get to Al’s Toy Barn?  

You’ll see it again in the first act on the floor of America West Arena as the zaniness unfolds with a 16-car pileup culminating in the jackknife toppling of a 35-foot semi-truck filled with a load of toothpaste. 

Fortunately, Buzz and company manage to cross the street unscathed, while leaving the kids in the audience laughing uproariously at the mayhem the scene leaves behind.

Producers of the show decided to make an even bigger splash with the second act’s climatic airport scene. 

They settled for nothing less than a full-scale mock-up of an actual airplane landing gear and wheel 38 feet long and featuring a pair of double wheels inflated to 12 feet in diameter by 4 feet in width.

As Woody and Jessie escape from their abductor by climbing down the landing gear my two 4 foot companions cheered.

This entertainment extravaganza is not just for the wee ones. Great music, skillful choreography and world-class skating talent are sure to please enthusiasts of all ages.

Choreographer Barry Lather’s previous credits include Disney’s The Jungle Book, Tarzan, The Lion King, Grease On Ice, the Academy Awards, Super Bowl halftime shows and the Miss America Pageant.       

Disney On Ice Toy Story 2

America West Arena
201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix
(480) 784-4444

Show Times: 7:30 Jan. 24; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25; 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26.

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