REVIEW - DISNEY ON ICE INTO THE MAGIC — A MAGICAL FAMILY DAY TRIP TO LIVERPOOL

Last Saturday (28th February 2026) we headed off on a little family adventure from Manchester to Liverpool to see Disney On Ice Presents Into The Magic at the M&S Bank Arena — and it turned into one of those really special days that the kids will remember for a long time.

This was Alice and Leo’s first time ever seeing Disney characters live, so excitement levels were already very high before we’d even left the house.

Our Journey to Liverpool

We started the morning by getting the tram into Manchester Piccadilly to catch the 10:54 train to Liverpool Lime Street. We arrived quite early — which was lucky because I hadn’t had any breakfast — so we quickly popped into Greggs just outside the station where I grabbed a bacon roll and orange juice, and the kids chose chocolate star biscuits for the train.

Platform 14 is one of the furthest platforms at Piccadilly, so we headed down early and waited there. Our train ended up being about five minutes delayed, but once we were on, we found a table seat and settled in.

One thing I always love is that we never need to bring entertainment for train journeys — Alice and Leo are completely happy just looking out of the window the whole time.

The journey takes around an hour, and we arrived in Liverpool just after midday.

Lunch Before the Show

Once we arrived, we walked straight across to St John’s Shopping Centre (literally opposite the station) to grab some lunch before heading to the docks.

Alice and Leo had Happy Meals from McDonald’s, while Lawrence and I went for KFC — quick, easy and perfect before a busy afternoon.

After lunch, we walked down towards the waterfront and the M&S Bank Arena. It’s about a 20-minute walk, but we took our time and had a little look around the docks, so it was probably closer to 30 minutes. We arrived at the arena around 1:40pm, with doors opening an hour before the show.

Security was very straightforward — we walked through scanners, and although the website says you can’t bring outside food or drink, they didn’t say anything about the water and juice we had in our bags (I think they’re often more relaxed for family shows).

Merchandise (and Expensive Bubble Wands!)

As soon as we got inside, the kids were immediately drawn to the merchandise stands — there were lots of them around the arena which helped keep queues manageable.

The merch is definitely pricey. We had planned to bring Alice’s Little Mermaid bubble wand from home, but it stopped working the night before, so we ended up buying a Mickey one at the venue for £33. That felt very expensive, so we just bought one for them to share — although it definitely added to the excitement once the show started.

There were loads of options though — plush toys, light-up wands, costumes, T-shirts, popcorn buckets and more.

Our Seats

We were seated in Block 10, Row JJ, which is in the upper tier but still offered a really good central view of the ice. We could clearly see the characters and choreography, and it was actually a great perspective for the big ensemble numbers.

I’d definitely sit there again.

The Show — Pure Disney Magic

From the moment the lights dimmed and the arena filled with colour, the atmosphere felt magical.

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy opened the show before the stories began, which instantly had the kids excited — especially seeing Mickey and friends live for the first time.

The show is made up of different Disney stories, which works really well for younger audiences because the pace stays fast and exciting.

Beauty and the Beast

This section featured a huge castle set and the iconic Be Our Guest number, which was full of colour, energy and large ensemble skating. It was such a strong opening to the show, and the romantic Tale as Old as Time duet between Belle and the Beast added a lovely fairytale moment.

Coco

The Coco segment looked completely different visually, with glowing skeleton costumes and vibrant lighting creating a Day of the Dead atmosphere. Even though I’m less familiar with the songs from this film, it was still really engaging to watch.

Tangled

Tangled was a big highlight for us — especially Alice, who absolutely loves Maximus the horse. Seeing him brought to life on the ice made her so happy.

Rapunzel and Flynn’s aerial sequences added something really special, and one magical moment involved a child from the audience holding a lantern before releasing it as it soared up into the air. The arena went completely quiet watching it — such a lovely interactive touch.

The big ensemble numbers I’ve Got a Dream and Something That I Want were really impressive too, filling the entire rink with movement and energy.

Interval Snacks

During the interval I caved and bought Alice the popcorn she really wanted — which came in a Mickey popcorn bucket for £15.

Worth it? Probably for the memories 😄

Cinderella

After the interval, Cinderella began with the Fairy Godmother casting her spell before Cinderella appeared in a beautiful transparent carriage that glided across the ice.

The ballroom scene with the Prince was elegant and romantic, and the glass slipper search included audience interaction with characters pretending to try the shoe on audience members’ feet before finding Cinderella.

Frozen

Frozen was one of the biggest highlights for the audience. Snow effects, dramatic lighting and Elsa performing Let It Go from an elevated staircase platform created a really powerful moment. Lots of children were singing along — including ours.

Moana

The finale story was Moana, featuring a moving boat set that travelled across the ice.

Maui appeared early in the sequence, bringing humour and energy, followed by Tamatoa the giant crab during the Shiny number — complete with disco-ball style lighting that scattered sparkles across the arena.

It looked incredible.

The show ended with a grand finale featuring characters from across the stories skating together before waving goodbye to the audience.

Merchandise & Snack Prices

There were multiple merchandise stands around the arena, which helped keep queues manageable, although prices are definitely on the higher side (which is fairly typical for arena shows like Disney On Ice).

Here’s a full list of the merchandise available when we visited:

Toys & Light-Up Items

• Mickey Light-Up Bubble Wand — £33

• Stitch Bubble Gun — £26

• Light-Up Wand (various designs) — £33

• Spinning Wands (various designs) — £28

• Light-Up Maui Hook — £33

• Light-Up Tiara — £16

• Mickey Binoculars — £15

• Mickey on a Motorcycle Toy — £16

• Mickey & Minnie Figurines — £16

• Princess Figurines — £16 each

• Buzz Lightyear Light-Up Blaster — £26

• Woody Hat — £14

• Mickey Sword — £25

  
  

Plush Toys

• Stitch Plush — £32

• Maui Plush — £35

• Hei Hei Chicken Plush — £25

• Pua Plush — £25

• Thumper Plush — £32

• Small Mickey Plush — £20

• Small Minnie Plush — £20

• Large Mickey Plush — £50

• Large Minnie Plush — £50

• Lightning McQueen Plush — £32

• Princess Plush Dolls — £32 each

  
  

Clothing & Accessories

• Mickey T-Shirt — £20

• Princess Power T-Shirt — £20

• Moana T-Shirt — £20

• Olaf T-Shirt — £20

• Princess Cap — £20

• Necklaces — £14

• Light-Up Ears — £28

• Disney On Ice Reusable Bag — £5

• Programme — £12

  
  

Snacks & Souvenirs

• Popcorn with Mickey Popcorn Bucket — £15

• Candy Floss with Olaf Hat / Stitch Hat / Crown — £15–£16

• Snow Cone with Character Cup — £14–£15

  
  

Photo Opportunity

There was also a photo opportunity with an Olaf cardboard cut-out and icy backdrop:

• Standard Cardboard Frame — £13

• Disney Character Frame — £16

  
  

💡 Top Tip: If you already have Disney toys at home, it’s worth bringing them with you — many children were using toys they’d brought from previous visits.

Sensory Notes

There are occasional loud sound effects and flashes of lighting throughout the show, which add excitement but may be worth noting for younger or more noise-sensitive children.

Disney On Ice Presents Into The Magic Final Thoughts

There’s no denying that Disney On Ice is completely magical.

Sitting there listening to the songs and singing along with the kids definitely brought back all the nostalgic feelings for me too.

What makes it special isn’t just the skating or the production — it’s seeing the joy on your children’s faces and sharing that excitement together.

For Alice and Leo’s first time seeing Disney characters live, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

A truly memory-making family experience.

Tour Information

Disney On Ice Presents Into The Magic is touring the UK throughout 2026.

You can find more information about the show and book tickets on the official Disney On Ice website.

If you’d like to read a more detailed review of the production itself, including staging and performance insights, you can visit my full theatre review over on All About Theatre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wswokJZzuMI