This month, Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena will be filled with Disney magic as beloved characters such as Lightning McQueen, Ariel, Buzz, Woody, Anna, Elsa and Mickey Mouse himself come together for the Disney On Ice showcase, “Worlds of Enchantment.”
Lennea Nelson, a Disney On Ice ensemble skater, said she hopes the audience comes away with happy memories of seeing a few of their favorite characters come to life on the ice.
“Of course, we always want to make it feel like you just came back from a trip at Disneyland, the happiest place on earth,” Nelson said in an interview. “Because some of these people might not be able to make it all the way to Disneyland or Disney World, we want them to come away feeling the same way.”
The performances, running March 9-12, will feature characters from four popular Disney stories: Disney-Pixar’s “Cars” and “Toy Story 3,” Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and the Academy Award-winning “Frozen.”
Before the show even begins, Mickey Mouse will be warming up the audience with “exclusive dance moves” during Mickey’s Dance-Along Pre-Show Party, according to a news release. Then, the audience members will enter "a dazzling world of Disney magic” and create a “lifetime of memories.”
Nelson, who started ice skating when she was 2 years old, said being a part of Disney On Ice has been a dream come true. While growing up, she focused hard on competitions and the technical elements involved in skating. However, through Disney On Ice, she has found a better motivation: her audience.
“When I was competing, I wanted to prove myself and all of the hard work and dedication I had,” she said. “The same goes for this, as far as work and dedication go, but now I prove myself by thinking, ‘How much can I get these kids to smile and cheer? How can I get myself into the music more and make it more fun for the audience?’”
Some of Nelson’s favorite numbers in the show include the green army soldier number from the “Toys Story 3” segment, the “Cars” segment (“Worlds of Enchantment” is the only Disney On Ice show that features “Cars”) and the group number in “The Little Mermaid” section.
“Those segments are just fun,” she said. “In ‘The Little Mermaid,’ we’ve got bubbles coming from the ceiling, we have Flounder and Sebastian dancing around. They really get the crowd going.”
Although the performers come from several different backgrounds and experiences, Nelson, who is originally from Canada, said about performing in Utah, “I love Salt Lake and I am so excited to come back.”
If you go …
What: Disney On Ice presents "Worlds of Enchantment"
When: Thursday, March 9, 7 p.m.; Friday, March 10, 3:30 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 11, 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 12, 1 and 4:30 p.m.
Where: Vivint Arena, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
How much: $20-$72
Web: vivintarena.com
Email: kelseyschwabadams@gmail.com