Review: Disney on Ice: Princess Wishes at the Vector Arena

Cinderella finds her Prince Charming during her segment of the slick, spectacular <i>Princess Wishes.</i> Photo / Supplied

What: Disney on Ice: Princess Wishes.
Where: Vector Arena.

"Once upon a time" must have been the dark ages of dating.

Princesses had a tough time finding true love, especially with evil stepmothers and wicked witches trying to confound them in their quest - and no MySpace or Bebo to fall back on.

Luckily for the seven maidens featured in the Disney on Ice production Princess Wishes, Tinker Bell is on hand to wave her wand and grant them what their heart desires: mostly everlasting love with a charming prince.

Each of the characters - Jasmine, Snow White, Belle, Ariel, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella - features in a scene from their respective stories in a show that clocks in around two hours.

As well as Tinker Bell flitting in and around the scenes, we get crowd favourites Mickey and Minnie Mouse providing some continuity and Goofy making the odd cameo.

As you'd expect for a Disney production, and one that's been toured extensively, it's slickly staged with extravagant costumes, tight choreography, athletic skating and some spectacular set pieces.

It also delivers plenty of Torvill and Dean moments when prince and princess glide about together and indulge in some heart-stopping lifts, jumps and twirls.

Highlights of the show include the Seven Dwarfs rocking the house with their "heig ho" routine, Prince Phillip slaying a huge dragon that spits flames out on to the ice, and the finale when Cinderella appears in her glittering and firework-laden carriage.

The best moment of the night for me - apart from the sight of a skating camel - was when one of my girls was chosen from the audience to go on a boat ride as part of the Under the Sea number featuring Ariel. Along with a couple of other lucky girls, she was whisked around the ice by mermaids among dancing sea life and a shower of bubbles. It looked like fun but from her stunned expression I can only assume she was enjoying it on the inside.

But out on the ice some of that Tinker Bell magic must have rubbed off on our little princess because afterwards she told my wife, "Mummy, you and Daddy are the best."