Review and photos by Lauren Kalinowski

The billboard for the Disney Animation: Immersive Experience, presented by Lighthouse Immersive Studios at the Edmonton Expo Centre until April 21, gives almost no information about the experience itself.

So with no idea what we were in for, my partner and I took four kids age 3, 5, 8 and 9 on the second day it was open. Being a millennial mom I’m probably the ideal demographic; memories of Disneyland and screenings of golden age Disney movies danced through my imagination. I wanted to share my childhood joy with the kids – Disneyland Paris didn’t do it for
them so I was hoping this would.

We were happy to not have paid for the Premium Plus upgrade – it would have given us a light-up bracelet and print picture to take home. Totally unnecessary. The VIP package might be useful for toddlers who could attend more than once, as it includes open admission for a month.

But we walked in on our Basic tickets and were still blown away. There were sketches, pictures, photo ops and videos showing an historical timeline of Disney art and characters in the waiting area, but our favourite part was the drawing station.

Tables were set up at various heights for kids and adults to stand and draw – with step by step visual instructions that even the littlest kids could follow. We sketched Minnie, Mickey, Daisy, Donald, Pluto and Goofy while we waited for the show to start. The kids loved scanning their drawings into a magic machine that showed their artwork on screen – which was later included in the show itself. They couldn’t believe their artwork was featured in the show! The magic of
Disney was still alive.

Ushers hurried us into the show room, I won’t call it a theatre, because we were sitting in the centre of four giant walls of screens. It was huge, probably soccer-field size. The entire perimeter was made of giant move screens, with projectors showing images on all the walls and floor. The electronics mecca was hidden in the centre of the room by eight foot tall mirrors reflecting back out so it made us feel completely immersed in the images. As the lights went down and the sound system started up familiar music scores opened the show.

The kids were tentative at first but were soon singing, swaying, dancing and prancing around the room. When the kids ran, thematic projections like leaves or snowflakes or flowers or dancing pastries lit up on the floor around them. The best part – I was nervous for it at first – was that the staff didn’t shush them or tell them to calm down. Kids were allowed to be kids. We
had so much fun singing through all the iconic musical hits – like ‘Let It Go’, ‘Under the Sea’, ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ – for a running time of just under an hour, and ending with the classic finale ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’.

The last couple of songs included bubbles and smoke-filled bubbles from the ceiling that the kids loved dancing in and popping. We felt like we were part of the show, there was no fourth wall to break. The full immersion of the senses was delivered, unlike other gimmicky shows we’ve been to before. We left feeling joyful, singing on the way to the car and tired right out from the running and dancing.

This was the ultimate show experience for children, and it might be a fun date for Disney lovers. Sharing old favourites with my kids made it completely worth it to me in a way I haven’t been able to deliver to them yet.

Disney Animation: Immersive Experience
Edmonton EXPO Centre until Apr 21, 2024
tickets:
Basic $43.33
Premium Plus $59.52
VIP $85.24
15% discount for groupings of 4

Parking $16.50