Disney on Ice tickets for 4: $44
Parking: $15
Pizza for 4: $22
Hank shouting, "Mama, when will they stop SKATING?": Priceless
So I scored these $11 tickets, thanks to a deal that Carrie at Frugalista told about, and the seats were really great. I was close enough to notice that the same skater played both Aladdin and David from Lilo and Stitch, and that his rippling abs were real and not special effects. Though they had a very special effect. Oh, I crack myself up. Anyway, good seats. And I was not that surprised by the cost of parking and snacks, 'cause that's how they getcha, right?
What I was surprised by were the prices for Disney souvenirs. Talk about JACKED UP. Of course they were hawking all manner of gewgaw and gimcrack, and you had to run a gauntlet of the stuff to get to your seats, but I could not believe the prices. Little beanie baby-sized plush toys were $12. A lemonade in a souvenir cup was $10. Even Laura was like, "That is a lot of money for that." God knows what the fancy-shaped cups of snow cone cost. A plastic sword was $22. You know those balloons that are shaped like Mickey's head? They had a bunch of them on sticks. They were $15, I shit you not.
Everything was about 3x what you would expect the "already-overpriced amusement" rate to be. Like, it's been a while since I've been to Disneyland/world, but the crap in the parks doesn't cost that much, does it? I mean, I'm not against souvenirs. And I'm all in favor of indulgences. But buying that stuff would have been like helping someone mug you. After Laura said, "Are those fish hats free?" and I said, "Ha, nope," she didn't even ask for anything, and Hank wasn't really aware of the stuff.
Yet people were buying things right and left, it was totally amazing. I thought, "Does anyone's kid not have enough of this stuff at home?" Maybe not. I know that we have every species of light-up Disney princess barbie, and they did not cost $22 apiece. So now I've decided that the ticket sales are probably nothing to the tour company. The stuff is how they getcha.
That said, we had fun. Laura and her friend were really into it. Laura said, "I feel bad for all the kids who didn't get to see this." And Hank was certainly spellbound, even if he wanted them to be still for a minute, and he said, "This makes me a little nervous." I think it may have been the lights and the screaming, oh my lord the screaming. He loved when the toys from Toy Story came out, though I felt for the person in that piggy bank costume, skating on all fours.
Has everyone already been to a Something on Ice? This was a new one for me. I was going to title this post "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again," in homage to the late great David Foster Wallace. But I would totally do it again, only next time I'll take the Marta train down there.
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19 comments:
I remember going to a Disney on Ice type thing as a child and loving it. We haven't taken the boys to anything like that, but I feel that way when we spend close to $50/seat to see the Mariners play, and I spend a lot of the time in the kids play area with the boys. And an equivalent amount of money in snacks, just to keep them quiet so I can watch. Hank's quote is priceless!
Oh how I LOVE Laura's sympathy for the kids missing the magic and Hank's nervousness. Those kids of yours are precious.
Oh, and I went to the Icecapades when I was Laura's age and LOVED it.
Those Disney people! Pfft. They KNOW kids are the hardest to say not to. Glad some ripping abs were around to counter the faux glitz and guilt attacks. ; )
I've never been to one, no. It does sound fun, in a "oops, sorry kids, Mama forgot her wallet" kind of way.
Your kids are freakin' adorable, btw. I think X would have had the same reaction to the skaters.
Fun! I've never done anything like that. There was similar thing here but the tickets were like 20 bucks each and I just wasn't up for that. But when we went to The Wiggles a couple months ago (loved it!), they were selling all manner of overpriced stuff. The Mylar balloons were $15 each and people were walking around with 2 or 3 of them! I could NOT believe that.
The Maven's son plays hockey - so we get more than enough ice time, thankyouverymuch.
My mother took me to the Ice Capades when I was little and I still remember it fondly.
The prices at Disneyland ARE jacked up, but people still buy it. Which I don't understand because there is now a Disney Store in every freaking mall in America, which carries the exact same junk.
Your kids are so sweet and empathetic. Love that.
Ha! "when will they stop skating?" indeed!
Laura is such a wise old soul in a fabulously cute young woman. She floors me everytime.
Things On Ice are surprisingly pretty good.
Now "Walking With Dinosaurs": no ice, but that was pretty rad, too. Hecks, even the circus should not be underestimated. We always dread them until we actually get there for some reason. As in 'ugh, free tickets to the circus. do we have to'
I'm pretty sure my kids are right there with me saying "I can get that same light up thingamabob at the dollar store for a buck!" about the overpriced stuff they're hawking.
They barely even beg for nachos.
Your kids are wonderful. Truly exceptional people.
We went to Hercules on Ice about 11 years ago, and I was aghast at the cost of the plastic crap. Super Son's friend's mom whipped out her wallet and bought the garmungous light up Hercules sword for her kid for a trillion dollars, and I couldn't bear not to get Super Son such a special keepsake.
By the time Daring Daughter came along, I was stronger. We went to High School Musical on Ice (actually very fun) and I bought nothing despite some other mothers' insane spending.
Neither time had rippling abs. I am jealous.
i love your new header! how long has it been since i've visited your place? that looks a little like the cool mod hotel you stayed at in ... cali?
My standard line, "Your memory of the event we just took you to is your souvenier." Yeah, my kids hate me but the parents around me usually break out in applause.
Aladdin's abs. Nice.
total word pedantry:
you run a gantlet
you throw down a gauntlet.
While "gantlet" may be used, it is perfectly acceptable to use "gauntlet." Numerous dictionaries define "run the gauntlet" as to suffer severe criticism or tribulation.
Regarding Becky, I'm sycophantic,
so I feel more than a little frantic
when I see a commenter who's pendantic
'bout anything remotely semantic.
Ahh, but Becky and I have had this conversation before and she agreed with me (and Garner's Dictionary of Modern American Usage).
Forrest, I adore your liberal sensibilities. And your rhyming! But it's also true that Brian Garner is a minor diety in my pantheon. So I will be making this amendation. If I ever get out of this airport.
Or is it "emendation"? Oh holy hell I'm so tired.
You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!
But oh! If we call the whole thing off,
Then we must part.
And oh! If we ever part,
Then that might break my heart!
So, if you like pajamas and I like pajahmas,
I'll wear pajamas and give up pajahmas.
For we know we need each other,
So we better call the calling off off.
Here's an alternate view of Garner:
http://snibbets.blogspot.com/2006/02/throw-out-gantlet.html
You DO know we could debate this for the next year, right? I love such discussions.
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