The Fidget family headed out last night to the Manchester Evening News Arena to watch Disney on Ice, 100 years of Magic.

We had tickets to the evening show which was to start at 7pm. We drove into Manchester at about 5:30pm and parked in the Arena car park owned by NCP who charge £9 whenever there is an event on.

We got in the MEN Arena foyer and headed to grab some food whilst we waited for the doors to open. The only place there is McDonalds with a woefully small number of tables – made worse by people “minding tables” for people in the queue. We had to eat our food standing up, whilst a good 5-10 tables where taken up by “Nana’s” guarding the table for people still queueing to be served.

The doors to the Arena opened promptly at 6pm and after our tickets were scanned and bags searched for contraband drinks (the MEN don’t allow you to take in your own drinks, you have to throw them away and buy them again from them on the other side of the door).

Once in, we headed to the block where our seats where. On the way, you could buy a whole range of goodies – but wow, I thought cinema prices were expensive, these guys take the biscuit. For example:

Slush Puppy (ice) in a Disney cup – £9.00
Programme - £9.00
Medium bag of popcorn – £9.00
Bag of Candy floss – £7.00
Small Ice Cream – £2.50
Carrier bag – £1.00

Getting to our seats, we were in a block numbered in the 200′s - this means the the upper level. This is very high, looking very steeply down and not for anyone with a fear of heights – and believe me, this is not an underestimation. It is so steep, your feet are where the person in front’s head is. If you are afraid of heights, look for tickets with a block number in the 100′s, these are the lower level.

The show started at 7pm with Minnie, Mickey and Goofy and Donald Duck welcoming and introducing the show. It continued for the next two hours witha short interval of around 20 minutes with various montages of famous Disney films all performed spectacularly on the Ice. We saw Finding Nemo, the Lion King, the Incredibles, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast and many many more.

The show included lighting effects, bubbles, “snow” and fireworks and all in all is a truely spectacular show for the grown ups and a magical experience for the kids.

I would highly recommend seeing the show - just be careful of the expensive merchandise and whtch where you sit if you suffer fromnvertigo!

After my disappointment last week with the way the new series of Doctor Who is going, I feel I should post again tonight.

Tonight saw the return of the Weeping Angels. We were introduced to them in the 2007 episode “Blink” where the creatures turn to harmless stone statues when being looked at. If you turn away or blink, you are in trouble!

If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the Radio Times synopsis:

Hallucinogenic lipstick, ruby stilettos, laser pistol and “Hello, sweetie”… Who else could it be but River Song, the Doctor’s future love who first turned up two years ago in the library of flesh-eating shadows. “We keep meeting in the wrong order,” says her Time Lord toyboy. Alex Kingston reprises the role of the intergalactic archaeologist with gusto and looks magnificent – be it glammed up like Rita Hayworth or roughing it in fatigues a la Orla Guerin. River joins the Doctor on his first trip with Amy to an alien planet. A crashed spaceship leads them to a cavern of the dead, where terrifying forces lurk in the darkness.

I have to say, in a huge contrast to last weeks terrible episode, I enjoyed watching Doctor Who once again.

The episode is also “hide behind a cushion” scary for younger viewers which added to the excitement.

I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the story next week. I hope they don’t mess it up.

Oh, just one last thing… Please BBC, can we have the old theme tune back? :)