Escape With Disney On Ice

As Dr. Kim Foster so eloquently put it in her post on healthy distractions, no matter what's going on in your life, "It is healthy to take time for yourself, to be with your family, and yes, to choose a few healthy distractions."

After a turbulent month—during which news of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut left us all shocked and devastated, and the heightened energy surrounding the lead-up to the December 21 winter solstice and the end of the Mayan calendar shook up many old belief systems—I was feeling in desperate need of good distraction. That's why I happily accepted media passes to take my daughter and husband to see Disney On Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Ever since our family vacation to Orlando last winter, where my then almost-two-year-old daughter cowered in fright when she met Mickey in real life for the first time...

...we've had a Disney fanatic on our hands!

She currently owns three Minnie dolls, every single Disney princess (stuffed and in Barbie form), Daisy Duck, Goofy, a pair of Minnie ears, a Minnie princess dress, a Disney dinner plate...the list goes on.

So, how could I resist taking her to a show that included The Little Mermaid, Tinker Bell, Mickey and Minnie, and a bunch of other Disney characters including those from Cars and Toy Story. What I didn't anticipate, when I was given the tickets, was that I would need (and love!) the magical distraction as much as my daughter did.

There's something about Disney, no matter how old you are. The magic, the dream, the fantasy—it's transformative! The music begins, the lights come on, and suddenly you're transported to a stunning world where fairies fly, fish harmonize, and cars dance.

Sitting with my daughter on my lap as she giggled in delight and clapped along with the show, I was suddenly a child again. I wasn't thinking about deadlines. I wasn't thinking about tragedy. I wasn't thinking about the news. I was smiling from ear to ear and truly enjoying the time with my family.

So if you're in need of a distraction this holiday season, or later in the winter when the cold, snowy weather starts to wear on you, I recommend a family outing to see Disney On Ice. With shows playing across Canada all winter long—it's the perfect escape!

Be sure to tell Minnie and Mickey that I sent you.