How "Disney on Ice" Brings the Show to Life
Chase Donelson
When the lights go down and the beloved music begins, audiences are transported into the world of Disney. No matter where the show takes place, Disney stories come to life on the ice. For the audience, this process feels effortless as the skaters glide across the rink and the lights and sound sync perfectly to create an atmosphere where storytelling truly unfolds. But behind the curtain lies an enormous operation and countless skilled workers who move the show from city to city each week, bringing the magic of "Disney On Ice" to audiences around the world.
Over its more than 40-year history, the Feld Entertainment–owned "Disney On Ice" has traveled to more than 68 countries across six continents. Behind the movement is a vast team of individuals responsible for getting the shows from one country to the next. One of those team members being John Hayes, the head of international touring operations.
“I have been working for Feld Entertainment since 2007, and for the last 13 years, I have been in charge of all shows that are international,” says Hayes. “Currently, there are eight 'Disney On Ice' shows, and three of them are international,” he explained. “We have two 'Disney On Ice' shows currently touring Europe, and one show is performing in Southeast Asia at the moment. I am in charge of managing the logistics of these engagements, such as venue contracts and travel routes for the show equipment.”
While Hayes manages the global logistics of getting "Disney On Ice" productions from country to country, the hard work of bringing each show to life begins long before the first spotlight hits the ice. Once the trucks arrive in a new city, an entirely different team takes over to turn an empty arena into a magical experience.
For the crew of "Disney On Ice," their work week begins a full two days before the audience even enters the arena for a process called load-in. Trucks arrive at the arena carrying everything from elaborate set pieces and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems to rhinestone-covered costumes.
“People are always surprised when they hear how much goes into the behind-the-scenes of our week-to-week with the show,” says Steven Billings, tour manager of "Disney On Ice presents Let’s Dance." Billings oversees the movement of over 75 people—from cast and crew to merchandisers and athletic trainers—each week.
Billings spoke about the process of loading the show into the venue, saying, “Load-in is completely different every week because each building has different capabilities. Part of my job is to survey each building the day before we load in and assess what things may be problematic for the crew and the trucks when they get here."
He goes on to say, “I look at all things like office setup, backstage space, and how many truck bays there are. The more equipped the venue is for us, the faster it will go, but it is almost certain that the first day of load-in will take over 12 to 14 hours.”
While this is an extremely long process for the crew, Billings notes, “It is truly impressive to watch an empty venue transform into a fully functional entertainment space that is ready for performances in just a day and a half.”
For Billings, his job is overseeing the production as a whole, but for crew members like Richie Lane, it comes down to the smallest details that make a big difference. Lane is the head of the lighting department, or LX for short, on "Disney On Ice presents Let’s Dance." Lane and his three assistants are in charge of more than 300 lights used throughout the show.
“My LX team and I hang up all of the lights that are used in the show. One of our biggest responsibilities is managing the BlackTrax lighting system, which is a motion tracking system that we use so that the lights follow the performers on the ice as they skate.”
When talking about the work week as a whole, Lane says, “Load-in for us takes about eight hours to get these lights hung up on the six beams in the grid. Once the grid is up, if a light malfunctions, I have to climb the grid, which is about 60 feet high, to fix it.” He admitted that while many people may not enjoy climbing the grid out of fear of heights, it is one of his favorite tasks.
From the corporate logistics of moving a show from city to city to the hard work of the crew while on the road, the making of "Disney On Ice" is much more than just princesses on skates. While the audience only sees the magic unfold on the surface, there is a dedicated crew behind every performance—each playing a crucial role in bringing beloved Disney stories to life.
