Our Disney Dare to Dream Review: A Magical Night

Our magical view of the castle. Dreamy.

We were so lucky to be part of opening night at the Richmond debut of Disney’s Dare to Dream at the Richmond Coliseum last night.

I have to say, this entire Dare to Dream effort has been an incredible class act. It started several weeks ago when I was asked to be part of a panel on Tuesday, speaking to little Richmond girls who were part of the Henrico County Social Services system.

Princess Tiana signs autographs for little girls in the Henrico Social Services system.

It was an honor to be part of the panel of Richmond women who shared our experiences and dreams with the little girls, and we learned much about their dreams, too.

Princess Tiana was our special guest who signed autographs and took photos with the little girls–the expressions on their faces when she walked in the door melted my heart.

It was a tough two days of anticipation, but when we arrived at the show last night, the excitement was building as the enormous crowd shuffled into the Coliseum, many of the little girls dressed in their favorite Disney princess dresses.

The lights went down, and the Disney magic began. Princess Tiana made another appearance–this time donning ice skates–and the beautiful story of her dream to own a restaurant coming true unfurled for us amidst beautiful music, lights, and a few Disney magic tricks.

This photo's a little fuzzy, I think I was so excited about Cinderella's arrival my hands were shaking!

When Cinderella arrived, my little girl, holding her own Tiana and Ariel dolls,  was mystified by the Fairy Godmother.

“Is she the real Fairy Godmother, mama?” she asked. “Of course!” I responded. That story never gets old with the two of us.

Even my boys, six and nine, who weren’t sure they were excited about a show involving so many little girls in princess dresses, were mesmerized.