How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular

From the minute my kids first watched the movie How to Train Your Dragon, they were hooked. The thrilling adventures, adorable dragons and tale of friendship was the perfect combination for a magical adventure. The kids were even more excited when the tv show was announced, and early last year Dragons: Riders of Berk soon became a fave in our household.

So when Dreamworks announced a live stage show, there was no question that we would be there. How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular is just that, spectacular. With 13 working dragons that breath fire, snort and stomp and even fly! Every move is mesmerizing. It's no wonder that this production is from the creators of Walking With Dinosaurs, a similarly amazing show that we saw a few years ago. Within that time they have honed the puppetry technology to the point where the dragons act astoundingly real.

The story follows the movie script of the beleaguered hero, Hiccup and his not so typical friend the dragon, Toothless. Together they learn about trust, friendship and family...with a whole lot of sword fighting and action!

Don't think this story is only for boys, the heroine in this fable is Astrid, and she's brave and caring and certainly deft with a battle axe. There were just as many little girls and boys in the audience, many of them wearing souvenir light up Viking helmets and cheering along with the show!

While the story is familiar, the way they brought it to life is magical. More than just puppetry, there are intricate lighting sets ups, fire effects and unbelievable video projection. It was like a giant video game came to life and you're immersed in the action.

I could hear The Baby saying all the names of the dragons under his breath as they appeared out of the darkness. "Deadly Nadder!" "Toothless and Red Death!"  It was a spectacle come to life right before their eyes.

I won't give away the story or show too many spoilers photos, but there were parts of this show that were simply breathtaking. Kids and adults alike were on the edge of their seats in the arena as they watched majestic dragons glide in the air.

The crowd was filled with families who drove from all over Southern California to see the show and a couple next to me even drove in from out of state! This is truly a show not to be missed!

How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular will be at the Honda Center in Anaheim through Sunday January 20, 2013.

*full disclosure: Media tickets were provided. No compensation was received for this post and the opinions on this blog are my own.