The stage production of 'Frozen,' the global hit animated movie, premiered Sunday to thunderous standing ovations aboard Disney Wonder.

'It's better than the movie,' the Utah father of two young daughters told Seatrade Cruise News.

Exclusive to the newly refurbished Disney Wonder, which just re-entered service from Galveston after a transformative drydock, the show features real snow flurries, a Broadway actor playing Olaf, great ensemble songs, laugh-out-loud humor and amazing special effects.

One of the triumphs of 'Frozen, A Musical Spectacular,' is how the lines are blurred between the puppet and puppeteer, especially in the cases of Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer, and between scenery and video technology, as when Elsa transforms her world into glittering ice and she herself changes appearance while belting out the emblematic ballad 'Let it Go.'

'Two years ago, when we were asked to make the most successful animated move in the world into a stage production, we thought that was a huge challenge,' Kevin Eld, creative portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, said aboard Disney Wonder. 'We started by finding the best creative team.'

The production was led by Tony Award-nominated director Sheryl Kaller ('Next Fall,' 'Mothers and Sons'). Joining the team were Tony Award-winning costume designer Paloma Young ('Peter and the Starcatcher'), choreographer Josh Prince ('Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'), scenic designer Jason Sherwood ('Paint Your Wagon') and writer Sara Wordsworth ('In Transit').

The puppetry, by Michael Curry, whose designs are featured in Disney’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'The Lion King,' is a stand-out for characters like Olaf and Sven.

Music direction is by Marco Paguia, projection design by Aaron Rhyne and lighting design by Rui Rita. The show features the music and lyrics by the creators of the 'Frozen' film score, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and is adapted from the screenplay by four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin.

Nancy Schretter of Family Travel Network praised the staging, which included projections on the walls of the theater itself. 'You feel surrounded and immersed in the experience. It feels real,' she said. Some children in the audience cried in sad parts and cheered in happy moments.

'The show is loved and revered by so many people. We thought it was perfect for a cruise ship because we carry such a wide range of people,' said Jim Urry, vp entertainment, Disney Cruise Line. There's 'a lot of heart' in 'Frozen,' and it's a story that's great for boys and girls, he added.

Urry thinks Disney continues to lead the cruise world in theatrical entertainment.

'We keep moving the bar and enhancing the story with technology but we don't let the technology take over because once you do that, you lose the heart,' he said.

The hour-long 'Frozen, A Musical Spectacular,' plays in Disney Wonder's 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre.