DUBAI // Hundreds of parents and dressed-up children packed into a cinema on Friday to sing their hearts out to their favourite songs from the Disney smash hit Frozen.

Although they started off with a somewhat less than enthusiastic first number, the youngsters soon got into the way of things and sung loud and proud to the animated film.

About 350 people packed into screening at Vox Cinema in Mall of the Emirates.

“Although the words were on the screen for all the songs, I don’t think many of the children were confident enough to sing the songs they weren’t familiar with,” said Danish Roshan, 20, an Indian who brought his eight-year-old niece, Hanin, along for the show.

“She loves the film and has watched it countless times so today was a great experience for her.

“Her favourites are Let it Go and Love is an Open Door and I think most of the kids were singing along to those.”

A number of children made a special day of the event by dressing up in costume for the singalong.

Four-year-old Filipino twins Thirdee Zuleyka and Noe Ahkeela have watched the film on an almost daily basis since its release in November last year.

“They know all the words to the songs and thoroughly enjoyed their experience,” said their father, Thirdee Malana, 41, who works in sales.

“I think most of the children who came enjoyed themselves and this kind of thing should be done more often.”

The audience was encouraged by two presenters who went through the aisles getting the children in the mood.

However, some felt individual children should have been given the chance to sing in a more organised manner.

“The experience was good overall but I think for next time they should perhaps have microphones for different sections of the audience,” said Egyptian Mohammed El Tayeb, 32, who brought his five-year-old daughter, Hala, to the screening.

“The idea is a good one but it needs to be better executed,” he said.

“My daughter was singing along but didn’t get the chance to use the microphone.

“The sound got a little lost in there.”

Nada Abdul Fattah, from Syria, brought her daughter Yara, six, and three-year-old son Yazan to see the special screening.

“Yazan is a little young but has watched the film with his sister so got excited when the songs he recognised came up,” she said.

“It was a really nice atmosphere in the theatre and I think the kids enjoyed it.”

For Yara, it was fun to be allowed to sing along during the film.

“I liked singing Let it Go because everyone was singing as well,” she said.

“Normally you aren’t allowed to talk when you watch films, so this was nice.”

Frozen won Best Original Song for Let It Go at the Oscars in March and grossed more than US$1.219 billion (Dh4.477bn) worldwide.

nhanif@thenational.ae