Walt Disney World, Orlando, now has its first Cirque du Soleil show

It's hard to take my eyes off the aerialist spinning on a long, pointed shard of wood above me – he is, after all, a perfect human specimen, ripped and toned with a six-pack elevated to a full dozen. Forgive my superficiality, but I am a mere mortal admiring the ultimate eye candy as he goes about his impossibly physical day's work as a Cirque du Soleil performer.

But by staring intently at this god-like creature, I run the risk of missing the whole point of his incredible prowess. For as he spins on the suspended pencil, so projections on the walls representing sheets of paper erupt to life, animated lines spinning in tandem with the pole to form complete characters. It's a beautifully realised allegory, the aerialist's body representing the visceral spirit of animation; and it's also compelling theatre.

Drawn to Life is the creative collaboration that had to happen, the perfect marriage between two entertainment behemoths - Cirque du Soleil and the Walt Disney Company. On stage at Disney Springs in the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, this new production combines the storytelling of Disney with the signature acrobatics and design of Cirque du Soleil, in what is described as a "love letter to the art of Disney animation".

Less abstract than most Cirque productions, this family-friendly show follows the journey of a young girl named Julie, who discovers a gift from her late father (what is it with Disney and dead parents?) – an unfinished animation. As we follow her quest to honour her father's creative legacy, so the whole stage becomes an animator's desk and drawings spring to life via the acrobatic performances, with Julie triumphing over self-doubt and embracing failure to imagine new possibilities.

All the tropes of a classic Disney animation are here: loss, hope, despair and all-conquering love, with the storyline unified by each high-flying circus stunt. Floor tumblers strike a pose mirroring a moving shadow of Donald Duck projected on a screen behind them; a teeterboard act illustrates the animation principles of "squash and stretch"; while a team of swing gymnasts represents the power of Disney princesses.

In one of the most charming acts, look-alike unicyclists dressed as Pinocchio's Blue Fairy spin, whirl, jump rope and float effortlessly across the stage; while if there's any doubt this is a Disney production, there's also a comic villain – the Ursula-like Miss Hesitation, a giant wad of crumpled paper who personifies an animator's failure and represents Julie's self-doubt.

Illusion is rife throughout, but no more so than in the final act, when Julie remembers the love between her parents, and imagines her father dancing with her mother like Beauty and the Beast projected behind them. Using a technique called Magie Nouvelle, this romantic aerial pas de deux employs tools of wizardry to give the illusion of weightlessness, Julie's mother floating in the air with no visible cables or support. It is truly breathtaking, pure Disney magic that achieves what Walt Disney called "the plausible impossible".

As family-friendly entertainment, Drawn to Life hits home runs in every aspect – from the lavish costuming, to astonishing puppetry and a dynamic set, even down to the pre-show audience participation where children are brought up on stage to interact with characters. It's as quirky as it is exuberant, and a fitting addition to any visit to Walt Disney World.