by Character Diva

Disney on Ice is not something that comes to our area very often. While we are fortunate enough to always have one Disney show put on by Feld Entertainment come into town every year, the last few years they have been Disney Live! Shows and for various reasons, we always seemed to have a scheduling conflict where we were unable to attend. So when I found out that Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure was coming into town and on a weekend where our family was available, I was beyond elated.

Let me just begin by saying two things: 1.) This review will have lots of spoilers (so end after this paragraph if you want to be surprised) and 2.) The show is AMAZING!!! Seriously. Just go buy your tickets now. Disney on Ice is known for putting on fantastic shows, and this one is no different. You will not be disappointed!! This was also a sold out show, which is another reason to buy your tickets early! You definitely don’t want to miss out!  Disney Diva Tip: Want to save money on tickets? Enter the code PASSPORT when buying your tickets to save $5 off of the $20 and $25 tickets!

The show begins with the song “It’s a Small World”. Dancers are dressed in white and blue costumes representing countries all around the world. I may have miscounted, but I think I counted 28 performers in this opening number. The skating was fantastic, and in addition to hearing the song (which is a perfect way to help you through your Disneyland or Disney World withdrawals, or get you psyched for your upcoming vacation), they also used lights at the end which reminded me of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade and made me feel a little nostalgic.

Towards the end of the song, Daisy, Mickey, Minnie and Donald appear, followed by Goofy who joins them a few minutes later, acting of course, goofy. My five year old daughter loved the opening with Goofy, particularly when his trunk burst open, and when he was searching for his itinerary, she burst out, “It’s in your pocket!” Disney Diva Tip: All of the Disney on Ice shows encourage audience participation, and according to our interviews with Jono Partridge and Angie Lien, the performers really enjoy it and WANT you to sing and clap along!

The next segment lasts just under ten minutes and is a short summary of the Lion King. It begins with Rafiki coming out, followed by Simba and Nala, and the three of them sing “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”. It was a little strange to hear Rafiki sing it instead of Zazu, but it worked, and my daughter was belting out the lyrics. After that, Timon and Pumbaa emerged and it transitioned into the song, “Hakuna Matata”, with Nala and Simba switching to their adult versions halfway through. This of course led to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. Personally, I was not a big fan of Nala and Simba’s costumes, but the choreography was spectacular!! I cannot tell you how impressed I was with Nala and Simba’s skating! There were several times my daughter and the audience cheered, and there was even one point where I audibly said, “Wow!” If this show ever comes to your area, I highly recommend seeing it, just to watch Nala and Simba’s choreography. The segment ended with Rafiki, Nala, Simba, Timon and Pumbaa singing “Circle of Life”. Scar was never seen or mentioned, and it was definitely an abridged version of the original movie, but as far as focusing on the most popular songs, it definitely hit all of the highlights.

They then transitioned into a London scene. I was expecting them to immediately dive into Peter Pan, but it actually began with a song that was inspired by Mary Poppins, “Each Day’s a Jolly Holiday in London”. The scene focused on a British police officer and sixteen Londoners (eight female and eight male) skating around. For me, this was a nice surprise, and a nice tribute to another Disney show, even if Mary Poppins and Bert never made an appearance.

After that song had concluded, it was finally time for the Peter Pan segment, which lasted about thirty minutes. Peter Pan was probably one of the most extensive segments of the show, beginning with the Darling family and Nana. Once George, Mary Darling and Nana had left the scene and the Darling children were asleep, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell appeared in their search for Peter Pan’s shadow. Peter Pan’s shadow was actually a performer, and it was interesting to watching the interaction between Peter Pan and his shadow.

From there, it transitioned into the Darling children learning to fly (with “You Can Fly”), meeting the lost boys (and hearing portions of “Your Mother and Mine”), and seeing Captain Hook and his pirates, who sing another song while breaking into Hangman’s Tree. Of course, Tinkerbell saved Peter Pan from being poisoned, and the audience clapped to save Tinkerbell, similar to the stage versions of Peter Pan. Then it was time to rescue Wendy and the boys.

Highlights of this portion of the show for me were definitely the Jolly Roger (which was impressive in itself) and the musical numbers the pirates performed…. In addition to “A Pirate’s Life”, they also made tributes to the songs from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (“A Whale of a Tale”) and the musical, Pirates of Penzance (“With Cat-like Tread”). From there, Peter Pan rescued Wendy, dueled Captain Hook,  and pushed him into a giant, inflatable crocodile, which was a perfect ending for the infamous pirate. Afterwards, Peter Pan and the lost boys escorted Wendy, John and Michael home for a grateful reunion between them, their parents, and Nana, which also brought us to intermission.

Intermission lasted 30 minutes, and was a great time to stretch your legs, use the bathroom, or flag down one of the passing vendors selling items such as snow cones, popcorn, light up toys, coloring books, and cotton candy.

The show resumed with Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald returning, followed shortly after by Goofy carrying even more luggage. My 20 month old loved this part, and clapped, laughed, and yelled, “Goofy!” You really can’t go wrong with the classical characters, and there’s definitely a lot to keep everyone in your family entertained.

The next sequence was from The Little Mermaid and was again, just under ten minutes. For practical reasons, the mermaid tails were more like pants, and while I could be wrong as it all happened very quickly, it did appear that they mixed up costumes for Adella and Arista, but I doubt anyone would notice unless they were a die-hard Disney or Little Mermaid fan. After singing “Daughters of Triton”, Ariel and Flounder emerged (which I though Flounder’s costume was pretty creative). You could also see Prince Eric up on the second level of the stage, which led to Ariel singing “Part of Your World” before being joined by Sebastian and singing “Under the Sea”. In addition to showering the first couple of rows and the skating rink with bubbles, “Under the Sea” involved all kinds of sea creatures, including sea stars, fish, a newt, and Ariel’s sisters accompanying Sebastian and Flounder. I loved the sea creatures costumes (particularly the newt’s), and again, the choreography was very well done.

Unfortunately, Ariel abandoned the group in search of Ursula. Flotsam and Jetsam loomed and skated around in the background, and a fog machine was used as Ariel changed from her mermaid tail into what looked like a hula type skirt. Now that she was human, Ariel of course found Eric, which segued nicely into “Kiss the Girl”. Again, the choreography was very impressive, but before Ariel and Eric could kiss, a giant inflatable Ursula appeared along with Flotsam and Jetsam.  Eric defeats her, and the sea stars, anenomes, fish, Flounder and Sebastian return for the “Part of Your World (Reprise)” while Ariel and Eric appear on the upper level and are finally able to share in true love’s kiss.

I had my suspicions that Frozen would be the finale, and as one might assume, it was definitely the crowd’s favorite. One girl behind me exclaimed, “This is my favorite show!” The crowd erupted into a roar of applause and cheering as soon as Anna burst out onto the rink with the song, “First Time in Forever” This segment lasted about thirty minutes, and included all of the popular songs, including “Love is an Open Door”, “Let it Go”, and “In Summer”. I was a little disappointed that “Fixer Upper” didn’t make it into the show, along with the noticeable absence of Sven and Marshmallow, but the segment did include some great fireworks, use of the fog machine, and of course, snow. Anna and Elsa also cloaks that lit up during various parts of the show, and the mask Anna wore at the end when she was turned into ice was a nice special effect.

The performance concluded with Demi Lovato’s version of “Let it Go” which began with Anna and Elsa skating in a duet only to be accompanied by the rest of the show’s cast and more fireworks. I really cannot say enough good things about this show. It was such a memorable experience, and it would be something I could definitely watch over and over again and probably still not see every detail.

As far as the venue itself… Venues obviously vary from location to location, but if you’re planning on getting tickets for the Santa Ana Star Center location, Sections 212-213 seemed to get the most character interaction (though there was still plenty around the entire arena), though if you are going primarily for the Frozen characters, your best view will probably be on the opposite site, in sections 206-209. We sat in section 206 and had a great view, particularly of Hans and Anna in “Love is an Open Door” and at the end with Anna and Elsa reunited.

I don’t know if it is different at other performance venues, but our show used two levels for the stage… this added a special dynamic, particularly in the Peter Pan and Frozen sequences of the show.

As far as the souvenir and snack departments go… they can be pretty pricey, so you may want to eat beforehand or plan accordingly. Snow cones are between $10-15 each (and do not include refills.) The Flounder cup was the cheapest at $10, and the Tinkerbell and light up cups were the most expensive at $15 a piece, with the other options being $12 each.

They also had two photobooths available where you could pose with cardboard cutouts of either Ariel or Elsa (Ariel was on the left side of the Santa Ana Star Center, and Elsa was if you walked to the right). The photobooth pictures were either $15 for a 4×6 photo in an envelope or $20 for a 4×6 photo in a frame.

They also had light up toys ranging from $22-30. Definitely on the expensive side, but if you do decide to purchase one, know that it comes with a two year warranty, so at least you don’t have to worry about it breaking the next day.

While there were plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available, if you or another adult in your party want an alcoholic beverage, you could get a 24 oz. premium beer for $10, or a bottle of Bud Light for $9.

Parking was free, but it was also a nightmare getting out of the lot. We spent over 25 minutes waiting to get out (and there were still plenty of cars remaining). I also recommend arriving there early. The doors open an hour before the show, and I highly recommend getting there at that time. Traffic can be a nightmare, you may have to wait in long lines to pick up your tickets or get through security, and should you or someone else in your party decide to get drinks, snacks, souvenirs, or use the bathroom, you’ll definitely want to leave time for all of that.

As I mentioned before, I really loved this show. I really cannot stress what a great experience this was. There are still five remaining performances at the Santa Ana Star Center (11am, 3pm and 7pm on Saturday, September 24, 2016 and 1pm and 5pm on Sunday, September 25, 2016). For more information, click here! And again, the discount code for the $20 and $25 is the word: PASSPORT . Have you seen Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure? Are you planning on seeing it or is there another Disney on Ice show coming to your town? Let us know all about it! We’d love to hear it! Enjoy the show!

Disney Diva Disclaimer: Feld Entertainment provided my family and I complimentary tickets for us to see Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure in exchange for my review. They also provided our blog with complimentary tickets for four giveaways to our readers. While we did receive these tickets for free, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are entirely my own, and are not influenced or biased in any manner.  Also, all images used in the article are property of Feld Entertainment, and are only used for promotional purposes. Pictures have been used with permission. 

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