Disney On Ice Skates Back To St. Paul For 2016 Holiday Season

For many families, traveling is a part of the holiday.

Thanksgivings are made up of car rides to Grandma and Grandpa's house, Christmases are marked by the arrival of aunts and uncles from afar.

But it's not just the planes, trains and automobiles that bring us places, often the holiday season itself can transport us to a different time and place.

It's fitting then that this year's Disney show is "Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure."

While international athletes skate kids into the "Wonderful World of Disney," they will also be experiencing it during the magical holiday season.

Before beginning their run, tour manager Nick Manna took some time to speak with me on the new characters featured in "Passport to Adventure," and just how much time and effort goes into the show.

---

Welcome back to St. Paul! Disney On Ice has certainly been a staple in Twin Cities the last few holiday seasons. It's nice that every year there is a different show. So, how do you decide which show will tour? How was "Passport to Adventure" chosen this year?

"Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure" is one of the longest running Disney on Ice productions. Every few years it is updated with new Disney story lines, but the overall theme has always been centered around travel and adventure.

Sounds like that allows you to be able to fit in several different Disney characters that other themes may not allow. Tell me, what characters can audiences expect to see in this show?

This year, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy will take audiences on an adventure. First, the gang will travel to the savannas of Africa to meet up with your favorite characters from the Lion King. Then, we'll visit Neverland with Peter and Tinkerbell from "Peter Pan." Sebastian and Ariel from the "Little Mermaid" [are also featured.] This year we are also excited to introduce characters from the blockbuster smash hit "Frozen!" Anna, Elsa and Olaf will be featured.

Wow! That's a lot of different characters! I bet it's really exciting to get to feature new Disney characters, such as Elsa and Anna. What are some of the special effects audiences can expect to see? Are there any special tricks or jumps?

Our professional athletes will entertain families with their skating skills that they have perfected after years of training. Although we do not want to give too much away, we can say that are our top notch professional lighting design and scenic elements bring our stories to life in a way like no other.

Well, I'm sure audience's imaginations will be very active before seeing the show! So, how many cities does the tour travel to? How long does it take to prepare for each city?

This year we will travel to over 30 cities in the United States. It takes about a year of preparation working alongside our Disney partners to prepare the show for tour.

That is a lot of cities to see! I can see why it takes so much time before even beginning the tour. So, the Twin Cities are lucky to have Disney On Ice stop by during the holiday season. Why is this a good show to see around the holidays?

It's a great way to spend a night out with the ones you love during the holiday season.

"Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure" opens Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 4. Tickets start at $16.50. For more information on the show, or to purchase tickets, visit the Xcel Energy Center online.