Review: Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures packs in the action, magic

Disney on Ice has been traveling to Raleigh for at least 30 years now, starring the heroes, villains and lovable characters from Disney's animated movies.

The show draws thousands to Raleigh each December. And each year, Disney on Ice, produced by Feld Entertainment, sends its newest shows here. We get the latest storylines, sets, costumes, choreography, acrobatics, stunts and more.

This year's show takes the audience on a road trip of sorts. We see Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy run into all kinds of high jinks on the ice between performances that feature some of the latest Disney movies in Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures. The show opened Wednesday night and runs through Sunday at PNC Arena. Tickets are available.

Disney on Ice's longtime fans will tell you the show has changed dramatically in the last three decades. Gone are the elaborate sets and props. Instead, this year's show relies mostly on giant screens to set the scene and tell the story of each performance.

A wall of screens sits at one end of the ice, displaying a summer day during "In Summer" during the Frozen set or a small-town fair during a Toy Story 4 performance, for example. In the middle of the ice is another series of curtain-like screens, which move up and down as needed. It showed ice crystals as Elsa skated to "Let It Go" and featured the genie — in the form of actor Will Smith — during an Aladdin piece.

At a time when we're all used to sticking our nose in a screen, it's an effective way to tell the story — and more immersive than the physical sets from past shows. Aerial performers, stunts and some incredible ice skating bring plenty of action and Disney magic too.

Road Trip Adventures features lots of favorites from the latest Disney movies - Frozen (the first one, not the second), Toy Story 4, Aladdin, Moana, Mary Poppins and The Incredibles.

"There was no classic princess," my 10-year-old remarked as we walk to our car.

It wasn't a critique, but an observation. And, of course, Jasmine might be considered a "classic" princess these days, but the show imitates the more recent live action version of the movie than the animated one.

And never fear, Cinderella and Snow White fans: They do make appearances at the end of the show.

My 10-year-old's biggest complaint was that the intermission wasn't in the middle of the show, but closer to the end. In other words, she was disappointed when the lights went up and it was time to go home.

Sarah is a mom of two and Go Ask Mom's editor.