Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, ice skating and a hotel swimming pool…. What do all these things have in common??? THE LAGROSSE FAMILY!! We were so excited to hear that Disney on Ice was coming to a location we could easily drive to but when we found out this show’s opening night was just one day after my daughter’s 5th birthday, we decided to make a weekend of it and stay for the night in good ol’ Indiana, PA!
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the venue because my only other experience had been at Consol Energy Center for a similar show. I was very pleasantly surprised when we arrived and quickly realized that although it was a smaller venue, it was purely more intimate with all the same amenities as the bigger arenas with less traffic, free parking and wonderful people working there! The Kovalchick Complex was first rate all the way!
One of the neatest benefits of my job is that I get a few perks for me and my family that I never would have been able to have had on my own. One of those perks was a meet and greet with none other than Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse. I thought that stuff like this only happened at Disney but turns out it can happened right in your own back yard too! I was surprised when my kids ran right up to them and hugged them. Julia literally squealed with delight as Minnie kissed her head as well as the stuffed Minnie doll Julia brought along with her. Joseph didn’t go just once but twice… and this from a kid who runs from all things in costumes! It really was a priceless memory for me and made me truly appreciate the job I’ve been blessed with. 
Now, on with the SHOW! 
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and of course Goofy were wonderful tour guides as they took us to Africa to visit with The Lion King, under the sea with The Little Mermaid, to Hawaii for Lilo and Stitch, and off to London to visit with Peter Pan.
Great ice skating and costumes were on the checklist of things I expected from this show but I wasn’t prepared for all of the scenery and massive crocodiles and HUGE Ursula that floated on the ice. When I saw a scene from Peter Pan being set up I wondered how they could re-create the flying scenes… after all, what is Peter Pan without flying. I was shocked to see not 1 or 2 characters taking flight but as much as 4 at a time flying through the air. The pictures really do not capture that magic that was on each child’s face as they watched their favorite character fly high above the ice. Can you believe they had an actual pirate ship on the ice too?? With Captain Hook at the helm this was a sea worth ship sure to sail the seven seas one day! 
If you have the chance to travel to this awesome venue and see ANY show but especially a Disney production, do not pass it up! There are still seats available and it really is a don’t miss opportunity! It’s an easy trip to do in one night but far enough away that it’s a great excuse for a bit of a “stay-cation” to spend some quality time with your family. Now, I’m off to the hotel pool with 2 excited kids, 2 Disney light up flashy, spinney things and 2 very tired but happy grown-ups!
