Fire was probably the last thing I expected to see at Disney On Ice.

When we took Radley to her first show in March, I expected princesses, familiar songs, and Mickey Mouse skating beneath a spotlight. We got all of that, and she loved it.

But when we returned six months later, Disney decided the ice needed a little more heat.

The villains arrived with hip-hop-inspired music as trails of fire burned directly across the surface of the ice. The entire sequence had an energy that felt noticeably different from anything we saw during our first show.

It was darker, louder, and easily one of the coolest parts of the afternoon – for me, at least.

Radley still got plenty of Rapunzel, Moana, Beauty and the Beast, and Stitch before Zootopia 2 took over for the “Zoogether” finale.

Disney magic at a smaller price

Tickets were $38 apiece for my wife, daughter, and me. Parking added another $39, bringing the total to $153 before food or souvenirs.

Is that cheap? Not really.

Is it cheap by Disney standards? Absolutely.

As a proud Disney dad and Florida resident, I have firsthand experience with how much the Mouse can shake you down inside and outside the Disney bubble. Slap the Disney name on practically anything, and the price immediately goes up.

My wife and I have annual passes to Walt Disney World. We’re taking Radley again next week, which will be my 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s 13th trip. But between our monthly or every-other-month visits, we still find smaller ways to get our Disney fix.

Sometimes that means watching the latest theatrical release, allowing one Disney movie as her weekend screen time, or listening to the Frozen and Moana soundtracks for what feels like the thousandth time.

Disney On Ice fits into that same space. It obviously isn’t a Disney vacation, but it brings familiar characters, music, and a little spectacle to your hometown for a manageable weekend outing.

I’d argue that the memories are worth the Disney premium, especially while your kids are little.

A completely different show six months later

One of my biggest surprises was how different our second Disney On Ice experience felt.

In March, we saw Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party. The pirates from Peter Pan captured Tinker Bell, and Mickey and his friends traveled through different Disney stories in search of clues and enough magic to bring her home.

The production featured sequences inspired by Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, Moana, Frozen, and more.

This time, we saw Disney On Ice presents Spotlight Magic!, an entirely new production that debuted in Orlando the previous weekend before coming to Sunrise.

Rather than telling one continuous story, Spotlight Magic! was presented as a gala hosted by Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy. The focus was less on completing a quest and more on highlighting different characters and some of their films’ biggest songs.

The new show featured fewer movies overall, but it gave several more time on the ice. Rapunzel appeared briefly when we attended in March, but she didn’t get a full skating sequence. This time, Tangled occupied a significant portion of the first half before intermission.

Monsters, Inc. also joined the lineup, complete with a hilariously large disco ball shaped like Mike Wazowski swinging from the ceiling.

Then came the villains.

Their sequence felt new, modern, and slightly darker than the rest of the production. They performed original, hip-hop-inspired songs while flames erupted around the ice.

Dude, there was fire on the ice. That’s pretty cool.

Familiar characters in completely new scenes

Moana was featured in both productions, but even her portion was completely different.

In March, the focus was primarily on Moana sailing across the ice in her canoe. In Spotlight Magic!, massive claws extended from the walls surrounding the performers while the video screen transformed into the face of Tamatoa.

That difference matters when you’re considering whether Disney On Ice has any repeat value. We saw some of the same characters, but we weren’t watching the same performances again.

The only disappointment was that Radley’s beloved Anna and Elsa were absent from the new show. Frozen is in heavy rotation inside our house, so she definitely would have enjoyed seeing them again.

Fortunately, Moana still blew her mind. She also loves Shakira’s music from Zootopia, so ending the show with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and the rest of the Zootopia 2 cast was a big success.

Would we go a third time?

Absolutely.

Disney On Ice isn’t a replacement for Disney World, and it doesn’t need to be. It offers families a shorter, closer, and considerably less expensive way to create a little Disney magic during an ordinary weekend.

More importantly, our second visit proved that returning doesn’t necessarily mean paying to watch the same show again. Six months after Mickey’s Search Party, Spotlight Magic! brought different characters, new music, bigger sets, and a surprising amount of fire.

My family will probably return the next time Disney On Ice comes to town. Based on our recent track record, I imagine that will be sometime within the next six months.

If you’ve been toying with taking your family when the show reaches your town, I highly recommend it.

The ice may be cold, but Disney On Ice has definitely turned up the heat.