ParentGuide^® Spotlight Interview

TAMPA , FL – JULY 21, 2008 — Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they travel to four magical destinations all in one fun-filled ice production! Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey will take audiences on a sightseeing tour of the imagination. This ice spectacular visits Tampa from October 2 to October 5 for six performances at the St. Pete Times Forum. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 22.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy have their bags all packed for a journey that will transport audiences straight from their seats into the magical worlds of best friends Lilo and Stitch as they hula in Hawaii; Simba and Nala as they explore the African Pride Lands; Ariel and Sebastian as they experience an aquatic adventure in their undersea kingdom; and Peter Pan and Tinker Bell as they soar through the starry skies.

Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey features an international team of award-winning figure skaters, high-energy choreography and a colorful set that captures all four unique worlds. Audiences will be entranced as they experience this exciting excursion — one that will fill the arena with magic, music, and best of all, Mickey and Minnie!

Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey are:

Ticket Prices: $45.00 / $36.00 / $27.00 / $19.00

Show Times: Thursday, Oct 2 at 7:30 PM
Friday, Oct 3 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct 4 at 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM; and
Sunday, Oct 5 at 1:00 PM.

Ticket prices do not include $1.75 facility fee. Tickets can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet, the McDonald’s® Box Office at the St. Pete Times Forum, or by calling 813-287-8844 in Hillsborough or 727-898-2100 in Pinellas. For group information, call 813-301-6900.

To learn more about Disney On Ice, visit www.disneyonice.com.

This October at the St. Pete Times Forum, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will pack their bags for another “Magical Journey” as the longest running Disney on Ice show returns to the city where it originally launched in 1995. The popular show was updated in 2008 to keep it fresh for faithful fans.

The traveling duo, joined by friends Donald and Goofy, will make four stops along their journey. During the stop to Hawaii, they will encounter Stitch and his pal Lilo, played by skater Maria Fernandes.

Recently, the ParentGuide ® had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Maria about her own adventures as a principle skater for Disney on Ice.

Skating Her Way Around the World

By Pamela Settle

When I talk to my friends and fellow parents about dreams and expectations for their children, I hear the usual and predictable responses. “My little girl is going to medical school,” or “I want him to be an architect or an engineer.”

I suppose it’s natural to hope for the steady, high-paying jobs that fit the mainstream definition of normal and successful. So far, not one parent has expressed a dream that involves circus clowns, carnival games, long bus trips or endless tryouts. Along the same vein, no one has mentioned professional ice skating either.

So when asked to interview a principle skater for a traveling ice show, as a parent writing for a parenting publication, I was curious to find out exactly what motivates a young woman to spend her life this way. And secondly, I wanted to know what her mother thought about it.

“I followed my big sister who was involved in a lot of activities and skating stuck,” said Maria Fernandes about how she initially got into skating. Growing up in Canada, in a small town north of Edmonton, she was a 10-year old recreational skater who decided to take it more seriously about age 15. Her days were filled with school and long practice sessions, but she eventually got good enough to compete twice at national competitions.

During her late teens, Maria had to make an important, life altering decision: give up school and dedicate herself to making the Olympic team or finish school.

“My parents always encouraged me to be honest with myself,” she said, adding that they also showed her how to be smart about making decisions. “My mom taught me that if it’s in your head, it’s a dream. If it’s on a paper, then it’s a plan.”

Maria proceeded to put her plan on paper. She would choose to finish school because her real passion was for travel. Not just leisure vacations, but the kind of travel where you “do the unexpected, eat the food, meet the people and understand their politics.”

So after completing her Political Science degree at the University of Alberta, Maria smartly used her skating talent to land a spot with Disney on Ice in 2005. Her first tour was in Europe and she was surprised to learn just how much she loved Germany.

She is now a seasoned traveler and loves every minute on the road and performing for happy children around the world. “The shows bring the Disney stories to life for the kids no matter what language they speak. As performers, we get excitement from their excitement and it keeps it fun.”

Life as a professional skater is fun, yet demanding. Their packed schedule is balanced with the excitement of “power sightseeing.” Maria says the skaters have become proficient at researching their stops ahead of time. “Since we get one day off a week, we create itineraries that waste no time.”

Maria has toured Europe, Asia, South America, North America and Australia, but her favorite performance was in Manila. Maria’s mother, originally from the Philippines, flew in for the show, and relatives who only knew Maria through pictures got the joy of watching her skate in person.

While Maria’s family misses her, they proudly support her career and travel aspirations. “Other parents weren’t as supportive of their kids who wanted to skate professionally, and I saw how that made everything harder for the kids and the parents.”

So what would she say to parents whose children want to do something outside the so-called normal career choices? “Support them if they are making a choice because they love something. The world needs more people who love what they do.”

I’d say that’s good advice for us all.