When I was a little girl, way back in the early 1980s, my parents took me to see the "Ice Capades" at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena in Bethlehem.

I can still remember how magical that ice show seemed to my seven-year-old eyes: the flashing lights in the dark, the majestic music and the skaters who seemed just like real-life princes and princesses.

Attending opening night of "Disney On Ice Presents Worlds Of Fantasy" at PPL Center in Allentown and sharing a similar experience with my own seven-year-old daughter seemed like a full-circle dream come true.

"Disney On Ice Presents Worlds Of Fantasy" continues at 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Jan. 10, and noon and 4 p.m. Jan. 11 in PPL Center.

Sure enough, I saw that familiar wonder in my daughter's eyes from the minute Mickey, Minnie and Donald Duck skated on stage. They serve as masters of ceremonies for the roughly two-hour show.

Four fantasy-themed segments based on Walt Disney animated characters make up the show: the "Cars," movie franchise, "Tinker Bell" television specials and the "The Little Mermaid" and "Toy Story 3" movies.

The first fantasy world begins with a roar as Mater from "Cars" drives onto the ice, followed by Lightning McQueen and the rest of their buddies. As in the movie, Rascal Flatt's "Life is a Highway" blares from the sound system as the vehicles, looking like real-life versions of the movie characters, race around the ice.

I found myself enjoying the show just as much as my daughter as I sat there wondering, "How do they do that? How are those 'cars' driving on the ice?"

The "Tinker Bell" and "The Little Mermaid" segments were filled with spectacular ensemble ice dancing, gorgeous costumes and fun humor.

The "Under the Sea" number from "The Little Mermaid" was a highlight of the show, with Ariel, Ursula, Sebastian and scores of sea nymphs skating their way around the ice in an even bigger than Broadway-style number.

The real stars of the show, however, are the "Toy Story 3" characters, who appear on stage as the final segment after a 20-minute intermission.

The "Toy Story 3" portion is the longest of the four segments, and recreates almost the entire plot of the movie. My daughter especially loved seeing Ken model his "groovy" wardrobe for Barbie to the music of Chic's "Le Freak."

Looking around the arena, it was clear that the children in the audience responded with glee to seeing their favorite "Toy Story" characters. Shouts of "It's Buzz!" or "There's Woody!" could be heard over and over.

"Disney On Ice Presents Worlds Of Fantasy" is a perfect night out for families. With the tickets starting at just $15, you don't have to break the bank to give the children in your life an evening of magical memories.

For me, the chance to relive a special memory from my youth with my own daughter was a special treat. Perhaps one day, she, too, will bring her own child to an ice show and remember how much she loved seeing an ice show with her mom when she was a little girl.