Chula Vista skater Azul Diaz returns home with Disney On Ice performances at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena

A local athlete joins a national touring production stopping in San Diego

A 19-year-old skater from Chula Vista, Azul Diaz, returned to San Diego as part of a touring cast bringing Disney On Ice: Magic in the Stars to Pechanga Arena. Diaz, a Chula Vista High School graduate, is part of the ensemble in a production that combines figure skating, character performance and large-scale staging designed for arena audiences.

The San Diego engagement ran from January 23 through January 26, 2025, with multiple performances scheduled across the four-day run. The show is presented by Feld Entertainment, the company behind Disney On Ice tours.

From local rinks to arena ice

Diaz began skating at age 9 and trained at local facilities in the San Diego region, including the ice rink at Westfield UTC. After high school, she auditioned for Feld Entertainment and joined the touring production, later returning to perform in the same venue where she had attended Disney On Ice as a child.

Within the production, ensemble skaters rotate through different scenes and story segments, supporting principal character portrayals while executing synchronized skating and transition choreography. Diaz has also served as an understudy for characters in the Encanto portion of the show, reflecting the operational reality of touring productions that require coverage for demanding schedules and repeated performances.

What “Magic in the Stars” puts on the ice

Magic in the Stars is structured as a journey guided by Disney’s core characters—Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Daisy and Goofy—linking multiple stories into a single arena-length program. The show blends long-running franchises with newer film properties.

• Classic stories highlighted in the production include Cinderella and Aladdin.
• Disney and Pixar titles incorporated include Toy Story and Cars.
• More recent stories included in the lineup feature Encanto, Frozen 2, Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Wish.

The production’s design relies on continuous scene changes and group numbers in which large portions of the cast share the ice, a format that allows for rapid transitions between story worlds while maintaining momentum for family audiences.

Why hometown performers matter to touring shows

Touring productions frequently emphasize local connections when they arrive in major markets, and Diaz’s participation offered a direct example of a San Diego County-trained athlete performing on a national circuit. For local audiences, that connection can be tangible: Diaz’s return engagement brought extended family members, former coaches and school contacts into the arena during the run.

Touring ice shows depend on a mix of athletic skill, character work and repeatable precision, with ensemble performers carrying much of the on-ice continuity across multiple story segments.

The Pechanga Arena run concluded January 26, 2025, marking a full-circle moment for a performer who started as a child spectator and later joined the same touring brand as a cast member.