Disney Family Fun Animation & 'Ohana Ho'Okani Pila Activity questions

[ngl]

For those of you that have participated in these activities, I was hoping to get more information for our visit in a few weeks.

-Is this something that kids can do with us? Specifically 7 & 5 year olds or will it be too advanced/boring for them?
-Where do you sign up for these activities? I heard they book up early. What time does sign up begin?
-How long do the activities typically last?

Any other information would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

My daughter did the animation class several times on our last trip. It is a blast!! Your kids can do it and they will love it! Register as soon as you can in the morning. I usually signed us up by 10 and there were only a couple spots left each time. Sign up begins at 8.

 

[automaticsoap]

I did the ukulele lesson, and I think your kids will definitely enjoy it. There were a good amount of children when I attended. The lesson lasted around 45 minutes. You can sign up for activities starting at 8am in the Pau Hana community room. It's on the first floor of the Ewa building, entrance is outside.

 

[algae]

-Is this something that kids can do with us? Specifically 7 & 5 year olds or will it be too advanced/boring for them?

Depends on your kids. The animation involved learning to draw a Disney character with paper and pencil. Then, you use acrylic paint to paint on clear acetate sheets that have some Disney scene printed on it. Kinda of like coloring books but on clear plastic. If your kids like that kind of thing, then it should be fun. If they get bored of painting or coloring after a short time, then maybe not. I've seen a lot of small (and not so small) kids go into melt-down mode if their drawings looks a bit off or the paint doesn't do what they want, so you'll have to evaluate how your kids would handle this kind of activity. On the plus side, you can always just pack-up and go at any time if they lose interest.

 

[Rubygoose]

The drawing part is very similar to the Animation Academy at DLR, and then you get to paint Mickey, Minnie or Stitch on plastic. My kids, 6 and 8, really liked it. My 6 year old finished his painting very quickly and then a CM visited with him for a while to keep him busy. We did the music class that same afternoon, and we liked the fist part where they showed us the different Hawaiian instruments (my daughter got to come up and demonstrate one of them, and Dale came and banged on the window and waved at her!) But my kids had trouble with the Ukulele. My dad is a retired elementary school teacher who taught music for a number of years, and he usually started Ukulele with grade 5 and up, since younger kids' hands are too small and they are not quite coordinated enough. We stayed for about 30 minutes, but my kids were getting frustrated with the cords, which were quite hard, so we said thank-you and goodbye to the CMs (which were the same ones from the animation session that morning) and they didn't mind that we left early. I really liked learning about the instruments before going to the Starlight Hui, because we saw those same instruments in the show.

We signed up just after 8am that day. When we arrived for the Animation, we tried to sit at a table in the front and center, but the CM said that the seating is assigned based on when you sign up, not when you arrive for the activity, and he directed us to our table. It was first come, first served seating for the music class.

The activities on the Daily Iwa are organized by Ohana, Kids and Teens, so you can see which ones are appropriate. DH and I did the nature/animal walk while the kids did Space Goo - again, it was the same CM that did the Animation and the Music class. There were some kids on the nature tour, but it's geared more towards adults.

 

[letsgoreds]

We participated in both with my 5yo and 10yo sons. The 5yo became bored half way through ukulele, but both loved animation. The top free family activity for the boys was the boat racing. I enjoyed them all.

There was a day that had all three (animation, ukulele, and boats). We signed up for all three...so I was there 1:15 early for sign ups, and was second in line. It was a peaceful morning, and enjoyed the company of my line-mates. I was thankful to only have to line up once.

You wait in line outside of the Pau Hana (Community Hall) room. It is a different line from Aunty's...same pool-side of building/tower, but closer to the lobby.

I think the activities were about an hour. Check the Daily Iwa. They are placed in the lobby at 7pm the night before. I often sent my 10yo out each night to pick one up.

Oooh...one word of advice, go to the first Starlight Hui you can. It is really cool, and was canceled once during our trip due to rain (don't want to miss it!). Again, in line 1hr+, and the line up is not obvious. We had a room that overlooked the lawn, and I kept waiting for a line to form to head down...well I just couldn't see the line. It was near the stage, to the right. Several families brought a pizza to picnic in line. Once you get your mat/spot, head quickly to the activities. The palm/fishing one was the biggest hit for my boys. We fit them all in. Oh...when they are placing your mat (they ask you how many in your party, and grab the right sized mat, and walk you to a spot...so no stampede), politely ask to be on the aisle.