Meet Disney Stars And Win Tickets to Mickey's Music Festival

Are you bored of going to the Zoo, the Bird Park or the Science Centre? There are plenty of interesting events to take your kids to this weekend.  Read on...

1. The Disney Meet & Greet
Every child is a Disney fan! Catch two of Disney's mega stars, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, at City Square Mall, Level 1 Atrium, (180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539) on 3 & 4 Sep (Sat and Sun), 3pm & 8pm.  


The island's only Eco-Mall is hosting Meet and Greet sessions for their shoppers to commemorate the stars' performance at the "Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival" from 7 to 11 September 2011.

And they are giving away 20 sets of four tickets to the "Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival" show during these two days. Simply spend a minimum of S$100 (maximum of 3 same-day receipts) at the mall to qualify for the entry form.  Answer a simple question on the entry form and submit your entry before 8pm on 3 and 4 September to win.

2. How much Time do you have?
Catch the new movie, Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World scheduled for release on 1st Sep. Watch the first ever 4D movie on the island! Yeah, you heard me right; this movie has a special fourth 'D' - aroma card your kids would love.  Read my review here and check these theatres for screen schedules: Golden Village, Cathay Cineplexes and FilmGarde Cineplex

3. Flying in the Sky 

There's something awesome and uplifting to see beautiful kites soaring and dancing in the sky.  Join us at the NTUC Income Kite Festival 2011 on 3 and 4 Sep (Sat and Sun), 4pm to 8pm. The festival is curated by ACT 3 International, so you can expect lots of dance and music performances at this festival.  


There is no charge to this event.  Pray for good weather, pack a picnic basket and head down to The Promontory @ Marina Bay (click highlighted words for map). Click here for the programme details.

4. Starry Night of Lights
If staying up late at night is not an issue for your child, mark the Night Lights 2011 in your weekend calendar and head down to the Singapore Art Museum - 2 and 3 Sep ( Fri and Sat).
The Night Lights 2011 is a nine-evening outdoor showcase of spectacular light installations from France around the Bras Basah precinct.  It starts at 7:30pm and ends at 2am. If you've missed the last three festivals, make sure you catch this 4th edition, which ends on 3 Sep.

Admissions to the museums are free and you can expect lots of interesting exhibitions, performances and activities. My children (age 5 and 7) love the Paramodel Joint Factory (1st floor to your left) which is an amazing track exhibition from ceiling to floor; kids can even partake in the Paramodel workshop (every hour from 8:30pm).

They were simultaneously awed (son) and freaked out (daughter) by the French installation, Curiosities in the courtyard of SAM. It features “a nest of luminous jellyfish that rose up from the fountains and float over the SAM courtyard in a curious ballet of tentacles” and is particularly appealing to the kids.

On the second level, the kids get to try their hand at creating arts and crafts.  And make sure to point out the intriguing light presentations at School of the Arts (SOTA), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and National Museum of Singapore (NMS) as you pass them.

And if they are not too tired, catch the performances by various international artists in the open air space across SAM. Click here for a sample of the light installations. 

Parking may be challenging, so park 1km radius from the museum area and walk to the festival. Also, trying to catch a cab may be tough at 10pm or 11pm, so do have transport plans in case your kids get too tired.

We wish you the start of a brilliant term break. Happy Holidays!!

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension

Catch the movie event of the year! 

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension premières on Disney Channel - 27 August, 7:30pm!

I have heard a lot about "Phineas and Ferb".  From colleagues too young to know about the Eagles (only the greatest band of all time) and from young fans like my 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. They gushed about the characters, the music, the graphics etc.

"What's the big deal?" I thought. It's just two brothers who get into all kinds of scrapes and an older sister who's out to bust them - shows you what little I knew about them! 

So, when Disney invited me and a plus one to the première of their Phineas and Ferb movie launch - whoa! they are so popular they have a movie launch? - I thought: "if it's so popular, I'd better get with it."

Kyana with Mai Tatoy

With my daughter as my plus one, we headed over to Shaw Theatres nex (23 Serangoon Central, #04-64, Nex, Singapore 556083). While the mall is easily accessible via the Serangoon MRT and a bus interchange, finding the entrance to the parking was a little tricky.

When we finally arrived at the theatre, we were greeted by our kind hostesses, Joanne and Georgina from T/PR who graciously led us to our seats in the "Première Screen" - a first-class equivalent of movie theatres with deluxe leather seats and premium dine-in services within a cosy hall of 48 seats.

We were served popcorn (my girl's favourite), soft drinks and tea. And then Mai Tatoy, Media Relations Director of Disney Channels  Southeast Asia came bearing goodies... Talk about first-class treatment!

But back to the movie...

The story begins on a summer afternoon in Danville.  While celebrating the anniversary of getting their beloved pet platypus, Perry, imaginative stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb are catapulted into Dr. Doofenshmirtz's Evil Inc., where they encounter a machine that opens portals into other dimensions.

Phineas and Ferb travel to Alternate-Danville, which eerily  resembles their home in the Tri-Sate area. There, they encounter their alter-egos - exact replicas of themselves except their characters are completely opposite. The alter-ego Ferb and Phineas are pale-skinned and unadventurous (having not known what summer is), while their alter-ego sister, Candace is a kick-ass heroine.

They also discover that their faithful pet Perry is actually a secret agent.  Without revealing too much of the plot, the trio or six-er had to work together to usurp the evil and smarter alter-ego of Dr. Doofenshmirtz.   

Expect lots of clever lines that reflect the humour of the series creators, Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Its good versus bad theme may be all too familiar, but juxtaposed that with the opposing alter-egos and the collaborative efforts to thwart their nemesis, and you get a minty new look on this common theme. 

The movie is light-hearted and fun and true to its message for the young: with enough imagination and ingenuity, practically anything can be accomplished. 

"When we were growing up, we went out into our backyards and garages and we built things. Now there seems to be way too many 'organized activities' that limit the freedom of creativity and artistry," Marsh says. "We hope [Phineas and Ferb] can convey the kids to go outside, use their imaginations and create something."

While this may not be a must-see movie for the adults, it is a nice, heart-warming movie to watch with your kid(s).  To borrow a line from Candace in the movie: "give [yourself and your kid] a little more time to be young."

Click here to watch the video.

Kyana's favourite: popcorn!

August 27, 7:30pm, Disney channel

Disney Junior: new look, new programs

Introducing Jake and the Neverland Pirates on Disney Junior! TV's #1 series among kids and boys 2-5 arrives in Singapore.

Disney Junior will replace Playhouse Disney from July 11. With the new programming, Disney Junior is extending its appeal to the older kids (6 – 7 year olds).  There will be a bigger focus on storytelling elements to engage the new target audience.  At the same time, there will be more family-favourite movies from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios.

Despite its rebranding, Disney Junior promises that it will retain all the learning and developmental values such as math and social skills that are specific to the preschoolers (2 – 5 year olds).

What kind of programs can I expect on Disney Junior?

Also debuting with the launch of Disney Junior is a series of Disney Poetry Shorts, designed to bring fond memories of Disney classics to parents and create new ones for kids. The series is presented with the voice-over of celebrities like Jennifer Garner reading poetry over scenes and imageries from classic Disney films.  It aims to introduce preschoolers to the beauty of a well-read poem and cement it in their memory with extraordinary moments in Disney animation history.

You can expect more fun learning experiences for your preschooler on Disney Junior, through a more varied program line-up with more engaging stories, catchy music and well-loved characters.  Popular programs like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Special Agent Oso andHandy Manny will continue to air on the newly-branded channel.  However, viewers can look forward to new episodes of these shows.

On top of that, there will be new additions including exciting programs like Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates will debut for the first time and exclusively on Disney Junior.  Your child will be engaged in exciting educational adventures with Jake and his pirate crew on their quest for hidden treasures and to outsmart a very naughty Captain Hook and Smee.

Preschoolers can learn early academic skills such as counting and simple math, as well as self expression skills through catchy music and songs featured in each episode.

As for the beloved character by Dr. Seuss, Cat in the Hat will lead 6-year-old neighbours Nick and Sally, the Fish, and Thing One and Thing Two on a variety of adventures that are prompted by either Nick or Sally at the beginning of each episode.

You kids will travel around the globe with them to discover the natural world around them. Preschoolers can learn about natural world such as the eco-systems or harness thinking skills and learning how to ask the right questions.

Will I need to pay extra fee for Disney Junior?

There is no extra fee for Disney Junior if you are an existing Playhouse Disney subscriber as of 11 July 2011.

Do I need to switch or reprogram my channels?

You will not need to do anything as Disney Junior will maintain the same channel number.  Just key in the same number as Playhouse Disney (Starhub channel 311) to enjoy Disney Junior.

This post first appeared in theAsianparent.com in May 2011