Not sure who loves Moana more, me or my daughters.
As someone who grew up with my favorite Disney princesses, I’m glad that Disney continues to craft interesting and culturally specific characters that kids these days can enjoy and learn from!
Disney’s fairy tale formula has evolved a lot since the Sleeping Beauty era. And yet somehow, they’re able to preserve everything we love about Disney animated films—the timeless storytelling, the songs we love singing along to for years to come, the humor, the moral lessons, and (my favorite) the fact that they don’t water down the importance of family in the chase of one’s dreams.
Raising daughters, I’m always appreciative of fun ways to introduce these ever-important values to Dawn and Rain.
I mean, little girls are complex creatures, you guys! Haha. >.<
Seriously though, to raise them well in this time where self-image and equality and diversity (among other things) are on the spotlight, the role of the family in their formative years is not to be taken lightly.
And it sure does come handy when a relatable and likable animated character such as Moana is created to embody these family-centric values we wish to impart to our daughters.
Moana is not your ordinary Disney princess.
She’s brave and unafraid of the unknown. Her family raised her well, so when it was time for her to leave her safe and warm comfort zone, she was ready to go out there to courageously fulfill what she was raised to do.
She didn’t let setbacks and failures stop her from trying again until she made it. She had to face a lot of challenges but she pushed herself to keep trying, with her family as her guide and inspiration.
Everything that Moana was is because of her family’s influence on her—and her love for them.
She didn’t need a prince charming to have a complete and inspiring story. I can already imagine my husband using this argument when it’s time to talk about crushes and boyfriends with our daughters, haha! Unlike other fairy tales, this one did not lack anything by not having a prince charming. The only love story here was the love she had for her family and her people.
She loved and respected her family, even when she had to go against her parent’s wishes at some point. For (sons and) daughters, Moana showed all of us how to “break” rules and expectations with love and respect. For parents of young kids, Moana’s story reminds us to love and support our children in whatever skills, calling, and dreams they have now and in the future.
I know Dawn and Rain will have to blaze their own trails someday (someday okay, kids? Not yet okay??), so I’m reminding myself to trust in how we’ve raised them to be independent and courageous enough to make the right choices.
Wellllll that escalated so quickly. O.O
So before this gets more intense and I start #uglycrying my way through the rest of this post, haha, let’s end this one in a fun note, shall we??
The reason why we’re talking about Moana now is because a new Moana live show is coming to Disneyland Hongkong, and we’re so excited to be sharing the news with y’all!
Read on some highlights of the press release below:
“Moana: A Homecoming Celebration” at Hongkong Disneyland
This special live show is part of Hongkong Disneyland Resorts’ Carnivale of Stars, and is the first attraction at the resort’s ongoing multi-year expansion.
Moana invites families and kids to join her 20-minute live show rich with inspirational music, dance, puppetry and immersive storytelling.. and then meet her for photos and hugs later. You can also buy souvenir Moana food and beverage, dolls and merch like the ones Dawn and Rain are holding in these photos.
Catch “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration” this summer at the Hongkong Disneyland Resort! For more details, check out this website here. ;)
Oh, and check out also this fun vlog of Dawn and Rain with their Moana and Pua dolls!
We just launched a Youtube channel for Dawn and Rain, and since they love their Moana dolls so much we thought to feature it for their first video. :) Still getting the hang of this thing but go check it out and subscribe!
And watch to the end to see the premiere of Moana: A Homecoming Celebration ;)
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