× Expand Photos: Courtesy of Ko Olina Childrenʻs Festival Inside Look: 16 Tips for the 2018 Ko Olina Children's Festival The movie at dusk is the highlight of the event. Bring a jacket and save your spot on the beach early.

Families will be heading to O‘ahu's West Side this weekend for the Ko Olina Children's Festival. The name says it all. The fundraiser for Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children is focused on kids. Keiki will be able to try everything from decorating sweets to mixing up slime or teeing up for a kids golf clinic. About two dozen activities will be spread out between the Kohola Lagoon and the Aulani, which can mean a lot of walking for little legs before the feature film, Coco, plays at sunset on a big screen on the beach. With so much ground to cover and so much to do, we asked the event organizers for their tips to the event.

1. Plan out your afternoon. Most of the two dozen kids activities are spread out around the Aulani and the Kohola Lagoon, which could be a lot of walking back and forth for little legs. So check the schedule and prioritize your “must do” list. Remember, the ‘Ohana Hula Show only occurs once so you might want to plan around it. Studio music mixing, slime design, keiki golf, keiki ID and the Lucky Strike Activity Zone close at 4:30 p.m. at the Aulani. Face painting, tattoos, balloon artists, decorating marshmallow-and-marzipan skulls with the Four Seasons in the Dia de los Muertos arts and crafts, and picture taking with Winnie—Kapi‘olani's chief canine officer—wraps up at 5 p.m. at the Kohola Lagoon.

2. Buy tickets by Friday night and save $5. Presale tickets for adults are $25, $20 for active military members. They're $30 at the door. Presale prices will end online at 11:59 p.m. Friday. Afterwards, you can buy tickets online but for the $30 price. Children 4 to 12 years old are $15 both presale and at the door. Kids 3 years and younger are free.

3. Save your spot on the beach as soon as the event starts. It's open seating at the Kohola Lagoon for the sunset showing of the Coco. The giant screen will be visible from many different places, but if you have your heart set on a certain area, you can start reserving spaces when the event starts at 2 p.m. Remember a blanket or mat. Umbrellas and high back chairs will not be allowed.

× Expand Photo: Courtesy of Ko Olina Childrenʻs Festival Inside Look: 15 Tips for the 2018 Ko Olina Children's Festival

4. Don't miss your one chance to see Disney characters. The most popular performance of the day is the ‘Ohana Hula Show. This is your only chance to see Mickey, Minnie and the Clubhouse gang. It takes place at 4 p.m. on Aulani's Halawai Lawn. The characters will not be stopping for photos afterward, so snaps your pics during the show.

5. If one line for balloon and face painting artists is too long, try another one. There will be two stations: on the Halawai Lawn it will end at 4:30 p.m., the balloon twisters and face painters will wrap up on the Kohola Lagoon at 5 p.m.

6. Need a break? Watch a short film. The pre-Coco movies used to be shown in air-conditioned ballrooms. This year the Pixar shorts will be shown on the Halawai Lawn (No. 4 on the map below) but there will be space for sitting to watch 12 short movies including Presto, the story of a magician and his reluctant bunny that was shown before WALL-E in theaters, Partly Cloudy which was the short audiences saw before Up! and others.

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7. Look for the fans when you get hot. No doubt, West O‘ahu will get hot. This year, organizers have added misters and giant fans on the Halawai Lawn to help families keep their cool.

8. Bring your own light-up toys, if you don't want to pay. In years past there were booths selling lighted Disney toys. If your kids are like ours, if they see them, they'll want them so you can save a little by bringing your own.

9. Review your food options. In addition to the Aulani's and Four Seasons’ restaurants, there will be food booths including: Honolulu Burger Co., Grinds 2 Da Max (which offers a plate lunch selection), North Shore Lemonade, Dunkin' Donuts, ‘Ono Kettle Pop and Jamba Juice. Last year, snacks cost around $5 and burgers, hot dogs and plate lunches started around $7 to $8.

10. Bring cash. Some food vendors last year did not take credit cards.

11. Don’t forget the recording studio. Honolulu Community College’s MELE program is hosting a Music and Entertainment Learning Experience where kids can learn to record, edit and mix in a sound studio like the pros. Interactive fun includes loopers, drum machines, processors and DJ equipment. The studio will be open from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Aulani’s Halawai Lawn.

× Expand Photo: Courtesy of Ko Olina Childrenʻs Festival Inside Look: 15 Tips for the 2018 Ko Olina Children's Festival

12. Be prepared for sun and bring swimsuits, but pack a jacket. This year, all of the events are outside. Wear sunscreen, a hat and bring water. Coolers are not allowed but bottled water or water in closed containers are fine. Families can swim in any of Ko Olina’s lagoons until sunset when the beaches close. Public restrooms and showers are located at each lagoon. Bring a jacket for the movie. It can get chilly after sunset.

13. Arrive at movies early. This year you can watch several Pixar short films. Seating is on a first come first serve basis.

14. Don't expect a pool day. The pools are for registered guests only. Also, don't bring alcohol, coolers, glass containers, high back chairs or umbrellas (to the beach).

15. Park for $10 and take a trolley. Road signs will be posted to direct drivers to a large lot designated for festival parking. The trolley will drop you off at the entrance to the festival.

16. Keep an eye on the weather. The event will be held rain or shine. For a better sense of what the skies will be like, check the National Weather Service.

The Ko Olina Children's Festival is Saturday, Sept. 22. For the full schedule, to buy tickets and all other information, go to koolinachildrensfestival.com.