The REAL Moana Visited EPCOT and Had Tons of Fun Playing with Water!

A modern Disney superstar recently visited EPCOT!

Journey of Water

We see posts from celebrities that they were in the parks from time to time, and we always wish we were there to meet them. It’s cool to know that they share our love of Disney World and Disneyland. What’s really neat is when we find out that a star from a Disney movie got to visit their character or movie attraction, which is what just happened recently in EPCOT!

Auli’i Cravalho, the voice actress who portrays Moana, recently paid a visit to EPCOT to take in the new Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana attraction. Disney released a video on their social media accounts that detailed Cravalho playing with the attraction’s water effects, being wowed by Easter eggs and references to the film.

@disneyparks

Explore Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana with @auliicravalhoofficial 🌊🌺 #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #EPCOT #JourneyOfWater #Moana #Moana2

♬ original sound – Disney Parks

At one point Cravalho extolls the attraction’s water conservation message, and jokingly suggests that should be the plot Moana 2.

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Cravalho will be returning for Moana 2, which is being released in theaters later this year. The film will also see co-star Dwayne Johnson return as Maui. Behind the scenes, the film is written and directed by David G. Derrick Jr. and Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foa’i, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear will serve as composers and songwriters. Lin Manuel Miranda is not returning for the sequel.

©Disney

Johnson will also reprise his role as Maui in the 2026 live action adaptation of Moana, however Cravalho will not. The Mean Girls actress revealed that while she will keep voicing Moana in animated projects, she wanted to “pass the baton” as far as the live action portrayal. “When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career. In this live action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital that the casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell, so as an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit and emotional strength.”

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She expanded on her choice in a later interview, saying “It feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest … I am one of the few Pacific Islanders. And our stories are so important to be told… I want to be behind the camera as much as I am in front of it. When I talk about representation, I want to see the same thing happening in writers’ rooms. I want to see the same thing happening with directors. And Taika Waititi talks about this as well, I wanna see showrunners who are also of indigenous descent telling their own stories. I want that door to swing wide open, and I cannot wait to meet the next Moana.”

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Despite not returning for the live action Moana film, Auli’i Cravalho’s visit to EPCOT’s Moana attraction shows the link between actress and character will forever endure. Stay tuned to DFB for more Walt Disney World updates.

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