These "Moana" Facts Will Transform How You See It

Buzz Feed

21-07-2025

In 2016, the world fell in love with Moana. From identity to steering away from the comfort of tradition, the film resonated with fans and was arguably one of the best Disney films of the 2010s, pulling in $643M worldwide, which would lead to a $1B box-office sequel in 2024.
Here are 19 fun facts about Moana that will make you rewatch it again:
Maui was originally supposed to be bald. In the original concept artwork, he was depicted as bald with face tattoos. Polynesian cultural advisers working with Disney pointed out that Maui's rich hair is crucial for his "mana" (spiritual energy). That's right, when Maui hits us with "The People's Eyebrow," it literally would've just looked like an animated Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Who is Moana? 14-year-old Native Hawaiian Auli'i Cravalho earned the role in an audition, where casting director Rachel Sutton confirmed Cravalho was the very last girl she saw on her last day of casting.
We almost got "Millennial Moana" in a scrapped concept. Director John Musker said the story would've been about a modern boy dropped in an old world. Musker said he "had an iPhone, all this modern stuff, and then discovered this ancient culture. We did not do that story."
Moana was originally going to sing "You're Welcome" when she met Maui. Musker said, "When she first met him, she idolized him, and when she came upon this down-and-out guy, this mope, she had to get him going and so she sang a song to him, reminding him, 'Don't you know you did all these great things?'" Ultimately, it worked better for the script to give Maui an introduction song in the same vein as the Genie from Aladdin.
In Maori culture, "hei hei" simply means "chicken."
Frigatebirds, seen throughout the film, are REAL. They can be found in the Polynesian islands and across all tropical and subtropical oceans. And, just as in the movie scene, they are indeed thieves. Protect your shells!
Award-winning actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda contributed lyrics to "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome," as well as collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina to create the film's musical score.
Directors Musker and Ron Clements used The Lion King as inspiration for Moana's music. The directing duo hired veteran composer Mark Mancina, superstar Miranda, and South Pacific songwriter Opetaia Foa'i. For The Lion King, composer Hans Zimmer, pop star Elton John, and South African producer Lebo M all contributed to create the legendary soundtrack. See the similarities?
In early versions of the story, filmmakers made Maui the main character. Ultimately, story-building is a long process, and they veered a different way for a more relatable character over a demigod as a lead. To think we almost got "Mighty Maui" as a film.
The wave special effects in the film are breathtaking, and they were a huge part of the film's appeal from the start. About 80% of the shots have special effects, but they weren't going for photo-realism. Director Clements said, "We knew the ocean was going to be a huge part of the movie because it's such an important part of the culture and mythology...We deal in believability, not necessarily reality."
We were robbed of more Pua in the movie. Originally, he was supposed to go out on the adventure with Moana. Musker said, "The pig was supposed to go with her, but we sort of a little bit got talked out of it. They liked Moana being more isolated, stuck with this idiot rooster, and not having the comfort of having the pig with her. There were cute scenes that we don't have."
Johnson admitted his character Maui was partly inspired by his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa.
There are a sea-full of Disney easter eggs in the film. Obvious ones like when Maui transforms into Sven from Frozen. Less obvious: Flounder from The Little Mermaid appeared during "You're Welcome" in a brief swim-by.
Like Merida from Brave, Moana's character is an original Disney princess, not plucked from a fairy tale, making her the second of her kind.
This one was shocking to me: Miranda's involvement in the film dates back to 2014. Hamilton came out in 2015. This means the movie biz (and of course Broadway) already knew how special he was before he gained nationwide fame.
Cravalho performed as Ariel in ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!," a live-action concert rendition of The Little Mermaid in 2019. This makes her one of the few people to portray multiple Disney Princesses...and this was all as a teenager.
Moana's necklace symbolizes her connection to land and sea.
Still don't believe Moana was born to be a voyager of the sea? "Moana" means "ocean" in many Polynesian languages, including Maori and Hawaiian (origins of the name).
And lastly, there is extreme significance to when Moana discovers her people used to be voyagers. There is a reference to "The Long Pause," which happened in real life. It's lovely that Disney made a crucial part of this story as a period where navigators ceased exploring and settled down in their islands.
What is your favorite Moana moment? Sound off in the comments below!
Watch Moana on Disney+.