Moana is the main heroine of the animated musical fantasy adventure film of the same name, first released in the US in 2016 and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios (Wikipedia contributors, 2025). She is a brave Polynesian girl who sets off on a journey across the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti, guided by the demigod Maui. The movie became a huge success, grossing over $643 million worldwide and making Moana an iconic Disney character.
In 2024, Disney released Moana 2 as a continuation of the first story. This time, Moana embarks on a new adventure beyond the shores of her home island. The sequel became even more popular than the first, raising over $1 billion worldwide.
However, children in Europe know Moana by a different name than American audiences. For example, in Italy, the movie was released as Oceania, and Moana’s name was changed to Vaiana. Disney never officially explained the change, but many believe it was to avoid confusion with Moana Pozzi, a famous Italian adult film actress (Welsh, 2025). In other European countries like France, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands, the name Vaiana was also used due to trademark restrictions (Welsh, 2025).
Figure 1. Moana character image. From Vaiana, by Disney Wiki, n.d. https://disney.fandom.com/nl/wiki/Vaiana
Figure 2. Moana doll product image. From eBay, n.d. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/201811984207
Figure 3. Moana concept art. From Moana, by Behance, n.d. https://www.behance.net/gallery/48195031/Moana