Catherine Laga'aia Tours Journey of Water at EPCOT and Talks Becoming Moana

Catherine Laga'aia, who plays the title role in Disney's live-action Moana, tours Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT in a new Disney Parks video. Between stops she talks about seeing her culture on screen at nine, filming on the water in Hawaii, and the mantra that grounded her on set. The film, with Dwayne Johnson as Maui, is now in theaters.

Catherine Laga'aia, the star of Disney's live-action Moana, walks through Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT in a new video from Disney Parks. Between stops on the water-filled trail she answers questions about landing the role, filming in Hawaii, and the mantra that carried her through the shoot. The film, with Dwayne Johnson as Maui, is now playing in theaters.

Seeing her culture on screen at nine

The walk starts with what the original 2016 film meant to her. "I was so inspired by it 'cause it was kind of the first time I got to see a version of myself on screen," Laga'aia says of watching the animated Moana. "It was the first time I really saw my culture represented on screen in a way that was accessible to me as kind of a nine-year-old kid. So it was a very cool experience to have so young."

She hopes the new film lands the same way: "I could only hope that this movie does the same thing for the next generation of kids."

Filming in Hawaii and learning to be brave

Asked what connected her to the character, Laga'aia points to the production itself. "I think being in Hawaii and getting to be on the water and actually do what Moana was doing, I think that just provides an insane connection to the character," she says.

The overlap goes beyond the shoot. "I think I'm most like Moana in A, my friendship with the water. B, I think we're both very brave people," she says. "I had to learn a lot while filming this movie, and Moana had to learn a lot while she was sailing. And I think both of those things made us both very, very brave."

Pua over Hei Hei, and a turtle over everything

The lighter questions get real deliberation. Picking a companion for her own ocean voyage, Laga'aia weighs both sidekicks before choosing the pig who got left behind. "I wanna say Hei Hei because he was on the original journey with us, but I think I'm gonna go with Pua 'cause he didn't get to come the first time," she says. "He seemed a little nervous, but I think we could like coach him into enjoying it."

The trail delivers on cue; she spots Pua along the path moments later. "Oh, look who it is. It's Pua. Hi, buddy."

And if she could shapeshift like Maui, she would go with a sea turtle. "I think they play such a vital part in the beginning of Moana's story, and I remember sailing in Hawaii and getting to see them on the water. So I'd do a turtle."

The mantra that grounded her

Asked about a moment on set where she felt she had truly embodied the character, Laga'aia goes straight to Moana's declaration: "I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti!"

"That moment always connected me back to the 2016 version, and it always made me feel very grounded and very safe in what I was doing," she says. "It reminded me of what I was there to do and what I was here for, and it's a very inspiring thing to say to yourself, to kind of hype yourself up like that. So as much as that mantra did for Moana, I think it did the same for me."

Her verdict on the trail

The attraction itself wins her over. Passing the Moana figure along the path, she reacts in real time: "Oh, wow. There she is. Oh, she looks stunning."

"I am so excited to get to be here at Journey of Water. I feel like this is the closest I'm ever gonna be to being on set again," she says. "Everything is so beautiful and vibrant. I think this is a perfect representation of what these movies feel like to be a part of and feel like to watch. It's also a great representation of the beautiful islands that this movie represents."

Planning your own walk-through

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is a self-guided outdoor trail in EPCOT's World Nature neighborhood, open since October 2023 and included with regular park admission. Guests follow a path of interactive water features that respond to touch and movement, the same elements Laga'aia explores in the video. Disney's Moana, starring Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson, is now playing in theaters; attraction details are at disneyworld.disney.go.com.