Moana isn’t another Cinderella story. That’s why she’s the best Disney princess.

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The first time I watched “Moana,” I was crying by the second scene. Baby Moana wanders off from story time with Gramma Tala and toddles toward the bright blue ocean. On the way, she grabs a leaf to protect a turtle from a predatory bird and gathers sea shells until she is faced with the wonderment of the ocean itself — a wall of vibrant fish, coral reefs and playful waves. It’s a feeling of awe that I, a Native Hawaiian woman born and raised in Hawaii, understand. The mana, or power, of the ocean sweeps over you. It calls you.

Now I live in the continental U.S., and Moana’s desire for cultural tradition speaks to me personally. But clearly, this isn’t just a film for people with Polynesian heritage. “Moana 2” hits theaters right in time for Thanksgiving, and is expected to be part of a massive box office weekend. The first film is one of Disney+’s most-streamed movies , logging over 80 billion minutes watched on the platform. I believe the film resonates with such a wide community of fans because it is one of the few Disney “princess” movies where the end goal isn’t finding your true male love. (See also, “Frozen.”) It’s about finding your deeper purpose, understanding where you come from and connecting to the world around you.

Now I live in the continental U.S., and Moana’s desire for cultural tradition speaks to me personally.

That this movie about a sea-faring teenager has become a beloved animated classic can’t be understated. On top of this week’s sequel, there is a live-action movie to be released in 2026. It has been heralded as the “ perfect Disney movie ” and “ one of the most empowering movies out there for young girls .” For a film that ostensibly takes place thousands of years ago, I’d argue it also feels like the most modern in the princess canon, refusing to cave to the Western morals of individualistic pleasure and happily-ever-after romance. Moana is a young woman who takes risks and relies on ancestral knowledge to save her community and the land that sustains them. This is not Cinderella trying to squeeze her foot into a high heel.

While “Mulan” grappled with East Asian notions of filial piety, “Moana” put her community’s culture at its … Read More