Elena is in Disney World, but Moana isn't -- why?

[Amelia :)]

I think it was just very easy to find a place for Elena... she's a Princess, she goes in Fairytale Hall. Moana isn't a princess and wouldn't really fit in fantasy land. It would be a matter of setting up a whole new meet and greet area I think.

 

[All Tangled Up]

I think Moana is difficult to cast. She's supposed to be a teenager, and Polynesian. All of the girls I've seen thus far have looked far too old, and seems to be of other ethnicities, and just aren't Moana. Now if only they'd give my 17-year-old niece a call, lol. We've laughed ever since we saw the first images of Moana because it looks exactly like her.

What do you mean they look too old? Snow White is 13 and all the friends of Snow White are lovely lol. If age or looking too old isn't an issue with Snow White, why would it be for Moana?

 

[Adkeesee]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by December they bring her back. My girls LOVE her

 

[lahobbs4]

DH and I got to see her over Marathon weekend with little wait time. Our whole family loves Moana and that soundtrack is phenomenal. I did not know she wasn't at WDW, so thanks for posting this. I would have gotten my kids' hopes up before our September trip. Fingers crossed she comes back!

 

[randumb0]

I don't think budget is the issue. It's not like the movie just popped out of nowhere. This is something that they've known well in advance.

 

[Regan117]

What do you mean they look too old? Snow White is 13 and all the friends of Snow White are lovely lol. If age or looking too old isn't an issue with Snow White, why would it be for Moana?

Every Moana I've seen looks like she's almost 30. The difference between Moana and Snow White, is that Moana is modern and new, and her "youth" was a big part of the storyline.

 

[yulilin3]

I don't think budget is the issue. It's not like the movie just popped out of nowhere. This is something that they've known well in advance.

budget is most likely the main issue
Face characters require more time to audition and then they need a lot of "friends" to be able to cast the role as opposed as fury friends that just need to be within a certain height range

 

[AngiTN]

I don't think budget is the issue. It's not like the movie just popped out of nowhere. This is something that they've known well in advance.

Yes it is. The cost to pay for her appearance at HS was paid for by the Movie's promotion budget. Just the the cost to pay for the appearance of Starlord and Groot there now is. When that budget runs out, the character will leave. It is a finite and planned for amount. Popularity has nothing at all to do with it.

Where popularity comes in to play is, do they need to then find a way to work this character in to another budget, the next time that budget it worked. In the case of Moana I think yes they do, and will. When that will happen, who knows. I don't know how far out they work the Theme Park M&G (Entertainment) budgets. But they can't use the same money to pay for it that was used to pay for it at HS. As far the funds are concerned, they are almost like competing divisions of the same company. They don't share money.

 

[maltdizzy]

Yes it is. The cost to pay for her appearance at HS was paid for by the Movie's promotion budget.

Moana has come and gone in the theaters and home video sales fall off drastically after the third week of release, and merchandise sales (which were better than expected) have dropped off considerably (unlike Frozen and Star Wars). By all accounts, WDW is working on giving her a proper presence in the parks, but Moana is now just another legacy IP.

Along similar lines, Elena is probably being paid for by a cross-promotional budget from Disney/ABC Television. As with most of these characters, once her show is off the air, you might never see her again.

 

[Texans_loyal]

i hope they bring her back by September! we are going to MNSSHP, niece will be moana and i will be te fiti.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Moana joins Fantasmic! later this year. Look for her on Steamboat Willie for the finale.

 

[KimBean]

I still think popularity is the issue. Why is it so hard to find Moana merchandise and Disney stores? It's not like they are sold out

I was in Disney Store for the first time in months yesterday. The store was half Moana. All the left side front was just Moana merchandise.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

I think it was just very easy to find a place for Elena... she's a Princess, she goes in Fairytale Hall. Moana isn't a princess and wouldn't really fit in fantasy land. It would be a matter of setting up a whole new meet and greet area I think.

“If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, then you’re a princess.”

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Moana's M&G was always meant to be temporary. It was obvious even to the regular park-goer. Rumors were going around forever that she'd be put in Adventureland, especially after Rafiki's meet was cut and nobody currently meets on the Veranda. Unfortunately, with the popularity of Moana, they'd probably want to have a really nice, more thematically sound M&G location for her. The Veranda has usually been used as a temporary location (e.g. Peter Pan during the ride queue refurb, Ariel & Eric during FL expansion, etc.) so I doubt it's ideal. There wasn't the convenience of Aurora having two M&G locations that eliminating her spot in Fairytale Hall for Elena wasn't a huge deal (since Elena, believe it or not, is really popular. (side note: HIGHLY recommend meeting her, she's very fun)). I believe what's been happening around the Veranda is in preparation for her tho so I'm sure she'll be back soon. They just want to make it nice and special and perfect for her.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Moana joins Fantasmic! later this year. Look for her on Steamboat Willie for the finale.

Any hints as to when "later this year" might be? We are going to be there mid-September and I'm really hoping she'll be back with a M&G in Adventureland. But if that doesn't happen, seeing her at Fantasmic would at least be a small consolation.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Any hints as to when "later this year" might be? We are going to be there mid-September and I'm really hoping she'll be back with a M&G in Adventureland. But if that doesn't happen, seeing her at Fantasmic would at least be a small consolation.

You may be a little too early - the change at Fant will occur when the Winter casting begins in late September/early October. Moana will be replacing Mulan.

 

[Aurora0427]

I still think popularity is the issue. Why is it so hard to find Moana merchandise and Disney stores? It's not like they are sold out

They are sold out.... Moana swimsuits, swim bags, and cover ups sold out before the end of April. I know, because I screwed up and didn't buy one.

As a side note, I think it's a failure by Disney not having Moana for a meet and greet. My daughter is a rising first grader... everyone is Moana obsesssed. I'm not really sure where these popularity posts are coming from.... Moana is extremely popular. Every bit as much as Elena.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You may be a little too early - the change at Fant will occur when the Winter casting begins in late September/early October. Moana will be replacing Mulan.

Bummer, but thanks for the info.

 

[randumb0]

They are sold out.... Moana swimsuits, swim bags, and cover ups sold out before the end of April. I know, because I screwed up and didn't buy one.

As a side note, I think it's a failure by Disney not having Moana for a meet and greet. My daughter is a rising first grader... everyone is Moana obsesssed. I'm not really sure where these popularity posts are coming from.... Moana is extremely popular. Every bit as much as Elena.

I was referring to merchandise more specifically related to dolls. You can't sell out of them if there isn't even a place for them in the store

 

[Aurora0427]

I was referring to merchandise more specifically related to dolls. You can't sell out of them if
there isn't even a place for them in the store

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but we have two Disney Store locations in my city, and they both have dolls. The Barbie style, plush, toddler etc etc.

Disney did the same thing with Moana they did with Frozen initially. They completely underestimated the demand for merchandise. I just purchased the new Moana backpack, lunch kit and water bottle for my daughter at our store. They sold out online last week in less than a day. Not sure if they've been replenished yet. The store manager told me I was smart to buy the Moana backpack now, as everything Moana sells quickly!