The wildly popular animated film Moana created a huge wave of fans hoping for the chance to meet the brave and tenacious adventurer.
You would think with how popular she is you’d be able to meet her year-round, but that isn’t true.
If you’d like to meet Moana at Disney World you’ll need to do some advanced planning.
Here’s what you need to know…
It’s a party!
If you have your heart set on meeting Moana, you won’t have to cross an ocean but you will need to plan ahead and attend one of Magic Kingdom’s 2 main parties: either Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP).
Attending one of the parties is the only way you are able to meet Moana at Disney World.
MNSSHP basics
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is one of the most popular of all the premium events you can attend at Magic Kingdom.
Held several times each week between mid-August and the end of October (and sometimes even until November 1), this fun (and family-friendly) party celebrates all things Halloween, in a not-so-scary way.
The party includes all sorts of cool stuff like special entertainment and firework shows, themed food, trick-or-treating, and even characters you can’t find anywhere else.
All of this comes at a cost, however.
Advanced ticket prices for MNSSHP start at $79 and go up to $115 depending on the day.
If you wait until the day of to buy a ticket (which we generally don’t recommend) you’ll pay $10 more per ticket.
MVMCP basics
From the beginning of November up through the week before Christmas, several times a week Magic Kingdom is transformed into a holiday wonderland complete with festive decorations, fun seasonal entertainment offerings, exclusive fireworks and stage shows, and even cups of hot cocoa and cookies.
Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party start at $99 and go up $139 per ticket, and like with the Halloween Party, if you wait to buy your ticket the day of the event you’ll pay $10 more per ticket.
Where does Moana meet?
During both MNSSHP and MVMCP Moana greets her guests in the queue area of the Enchated Tiki Room (which is located in Adventureland).
The queue for this line is outside but it is covered (which is nice in case it rains).
What’s the best time to visit?
Even though the parties don’t start until 7 p.m., your ticket will get you in starting at 4 p.m. (and DVC owners and guests can get in starting at 2 p.m.!).
And, although things don’t officially kick off until that 7 p.m. start time the most popular characters will start meeting earlier.
In Moana’s case, people will start lining up beginning around 4:30 and she starts greeting guests around 5:45.
If you want to get a head start before the party, plan to line up as close to 4:30 as possible. By doing this, you should be able to hop into another line before the party officially starts at 7 p.m.
For the shortest waits, head to see Moana during the last half of the party as wait times decrease throughout the evening (30 minute waits are common after 9:00).
Important note: before you can get in line you’ll need to make sure you get your party wristband. You can do that at the front of the park (if you are entering around 4 p.m.) or there are wristband stations inside the park where you’ll be able to get one.
Plan to try to meet Moana, Jack and Sally, and the Seven Dwarfs in one night?
If your plan is to meet these 3 popular characters you’ll need to be more strategic and you’ll probably need to make some sacrifices.
It is possible, but it may require you to miss either the parade or fireworks.
But, if you don’t mind that we recommend you start by lining up for the Seven Dwarfs around 5 p.m., meet them and then focus the next few hours on other characters or party-related activities.
Meet Moana during the 1st parade or the fireworks and then get in line for Jack and Sally no later than 11:15 p.m.
Can’t make it before the party starts?
If, by chance, you can’t get there to hop in line right at 4:30 p.m., your next best option to avoid long waits and wasting a lot of official party time is to hop in line towards the end of the night.
Because the line can get cut off before the party ends, we don’t recommend you wait until any later than about 11:15 p.m. to do that.
Tips for meeting Moana at Disney World
- Do you consider yourself a huge fan? Don’t be afraid to dress up a bit! Here’s some costume tips to help you with that.
- Grab a Dole Whip to snack on before jumping in line
- If you don’t have Memory Maker you can purchase Memory Maker One Day which will let you download and save all of your party pics
- Get nervous meeting characters? Here’s some things you can talk about:
- ask her if she’s gone on any adventures lately
- ask how Hei-Hei is doing
- ask how Maui is doing
How to meet other characters
- 5 ways to ride Rise of the Resistance without long waits - February 23, 2022
- Disney quietly increases ticket prices - February 17, 2022
- Disney (once again) ending indoor mask policy for vaccinated guests - February 15, 2022
Kim
Friday 20th of September 2019
Moana was there this year?!?!?!? I asked cast members and looked but did not see her at MNSSHP on 8/20. My 5 year old was so upset he couldn't meet her.
Shannon Albert
Monday 23rd of September 2019
Yep! The pics in this post from the Halloween party were taken on 8/20, in fact. Cast Members have a cheat sheet they carry during the parties to help locate characters. Frustrating that the one(s) you asked couldn't point you in the right direction.