12 Surprising Facts About Te Fiti

EPCOT is preparing to welcome a brand new attraction to World Nature this fall: Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana! This immersive walk-through trail will give guests a chance to interact and even “play with magical, living water” while surrounded by characters and theming from Moana.

Both literally and figuratively, one major part of Journey of Water has loomed large over the project: guests will encounter the goddess Te Fiti. We were first introduced to this goddess of nature in the film, Moana, and now we’re going to explore some of the most surprising fun facts about her!

1. She is depicted as a goddess of creation, who has the power to create life in the world.

   

2. Te Fiti does not exist in Polynesian mythology, but there is a goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes called Pele.
3. The spiral on Te Fiti’s heart, Moana’s necklace, and on the sail of her boat is called a koru.

   

4. Te Fiti slightly resembles the Spring Sprite from the Firebird Suite segment in Fantasia 2000.

   

5. Te Ka slightly resembles the firebird that the sprite accidentally awakens.
6. Both Te Fiti and Te Kā are goddesses of the earth, albeit in differing ways. Te Fiti is a more obvious representation, being manifested by lush greens and plant life, symbolizing the earth’s nature. On the opposite side, Te Kā is manifested by lava and magma, which, when combined with water, creates land. Despite their different ideals, both elements add to the planet.

   

7. Te Kā and Te Fiti are, in a sense, polar opposites, with differing goals and ideals; while Te Fiti wishes to spread life and beauty, Te Kā seeks to bring death and corruption.

   

8. Te Fiti’s purity lies deep within Te Kā. Should someone call to it, as Moana did during the climax, she will slowly ease her tension and succumb to her inner, gentle nature.

   

9. The way Te Kā crawls toward Moana as she parts the sea is very reminiscent of Ursula from The Little Mermaid as she reclaims Ariel.

   

10. In EPCOT’s World Nature, she is 16 feet tall

    

11. She is made of over 3,200 pieces of scenic foliage and over 180 feet of vines.

    

12. The Imagineering team worked with Disney Animation to finalize her pose and size.

    

Keep following AllEars for the latest Disney news and updates, and even more fun facts and trivia about Disney’s latest projects!

Everything We Know About Te Fiti Coming to EPCOT

How many of these facts did you already know about Te Fiti? Share your Te Fiti facts in the comments below!