One of the most looked-forward-to changes at Epcot has to be the Moana section, Journey of Water! Part of it has been fully revealed with the Te Fiti Epcot statue. Which will be part of the Moana experience. It had previously been detailed during D23 where it was announced previously with a small replica. Now we can see how the amount of detail that will be part of the statue as it has been installed at Epcot.
First reveal took to social media
A picture of the 16-foot-tall Te Fiti statue that is now at EPCOT has been released by Walt Disney Imagineering. When Journey of Water Inspired by Moana opens in late 2023, the figurine will be present in the walkthrough experience. The statue was erected early this morning by outside collaborators.
The Instagram post states: “This morning, our project team at Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana welcomed Te Fiti at her position along the trail. This is a momentous milestone for the project team as we continue to bring this experience to life for EPCOT guests in Late 2023. Congratulations to the team of Imagineers and all of our partners that made this happen!”
What is this part of?
Te Fiti’s size and pose were finally decided upon by the Walt Disney Imagineering team. This was done by working on the walk-through attraction in collaboration with the Walt Disney Animation Studios. While computer models made by animators during the development of the Moana film were used to verify the most minor details, scale models were employed throughout the process to develop the color design of the figure.
The procedure started with the creation of maquettes, which are clay models. Before a more extensive model was made, these maquettes were used to determine the general dimensions of Te Fiti. In order to explore the various ways that the figure could represent the theme of protecting water, Imagineers consulted the Moana movie and used sketches and images.
Are you excited about the Te Fiti Epcot statue in the Moana area? Let us know in the comments below!