Transport your guests to a tropical paradise with a Moana Dinner! We have beautiful tablescape & decor ideas, a complete menu with all the delicious recipes, and fun activities the whole family will enjoy. Get all the resources you need to create a memorable Moana themed Disney dinner below!
About Moana
Disney’s Moana is an inspiring and beautiful film about courage and following your heart. The story follows the journey of Moana, a Polynesian princess, who loves the ocean but is forbidden to go near it. On her journey, Moana meets Maui, a shape shifting demigod of the wind and sea. Together they embark on an adventure across the sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
Moana is based on Polynesian mythology. The writers did extensive research to make the film as accurate and possible. The story takes place around 2,000 years ago and the writers actually researched what the night sky would have looked like at that time. In addition, Moana’s wardrobe was made exclusively of materials available during that period in history. Moana was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and was released in 2016.
the Tablescape & Decor
We were inspired by the lush landscapes and vibrant colors of the film and hosted the dinner outdoors under our pergola. Our table was dressed in white to offset the vibrant flowers, jungle leaves, and tropical fruits that filled our table.
We enjoyed using The Kijani Company’s palm leaf dinnerware for this dinner. Each of these plates is uniquely beautiful in color and texture. They added a casual elegance to the table that we loved. We used a 10″ palm leaf plate and set a white square salad plate on top.
Each place setting was topped with a ruffly Gigi Coral mum that we picked up at our farmer’s market. We added a coral cotton napkin and hurricane glass featuring our signature mocktail.
For our centerpiece, we filled a wooden tray with tropical leaves, fresh fruits, and an arrangment of coral, fuchsia, white blooms arranged in a hollowed out pineapple. The decor made us feel as if we were in a tropical paradise!
The look is easy to duplicate with whatever tropical fruits you have at your local market. We used papaya, star fruit, mango, kiwi, mini bananas, and coconuts. To hollow out the pineapple, watch this video from Alaska Granny. We added a jelly jar to the inside of the pineapple and filled it with water before adding our flowers.
Favors are a such a great way to add a personal touch to a dinner party. We sent our guests home with a fun coconut sipper and pretty floral lei.
The Menu
One of our family’s favorite dining experiences at Walt Disney World is Ohana at the Polynesian resort. This resort absolutely transports its guests to a tropical paradise in sights, sounds, and flavors. We were inspired by their Twilight Feast that is served at Ohana for this meal. Get all our recipes below.
Te Fiti Sunrise
The Te Fiti Sunrise is a non-alcoholic drink brimming with flavors of the tropics – pineapple, guava, and orange juices. Rose grenadine gives a beautiful ombre appearance. We garnished our drinks with a cherry and wedge of pineapple. They were beautiful and refreshing! Get the recipe here.
Tropical Fruit Salad
We served fresh tropical fruits in a coconut half as an appetizer. Cubed kiwi, mango, and pineapple combined with sweet strawberries and tart star fruit offered a delicious palette of colors and flavors. Get our recipe here.
Ohana Noodles with Tofu, Veggies & Potstickers
We love Ohana noodles! For this dinner we created a vegetarian Polynesian platter inspired by the flavors of this infamous Disney favorite. Ohana noodles get their delicious flavor from a pineapple glaze. We stir fried our tofu triangles along with some fresh veggies in the pineapple glaze. Delicious! We served our favorite veggie potstickers on the side. Get our recipe for Ohana noodles here.
Pina Colada Mousse Cups
These individual pina colada mousse cups were such a treat! Creamy pineapple mousse is layered with a toasted coconut crumble and topped with whipped cream. We garnished the desserts with a small wedge of pineapple and a cherry. Get the recipe from Glorious Treats here.
Moana Coconut Cream Cupcakes
These moist coconut cupcakes are filled with coconut cream and are topped with coconut buttercream. We topped ours with soft pink fondant flowers that we created using this fondant and these molds. These cupcakes are a coconut lover’s dream! Get the recipe from Life Love and Sugar here.
MIni Ohana Bread Puddings
Ohana Bread Pudding is a Disney fan favorite. This warm bread pudding is topped with bananas fosters sauce, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We like adding a little caramel sauce to the top. We modified Disney’s recipe to create individual Ohana Bread Puddings. They were the perfect portion size and so easy to serve. Get our recipe for Ohana Bread Pudding here.
Fun Activities
Our family is in the process of traveling around the world through Disney movies. To see our other destinations click here.
Our family enjoys learning about the culture and geography of each destination in our Around the World with Disney Movies series and this was no exception. We are experiential learners and love immersing ourselves through listening, reading, and hands-on activities! Click on the image below to check out our round-up of educational Polynesian activities.
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