New Disney Princess ‘Moana' Finds Her Voice

It's been nearly a year since we heard of the newest Disney princess to grace our presence, and now we know the voice behind the animated face.

Auli'i Cravalho was just announced as the actress who will voice the character of Moana who, according to co-director John Musker, is "indomitable, passionate and a dreamer with a unique connection to the ocean itself. She's the kind of character we all root for, and we can't wait to introduce her to audiences."

"Moana is such an amazing character," the 14-year-old native Hawaiian tells People. "She's brave, she is so empowered, she knows what she wants and she's not afraid to get it, and I think that's something that I can relate to as well. I just love watching how she goes along in this wonderful movie and grows as a person and helps her culture along the way."

As we prepare to fully meet the latest Disney family member on the big screen (which is slated for a Nov. 23, 2016 release), here are six reasons Moana just may be one of the best Disney princesses yet...

1. She Brings Diversity: Moana is the first Polynesian princess, which adds more diversity to the Disney princess lineup, and you gotta love that.

2. New Animated Heights: Speaking of firsts, this film also marks the first CG-animated flick for Ron Clements and John Musker, the team responsible for "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "The Princess and the Frog."

3. The Nature Element Is Real: One of the things the filmmakers learned when researching this movie is that Polynesians had a very deep connection with the ocean, looking at the body of water as if they were a friend or person. So they made sure to illustrate that in the film by drawing a connection between Moana and the ocean from a very young age, as well holding onto a seashell she found as a baby.

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4. The Rock Is Her Sidekick: In case you've forgotten, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays Maui, her hero and a legendary demi-god, who helps Moana navigate the undoubtedly action-packed journey. 

5. Moana's Badass: The story revolves around the new Disney princess hoping to find the long lost island she's heard about in stories in order to connect with her heritage. However, during this journey she'll have to battle bad monsters of the deep and confront a vengeful land spirit, who will be visualized with volcanic black skin and lava hair.

6. She's a Mix of Some of Our Favorites: Some of Moana's ideals and virtues remind us of other Disney princesses that we adore, such as Mulan, Pocahontas and more.

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