Moana's back, and this time she's bringing her infectious energy into the real world. "Hamilton" director Thomas Kail makes his feature debut with a live-action remake of Disney's 2016 animated hit.
Starring Catherine Laga'aia in her first film role, Dwayne Johnson, John Tui, Frankie Adams, Rena Owen and Jemaine Clement, this island-hopping musical is playing in theaters right now. But how long will it be before you can watch it from the comfort of your own couch?
Since it just hit theaters, "Moana" isn't available on any of the best streaming services just yet. Here's the good news, though: Based on Disney's recent release patterns, we can make a solid guess about when you'll be able to rent, buy and stream it at home. If you're curious about when you should start planning for a movie night, we've got the answers right here. Keep reading to find out.
When can we expect 'Moana' to arrive on streaming?
As of right now, "Moana" is still in theaters after opening nationwide on July 10. If you'd rather hold out for a home release, though, you probably won't wait as long as you might think.
Disney doesn't rush to get its movies on digital, but it's settled into a rhythm you can nearly set a watch by. For a live-action adaptation like this one, the studio usually keeps films in theaters for about eight weeks before sending them to premium video-on-demand (PVOD), and it almost always makes the drop on a Tuesday. "Snow White" got 53 days. "Lilo & Stitch" got 60.
That puts "Moana" on track to reach digital rental and purchase platforms like Amazon and Apple TV in early September 2026, with September 1 and September 8 as two dates to mark on your calendar as potential debut dates.
Physical media follows an even tighter schedule. Both "Snow White" and "Lilo & Stitch" arrived on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD exactly 95 days after opening, which would land "Moana" around October 13. Disney tends to announce the digital date only a week or two ahead.
As for streaming by subscription, "Moana" has a guaranteed home on Disney+, because Disney owns it. It's important to note that Disney's recent release windows have moved with the box office. "Lilo & Stitch," which crossed $1 billion worldwide, took 103 days. "Snow White," which flopped, went to Disney+ after just 82 days.
The live-action "Moana" opened with a disappointing box office haul, roughly $45 million domestically against projections closer to $65 million, which argues for the shorter runway. Expect it on Disney+ somewhere between late September and late October 2026.
For now, renting or buying digitally will be the fastest way to watch at home once that window opens. If you need to see it before then, you're making a trip to the theater. But you can always stream the original on Disney+ right now.
What is 'Moana' about?
"Moana" follows the teenage daughter of a Polynesian chief (Catherine Laga'aia), who's next in line to lead the island of Motunui. She's spent her whole life being told by her father (John Tui), never to sail past the reef.
When the fish vanish from the lagoon and the coconut groves start to rot, her grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) hands her the heart of the goddess Te Fiti and tells her the truth: their people were voyagers, and the island is dying because a demigod stole the heart a thousand years ago.
That demigod is Maui (Dwayne Johnson), stranded on a rock and missing the magical fishhook that gave him his powers. Moana drags him back out onto the water to put the heart back where it belongs, which means getting past a treasure-hoarding crab named Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement) and the lava demon who marooned Maui there in the first place.
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