Things I missed on the first viewing (spoilers)

I'm not talking about Easter eggs. I'm talking about elements that truly enhances the movie's storytelling.

My list:
Baby Moana helping the baby sea turtle. She doesn't simply pick it up and carry it to the water. She merely protects it while it gathers the strength to make it to the ocean. The ocean is very much this to Moana. It only helps so much in keeping her alive and having her stay the course. But she succeeds because she takes what she learns on her journey.


Grandma Tala, on her deathbed, has a tapestry behind her. The image? A manta ray leading the way to Maui. What does Moana follow to make it past the reef? The spirit of Tala in the form of a manta ray (which just make the preceding scenes sadder).

Maui & Te Fiti both losing items their identities are attached to and neither one feeling like their real self without said item (though Te Fiti's heart and resulting consequences of missing it are much more dangerous to the world).

That status quo song "Where you are" having the lyric:

[Moana]: 'Cause every path leads you back to
[Villagers]: Where you are

And this line from "We know the Way":

And when it’s time to find home,
We know the way.

It's like the movie is telling us no matter how far you go, you'll always find home.