Essex's only children's hospice, Little Havens, has unveiled a breathtaking island garden inspired by Disney's Moana, created in collaboration with viral landscaping duo The Green Genie Brothers and The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland. The immersive, multi-sensory space opened ahead of the live-action Moana film, which premiered in cinemas on 10 July 2026.
First visitor: six-year-old Millie
Among the first to experience the garden was six-year-old Millie, who has been supported by Little Havens since 2021. Diagnosed with Congenital Myopathy—a muscle disorder affecting muscles inside and outside her body—Millie cut the ribbon alongside Little Havens CEO Louise Bryan, Disney's Vice President of Marketing Dan Radford, and The Green Genie Brothers.
Millie's mother, Jay Farr, said: "Millie is such a huge Disney fan, so watching her face when she saw the garden for the first time was pure joy. She loved driving round looking at the characters, and particularly liked Tamatoa and his treasure. The evening was wonderful, and you could tell that every single person involved truly cared about what they had created."
Jay added: "While we were there, they told Millie the meaning behind the shell and rock centrepiece—that it represents a community, a family—and she loved this."
Garden features and accessibility
The Pacific oasis-inspired garden combines hard landscaping with a relaxed tropical atmosphere. Features include a large bamboo entrance, handcrafted fale (houses), lush planting, natural stone features, and a bespoke carving of Moana's rooster friend Heihei crafted from a tree stump. A striking pebble manta ray set into the garden floor pays tribute to the film's motifs, while a dynamic water feature and carefully designed lighting create a fully immersive sensory experience.
Designed with accessibility in mind, the garden ensures every child—regardless of their needs—can enjoy it to the fullest. Jay Farr noted: "Millie, and other families like ours, go through so much, so when we sit in the garden, we will be reminded that we are not alone, and that is just beautiful."
Green Genie Brothers' legacy project
The garden's design and build were led by Bristol-based luxury landscape gardening duo Jake and Ethan Thorne, known as The Green Genie Brothers. Jake Thorne said: "We've built some incredible spaces over the years, but nothing has meant more to us than this. Knowing that every stone, every light and every sound in this garden is going to bring something special for families to enjoy, that's a legacy we're incredibly proud of."
He added: "Working with Disney to bring Moana's world to life for the children at Little Havens has been a huge privilege. We've had people travel from all over the country to be part of this and enable us to pull this project off in such a short time."
Disney's commitment to children's hospices
This project is part of Disney's long-standing collaboration with Together for Short Lives, the national charity supporting children's hospices across the UK. Since 2017, The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland has worked with the charity to bring joy to seriously ill children and create moments that matter for the whole family. This is part of Disney's mission to deliver over one million magical moments of comfort and togetherness for children across EMEA by 2030.
Dan Radford, Vice President of Marketing at The Walt Disney Company, said: "Creating moments of joy for children and families facing serious illness is at the heart of Disney's social impact work. This garden is a wonderful reminder of how stories like Moana can be brought to life and provide a sense of escape, comfort, and togetherness for families when it's needed most."
The Moana-inspired garden is now open and available for children and families at Little Havens Hospice to enjoy during their visits and stays.
