Marissa Molina’s Dream: Building Her Own Version of Disney Through Original Stories, Characters, and Experiences

For years, people have compared different creators and companies to Disney.

But for Marissa Molina, founder of Imagination Reality, the goal has never been to copy Disney.

The dream has always been to build something original.

Marissa Molina’s long-term vision is to create her own family entertainment company built around original characters, books, media, music, products, live events, and immersive experiences that nurture, uplift, and empower children.

Like Walt Disney, Marissa believes stories are not just entertainment. Stories shape how children see themselves, what they believe is possible, and who they are becoming.

That belief is at the center of everything she creates.

Who Is Marissa Molina?

Marissa Molina a Maui-based children’s author, creator, and founder of Imagination Reality.

She began her career creating live character experiences for children through birthday parties, school visits, community events, and performances across Maui.

For years, Marissa worked in the character entertainment industry, where performers often portrayed well-known characters inspired by major movies and brands.

While that approach was common throughout the industry, something about it never fully settled with her.

Marissa loved the magic, wonder, and excitement that children felt when they met those characters, but deep down, she knew she wanted to create something original.

She did not want to spend her life working around copyright restrictions, changing names, or building someone else’s world. She wanted to build her own.

Imagination Reality Branding

At the center of Marissa Molina’s work is one core belief:

Children deserve stories that help them feel seen, safe, imaginative, and capable of becoming who they are meant to be.

That belief is reflected in the core message behind her brand:

Dream (hope). Believe (imagine). Become (create).

For Marissa, these ideas work together.

She believes children need stories that remind them it is okay to dream, okay to hope, okay to believe in something bigger, and okay to imagine a different future for themselves.

That is the trunk.

Everything else is a branch.

The books, characters, costumes, events, music, merchandise, YouTube videos, educational programs, and future products are all branches of the same tree.

The purpose underneath it all is to nurture, uplift, and empower children.

Marissa often describes imagination and reality coexisting together. She believes imagination is not an escape from reality. Imagination is a tool children use to process reality, understand emotions, build confidence, find hope, dream bigger, and create who they are becoming.

Building Original Worlds Like Walt Disney

One reason Disney became so successful is because Walt Disney built more than movies.

Disney built characters people loved.

Disney built worlds people wanted to revisit.

Disney built music, products, television, theme parks, costumes, books, and traditions around those worlds.

Marissa Molina hopes to do the same thing in her own way. (No Spoilers! haha)

Poi ’n Kai: Building a Futuristic Children’s World

One of Marissa Molina’s first original worlds is "Poi n Kai" children's book series. The series follows two best friends training to become Guardians on the futuristic planet Maka. Through adventure, friendship, and emotional lessons, Poi and Kai learn important virtues like discipline, respect, kindness, perseverance, humility, and bravery.

The Poi ’n Kai world includes futuristic islands, Guardian schools, underwater clans, emotional themes, humor, technology, teamwork, and community.

But underneath the adventure is something deeper. The series is designed to help children learn how to handle failure, bullying, self-doubt, friendship, identity, and purpose.

It is not just about becoming stronger. It is about discovering who you are.

Eggwish: Creating New Family Traditions

Another major branch of Marissa Molina’s world building is "Eggwish".

Eggwish is a gentle Easter story centered around hope, becoming, and remembering what was always inside you. The story follows a little girl, Eleanor, who makes a wish, while magical creatures in Easter Hollow create a special egg designed just for her.

Unlike many Easter books that focus only on candy or egg hunts, Eggwish focuses on emotional growth, encouragement, and identity.

The message behind Eggwish is simple:

A wish is not about what you want or becoming someone else.

A wish is about discovering who you already are.

Marissa Molina hopes Eggwish becomes more than a book. She hopes it becomes a yearly family tradition with Wish Kits, live characters, events, music, coloring books, and seasonal experiences.

Why Original Characters Matter

Marissa Molina believes original characters matter because they create emotional connection.

Children remember the stories that made them feel brave. They remember the characters that made them feel understood. They remember the songs, traditions, and worlds that gave them comfort. That is why Marissa’s goal is not simply to publish books. Her goal is to build a universe of original characters and stories that children can grow up with.

Just like previous generations had Disney princesses, Winnie the Pooh, or Mickey Mouse, Marissa hopes future generations will have characters like Poi, Kai, Everhop, and original worlds like Eggwish and Diamond Island (Poi n Kai).

The Long-Term Vision for Imagination Reality

Imagination Reality is more than a "publishing" or "entertainment" company. It is the beginning of a larger dream that Marissa knows will take time to grow. She is hoping to be lucky enough to see her vision become a reality in her lifetime.

At its core, the mission remains the same:

To nurture, uplift, and empower children through imagination.

Marissa Molina may be building her "own version of Disney", but she is doing it in a way that reflects her own heart, values, voice, and purpose. Because for her, the dream has never been about becoming the next Disney.

The dream has always been about creating something that will outlive her own name.