Theme park live adaptations ofThe Lion King

There have been seventheme park live adaptations ofThe Lion KingatDisney parkssince the Disney animated feature filmThe Lion Kingwas released byWalt Disney Animation Studiosin 1994. These have included a parade, twotheater-in-the-roundshows (both of which are versions of Festival of the Lion King), and four stage shows (three of which are live musical stage show retellings of the story with costumed performers).

The Lion King Celebration

The Lion King Celebration
Disneyland
Area	Main Street, U.S.A. It's A Small World
Status	Removed
Opening date	June 1, 1994
Closing date	June 1, 1997
Replaced	Aladdin's Royal Caravan
Replaced by	Hercules' Victory Parade
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Parade
Theme	The Lion King
Floats	6

The Lion King Celebrationwas a parade that ran atDisneyland Parkin California from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1997. The parade's design centered around the story ofSimba,the main protagonist ofThe Lion King,as if it were a tale passed down in Africa for generations.The lineup featured six floats designed around different aspects of African culture, dancers dressed in animal costumes, and a Pride Rock float featuring Simba and Nala.

The design of the parade had strong roots in traditional African artwork, featuring vibrant colors, traditional designs, and dance routines based on traditional African dances.The parade featured six floats, accompanied by a total of 89 cast members. This included 56 dancers, 12 puppeteers, 10 acrobatic pole dancers, 6 musicians and 5 remote control operators.The Lion King Celebrationalso featured the first use ofAudio-Animatronicsin a Disneyland parade as well as the first use of "Puppetronics",a technique used to create the large, lifelike animal puppets featured on the floats. Puppetronics allowed the animatronic animals to be controlled by a puppeteer but still retain complex movement, allowing for a smoother and more realistic performance.

A commemorativeVHS,hosted byRobert Guillaume,was released by the park featuring the parade and behind-the-scenes footage.After the parade's run ended in 1997, four of the floats were moved toDisney's Animal Kingdomfor theFestival of the Lion Kingshow. Other assets from the parade were reused in other parades, includingWalt Disney's Parade of Dreams.

Plot

Set to a mostly instrumental version of the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King",the first characters to appear are tworhinoceroses,followed by tribal dancers, drummers and a float featuringZazuandRafikiwith two giraffes. Zazu and Rafiki introduce the parade as it continues downMain Street, U.S.A.orIt's a Small World,depending on where you viewed it from.

Next, a herd of gazelle dancers dressed in spandex costumes with hoods precede a float with tribal gazelle designs pushed along by wildebeest dancers. They are followed by a group of tribal crane dancers, the elephant float and two remote-controlled crocodiles. The elephant on the float occasionally shoots a stream of water from its trunk. In the first year of the show, the larger "mother" elephant was preceded by a smaller "baby" elephant whose costume was similar to that of the previously mentionedrhinoceroses,only larger. Two pole dancers dressed in tribal bird costumes walk at the sides.

Leopard dancers dance around the Rainforest float, which features monkey dancers on swings and Pumbaa on the back. Pumbaa talks to Timon, who follows behind while chasing three remote-controlled bugs including ascorpionand arhinoceros beetle.

Two tribal-bird pole dancers lead the Drum Dancer float, which features drummers, dancers and percussionists in colourful, vibrant tribal costumes.

The last float - Pride Rock - is led by a group of zebra and cheetah dancers, two tribal elephant dancers and two tribal bird dancers. Simba stands atop Pride Rock while Nala roars and drums out the beat with her paw at the foot of the float. Above them, Mufasa's face is represented in a spinning sun design. The end of the parade is marked by two tribal zebra performers holding a rope.

The parade eventually stops and Mufasa's bass voice is heard telling Simba to take his place in the Circle of Life. The song "Circle of Life"begins to play and the dancers dance and leap around the floats as the drummers drum along to the song. At the end of the song, Simba roars and white doves are released from one of the floats, symbolizing hope and peace.

Festival of the Lion King

Festival of the Lion King
Scene from the show's finale at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Name	A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King(2021–2022)
Area	Camp Minnie–Mickey(1998–2014) Africa(2014–present)
Status	Operating
Soft opening date	May 8, 2021 (A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King)
Opening date	April 22, 1998 (original) June 1, 2014 (relocation) May 15, 2021 (reopening) July 16, 2022 (revamped version)
Replaced by	Pandora – The World ofAvatar(original)
Hong Kong Disneyland
Area	Adventureland
Status	Operating
Opening date	September 12, 2005
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Musical show
Model	Theatre in the round
Theme	The Lion King
Music	Selections from the movie soundtrack byElton John(music) andTim Rice(lyrics) plus other material.
Audience capacity	2,210 (Hong Kong) per show
Duration	30:00
Show hosts	Kiume, Nakawa, Kibibi, Zawadi andTimon(Orlando) The Storyteller (Hong Kong)
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Available
Wheelchair accessible

Festival of the Lion Kingis the name of two live stage musicals, one performed atDisney's Animal KingdominWalt Disney World,and the other inAdventurelandatHong Kong Disneyland.The shows, original interpretations of the Disney animated filmThe Lion King,use songs, dance, puppetry and visual effects to portray a tribal celebration in anAfricansavannasetting filled withlions,elephants,giraffes,birds,zebrasandgazelles.

Disney's Animal Kingdom version

A dancer during a performance ofFestival of the Lion Kingat Disney's Animal Kingdom.

TheDisney's Animal Kingdomversion of the show is presented as a celebration with Simba and his friends, including a band of four human singers. The show is in the form of arevue,and not a condensed version of either the film or Broadway show. The show featuresElton JohnandTim Rice'saward-winning musicfrom the movie.

The show is performed inside an enclosedtheater-in-the-round.Guests sit in four sections, each designated with an animal name:Giraffe,Elephant,Warthog,Lion.These animals are represented by large puppets on parade-style floats, which were originally built forDisneyland'sThe Lion King Celebrationparade.The show is hosted by four performers dressed in costumes inspired by traditional African dress. Each has aSwahiliname: Kiume (meaning "masculine and strong" ), Nakawa ( "good-looking" ), Kibibi ( "princess" ), and Zawadi ( "the gift" ).

After the hosts welcome the audience to the show, the curtains open and a procession of dancers, puppeteers, andstilt walkersenter the theater ( "I Just Can't Wait to Be King"). Among them areLion KingcharactersSimba,Pumbaa(both puppets on floats), andTimon(played by a live performer). Acts include gymnastic "Tumble Monkeys" ( "Hakuna Matata"), afire knife-twirling "hyena"("Be Prepared"), and anaerial dancefeaturing performers dressed as birds ( "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"), leading to an interactive sing-along ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight"). The finale features reprises of all of these acts, ending with"Circle of Life".

Relocation

Due to the construction ofPandora – The World ofAvatarreplacing Camp Minnie-Mickey (which was the show's original location), the show went into a five-month hiatus while a new theater, theHarambe Theater,was constructed in an unused denseforestarea in the Africa section of the park.

Construction on the Harambe Theater was completed in May 2014 and the show reopened there on June 1, 2014. This relocation was part of a wider expansion of Africa, which included a new path, restrooms, and new restaurants.

2020 labor dispute

When Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020 following theCOVID-19shutdown, all stage shows such asFinding Nemo– The Musical,Beauty and the BeastLive on Stage,Festival of the Lion King, and theIndiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!remained closed due to a dispute between theActors’ Equity Associationand Walt Disney World over allowing performers to wear face masks and providing regular testing.

An abridged version of the show, titledA Celebration of Festival of the Lion King,premiered on May 8, 2021. An updated version of the original show returned on July 16, 2022, as part of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.

Hong Kong Disneyland version

Musical at Hong Kong Disneyland

The Hong Kong Disneyland version of the show is presented as a simplified version of the story ofThe Lion King,told through songs from the movie.

The show is performed in the "Theater in the Wild" in Adventureland. Similar to the theater setting in Disney's Animal Kingdom, guests sit in four different sections themed to a specific animal, and accompanied by a parade-style float. The performance is mainly in English, but two actors dressed as monkeys summarise and translate some of the lines into Cantonese in order to accommodateHongkongeseguests.Simplified Chinesesubtitles, forChinesevisitors, are also projected onto the screens above each seating section. The show is presented to Simba by the Storyteller (portrayed by a female actress) as a re-telling of the story of Simba's life from a cub to the current king of the Pridelands. Simba himself is represented by a large, elaborate puppet on the "lion" float.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack CD was released in 2001, titledFestival of The Lion King (Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World)

Track listing:

1. "Circle of Life"– 1:40
2. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King"– 2:40
3. "Hakuna Matata"– 2:04
4. Tumble Monkeys ( "Sing, Sing, Sing"/"Playmates"/"Snake Charmer"/"Caravan"/" Hakuna Matata "/"Yes! We Have No Bananas"/"Hawaiian War Chant") – 3:56
5. "Be Prepared"– 3:00
6. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"/"Circle of Life"(Medley) – 4:45
7. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"– 2:28
8. Celebration Finale ( "Hakuna Matata" / "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" / "Be Prepared" / "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" / "Circle of Life" ) – 3:45
9. "Circle of Life" (Bows) – 0:34
10. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (Instrumental) – 2:34

Legend of The Lion King

Legend of the Lion King
Magic Kingdom
Area	Fantasyland
Status	Removed
Opening date	July 8, 1994
Closing date	February 23, 2002
Replaced	Mickey Mouse Revue(1971–1980) Magic Journeys(1987–1993)
Replaced by	Mickey's PhilharMagic (Castle Courtyard)
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Show
Assistive listening available

TheLegend of the Lion Kingshow at theMagic Kingdomin theWalt Disney Worldin Florida was a stage performance retelling the story of the film using life size puppets.

The show debuted on July 8, 1994 in theFantasylandTheater.Legend of The Lion Kingreplaced the 3-D movieMagic Journeys,which was shown in the theater from December 1987 through December 1993.This show featured what Disney described as "Disney Humanimals", which were "larger-than-life figures that look just like their animated film counterparts".The Mufasa "humanimal" measured 7 feet (2.1 m) long from tail to tip, 6 feet (1.8 m) feet tall, and was perched upon an 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) Pride Rock that rose from below the stage.The stage for the show was 125 feet (38 m) wide, and was bigger than the seating area in order to permit the use of giant sets.The attraction closed on February 23, 2002 to be replaced byMickey's PhilharMagic.

The Legend of The Lion King

The Legend of the Lion King
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Area	Discoveryland
Status	Removed
Opening date	June 26, 2004
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Show
Assistive listening available

The Legend of The Lion KingatDisneyland Parisran from 2004 to 2009 and played at theVideopolisTheater located inDiscoveryland.This Broadway-style show used human actors, including some from theWest Endproduction ofThe Lion King,and featured popular songs from the movie. The show ran for 30 minutes and had performances in both English and French.

The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands

The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Area	Frontierland
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 30, 2019 (first run) October 23, 2021 (second run)
Closing date	September 22, 2019 (first run)
Replaced	The Forest of Enchantment: a Disney Musical Adventure
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Show

The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Landsdebuted on June 30, 2019 atDisneyland Parisin the Frontierland Theater inFrontierlandas part of "The Lion King & Jungle Festival".Disney describes the show as "a tribe of singers, dancers and acrobats dressed as Rafiki, Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, Mufasa and Scar brilliantly bring famous Pride Rock anthems to life."

Told in both English andChansigne(a French sign language that interprets rhythms and song lyrics through interpretive hand movements), the show follows the story ofThe Lion Kingand features songs from both the film and the Broadway musical. The staging features a large, elaborate moving set based on djembe drums which rotate and tilt.

The show closed on September 22, 2019. It returned on 15 August 2020, but due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,it was cancelled twice and eventually the run was ended early.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack for the show was released in 2020.

Track listing:

1. Nants' Ingonyama/Circle of Life – 3:44
2. I Just Can't Wait to Be King – 2:47
3. Be Prepared – 2:30
4. The Stampede – 1:42
5. Hakuna Matata – 2:41
6. One by One – 5:13
7. Shadowland – 2:52
8. Can You Feel the Love Tonight – 3:30
9. Endless Night/He Lives in You – 3:29
10. Simba Confronts Scar – 2:12
11. Finale (King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life) – 3:10

Tale of the Lion King

Tale of the Lion King
Disney California Adventure
Area	Paradise Gardens Park
Status	Removed
Opening date	June 7, 2019
Closing date	September 2, 2019
Disneyland
Area	Fantasyland
Status	Removed
Opening date	May 28, 2022
Closing date	January 7, 2024
Replaced	Mickey and the Magical Map
Replaced by	Pixar Pals Playtime Party
Ride statistics
Attraction type	Show

The Tale of the Lion Kingshow atDisney California Adventure,which opened in June 2019, features a narrator, Mwongozo (Swahili for "guide" ), who leads a troupe of 18 performers called the "Storytellers of the Pride Lands". The performance is presented in a contemporary story-theater style that retells the plot of the film through language, song and dance.

Following the Disneyland Resort's reopening, the show relocated to theFantasyland TheatreinDisneylandon May 28, 2022,where it ran through January 7, 2024.

External links

• Walt Disney World Resort -Festival of the Lion King
• Hong Kong Disneyland -Festival of the Lion King
• Disneyland Park (Paris) -The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands
• HKDLFestival of the Lion Kingfull show
• Website