Oh I Just Can’t Wait to be King!

Disney’s Lion King

Lion King Cast

The Festival of the Lion King is the MOST POPULAR show at Animal Kingdom. Filled with music, lights, color, costumes and the most familiar and beloved songs from the Lion King, this show delivers! I see this extravaganza every time I go to Disney. It never fails to awe.

Lion, Warthog, Giraffe or Elephant?Tiny helper makes animal sounds

You don’t get to choose. When you enter the realm of the Lion King your seat assignment determines your animal. Before the show begins costumed cast members teach each section their animal call. Everyone knows a lion roars and an elephant trumpets. Sometimes the sounds the giraffe or warthog make can be a bit strange. Was that a grunt? How about a baaa like a lamb?   You must know you animal sound! You’ll compete for the loudest section by sound.

Elephant FloatIs That Simba I Hear?

4 huge floats open the show while dancers, puppets, and stilt walkers all pump up the audience to the tune of I just Can’t Wait to be King! By now you’ll be grinning and singing along. If you are lucky enough to have a lower level or floor seat you’ll practically interact with the Dancers.

 

 

 

Hakuna Matata

Timon

Fire DanceHere comes a large center stage filled with bouncing, tumbling “Tumble Monkeys”and leading the light- hearted mayhem is Timon, everybody’s favorite meerkat. Gymnastics are fine but hold on to your seats. We’ll get to watch a real fire dance. Marvel that no one is taken to a burn ward! The beautiful aerial ballet of the birds is performed to the ballad, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight“. But this is Disney so it won’t be soft and beautiful for long. The whole cast returns for a lively sing-a-long of the “Lion Sleeps Tonight”.

CAn you feel the love tonightFast Pass

You should not miss this presentation. It is so much fun but get a Fast Pass. You’ll get in quicker which means better seats. (There are no bad seats in the Harambe Theatre but floor seats put you right in the thick of things) You won’t spend an hour standing in line and before you know it you’ll be singing “The Circle of Life“.

The Festival of the Lion King

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A trick I’ve learned from having back problems is that if you rent the electric chair to get around that you survive the parks much better than walking. Call me lazy but I like ending the day with a little energy left instead of exhausted , hot and aching.

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Anyway, I had rented the electric scooter at Animal Kingdom so when we arrived to the Lion King show they asked me if I wanted to keep it or walk in. I said I’d keep it and boy was I glad I did. There are no bad seats in the Lion King Theater but with the scooter I was floor side, practically on top of the performers…or maybe they were on top of me!

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Perfect for low light shots.

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So rather than try to describe the action I’m going to share a few of my photos.

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Simba:
I’m gonna be a mighty king
So enemies beware!

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Zazu:
Well, I’ve never seen a king of beasts
With quite so little hair!

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Simba:
I’m gonna be the main event
Like no king was before
I’m brushing up on looking down
I’m working on my roar!

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Zazu:
Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing

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Simba:
Oh, I just can’t wait to be king!

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Simba:
Oh, I just can’t wait to be king!

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Everybody look left
Everybody look right
Everywhere you look I’m
Standing in the spotlight

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