Festival of the Lion King is a live stage musical performed at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World and in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. The show, an original interpretation of the Disney animated film The
Lion King, uses songs, dance, puppetry and visual effects to portray a tribal
celebration in an African savanna setting filled with lions, elephants, giraffes, birds, zebras and gazelles.
The Disney's Animal Kingdom version 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 a revue, and not a condensed version of either the film or Broadway show. The show features Elton John and Tim Rice's award-winning music from the movie.
The show is performed inside an enclosed theater-in-the-round. Guests sit in four sections, each designated with an animal name: Warthog, Elephant, Giraffe, and Lion. These animals are represented by large puppets on four parade-style floats, which were originally built for Disneyland's The Lion King Celebration parade.[3] The show is hosted by four performers dressed in costumes inspired by traditional African dress. Each has a Swahili name: 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, and stilt walkers enter the theater ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King"). Among them are Lion King characters Simba, Pumbaa (both puppets on floats), and Timon (played by a live performer). Acts include gymnastic "Tumble Monkeys" ("Hakuna Matata"), a fire knife-twirling hyena ("Be Prepared"), and an aerial dance featuring performers dressed as birds ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"), leading to an interactive sing-along ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight").
Relocation[]
Due to the construction of Pandora – The World of Avatar replacing Camp Minnie-Mickey (which was the show's original location), the show went into a five-month hiatus while a new theater, the Harambe Theater, was constructed in an unused dense forest area 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 restaurant opportunities.
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