November 23, 2023, 5:32 PM ·
In 1994, Disneyland debuted a new parade called The Lion King Celebration. At the end of its three-year run, Disney sent some of the floats from the wildly popular parade to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where they became the foundation for a new theater-in-the-round production called Festival of The Lion King.
That show, minus a Covid interruption and alteration, has been playing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom ever since. The show’s success inspired Disney to make a second production of Festival of The Lion King a centerpiece of Its new Hong Kong Disneyland park in 2005. Like in Orlando, The Lion King continues to pack the house and delight audiences in Hong Kong, too.Hong Kong’s production differs slightly from the Orlando show. Most notably, Hong Kong’s Theater in the Wild features a turntable in its center floor, allowing the show to deliver Busby Berkeley-style moments. A single Storyteller narrates the production, more in the style of the soon-to-close Disneyland stage production than the multiple hosts of the original Walt Disney World review. But the music of Elton John and Tim Rice remain the heart of the show, which is presented almost entirely in English in Hong Kong. That music, plus the choreography, costumes, and audience-friendly theater in the round become a delightful combination when brought to life by Disney’s talented performers, and that cast consistently delivers.That’s why Festival of The Lion King has become a beloved winner in Florida and why fans love the show in Hong Kong, too.Enjoy the show.Previously:For discounted tickets to the park, please visit our partner’s Hong Kong Disneyland tickets page.And to keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
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