Festival of the Lion King Returns!

One of the things that makes Walt Disney World so special is the storytelling. Walt Disney himself was a story teller and a great one. Again and again we see the success of Disney’s companies based on the stories they tell. Walt Disney World and other theme parks all across the world are no different. There are stories to experience in all of the parks.

One of my favorite parks is Animal Kingdom. Admittedly, I cringe when I hear people say, isn’t it just a zoo? While the efforts to support endangered species and conservation are huge at Animal Kingdom and may remind you of a zoo, there is so much more at this park for you to experience and explore. I often tell guests to consider Animal Kingdom as more of a laid back park where you can explore and experience so much more than attractions and roller coasters. Don’t get me wrong, Expedition Everest is one incredible roller coaster that you won’t want to miss and there is nothing quite like experiencing flying on a banshee at Flight of Passage! There are a lot of other things you won’t want to miss though when you visit.

One of my absolute favorites is the Festival of Lion King! This show has just reopened since the pandemic closures and some changes have been made to accommodate social distancing requirements. However, even with those changes, it is still an amazing show to see.

I recommend arriving to the show a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start time. In busier seasons, you may need to increase that to 45 minutes or more to ensure you are able to get a seat in the show. Disney has recently added more show times in the morning as well. Check your My Disney Experience app though for the performance schedule on your visit days.

The most popular show times tend to fall after lunch and into the afternoon. During the heat of the day, spending some time indoors in the shade and AC is appealing to everyone! The afternoon shows can fill up so you’ll want to make sure you allow for some extra time for arrival.

It’s difficult to “plan” for a way to get good seats at this show. Cast Members will fill in one section at a time in most cases and there are four sections in the pavilion. Arriving early though will give you the best chance of getting lower level seats closer to the floor.

Once the show begins you will be fully immersed into a celebration of life by amazing music, characters, and performers. From fire dancers to villains, flying birds to roaring lions, this show will bring plenty of excitement for your entire family. This is one you will want to have on your don’t miss list when you visit Animal Kingdom!

Maybe it was nostalgia or my love for the park and this show, but having it back just made me feel like we were returning to normal again and not a new normal. There are definitely pieces of the original show missing as many of the acrobatics and performers have not returned. Performers that required physical interaction with one another have not yet been able to return, but there is still so much with this show that it’s an experience that you should still allot time for.

Have you seen the show since it reopened? Let me know in the comments what you thought!