Fun ways to celebrate The Lion King at Disney Parks

As The Lion King returns to theaters, Disney Parks are celebrating the iconic movie and the spirit of the Africa with lots of Disney magic.

Excitement is growing as The Lion King, in the new live action format, is set to return to the big screen. As the story of Simba captivates fans on screen, Disney Parks are bringing the magic and wonder into the theme parks through special events.

While Simba and friends are the heart of the story, the African culture is interwoven into the story. From the rhythmic beats in the songs to the connection to the circle of life, there is more to this classic story than just Hakuna Matata.

Here are some fun ways to celebrate The Lion King at Disney Parks.

Tale of the Lion King at Disney California Adventure Park

The Lion King weaves story with song. Just as Simba learns his role from his father’s stories, parts of the African culture celebrate their history through story telling. The Tale of the Lion King celebrates the story-theater style.

“Tale of the Lion King” at Disney California Adventure Park celebrates Disney’s “The Lion King” with an imaginative new adaptation of this timeless story presented as a limited-time theatrical musical production multiple times daily at the Palisades Stage. The show features a cast of 18 performers who form an ensemble called the Storytellers of the Pride Lands. This traveling troupe specializes in retelling revered stories in their own contemporary style, weaving their tale through language, song and dance. Disneyland Resort is located in Anaheim, Calif. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)

With the narrator Mwongozo as the guide, 18 Storytellers of the Pride Lands share the tale through language, song and dance. As the audience knows those classic songs, new arrangements of those songs add a freshness to the iconic story.

More important, the live drumming and singing celebrate the cultural roots that deserve exploration. Like a story that has been passed down from generation to generation, the cultural aspect to the storytelling shows that the Lion King is more than just a story about a cub who becomes king.

The Tale of the Lion King will run for a limited time at Disney California Adventure. The show is performed several times a day at Palisades Stage.

Lion King themed food at Animal Kingdom

Everyone knows that Disney food is part of the Disney Parks experience. At Animal Kingdom there are a variety of sweet treats that are The Lion King themed.

From Bugs and Grubs ice cream to cupcakes and more, there are a variety of tempting foods that are all decked out with Simba and friends.

Starting Friday, May 24, the Tree of Life awakens each evening with a new story inspired by “The

Lion King” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The new story will include beautiful

projections on the iconic tree featuring music and animation paying tribute to the classic film. (David

Roark, photographer)

Tree of Life Nighttime display

As you enter Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life welcomes you. The impressive and intricate celebration of numerous creatures that coexist is breathtaking. To celebrate The Lion King, the nighttime display incorporates visuals and music from the original movie. It is a perfect way to end at day at Animal Kingdom.

Harambe at Night at Animal Kingdom

This special, family inclusive dining adventure is the perfect way to celebrate the Circle of Life through food. As the animals inspire the experience, guests will learn as much as they have fun.

Before tasting all the delicious food, guests will get an opportunity to enjoy a 360-virtual reality safari experience. Hopefully, this VR-experience will give guests a glimpse of a real safari moment. Having personally done African safaris, there is nothing more inspiring than seeing lions in their real habitat.

Of course, the Disney food does not disappoint. Using African Big 5 as their menu inspiration, the menu is quite diverse. Although it would have been nice to see a few more Portuguese inspired dishes or even the South African snack biltong on the menu. Then again, these menu items need to have a broad appeal, not everyone is food adventurous.

Even if you can’t visit a Disney Park to enjoy some of these festivities, Dole created Lion King inspired menus. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, these easy to create recipes are family friendly yet offer some flavors of Africa. It is a great way to get the family interested in exploring some new flavors.

Are you excited about the live action version of The Lion King coming to theaters? How will you celebrate the iconic tale this summer?