How We Celebrated National Lion Day at Walt Disney World
August 10th was National Lion Day, so it was the perfect day to share how a Lion King fan can have a magnificent day in Walt Disney World!
Animal Kingdom
This is a no brainer. Of course the best park to celebrate the King of the Jungle is in Animal Kingdom where you can see actual lions!
First things first, you have to greet the King with a good morning. PRO-TIP: Do the safari first thing because the animals are most active then. You might even get a good morning lion roar!
Lion King Novelty Cup at Drinkwalla
Wet your whistle with a frozen slushie in a new souvenir Lion King cup! Try a frozen Coca Cola for something different and refreshing.
Simba Popcorn Bucket at Mahindi Popcorn Cart
You have probably heard all of the perks of Disney’s popcorn buckets, but did you know that there is the cutest baby Simba popcorn bucket???
Full disclosure, this bucket was released in 2020, so it is becoming rare in the park, but if you see it, snag it!
Discovery River Cruise – The Lion King
One of the greatest things to come from when the parks reopened was the flotillas! These small boats are preceded with music so you know when they are coming and oftentimes feature lesser seen characters.
The Lion King flotilla has Timon and Rafiki. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see the one with the hyenas!
Lion’s Lair at Tamu Tamu Refreshments
Pineapple Dole Whip topped with Parrot Bay Coconut Rum and sour apple because, hey, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?
Festival of the Lion King
Located in Africa, Festival of the Lion King is a live show, and is arguably the best Disney show in Walt Disney World. Enjoy dancing, singing, acrobatics, and fire breathers all retelling the story we love!
Showtimes are daily at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00.
Bugs and Grubs Cupcake at Pizzafari
Hakuna Matata! You can eat like Timon and Pumba, well sort of, with this dirt pudding style cupcake.
This is a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, rolled in oreo crumbs and then topped with a gummy worm and ladybug.
Take a Selfie at the Lion King Wall
One of the cool details of the Animal Kingdom is that instead of painting all of the Cast Member entrances with “go-away green”, a lot of them actually are highlighted with murals to take the perfect pictures!
Be sure to take a proper Lion King photo with the African sunset mural!
Scar’s Lair at Tamu Tamu Refreshments
Pineapple Dole Whip with sour apple-flavored syrup will have your face puckering up to make the perfect “Wah, my brother had a baby that’s going to bump my place in line to the throne, woe is me” kind of face.
Kite Tails
We absolutely love these quick shows that take place in the large stadium. Lasting only about 15 minutes, jet skiers use 30 foot balloons to tell the stories of The Lion King and The Jungle Book.
We gotta say, there is something absolutely hilarious about seeing a giant Scar balloon crash into the stadium. (That’s supposed to happen. How else do you stop a humongous balloon?)
Feature Image: Disney