Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of ‘The Lion King’ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
You sure can feel the love for The Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom right now, as the classic movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month!
Yep, we’ve been prepared for this occasion for a while now, as the park has transformed into a festival of the smash-hit movie in commemoration. We just can’t wait to check out what’s going on, so keep reading, and let’s explore together!
Character Meet & Greets
Nothing makes a celebration more fun than a special appearance by a character or two!
Over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, two very iconic characters have popped over to celebrate the anniversary by offering fun meet-and-greet opportunities for guests. It’s only Rafiki and Timon!
Here’s Rafiki, looking rather at home in his own Planet Watch location!
Everyone’s favorite wise guide, this baboon will be available to chat with and celebrate with at various intervals throughout the day — so be sure to head on over to grab some photos with him!
Also appearing today at Rafiki’s Planet Watch is Timon, the mischievous meerkat known for his life-changing catchphrases!
I know he says “Hakuna Matata,” but we’re sure he’ll be up for a good reminisce over the past 30 years of Lion King magic during this extra-special anniversary!
Like Rafiki, Timon will be appearing at regular times between 10am and 4pm today. Don’t miss out on the chance to say hi!
A Beautiful New Mural
The Lion King is known for inspiring so much art and celebration in its 30 years, and one particular corner of Disney’s Animal Kingdom has just been lit up by the most gorgeous new mural in celebration of the anniversary!
We’re over here by Harambe Market, where this awe-inspiring new piece is truly taking our breath away!
Inspired by the iconic characters, themes, and colors of the movie, this hot mural is something we think would could admire for hours. It’s also set to be one of the coolest photo spots for the season, so be sure to check it out next time you’re over in Africa!
The Animation Experience
Back over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, the fan-favorite Animation Experience has also been set up to commemorate The Lion King.
Throughout the day, guests can sit in this serene tropical oasis, and spend a leisurely half hour or so learning to draw a character from the movie.
Look at the screens in our photo below — can you guess who we were drawing this morning?
If you’ve not already enjoyed The Animation Experience, it’s always a fun, chilled-out activity we’d recommend here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The artists and animators who run each presentation are so talented — just look at this drawing of Rafiki below!
I wonder if he saw this portrait from his meet-and-greet spot across the pavilion?
Other Unique Experiences
Don’t forget, there are plenty more ways of celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Lion King, both here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and beyond!
You can stay tuned to MickeyBlog.com as we’ll be enjoying a range of exclusive treats and eats released in celebration of the event, and we’ll be taking a look at some beautiful commemorative merchandise too.
If you’re not at the parks, don’t forget that The Lion King will be returning to theaters this summer — that’s set to be a nostalgic, big-screen movie event like none other!
How will you be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Disney’s The Lion King?