It’s hard to believe that this Monday marks 25 years since The Lion King hit theaters back in 1994! I think I speak for every 90’s Disney kid when I say that this movie was a major part of our childhood. In less than one month the all-new Lion King hits theaters on July 19, 2019! Having these two separate versions of the film exactly 25 years apart is really cool in my opinion. It goes to show how animation technology has evolved over the past quarter century!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is in full swing celebrating The Lion King and its 25th anniversary this summer. From a the-lion-king-food-guide to fun photo spots and more, there’s so much to take in! Before Disney’s Animal Kingdom though, Magic Kingdom had a Lion King show of its own! Does anyone else remember it?

It was located where guests find PhilharMagic today. The Legend of The Lion King was a puppet show retelling of the iconic Disney film that opened less than a month after the movie hit theaters. As a kid who visited Walt Disney World every year, I always looked forward to stopping into Fantasyland and watching this fun show! You can watch a video of the past attraction from 1994 here!

Although this attraction was eventually replaced by Mickey’s PhilharMagic, there’s a small nod to the old attraction still there! During the musical numbers, they perform “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” (my favorite song from the movie). Whether is was intentional or not, I pretend it is!

I’m personally loving the celebration of all things The Lion King! Growing up during the Disney Renaissance really ingrained their animation, parks, and basically everything as the best of the best. With so many films from the Disney Ages of the past being rereleased for us on VHS, it’s hard to imagine a moment in my childhood where I wasn’t watching a Disney movie! (You can read up on ALL the Disney film eras, here!)

My next trip back to Walt Disney World will actually be the opening weekend of the new Lion King movie, so I’m hoping to hop over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and check out their Lion King offerings! The food seems great and the photo spots are fun, so fingers crossed. For now I’ll just keep reliving these fun shots from my last trip to Walt Disney World’s youngest park!

Outfit Details:

Lion King Tee | High Rise Shorts | Rose Gold Kate Spade Keds | Mickey Safari Hat (similar here)

Which Lion King character is your fave?

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