You’re at Disneyland Park between mid-1994 and mid-1997. Whatever you do, don’t miss The Lion King Celebration.

Rhinoceroses lead the way. A memorable parade follows them.

Photos by Allen Huffman, 1996 and 1997

Rhinos on Main Street

Moving to the music of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” the parade’s six floats are masterpieces of parade design, skillfully incorporating African patterns, colors, and art. The dramatic story of Simba and Nala unfolds as you watch the Rafiki float, the gazelle tree float, the bull elephant float, the rain forest float, the drum dancer float, and the Pride Rock float. There are inventive touches everywhere.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 1996

Rafiki float

The floats are great, but it’s the talented performers—more than 75 of them, including dancers, acrobatic pole climbers, puppeteers, musicians, and remote-control operators—who make The Lion King Celebration unforgettable.

Photos by Allen Huffman, 1997

Drum dancer, gazelle tree, bull elephant, and rain forest floats

Photos by Allen Huffman, 1997

Waterfall and squirting trunk on the bull elephant float

Photo by Werner Weiss, 1995

Street performance, with the bull elephant float stopped

The parade makes four stops along its route, so pick your viewing spot carefully. You’ll be treated to a five-minute “street show.” To the music of “The Circle of Life,” the performers put on an elaborate production number, strongly influenced by African dance.

The dancers’ costumes are remarkable. Some dancers are in ceremonial tribal costumes; others appear as gazelles, wildebeests, monkeys, leopards, zebras, and cheetahs. Stilt walkers represent elephants and giraffes, while the pole climbers suggest birds.

The final float represents Pride Rock.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 1996

Simba and Nala on the Pride Rock float

Photo by Chris Bales, 1995

Mufasa sun shield above Pride Rock

Photo by Chris Bales, 1995

Pole climber costumed as a purple bird

Simba just couldn’t wait to be king.

After seeing this parade, Disneyland guests just can’t wait to see it again.

The Lion King Celebration premiered in Disneyland on July 1, 1994, just days after the premier of Disney’s phenomenally successful animated feature, The Lion King.

The last performance was June 1, 1997. A new daytime parade, the Hercules Victory Tour, debuted June 27, 1997. Disneyland guests enthusiastically received the Hercules Victory Tour as a worthy successor to The Lion King Celebration.

After The Lion King Celebration closed at Disneyland, some of the floats found a new life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Photo by Chris Bales, 2002

Modified Pride Rock float, reused in The Festival of the Lion King

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007

Modified bull elephant float, reused in The Festival of the Lion King

As the 1998 opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom approached, the planned Beastly Kingdom, a section celebrating mythical creatures, had been axed due to budgetary constraints. The park needed something in its place. The replacement was Camp Minnie-Mickey. To stretch the limited budget, it would reuse some castoffs from Disneyland.

The paths of Camp Minnie-Mickey would not be appropriate for a parade, but some of the floats could be used as scenic elements for a show—The Festival of the Lion, a cross between theater-in-the-round and a circus.

The Festival of the Lion immediately became the hit of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Four modified floats and a rolling stage transformed an empty performance space under a huge octagonal roof into a vibrant setting for a spectacular live show. The costumes, music, and choreography were completely different than the parade at Disneyland—but also outstanding.

Camp Minnie-Mickey closed permanently on January 6, 2014, to make room for Pandora—The World of Avatar. The Festival of the Lion moved to the park’s Africa section.

The floats that roll into the theater still look familiar.

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Updated September 11, 2020