Index

• Lion King Parade
• General Parade Facts
• Rafiki Float
• Gazelle Tree
• Bull Elephant Float
• Rain Forest Float
• Drum Dancer Float
• Pride Rock Float

Parade Debut:

July 1, 1994

Length of Presentation:

The parade's presentation, as it spans the Park, lasts 40 minutes, with four "street shows" along the route that last five minutes each.

Parade Route:

Through the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland, past "It's a Small World," the Matterhorn, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, U.S.A., and Town Square.

Parade Units (in order of appearance):

The Rafiki float, Ostrich push units, Gazelle Tree push unit, Rain Forest float, Drum and Dance unit, Pride Rock float.

Soundtrack:

"Just Can't Wait to Be King"

(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Lyrics by Tim Rice; music by Elton John; score by Hans Zimmer; dialog performed by Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillaume, and Ernie Sabella; parade arrangements by Bruce Healey; original film arrangements by Mark Mancina.

"Circle of Life"

Lyrics by Tim Rice; music by Elton John; dialog performed by James Earl Jones, African vocal solos & improvisation created by Lebo M.; original film arrangements by Hans Zimmer.

Voice Talents in the Parade:

• James Earl Jones as Mufasa
• Rowan Atkinson as Zazu
• Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
• Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa

Cast: More than 75 performers, including:

• 56 dancers
• 10 acrobatic pole dancers
• 12 puppeteers
• Six musicians
• Five remote-control operators

Special Features:

More traditional coloring was utilized on the opening float to gradually bring the audience into the presentation of this animated story brought to life. The muted natural earth tones, usually associated with African art, create a balanced introduction to the parade. From this beginning, the parade and its performers are able to bring forward the vibrant colorings of African artistry.

The parade's design team credits their inspiration for the parade's styling to the work of today's multicultural African artists and educators. By applying the concept of "expressive figuration," they were able to capture the emotion of the film while not just simply re-creating it in parade form.

Careful attention was paid to detail in the choreography to make certain that the mixture of dance movements presented were interpretive variations of African dance.

There is a steady beat to the music during the performance of "Circle of Life." This same beat is emphasized by the movement of the dancers on the route, the monkeys in the trees, and even by the giraffes as they paw at the ground.

As the performers establish the beat with various musical instruments, including rain sticks, Shekere gourds, and ocean drums, the parade becomes interactive as they hand off their instruments for Park guests to continue the beat through to the finale.

Theme:

Set amongst an outcropping of African Kopje rocks, the float symbolizes the beginning of the "circle" for young Simba. Rafiki, the wise counselor to Pride Rock, and Zazu, the King's major domo, begin this regal procession.

Special Features:

Rafiki's tree bark painting of the young Simba is displayed as the main graphic for the parade at the lead of this first float. The back side of the display features a mural of both Simba and Nala as cubs with their watchful guardian, Zazu.

Stylized murals on the sides of the float depict the opening scene from the film, with Rafiki presenting the young Simba to all the animals of the jungle.

Two fully articulated 17-foot-tall "puppeted" giraffes bend down for a closer look at the audience.

At the finale of each show, white pigeons are released by performers.

Characters Represented:

Zazu, a Disney Audio-Animatronic® figure.

From the Film:

Rafiki, a costumed walk-around character.

Special Effects:

Two cascading 30-gallon waterfalls wash over rock formations.

Zazu, an 18-inch-tall Audio-Animatronic® figure, is perched above a waterfall. Operated by dry nitrogen, his seven analog and six digital functions bring the hornbill to life and represent the first-ever use of the Audio-Animatronic® technology in a Disneyland parade.

Performers:

Seven opening dancers, dressed in ceremonial tribal costumes; two pole climbers dressed to represent birds.

Size:

Height: 18' 9". Width 11' 3".

Accompanying Elements:

Two seven-foot-tall ostrich push units follow the float. These are toy-like artistic representations of ostriches that house silk banners for use during the finale.

Theme:

Representing the dry plains of Africa, this acacia tree push unit symbolizes the death of Simba's father, Mufasa, after a stampede of wildebeests. This scene is the dramatic turning point in the young cub's life.

Special Features:

The massive acacia tree is supported by four hand-crafted gazelle sculptures. Mufasa's death is memorialized in a mural at the base of the tree.

Special Effects:

A stampede of sound is created by more than 50 wind chimes that fill the branches of this decorative tree. This unit turns as it moves along the parade, covering the width of Main Street, U.S.A. with its feathered branches.

Performers:

Eight gazelle dancers perform around the tree. Six tribal wildebeests move the tree along the route.

Size:

Height: 17' 6" at its tree top. Width: 11'. Length: 24' 6".

Theme:

As the first of two floats representing Simba's "Hakuna Matata," or carefree, days in the rain forest, the Bull Elephant float trumpets a welcome to the young king as he begins his journey into adulthood.

Special Features:

A fully puppeted bull elephant stands at the crest of a cascading waterfall. With just a dip of his trunk into the cool water, guests may get a pachyderm-style welcome.

The base of the float is decorated with hand-crafted wooden African violets, glory lilies, and other native African flowers.

A foliage-framed mural shows Simba's growth from lion cub to Lion King.

Special Effects:

A 50-gallon waterfall pours into a jungle pond.

Two 11-foot-long, 200-pound "street-roaming" remote-controlled crocodiles offer Guests a hungry smile.

Performers:

Six tribal crane dancers follow cautiously behind the crocodiles.
Two pole climbers are dressed to represent birds.

Size:

Height: 16'. Width: 11'6". Length: 13'.

Accompanying Elements:

A seven-foot-tall, 10-foot-long baby bull elephant puppet greets guests with a flap of his ears and a mist from his water-filled trunk. This wide-eyed toddler is the most sophisticated walk-around character ever created for a Disneyland parade.

Theme:

As a celebration of Simba's life in the jungle, this tropical unit is lush with native vegetation and is tree-filled with jungle inhabitants.

Special Features:

The three main tree trunks support five costumed monkey performers.

The wooden flowers and various jungle bugs for both this and the Bull Elephant float were designed and created in the country of Bali especially for this parade.

The colorful tree trunks are textured with a circular looping pattern, recognized as the worldwide symbol for infinity, and representing the circle of life.

Special Effects:

A 250-gallon reservoir holds enough rain to bring on an African storm at the cue of a distant thunderclap.

Three remote-controlled bugs, a rhino beetle, dung beetle, and scorpion (each 24" long, 10" wide, and 6" high) give chase to a hungry Timon.

At the finale of each show, white pigeons are released by performers.

Characters Represented:

Pumbaa, a fully articulated "bug-eating" puppet.

From the Film:

Timon, a "bug-chasing" costumed walk-around character.

Performers:

Five monkey performers swing from the trees.

Six leopard dancers perform around the rain forest.

Two pole climbers are dressed to represent birds.

Size:

Height: 20' at its tree top. Width: 11' 6" at its widest. Length: 45' (overall).

Theme:

As a haunting symbol of the conflict with Scar and the burning of Pride Rock, the Drum Dancer float stirs the emotional rhythm of the battle through tribal dance and fiery percussions by native drummers.

Special Features:

Murals along the jagged sides of the float show the hyenas darting through the flames of the Pride Lands.

Tribal dancers perform atop drums crafted with animal representations of turtles, leopards, wildebeests, and snakes.

Special Effects:

Smoking gourds, scattered among the twisted and scorched trees, fill the air with the scent of patchouli.

At the finale of each show, white pigeons are released by performers.

Performers:

Three drum dancers.

Six tribal drummers.

Two elephant stilt walkers.

One giraffe stilt walker.

Two pole climbers dressed to represent birds.

Size:

Height: 18'6" at its peak. Width: 10' at its widest. Length: 55' (overall).

Theme:

As his life comes full "circle," Simba stands at the throne of Pride Rock. The image of his father, Mufasa, shines in the sun that rises above the reborn Pride Lands.

Special Features:

The scenic grass detailing on the float symbolizes the return of the rains and the rejuvenation of Pride Rock.

At the finale of each show, there is a large release of white pigeons from Pride Rock.

Special Effects:

The image of Mufasa is highlighted during "Circle of Life" as concentric rings of sculpted white birds spiral and turn around the sun.

Characters Represented:

Simba, a fully articulated puppet.

From the Film:

Nala, a fully articulated puppet.

Performers:

Four cheetah dancers.

Four zebra dancers.

Two tribal zebras.

Two pole climbers dressed to represent birds.

Size:

Height: 31'6" at its peak. Width: 11'6". Length: 29'.

Accompanying Elements:

Two walk-around rhino puppets, each 9' long, 6' high, and almost 4' wide, follow behind the Drum Dancer float and clear the way for Pride Rock.