The Lion King Celebration
Encyclopedia
The Lion King Celebration was a parade based on the animated film The Lion King
. It ran at Disneyland from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1997 and was designed as though the story of Simba
, the protagonist of The Lion King, was a tale passed down in Africa for generations. The parade featured six floats designed around different aspects of Africa, dancers dressed in animal costumes and a Pride Rock float featuring Simba and Nala.
The Lion King Celebration featured the first use of Audio-Animatronics
in a Disneyland parade. It also featured the first use of "Puppetronics", a technique used to create the large, lifelike animal puppets featured on the floats.
African painter Betty LaDuke designed and painted a sculpture of three monkeys that sat behind Nala on the Pride Rock float.
", the first characters to appear are two rhinoceros
es, followed by tribal dancers and drummers and a float featuring Zazu and Rafiki with two giraffes. Zazu and Rafiki introduce the parade as it continues down Main Street, U.S.A.
.
A herd of gazelle dancers dressed in spandex costumes with hoods precede a float with tribal gazelle designs, pushed along by wildebeest dancers. They are followed by a group of tribal crane dancers, the elephant float and two remote-controlled crocodiles. The elephant float occasionally shoots a stream of water from its trunk. In the first year of the show, the larger 'mother' elephant was preceded by a smaller 'baby' elephant whose costume was similar to that of the previously mentioned rhinoceros
es, only larger. Two pole dancers dressed in tribal bird costumes walk at the sides.
Leopard dancers dance around the Rain Forest float, which features monkey dancers on swings and Pumbaa on the back. Pumbaa talks to Timon, who follows behind chasing three remote-controlled bugs including a scorpion
and a rhinoceros beetle
.
Two tribal-bird pole dancers lead the Drum Dancer float, which features drummers, dancers and percussionists in colourful, vibrant tribal costumes.
The last float - Pride Rock - is led by a group of zebra and cheetah dancers, two tribal elephant dancers and two tribal bird dancers. Simba stands atop Pride Rock while Nala roars and drums out the beat with her paw at the foot of the float. Above them, Mufasa's face is represented in a spinning sun design. The end of the parade is marked by two tribal zebras holding a rope.
The parade eventually stops and Mufasa's voice is heard telling Simba to take his place in the circle of life. The song "Circle of Life
" begins to play and the dancers dance and leap around the floats. At the end, Simba roars and white doves are released from one of the floats, symbolizing hope and peace.
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
. It ran at Disneyland from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1997 and was designed as though the story of Simba
Simba
Simba is a lion character and the protagonist of Disney's most successful animated feature film, The Lion King. He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, mate of Nala, and father of Kiara. He has golden fur and when he grows into an adult, he has an auburn mane...
, the protagonist of The Lion King, was a tale passed down in Africa for generations. The parade featured six floats designed around different aspects of Africa, dancers dressed in animal costumes and a Pride Rock float featuring Simba and Nala.
Production
During a typical show, a total of 89 cast members performed in The Lion King Celebration. This included 56 dancers, 12 puppeteers, 10 acrobatic pole dancers, 6 musicians and 5 remote control operators.The Lion King Celebration featured the first use of Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics is the registered trademark for a form of robotics created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. The robots move and make noise, generally in speech or song...
in a Disneyland parade. It also featured the first use of "Puppetronics", a technique used to create the large, lifelike animal puppets featured on the floats.
Design
The design of the parade has strong roots in traditional African artwork, featuring vibrant colours, tribal designs and dance routines based on traditional African dances.African painter Betty LaDuke designed and painted a sculpture of three monkeys that sat behind Nala on the Pride Rock float.
Production team
| Role | Staff |
|---|---|
| Producer | Nance Weenick |
| Production Manager | Joey Michaels |
| Show Director | Robert Ponce |
| Assistant Director/Senior Choreographer/African Dance Consultant | Sylvia Hase |
| Art Director | Steve Bass |
| Music Director | Bruce Healy |
| Writer | Tom Childs |
| Technical Director | Ted Carlsson |
| Choreographer | Mark Nordike |
| Costume Designer | Alyja Clegg |
| Costumer | Roseanne Yokoyama |
Plot
Set to a mostly instrumental of the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be KingI Just Can't Wait to Be King
"I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a stylistic musical number from Disney's popular 1994 animated film, The Lion King."I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a large contrast from the film's non-musical segments, as emphasized by the number's usage of lively colors and sounds...
", the first characters to appear are two rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
es, followed by tribal dancers and drummers and a float featuring Zazu and Rafiki with two giraffes. Zazu and Rafiki introduce the parade as it continues down Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Magic Kingdom'-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world....
.
A herd of gazelle dancers dressed in spandex costumes with hoods precede a float with tribal gazelle designs, pushed along by wildebeest dancers. They are followed by a group of tribal crane dancers, the elephant float and two remote-controlled crocodiles. The elephant float occasionally shoots a stream of water from its trunk. In the first year of the show, the larger 'mother' elephant was preceded by a smaller 'baby' elephant whose costume was similar to that of the previously mentioned rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
es, only larger. Two pole dancers dressed in tribal bird costumes walk at the sides.
Leopard dancers dance around the Rain Forest float, which features monkey dancers on swings and Pumbaa on the back. Pumbaa talks to Timon, who follows behind chasing three remote-controlled bugs including a scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
and a rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros beetle
The Rhinoceros Beetles or Rhino Beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family . Other common names – some for particular groups of rhino beetles – are for example Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles...
.
Two tribal-bird pole dancers lead the Drum Dancer float, which features drummers, dancers and percussionists in colourful, vibrant tribal costumes.
The last float - Pride Rock - is led by a group of zebra and cheetah dancers, two tribal elephant dancers and two tribal bird dancers. Simba stands atop Pride Rock while Nala roars and drums out the beat with her paw at the foot of the float. Above them, Mufasa's face is represented in a spinning sun design. The end of the parade is marked by two tribal zebras holding a rope.
The parade eventually stops and Mufasa's voice is heard telling Simba to take his place in the circle of life. The song "Circle of Life
Circle of Life
The song was re-recorded in 2003 by the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, a group of actors and actresses who have appeared in Disney Channel television series and original movies...
" begins to play and the dancers dance and leap around the floats. At the end, Simba roars and white doves are released from one of the floats, symbolizing hope and peace.