Festival of the Lion King to close in January

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I'm going to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

So I'll be hoping they won't close it until it has a new spot in Africa and it will only be closed briefly but....we'll see it several times during our September trip. We love this show!!

 

[mousiemom]

OMG! this will be devastation to our family, this is the best show and we always end our day @ AK with the festival of the lion king, we've grown up with the monkeys!! they need to move it to a new location. we hated to see the tarzan rocks show close!

 

[vleeth]

Thanks for posting this!

I was trying to decide if we would see LK again this trip or just skip it, now the decision is made.

 

[jmm476]

If this is true, that makes me very sad. FotLK is my favorite stage show in all of WDW. Without it, I'm not sure a visit to AK is worth using a day's ticket. I'm in the group that is not looking forward to Avatarland or whatever they're calling it. Wasn't interested in the movie, not interested in it being turned into part of the park. Now I have another reason to not like it. Thank goodness we just decided to take a December trip so I can see it again!

 

[Sparkly]

I hate Avatar and haven't got a trip until next Feb, so if it does close I'll be sad because I've never seen FOTLK

 

[North of Mouse]

Not thrilled that a show that was pure fun is being removed (hopefully not permanently) to make way for a morality message on conservation. I hope Avatar has some shows (without the heavy message stuff)

I second that! If and when I want that type message I'll go elsewhere, not Disney The subtle messages (and some not so subtle) are at AK to begin with, and that's fine, but I would not be going to a show to get it "concentrated".

 

[psac]

I've read somewhere (maybe unofficial guide?) that the FotLK was supposed to only be a temporary show, and they kept it permanently because it was such a big hit. It probably could use a better permanent home with real seats instead of those bleachers.

 

[minniesmama]

Noooooooooo! I'm so upset about this. I love FOTLK! Who ever thought Avartarland was a good idea in the first place? Humph. *stomps off in a sulk*

 

[Reddog1134]

I just want to point out that this rumor is coming from Screamscape. The website that, for 5 years, has been reporting that the Monsters Inc coaster is coming soon.

 

[Bearybear]

We don't.


I'd be shocked if they just shuttered it for 6 months to a year while building a new theater. I guess it would depend on how easy it is to relocate the set pieces to a new building, quickly. If they have to build the theater AROUND the set pieces (as in, they don't "plug" in and out).....maybe they have no choice but to do things this way.

According to http://jimhillmedia.com/contributors1/b/leslie_navarro/archive/2011/02/10/quot-festival-of-the-lion-king-quot-show-at-disney-s-animal-kingdom-proves-that-recycling-can-be-fun.aspx#.UCVKIZ2PWZg the set pieces were originally from a DL parade and not built specifically with the theater in mind. It is also kind of interesting to realize that FOTLK was only a stop-gap measure until the Beastly Kingdom was ready.

 

[Albytaps]

What does Avatar have to do with Disney anyway??

It has just as much to do with Disney as Indiana Jones or Star Wars does... or Harry Potter (Warner Bros.) with Universal as far as that goes, I think that did quite well. Avatar is trying to follow suit.

I see this crop up a lot. I think Avatar & AK go together well - the 'moral' in the movie is about looking after our planet, conservation yadda yadda yadda, the same message as AK, and a message Disney has always pushed.

And no, I'm not an Avatar movie fan - I bat for the Star Wars team

Same here. I was not thrilled about Avatar in AK but the more I think about it the more excited I get.

It's too bad about FOTLK because I saw it (thankfully) the last visit and it was quite a good show. I'm sure it'll move somewhere pretty quickly... maybe even to DL if not somewhere else in WDW?

 

[KellyNY]

I doubt that is true. I think they will release some sort of plans before they release what they will close. Just a rumor.

 

[DanBoris]

A long time member on WDWMAgic posted:

"Screamscape is right. FotLK is slated to move next year. I've heard where it's going, but it seems so far-fetched that I don't want to say it."

There was also a building permit files recently for "Theatre in the Wild Area Development"

These would lead to speculation that they are moving FotLK to the Nemo theater.

The permit is fact, although the description is vague enough for it to be almost anything, but everything else here is just rumors and conjecture.

Also, there seems to be little doubt that Avatar is going in the Camp Minnie Mickey plot, so FotLK would have to move eventually.

 

[jesswindsor]

I hope that they don't take it away forever, it is a really nice show.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I heard it was moving. I really hope they move it quickly. I LOVE that show!!!! I am so glad we saw it on our last trip, just in case, but if it does get removed I will be so sad.

 

[stormer]

Disappointing...Lion King is for all ages..Avatar is not Disney & not for all ages. I had issues when they took the Tarzan show away. It was upbeat!

I agree. We love Lion King. Tarzan show was awesome, we still miss it!

 

[CentralFloridian99]

If its gonna be relocated, I'll be ok. HOWEVER, if it's closing permanently, I'm going to be MAD!!!!

 

[Moomduck1]

Not at all happy about Avatar to begin with, now it's even worse! The Lino King show is so good!! Although, Hunchback of Notre Dame was my fave.

 

[lustergirl]

Will be sadly missed by this individual. I always enjoyed this show.. So colorful and imaginative.

 

[BlakeNJ]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I just don't get the Avatar thing. I thought the movie was good, but certainly not a movie for my 4 and 7 yo. Everything a WDW relates in someway to a movie--a movie I would let my kids see. Avatar is certainly not one of them! With the removal (or so said) of FOTLK, it's just another reason for our family to skip this park