The Lion King Celebration was the “mane” event when it roared into Disneyland on this day in 1994. As the celebration strode down the parade route to the tune of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” guests were treated to a performance that took Disneyland’s live entertainment to new levels. Floats used real water for waterfalls and rain effects, while independent bugs and lifelike alligators traveled down the parade route via remote control. For the main characters from The Lion King, “Puppetronics” were created, a combination of normal puppetry and Audio-Animatronics® figures. At intervals, the parade would stop and a moving performance would take over, set to the song “Circle of Life.” The entire feel of the celebration was unique in the great detail inspired by African culture, from the costumes to the authentic African music and African dancing. In fact, The Lion King Celebration was designed to look as if it were created by an African artist rather than replicating scenes from the film, as is often done in Disneyland parades. Audiences delighted in the spectacle and were sometimes moved to tears, and everybody involved in the production took great “pride” in the final outcome.
