A Modified Festival Of The Lion King Is Returning In Summer 2021

Grab your stuffed Simba (or the closest object you can find) and raise him into the air to celebrate this fantastic news. On Jan. 21, Disney announced the return of Festival of the Lion King.

You read that right. The most popular show at Animal Kingdom (and arguably across Walt Disney World) is set to return in summer 2021.

The show will return in a “modified format,” with focus on making adjustments on stage and behind-the-scenes. Plus, there will be updates to choreography to allow for physical distancing, along with adjustments to audience seating.

An exact return date for Festival of the Lion has not been announced.

This is major news, especially since pretty much all entertainment has been suspended since the reopening of WDW and due to the ongoing pandemic. Plus, there were also all those unfortunate entertainment layoffs.

In October 2020, Disney released a statement commenting on the massive layoffs and said at the time, “Determining which shows can return and when is a complex process.” They continued,  “As with the rest of our phased reopening, we will also consider the guidance of health officials and government agencies in determining when the time will be right to adjust capacity, and as soon as it is appropriate, we will start to bring additional entertainment back.”

It’s unclear if any other entertainment will return, but in October 2020, First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration returned to Hollywood Studios. We’ll be sure to update you if or when we learn more entertainment news.

If you’re looking to plan a trip this summer to Walt Disney World (and to see Festival of the Lion King), be sure to reach out to Small World Vacations.

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Allyson Koerner

Allyson was able to take her lifelong love of Disney and her education (Bachelor’s Degree in English/minor in writing and a Master’s Degree in Print & Multimedia Journalism) and turn it into a career writing about all things Disney parks. Her writing can be seen in a few places, including her site, Magically Main Street. Email Allyson

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