Stars from Disney's "The Lion King" Film to Be Grand Marshals for Magic Kingdom Parade on Saturday, July 13

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 11, 2019) – Two stars from Disney's new feature film "The Lion King" will visit Walt Disney World this Saturday, July 13, to serve as grand marshals for the 3 p.m. Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom Park in Central Florida. JD McCrary, who voices Young Simba in the new film, and Shahadi Wright Joseph, the voice of Young Nala, will be part of a special entertainment moment that will kick off the popular afternoon parade. 

While their appearance will take place at Magic Kingdom Park, "The Lion King" is being honored throughout Walt Disney World. The heart of that celebration is at Disney's Animal Kingdom, which is commemorating the release of the new film and the 25^th anniversary of the original animated classic. Special Lion King experiences include awakenings on the Tree of Life that bring the park's icon to life with mystical images of animals and themes inspired by "The Lion King." The nighttime show "Rivers of Light: We Are One" also features new images from "The Lion King" and other Disney films, while the "Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party" offers guests a chance to let their inner animals roam free on the dance floor with Timon and Rafiki. And several times daily, guests can see a performance of Festival of the Lion King, one of the most popular live shows in all of Walt Disney World.

Disney's Animal Kingdom also has a special tie to the new version of "The Lion King." The movie's production team spent six weeks at the theme park researching naturalistic backdrops that helped inspire scenes for the movie.

The Walt Disney Company is furthering the movie's legacy with The Lion King "Protect the Pride" campaign. During the opening week of the new film, July 19-25, 2019, for every guest who rides Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Disney Conservation Fund will donate $2 (up to $350,000) to the Wildlife Conservation Network in support of the Lion Recovery Fund. The fund's goal is to double the number of lions in the wild by 2050.

To Access B-Roll and Other Materials:

Broadcast-quality b-roll of McCrary and Wright Joseph's visit will be available at WDWNews.com in the evening of July 13. First-time users of the media-exclusive site must create a username and password to download content. To do so, follow these easy instructions:

• Visit wdwnews.com/register and create a unique login
• Enter one-time verification PASSPHRASE: Disney
• Enter one-time verification PASSKEY: Magic
• Fill out all fields, as all are required for first-time registration; then your registration is complete
• Once you are logged in, you are able to download press releases, hi-res photos, broadcast-quality b-roll and more

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About Disney's "The Lion King"

Disney's "The Lion King," directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother – and former heir to the throne – has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon. Utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring treasured characters to life in a whole new way, Disney's "The Lion King" roars into theaters on July 19, 2019.

Disney's "The Lion King" original motion picture soundtrack available now.

/PRNewswire/ -- July 11, 2019/

SOURCE Walt Disney World