Can you feel the love… this Saturday? Because on July 13, the voices of young Simba and young Nala from the upcoming re-imagined version of “The Lion King” will be honorary Grand Marshals for the 3 p.m. Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. 

After the parade, JD McCrary (young Simba) and Shahadi Wright Joseph (young Nala), will also stop by Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where an abundance of treats and activities are celebrating the release of the new film, along with the 25^th anniversary of the original animated classic.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom also has a special tie to the new film.  The movie’s production team spent six weeks at the theme park researching naturalistic backdrops that helped inspire scenes from the movie. You can learn more about this and try your hand at animation at the recently reopened Rafiki’s Planet Watch!

Disney’s “The Lion King,” directed by Jon Favreau, follows the same basic plot as the original animated film. Young Simba must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place as king on Pride Rock.  Along with JD and Shahadi, 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.

Disney’s “The Lion King” in theaters July 19 ! You can pre-order your tickets to the film here. 

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