Your Lion King Attraction in Disneyland

If you could be a Disney Imagineer, how would your Lion King Attraction look like?



Here's my try:

I would turn Big Thunder Mountain into Pride Rock, place Lion King Figures all around, I would turn the "engine" into Zazu, and in the cave there would be a water curtain on which Mufasa is projected, and you are going through that, at the last drop there would be fire "posts" left and right and at the end you see the circle completed like in the movie with Nala Simba Timon Pumbaa etc. and Rafiki holding "Kiara".

Maybe I get another idea later on ;P

to keep it simple, a carosel with lion king guys on it lmfao <3 XD

Stampede.

Alright, you know I have to post an idea because it involves Disneyland! ;)

Actually, I came up with an idea more than two years ago. I call it Simba's Lion King Expedition.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...Expedition.jpg

I envision my idea as an alternative to an existing attraction at Disneyland, CA: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. It involves a similar jeep system, however the technology would be unprecedented - a combination of projection and virtual reality with real life sets and special effects to bring this animated classic to dazzling life. To guide you through my attraction, I have written a "story" of a hypothetical guest - you! - experiencing this expedition. I started it a long time ago but just finished it here at 2 a.m. because this thread reminded me. Alright then, here we go!


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A Walk-through of the Attraction

As you walk through the entrance of Adventureland and curve your way past the bustling outdoor bazaar and the green-shuttered station of the world-famous Jungle Cruise, a single, rhythmic, pounding drum can be heard over the constant din of jungle wildlife. It lures you in, and it gets louder as you approach the entrance of your destination. The words SIMBA?S LION KING EXPEDITION are engraved upon a large wooden sign with a striking African sunrise in the background, hanging high amongst the foliage and bamboo. Just below, the structure supporting the sign is the attraction entrance, with a thatched roof and bamboo supports ? obviously built with materials readily available in the jungle. Beyond it, a gigantic pillar of stone stands proudly, with several angles and fractures jutting out in erratic patterns, and water cascades down its crevices and cracks. A cast member dressed in a tight-fitting safari jacket smiles and points you to the start of the stand-by line. The queue, made of rope between bamboo poles, leads you toward the giant natural monument, and the sound of rushing water drowns out everything else.

You are led within the stone pillar and inside a dark and forbidding cave-like enclosure, dimly lit by long thin cracks in the ceiling, and you are surrounded narrowly on all sides with solid rock. However, a fair quantity of compacted dirt covers the path beneath the hard stone below you and, feeling the sole of your shoe stepping on a slight depression in the floor, you look down. It?s a very large paw print, its owner unmistakable. This discovery triggers your memory of a similar incident, where a small lion cub placed his tiny paw into the paw print of his father?s, realizing the shoes he had to fill as future king. No sooner does this thought occur to you than the cave ahead of you opens up to your right and you hear loud, echoing snores and deep breathing of an entire pride of lions.

?Dad! Dad! Come on, we gotta go, wake up!?

You grin in spite of yourself as you watch Simba make his way around the sleeping lions laying across the cold stone floor and approach the largest lion, his father Mufasa. How did they do that? It might be projections, but however it?s done, the result is incredibly real.

?Dad! Da-ad!? When Mufasa makes no motion to get up, or indeed any sign that he was awake, Simba begins pulling on his ear, then finally backs up and runs headlong into him.

?You promised!? he exclaimed, when Mufasa opened one eye in his direction.

Someone gives an impatient cough behind you, which gives you quite a start. You almost forgot you were in line. You reluctantly start walking again, looking back once as Mufasa says tiredly, ?All right, all right, I?m up, I?m up,? and yawns, amplified by the reverberating cave walls.

You exit the cave and find yourself in a very large tree. Massive branches twist all around, moonlight filters through the leaves, stars twinkle overhead (that constellation with three circles looks oddly familiar), and the path is now a footbridge circling around an enormous trunk. Judging by the oddly shaped objects hanging from the branches overhead, the drawings etched into the ones to the sides depicting zebras and giraffes, and a stick leaning against the trunk, you have a good guess as to who the occupant may be. Sure enough, you spot Rafiki, so engrossed in his latest tree drawing that he does not notice you. He mutters and chuckles to himself as he puts the finishing touches on his latest drawing, a lion cub. Taking his thumb and rubbing it across the drawing?s forehead, Rafiki says ?Simba.? Subtly, the drawing begins to glow, and the distant stars twinkle in silent reply. Rafiki chuckles again, and begins chanting ?Asante sana, squash banana, we we nughu, mi mi aphana...?

Switchbacks and turns that Disney parks are so famous for lead you into and wind around the Safari Ventures room, a huge canvas tent, where signs of civilization are suddenly very apparent as the walls are plastered with billboards, posters, pamphlets, and postcards exclaiming vacation plans and travel destinations to various places in Africa. On closer inspection, the pamphlets contained in a glass case on the wall say things like ?We?d love you to join us for lunch at the Elephant Graveyard!? and ?Marvelous surprises await the whole family in The Gorge- discounts inside to die for!? More exhibits are strewn about: various interesting artifacts and documents, including animal skeletons and skulls, constellation diagrams, blueprint designs for outlandish vehicles (pictured is a jeep named KOVU, Kraft for Off-road Vehicle Utility), pictures of African landmarks, camping gear, several maps, and samples of wildebeest fur you can actually touch.

?Welcome to K.I.N.G. (Kontinuous Informative News from the Grasslands) radio, bringing you the latest from the Serengeti,? a cool woman?s voice announces from an old fashioned radio box. ?It is currently five a.m. in the pridelands, daybreak is in approximately an hour, and present temperatures are sixty seven degrees Fahrenheit but are expected to rise to around the low nineties by mid-afternoon.? You check your watch curiously; the park didn?t even open that early! But the clear plastic openings to the outside of the tent are pitch black, strongly suggesting it is still in the early hours of the morning.

?All outgoing tours from Simba?s Expedition depart promptly at daybreak. This tour consists of nonstop travel to all major destinations in the pridelands, sponsored by your friends at KOVU Transport Authority. KTA invites you to embark on a fantastic journey to the uncharted and spectacular wonders of Africa. Remember, when it comes to exploring the savanna, no one gets you there in safety and comfort like KTA! KTA. A full round-trip, guaranteed!? Then at the end of the commercial a male voice reads off the fine print at lightning speed: ?Due to the popularity of this excursion our availability is extremely limited call in advance at 1-800-KOVU-KTA all tours are subject to change without notice and may be cancelled due to but not limited to adverse weather conditions void where prohibited full round-trip guarantee does not inhibit or protect travelers from lacerations contusions internal bleeding disease or permanent brain damage see our liability contract for details.?

You are led through the tent opening and suddenly the stuffy constriction opens up to the heavens. Darkness shrouds the vastness of the empty grasslands, and gently sloping hills extend in all directions. An early morning chill is in the air and it makes you shiver a little. The only light besides that from the stars above comes from the blinding headlights of oversized jeeps. Emblazed with the KOVU logo on the sides, your vehicle holds twelve people each, with three rows of four seats. Finally, you reach the front of the line atop a small wooden platform, and the gates open, letting you aboard.

?*Kcch* Testing, one two three! Pffh, pffh. Is this thing on?? A fast paced, high-pitched voice comes over the jeep speakers. ?Is everyone ready to see African wildlife aboard the most luxurious type of transportation known to meerkat kind? Welcome to Timon?s Expedition.?

?Uuh, you mean Simba?s Expectation, right, Timon?? grunts another comical voice.

?Listen Pumbaa, who?s doing the narration here, huh? *ahem* Well in any case, I?d like to remind you all to-?

?Put on your restraining device and make sure it is securely fastened,? Pumbaa butts in.

?Hey, that?s my line!? You can?t help smiling at these words as you fasten your seatbelt. The jeep moves smoothly toward the end of the platform, and Timon continues.

?As I was saying. We meerkats are wild about safety, so we ask that you-?

?Please stay seated with your limbs, paws, tails and tusks inside the jeep at all times.?

?Oy??

?Enjoy the expelltition. Asante sana.?

?You?ve been hanging out with the monkey again, haven?t you??

The jeep roars to life and rolls forward. With no companion but the droning of the engine, your surroundings fade completely to black.

A glorious sunrise, vivid yellow over a deep red sky, spreads over the Serengeti, as the chorus sings out the familiar opening lines and chords:

Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw? enamabala?

KOVU takes a right hand turn and raises up a hill, following the progress of several forms of life all moving in the same direction. Aimed toward the sky, you see birds of all colors flying toward that same focal point, and like an anxious child your jeep races to the top of the hill in a burst of excitement and music, and before you is a very spectacular scene indeed. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and a host of many other animals are gathered around Pride Rock, standing majestically just ahead. As Rafiki presents the baby cub named Simba at arms length at the very tip of Pride Rock for all to see, a blinding shaft of light descends from the clouded sky and touches the future king. As the song ?Circle of Life? reaches its highest point, the animals kneel and bow to pay their respects. The surroundings fade away until nothing is left but Rafiki and the tiny cub, and a soul-shaking boom ends the spectacle, reverberating in your eardrums long after the presentation disappears.

Abruptly out of the darkness, whimsical shapes of all kinds ? zany zigzags, swirling spirals, pulsating polygons ? dance to an infectious rhythm. The materializing landscape is severely altered into a berserk blend of color and motion. Everything is brilliant, abstract, bizarrely fluorescent and strikingly vivid as if lit by blacklight and highly stylized the way Africa might appear to the childish imagination. Trees are zanily striped blue and green with pink leaves, while the ground is solid red against a wild yellow sky. Monkeys swing in the trees, birds in the mouths of crocodiles sing, and flamingos croon to the rollicking song, ?I Just Can?t Wait to be King.? Even the jeep springs to life, rocking from side to side to the rhythm of the beat.

Let every creature go for broke and sing
Let?s hear it in the herd and on the wing
It?s gonna be King Simba?s finest fling
Oh I just can?t wait to be king!

A great pyramid of animals dance in a circle and sing joyously, with elephants on the bottom, and giraffes, anteaters, gnus, and an ostrich with Nala and Simba at the very top. Zazu, the blue-feathered majordomo bird, cowers nearby, knees buckling, under the weight of a full-grown rhinoceros.

A great burst of billowing steam from the fissures and cracks in rocks whisks away the pageantry and sucks the life out of it until there is almost no color left. A dismal, dark passage lies ahead, and KOVU moves forward cautiously, switching on the headlights. Scattered across the barren rock forms are gigantic bones of deceased large animals, and you can faintly smell the rotting stench of decaying flesh. The jeep bucks and pitches over the uneven, jagged terrain. The giant head and tusks of an elephant skull loom ominously out of a low fog, lit eerily by the green steam, and frenzied, hysterical laughter confirms your apprehension that you are not alone.

Three hyenas appear from out of the gloom. ?Well, well, what have we got here?? inquires the female hyena named Shenzi.

?A whole truckload of entr?es!? exclaims another, Banzai.

Ed, tongue hanging out of his slobbery mouth, just gives a foolhardy giggle as your jeep lurches into a tight turn revealing a truly hellish sight.

Flame and fire leap out unexpectedly so close you can feel the scorching heat on your face. Hyenas too numerous to count dance on the rocks, hitting bones on skeletons like xylophones, shaking dead animal remains held by their teeth above their heads that cast freakish shadows on the rock faces behind, and singing the sinister song, ?Be Prepared?:

We?ll have food, lots of food!
We repeat, endless meat!

On the very highest rock pillar sits Scar, an imposing figure against a bloodshot crescent moon. He cocks his head and smiles threateningly as he shouts:

Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared
Be Prepared!!

Scar and the hyenas give a wicked laugh as the scenery changes once again. The sheer height of a cliff wall comes into view, blinding you with sunlight. The ?RRHAAAR!? of a small lion cub echoes off them. Simba, standing on a rock next to a tree, smiles with satisfaction, then looks down with foreboding as the ground starts to shake. Your vehicle turns left, looking down toward the far side of the gorge to the source of the noise. You watch in horror as an entire herd of wildebeests charge down into the ravine?in your direction!

KOVU trembles violently as thousands of hoofs hid the hard earth and the noise is unbelievable, yet over the ruckus a bursting sound from the engine explains why you have not yet moved. The engine has stalled! It whines and struggles to restart as the stampede approaches with alarming speed ever closer.

Finally, the engine comes back to life and the jeep hurtles around at the last second in a flurry of tires on loose gravel. Accelerating to top speed you race down the bottom of the gorge, taking in every uneven rock with great turbulence in addition to the earthquake caused by the rush of innumerable frightened horned beasts, highly dramatized as a choir voices the chilling score, ??To Die For.? The wildebeests are no longer visible from the front, but it is plainly clear they are trailing right behind you, as their presence is made known by the unearthly roar screaming in your ears. And speaking of roars?

A very loud, deep roar, from a full-grown lion this time (either from pain or from fear, you can?t tell which), overrides the sound of chaos from behind and your attention is directed ahead and above to Mufasa, dangling precariously over the cliff edge, eyes wide and mouth held open in terror, held in a deadly embrace by the paws of his brother, a look of intense malice and sinister smile on Scar?s face. The jeep slows down, the rumble of the stampede lessens somehow, and even the brightness seems to dim, as Scar slowly mutters words only the most terribly power-hungry murderer would dare to speak:

?Long live the king!?

The music strikes a terrible, fatal chord as daylight fades completely, leaving you entombed in total darkness. The front end of the jeep pitches downward and you plunge, falling down, mimicking the fatal fall. Mufasa?s final screams stab the miserable gloom, and mix with Simba?s horrified yell ?NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!? which continues to reverberate off the cliff walls and is followed by complete silence.

But your vehicle levels off and moves onward, and the next light to appear floods through a canopy of luscious green trees and jungle vines. Vibrantly colored exotic flowers and dense foliage surrounds you on all sides, butterflies and other winged bugs flutter lazily among the vegetation, and stretching overhead is a very long, thick, mossy log. Marching across it are Simba and his two exile companions, Pumbaa and Timon, smiling cheerfully and walking and moving their heads side to side to the musical crescendo of ?Hakuna Matata.? As you watch this unusual trio, young Simba begins to change before your very eyes, taking on adolescent form for only a second before transforming into his matured, maned, and much larger adult self. Passing underneath the log, you hear them chant the familiar phrase:

?Hakuna, matata, hakuna, matata, hakuna, matata...?

A magnificent waterfall, cascading elegantly into a crystal lake below and reflecting the oranges, pinks and purples of sunset, forms a romantic background as Simba and his long-lost companion Nala snuggle each other to a heartfelt rendition of ?Can You Feel the Love Tonight:?

Can you feel the love tonight?
You needn?t look too far
Stealing through the night?s uncertainties
Love is where they are

Watching nearby are Timon and Pumbaa, hugging each other and wailing uncontrollably, sending tears flying. Their sobbing continues as evening turns to night, and the sky deepens its hues to a rich dark blue. Like so many fireflies trapped in a bluish black vastness of space, a million stars sparkle their tiny yet dazzling shafts of light on the fields below.

?Simba??

A sudden, powerful gust of wind sweeps through the grassy field and carries with it an otherworldly but otherwise familiar voice. ?Father?? Simba, his mane billowing in the breeze, raises his gaze toward the heavens, unable to contain an expression of utter disbelief and amazement, and neither can you when you witness the immortal likeness of Mufasa?s ghost.

Clouds materialize high in the sky out of nowhere and swirl around a semitransparent yet easily distinguishable figure. Despite his ghostly form, which is slightly blurred along the edges and not entirely solid, Mufasa retains his sense of power and magnificence that his mere presence can convey. The surrounding stars struggle to compete with the intense brightness that seems to radiate from him. Mufasa looks solemnly at his son, and speaks with meaningful emphasis:

?Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. You must take your place in the circle of life.?

A flash of lightning and rolling thunder brings you away from this emotional scene to a barren, parched landscape. The few scattered trees and plants that have managed to survive the apparent drought are charcoal black, leafless, and so dismal looking that you wonder what has kept them alive this long. Another almighty flash of lightning erupts directly in front of you and lights the brush on fire. Sparks and flickering fingers surround you and visible now are Scar and Simba engaged in battle. KOVU backs up in response, but a sickening crack in the rock below you sends the jeep hurtling backwards off the side of the cliff and the last thing you see is Simba hurling Scar off too, with you, falling backwards, falling?the scene goes dark again.

Another boom of thunder and rain washes Pride Rock into view. The jeep?s windshield wipers going, you witness Simba?s triumphant ascension to power. The clouds open up and stars are visible beyond.

?Remember??

Simba roars majestically, deafeningly, and the pridelands is transformed before your very eyes. Night turns to day, and color, life and beauty are restored to the landscape, and animals are celebrating everywhere, trumpeting and screeching and hollering and roaring most of all, roaring!

Till we find our place on the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life!

And one final climatic boom closes the expedition.

You and the other passengers you were only dimly aware of give a cheer and a joyful applause. You are quite confident you just witnessed ?more to see than can ever be seen? in just five minutes.

?Well as they say, ladies and germs, that?s the end of the lion,? says Timon from the jeep speakers. ?Hope you enjoyed the expedition, folks, and that you?ll come again and visit us real soon!?

?Yeah, like tomorrow!? Pumbaa adds as KOVU glides back into the small starlit station.

?Pumbaa, look around, it is tomorrow!?

?Timon, if this is tomorrow, what does that make yesterday??

?Oy??

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So, yeah, that's my idea. :cheese: I kinda ran out of steam there at the end, it is late after all, but you get the idea. It's a "book report" attraction to be sure, but I especially like (if I may add my own commentary) how the invention of KOVU connects humans with the animal-only world.

I like 2 Die FR's idea. Especially.

Mine's would be a simulated 3-D ride of different aspects of the original film. A sort of virtual rollercoaster that has periodic stops during movie keypoints that allows the user to see TLK and interact with it. In the interim; it'd be a jungle safari-type.

Hey....
That's just.. [SIZE=large]GREAT!!![/SIZE] :wow:
I don't know where you came with that idea.. But I had a good time only listening to this. I turned my speakers on and listened to it like a story. i love it. You really have a talent.:noogie: :cheese:

Thanks for sharing that! i love it!:hugs:

A stampede ride would make me dizzy :lol: I do like 2 Die FR's idea. :) And a carousel would be funny. :lol: Flying Zazu's instead of Flying Dumbos. On the Little Mermaid DVD, they have a little featurette about the LM attraction that never was. It's pretty cool. They talk about just how hard it is to make a 10-20 minute attraction out of a feature length film. Crazy stuff. :)

i thought up a stampede roller coaster once. however it would take up a lot of space. Would include simply a loop and somehow in the middle a picture of simba hanging from the branch, and later on a big drop ;) :eww:

2 Die Fr. that was amazing!!!! i can totally see that being a ride at disney

also, i would really really love it if they would bring the Lion King puppet show back. I don't know if many of you were able to see that when it was around however many years ago, but it was really great. :cheese:

It was really cool. :D I recorded it the last summer it was there. I'll see if I can figure out a way to get it online for y'all :)

Yees, 2Die4For...quite a novelette there ;)

I'd make a twisting roller coaster with cars that have fins on the backsides like on vintage 50's autos, and the main cars would be painted with scenes from TLK, TLKoB, SP, and a fanart from Lea Members :D . There'd be a big ad for Lea Halalela on the back of the front car, which would be shaped and colored like Simba. The original TLK soundtrack would play during the ride and the actual roller coaster frame would be painted red with African 'fabric' designs. The fence around would look like grass.

And for the kiddies, a TLK teacup ride, painted with colorful images exclusively from IJCWTBK, and a musical score inspired by that song would play during the ride!

:)

A whole seperate Lion King theme park...

Two Carosels one with all the characers (you can ride them, yes Sarafina is included... And you can ride Timon too.) And a "Circle of Life" Carosel with the animals from the CoL scene. Zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, "realistic" meerkats, rhinos, etc.

Roller coster (with a IJCWTBL theme)

A roller coster with an "Shadowland" or elephant grave yard theme (when Simba and Nala slide down that elephant vertebre it reminds me of a roller coster)
A Hakuna Matata roller coster (basicaly this would be a "coster" park)

African restraunts

For the kids:
Playground shaped like bus where you can slide down catepillers and such

An elephant graveyard playground (for the "goth" kids:D)

Gift shops where you can buy exclusive Lion King stuff (including Sarafina plushies)

Petting zoo (where you can pet meerkats and baby lions... traditional petting "zoos" never appealed to me.)