Review: The Lion King in 4DX

After the first day of San Diego Comic Con, we were invited to head to a local theatre to experience The Lion King in a 4DX theater. For those that are unaware, 4DX takes general release films and adds immersive elements to the screening. According to the sign outside, here are the elements that could be included in a film:

Guests do have the option of turning off the water effects by pushing a button on their seat.

As you can see, many of these elements are standard in a “4D” theme park experience, but have not traditionally been applied to a feature-length experience.

Having already seen The Lion King, I felt that 4DX was a great way to see the film for the second time. It gave you a new way to experience the story while adding something new. That being said, I would not recommend seeing a movie in 4DX for the first time, particularly something as grand as The Lion King as the effects could be a distraction.

As I mentioned, I did enjoy the soaring motion of panning through the savannah. Other fun elements include feeling the vibration of the lions’ roars, smelling the grass of the plains, and bouncing along with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Also, as you could probably guess, you get to experience “the stampede scene” in a whole new way.

While I had fun, I would recommend to the 4DX folks to use a little bit more restraint. For example, gently soaring with the birds during The Circle of Life can add to your enjoyment while having you seat buzz with every beat of Just Can’t Wait to Be King is annoying. The programming should match the tone of the film and I feel like they were a bit heavy-handed with The Lion King.

As I left the theater, I was laughing as the 4DX experience was fun. I left wondering what will be the next Disney movie to get the 4DX treatment and being disappointed that there isn’t a 4DX theater near me. To find out if one of the 22 4DX locations in the U.S. and Canada are near you visit the Regal 4DX website.