For the entire month of September, Freeform is hosting 30 Days of Disney — a celebration of everything Disney! Freeform will feature dozens of beloved movies all month, and the Laughing Place team will take a look at one of the films being shown each day with a variety of fun tie-ins.
Disney’s animated classic The Lion King showed off the beauty of Africa in an artistic way we had never seen before and undoubtedly sparked a curiosity of those animals in thousands of young Disney fans. Luckily for those young (and probably now grown up) fans, they don’t need to take a trip all the way to Africa to see some of those animals.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers guests several different experiences where they can see a wide variety of animals, including those seen in The Lion King.
Hyena
On the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction, you will see a very wide variety of animals. That includes Scar’s henchmen, the hyenas. These big predators can be seen in the savanna section of the attraction, though they tend to be a bit difficult to spot. They’re typically lounging under they’re cozy little rock formation, but occasionally you’ll get luck and see them out and about.
Hornbill
A slightly less intimidating character can be found at the Animation Experience at Conservation Station. The bird that inspired Zazu is one of the subjects of this drawing class over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While he’s taking a break from overseeing a young lion cub set to take over as ruler of the pride, why don’t you see how well you can draw him?
Meerkat
One of my favorite animal exhibits in the entire park is the meerkats. Found in the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, these adorable little critters provide tons of entertainment as they scurry about their habitat. Unfortunately, no matter how long you hang around, they never break out into a rendition of “Hakuna Matata.” Believe me, I’ve tried.
Warthog
Speaking of “Hakuna Matata,” back on the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction, you’ll find the warthogs. Despite their size, they can be a bit hard to spot as they’re typically laying in a nice shady spot, but every now and then you’ll see trotting around. Maybe just don’t stand downwind.
Lion
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Lion King experience without any lions. Perhaps the main attraction of the Kilimanjaro Safari is the Kopi rock formation where you’ll find the lions. Again, you’re not likely to see much action with these magnificent animals, as they spend most of their day sleeping. Every now and then though, you’ll get a sight you’ll never forget.
You can find the full schedule of 30 Days of Disney films and air times here (Laughing Place) and here (Freeform).