Will Festival of the Lion King Return to the Original Format Soon?

Once the Disney Parks reopened, there were many changes and modifications to entertainment throughout the Disney Parks. Could we see a change to the Festival of the Lion King soon?

Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King

In May, Guests were once again able to enjoy the beautiful pageantry of the Lion King. However, a few things had changed. One of the most notable changes was the name for this show. The “Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King” is quite a mouthful and differentiated this from the previous show.

Many of the thematic elements were modified in order to allow for social distancing between performers. You can check out a full review of the changes of this new show HERE.

Are the Tumble Monkeys Returning?

Back in December we shared a job posting that could mean a return of the Tumble Monkeys. Disney recently posted a new job listing looking for Stunt Actors with Tramp Wall experience. While the show and location is not listed, it does state it’s for the The Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

We were hoping that this may mean that the beloved Tumble Monkeys would be returning to this show. They truly added a great amount of comedy and entertainment to this show.

Now Hiring New Performers

In the Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King, the beautifully colored birds throughout the show are still present. Unfortunately, they no longer take to the sky for aerobatics. In order to follow health and safety guidelines for the cast, this element has been removed.

We may now see a glimmer of hope that the acrobatics may be returning to this show. Disney Careers is currently looking for dancers for the Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King. What is interesting is the job specifications:

Maji – Female identifying dancer 5’1″ to 5’4″ with excellent ballet technique, strong partnering skills and the ability to perform at heights. This character may perform an aerial routine that involves flying in the air. Due to aerial equipment safety protocol, this role must maintain a weight of 110 lbs. or lower and must be within the 5’1-5’4 height bracket

Moto – Male identifying dancer 5’10” and above, with excellent ballet technique, lift/partnering skills and strong athletic build.

For the female dancer these job specifications include “aerial routing that involves flying in the air.” For the male dancer, this would also include “lift/partnering” skills.” Both of these elements are currently missing from the current Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King.

Disney Careers is currently looking for dancers for the Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King that could signal a return of aerial acrobatics.

At this time Walt Disney World has not announced a change to the current show. We are hopeful that these job listings may signal that a change may be announced soon.

Do you think that these job listings may mean a return to the Festival of the Lion King? Did you enjoy the modified Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook Page.