Learn About Conservation with the Cast of ‘The Lion King’ at ‘The Circle of Life’

If you find yourself with an extra 20 minutes or so to spare before your Soarin' FastPass can be turned in, take a short walk upstairs to the Harvest Theater in The Land Pavilion and catch a showing of The Circle of Life.

Circle of Life Marquee Inside The Land

In this 20-minute "edutainment" film - it's a mix of education and entertainment - you'll learn all about conservation with the help of Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa. This attraction opened in 1995, replacing Symbiosis, a film that focused on the balance between the expansion of technology and protecting the environment. It's a safe bet that kids will enjoy The Circle of Life a bit more than they did its predecessor.

The Circle of Life features live action and animation and includes 70mm footage shot in more than 30 countries around the world. As the film begins, guests see a montage of animal clips and the song "Circle of Life." Simba is King of the Pride Land and he finds his old pals Timon and Pumbaa cutting down trees and clogging the rivers in their quest to build the Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village.

Timon and Pumba Learn Lessons in Conservation

Ever the responsible king, Simba attempts to explain to his friends that even though nature is majestic it's also very fragile. Of course, Timon and Pumbaa don't want to listen to their friend until he explains that all living creatures need space, power, and food in order to survive. In true Disney fashion, the film has a happy ending as everyone's favorite meerkat and warthog decide to work to end pollution and protect their environment.

This is a great attraction for the kids - they'll enjoy watching their favorite characters from The Lion King. And it's a good place to rest your weary feet and cool off from the summer heat.

Thanks so much to Traci C. for this fun guest post and Loren Javier and Mark Adams for the images through Creative Commons.

Hakuna Matata!