Welcome to planDisney, Robert, and congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your new cub! Celebrating this milestone at
Walt Disney World Resort sounds like a plan fit for the king of the jungle, so let's look at some ideas that will make your announcement magical.
While there are currently no official meetings for Lion King characters at the
Theme Parks, keep checking the
My Disney Experience Mobile App for updates. You can do this before your arrival and once you're in the parks by tapping the location button at the bottom of your screen and choosing Characters from the dropdown menu at the top center. You can filter by location, and I prefer to click the List option to see an alphabetic listing by character. You can also sort by Entertainment and look for the Discovery River Cruise - The Lion King to catch a glimpse of characters as they float down Discovery River at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Although making your big announcement with performers from the
Festival of the Lion King show sounds like a roaring good time, that might be unlikely. Even though I'm sure they'd love to help, performances are close together, so I fear Cast Members won't have time. But if you'd like to try, you can head to Harambe Theater early in the day and explain your plan. You never know when you might be pixie-dusted, but let's look at some other options, just in case.
One idea is to go to the Lion King section of
Disney's Art of Animation Resort by taking the
Disney Skyliner or
Disney Bus Service from the theme parks. Once onsite, you'll have many photo opportunities with the larger-than-life figures of your favorite Lion King characters. My favorite is Pumbaa, Timon, and young Simba crossing a log overhead, but there are many others. You could bring a
Simba plush to hold up Rafiki-style with your announcement placard!
You'll also find a statue of Rafiki at Animal Kingdom if you head to
Conservation Station and walk along the path. He would make a festive backdrop for your bundle of joy's announcement. With some creativity, I think you'll come up with the perfect plan.
Robert, I hope I've given you some ideas to help you make your special announcement memorable. Please
stop by planDisney anytime because our favorite phrase is Hakuna Matata!
Magic awaits,
Elaine