Lion King Ride and Land Coming to Disneyland Paris; Construction Starts 2025

It’s the thirtieth anniversary of the original The Lion King this year, and to celebrate, Disney has announced the first ever ride themed to the feature film and television franchise.

To be built at Disneyland Paris, we don’t have an opening date, but it’ll certainly be later than 2026, when that resort opens World of Frozen. Construction will begin next year.

According to promotional material:

Inspired by the African savanna and iconic locations from the franchise, this new area will push the boundaries of immersion with its unparalleled level of detail and a new, unique attraction, which will seamlessly blend a spectacular water experience with state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics® technology. Imagineers have dreamed up the perfect way to carry forward Disney’s unique storytelling tradition! With construction set to begin next year, the Pride Lands near Adventure Bay will bring the resort’s ongoing transformation to new heights!

Disneyland Paris lacks either a Jungle Cruise or a log flume ride like Splash Mountain or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, so this is a mash-up of sorts, it seems.

Confusingly, the official Disneyland Paris announcement says that the section will have character greetings. Will Disney be creating costumes based on the newer looks of the characters, or will cartoon Timon and Rafiki still be used?

The land will also feature themed dining and shopping.