Festival Of The Lion King & Finding Nemo The Musical Removed From Park Maps

There have been a lot of changes in the past year. From social distancing to Plexiglas, there have been many adjustments we’ve all had to make in our day to day lives and at the most magical place on earth. Of course, many of these adjustments and changes won’t simply go away when the clock strikes 12 here in a few days. One such change is the temporary closure of Festival Of The Lion King and Finding Nemo The Musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Earlier this year, many performances [especially those indoors] were halted and performers were let go. Since that announcement, many people have been concerned about the future of the entertainment at the parks; some even suggesting that the pandemic was a convenient excuse to cut back on live entertainment that was already set for the chopping block. [I have some thoughts on this theory, but I’ll save that for another day.]

At first glance, the removal of these two shows from the Animal Kingdom park map can make it seem like some of the changes that Disney threw against the wall in 2020 are going to stick. However, after taking a deep breath and giving it a second look, I’m not so sure. Here’s why. . .

First, the two shows are [currently] still listed on the website’s map and on the website as “Temporarily Unavailable”. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone as this is how both shows have been listed for some time now. Although this isn’t anywhere near a guarantee, without a formal announcement that the shows will be cancel and/or removed, I think there’s reason to believe that they will return in some capacity in the future.

Next, let’s talk a little bit about logistics. Let’s assume that Disney has already worked out how to safely seat both shows in a socially distant way and is ready to raise the curtain in 2021. Who will perform? Though we want it to be the cast of performers who were laid off in October of this year, the reality of the situation is that some of them may no longer be capable or willing to return. This, ultimately, means the process of casting may have to start again followed by months of training and rehearsals. [Quite frankly, even if the entire cast was brought back on there would still likely be months of training and rehearsals before the show was a “go” again.] During this time, it doesn’t really make sense to have shows listed that won’t be around for months or until the next set of park maps are printed, which brings me to my next point. . . . paper maps change all the time.

Whether it’s ride closures or holidays, the park maps at Walt Disney World are ever changing. In the past, the changes might not have been as frequent and you may not even have noticed them unless you were really paying close attention [especially if you’ve moved away from paper maps and mostly rely on MyDisneyExperience]. However, with the current state of things, I’d be willing to bet that the people at Disney are preparing for multiple changes [including map reprints] in the near future. After all, paper maps at the parks are designed to help today’s guests make their way around the parks.

Now, grab your spoon full of sugar ‘cause what I’m about to say might need some help going down. . . .

As we wrap up the last few days of 2020, I know that so many of us are more than eager to shut the book on what has been a challenging year. We’re ready for normal. Thing is, we’re not quite there yet. Though the finish line might be in sight, it’s still in the distance and we’re going to have to work together to keep making our way there inch by inch. We’ll get there though! It’s just going to take some time.

That’s all for today fellow mortals, but before you materialize, let us know your thoughts. Are you a fan of these shows? What was your initial reaction when you heard or saw that they were removed from the maps?

Until next time. . . . stay spooky!