by JollyFrogger Diva
One of the things I love most about Walt Disney World is the level of entertainment they are able to provide. From amazing rides and interactive queues, to spectacular dining experiences and incredible live shows. In fact, the live shows are some of my favorite parts of the Disney parks. Disney has amassed some incredibly talented people for their live shows and I’ve always loved taking time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show they put on. Here are my 5 favorite live shows at WDW.
Festival of the Lion King
Festival of the Lion King is by far my favorite show at Walt Disney World. I was a fan of the animated The Lion King movie as a kid, and this show has made me love it even more. Located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom, this 30 minute show is in an indoor, air-conditioned theater so you can get off your feet and cool off while you enjoy the experience. The line always seems to be pretty long so clearly I’m not the only fan. FastPass+ reservations are offered but aren’t really necessary since there are numerous showing throughout the day. You’ll be treated to live singers, a fire performer, aerialists, and acrobats. Don’t worry- your favorite characters from The Lion King will be there too. Festival is definitely an accurate description for this show- it’s bright, colorful, and so much fun! Kids of all ages will enjoy this show, although there are a few darker moments that might be a bit scary to small kids (don’t worry, they don’t last long). I love how the show is performed in the center of a theater-in-the-round so everybody has a great seat and there’s plenty of space for everyone. Due to the bench seating, small kids might need to sit in your lap if someone tall sits in front of them, but there isn’t a bad seat in the house, in my opinion. Festival of the Lion King is at the top of my must-do list for Animal Kingdom and we always make sure to see it at least once each trip.
Finding Nemo- the Musical
Animal Kingdom is also where you’ll find another of my favorite live shows, Finding Nemo- the Musical. Although Finding Nemo isn’t exactly a musical, Disney did a great job of creating some original music for this live on stage adaptation. If you don’t find yourself humming “In the Big Blue World” or “Go With the Flow” randomly throughout the day after seeing this show, I’d be quite surprised. This show is performed with some really amazing puppets and talented humans who sing, dance, and even perform some acrobatics. It’s bright, colorful, and full of all the humor and whimsy a Finding Nemo fan would expect. Once again, although FastPass+ reservations are offered, they are usually unnecessary due to the number of shows performed daily.
For the First Time in Forever: a Frozen Sing-a-Long Celebration
My third favorite live show can be found at Hollywood Studios. Don’t worry if you don’t come from a house full of Frozen-obsessed children, this is a fantastic show for people of all ages. Even Soarin Diva’s teenage sons loved the show and I’m sure they weren’t big Frozen fans. As the title of the show suggests there is a fair amount of sing-a-long fun, but this show is so much more than that. The Royal Historians of Arendelle really make this show special with their brief (and often comedic) retelling of movie’s story line. Adults and older children will love the comedy the Royal Historians bring and the Frozen fans will love seeing their favorite character live on stage and singing to all of their favorite songs from the movie. Frozen isn’t one of my favorite Disney animated movies (don’t tell my kids), but this show was definitely enjoyable and I even found myself singing-a-long on more than one occasion. FastPass+ reservations are available for this show.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
My next favorite can also be found at Hollywood Studios. From a very young age I have been a huge fan of The Little Mermaid so this show is always on my must-see list. Although it may not be exciting or elaborate as the other shows on my list, it’s still an enjoyable show. The story of The Little Mermaid is told through puppets and live actors. There are some cool black-light and fog effects as well. Younger guests might find the huge Ursula a bit scary, but she doesn’t stick around too long. The seats are arranged similar to those in a movie theater so small kids might have to sit on someone’s lap in order to see if there’s someone tall in front of them. FastPass+ reservations are available but unnecessary. The show runs continuously throughout the day and we’ve rarely seen the theater full.
Fantasmic!
The final show on my favorite list is also found at Hollywood Studios. This is the one show I would recommend getting a FastPass+ reservation for, as we’ve found the theater always fills up. There are some dining packages available as well that give you reserved seating, so consider one of those if you don’t want to tie up a FastPass ( Military Diva has a great guide to deciding Which Fantasmic! Strategy is Best for You). Join Mickey and journey into his Imagination. This show is a great combination of live-action, pyrotechnics, and water-screen projection. Beware those seats in the front and center of the theater- you may get wet! There are a few moments in the show where Mickey is battling a Villain or when loud pyrotechnics are used that young kids might find a bit intimidating, but overall it’s fun for the whole family. My favorite part of the show is watching the entire lagoon become engulfed in flames! We enjoy seeing Fantasmic! every trip, although I do wish they would update the show just a bit as it’s pretty much the same show it was when it opened in 1998.
So there you have it, my favorite live shows at WDW! Are any of these shows on your must-see list? If you want to plan a trip to check out these amazing shows at WDW, contact Patricia at All for Dreams Travel for a free quote.
