Our Safari Park Experience Ahead Of Mufasa
Dec 10, 2024
MUFASA: THE LION KING opens December 20
With MUFASA: THE LION KING making its way to AMC Theatres locations nationwide, Disney recently invited us to attend a once-in-a-lifetime press event where we had the opportunity to see all kinds of animals in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. A day filled with safari sights – from both on the ground and high above on a zipline – as well as interviews with the cast of the latest entry in the beloved LION KING franchise, this remarkable, engaging, and powerful event was like no other.
Come along as we look back on the epic Safari Experience and go over what we saw and learned about a multitude of animals and the zoo staff who tend to them, as well as the continued conservation efforts by Disney.
Starting this holiday season, MUFASA: THE LION KING will take us to the African Savanna with an epic origin story about one of Disney’s most iconic characters, while also showing a different side of one of its most vile villains. While we didn’t see Mufasa or Taka on the journey through the Safari Park, the trip to the conservation area was an eye-opening experience.
Traveling in the back of a covered, open-air safari truck, the tour included sightings of giraffes, vultures, zebras, and a plethora of other wildlife native to Africa. During this time, our tour guide detailed the various species living within the park as well as the conservation efforts by staff, including healthcare, partnering with other organizations, and educating the public about the animals in the park and out in the wild. Citing Senegalese conservationist Baba Dioum, the guide left us with this poignant and profound quote:
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”
The wildlife safari would have been great on its own, but it was only the beginning of what would be an action-packed and educational day for those in attendance. After riding through the park, we were given the opportunity to soar high above the ground with the Flightline Safari, the longest continuous zip line in California.
Two-thirds of a mile in length, this unique zip-lining experience allowed us to glide above rhinos, several species of deer, and various other animals. This unique experience, which started on the top of a hill overlooking the San Pasqual Valley, gave us a bird’s-eye view of both the wildlife and the vast ecosystem below at a thrilling but steady speed. If you want to see something new, or at least pick up a new perspective and appreciation of the park’s conservation efforts, it doesn’t get more exciting than this.
In addition to highlighting the educational and entertainment value of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, this press event also gave us a chance to learn more about Disney’s continued conservation efforts, which have been a major focus of the media corporation for decades.
One way Disney has gone about continuing its longstanding commitment to the conservation and protection of the natural world is the ongoing collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund. Since its inception, the LRF has sought to double the population of lions in Africa by 2050. To put this into perspective and highlight why partnerships like this are so important, only 20,000 lions live in the wild today, compared to 200,000 a century ago.
The upcoming release of MUFASA: THE LION KING also highlights a new chapter in Disney’s “Protect the Pride” campaign, a global initiative to raise awareness for the current crisis facing lions in the wild. In the 30 years since the original THE LION KING gave audiences unforgettable moments and songs, half of the lion population has been lost.
Founded ahead of the release of THE LION KING live-action remake in 2019, this “Protect the Pride” program has come up with new and effective strategies to engage audiences and guests with compelling and informative storytelling. And now that MUFASA is coming to the big screen, the company is continuing its support for the LRF with an additional grant from the Disney Conservation Fund.
If you want to know more about MUFASA: THE LION KING, as well as other upcoming big-screen releases coming to AMC Theatres nationwide, make sure to check out AMC Scene!
MUFASA: THE LION KING opens December 20
Return to Pride Rock with a plethora of promotional offers like fan events, exclusive collectibles, merchandise, and more! Get tickets to witness Disney’s MUFASA: THE LION KING, opening 12/19.