Disney forced to issue rare clarification after major change is announced

Disney has been forced to issue a rare clarification after one major change was announced about an upcoming theme park attraction.

There's been a whole bunch of confusion from fans about the attraction, with many Disney lovers rushing to social media claiming the company had somewhat deceived them.

Over the weekend, the media giant shared a load of exciting announcements during the D23 fan event

However, it seems that one of Disney's most anticipated announcements has left fans confused more than anything else.

An all-new Lion King attraction has been announced to grace Disney's resort in Paris, giving attendees the chance to go 'on a journey through the African savanna' alongside iconic characters from Mufasa and Simba to Timon and Pumbaa.

Mock-ups of the experience, presented at D23, showed a log flume going down Pride Rock as Rafiki the monkey watches on.

The Lion King attraction has promised to 'bring to life the majestic Pride Rock' for the Lion King attraction which will serve as 'the gateway to an adventure-filled water attraction that will plunge guests beneath the rock to follow Simba on his journey from cub to king'.

The announcement baffled fans, however, as the concept art for the ride showed the landscape and characters from the computer-animated remake in 2019 - even though Disney's announcement referred to it telling the story 'seen in the beloved Walt Disney Animation Studios classic' which hit our screens back in 1994.

It quickly became clear that Disney hadn't accidentally posted the wrong concept art or used the wrong wording in the announcement, as they also made similar posts in different languages and released a moving version of the artwork showing the characters from the computer-animated film.

Since then, Disneyland Paris has been forced to issue a statement on the matter clearing the whole thing up.

Disneyland Paris is planning a new themed area & water attraction based on “The Lion King.” Despite Concept Art similarities to the 2019 live-action remake, the expansion is rooted in the 1994 animated classic. It is expected not to be completed before 2028. pic.twitter.com/Gs40yfWJkJ

— AirMagique - Theme Parks & DLP (@air_magique) August 11, 2024

"While the detailed designing phase is still under way and more details will be revealed at a later stage, this new immersive area will celebrate the magic of the Lion King franchise as a whole," a spokesperson explained.

They continued: "The main attraction will follow the story and design of the original animated movie.

"The attraction will be based on the 1994 animated movie. The concept art released for D23 is illustrative only as we are in early stages of the project."

Well, that settles that then.

Tyla has reached out to Disney for comment.