Credit: Brittany DiCologero, Inside the MagicOn Sunday, February 1, thousands of guests braved the cold for one last ride on DINOSAUR or a final bite from Restaurantosaurus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. But across the park in Africa, things were getting uncomfortably hot due to what appeared to be a fire in the queue for the Festival of the Lion King attraction.
Fire at Festival of the Lion King
Festival of the Lion King is a Broadway-quality tribute to the music of The Lion King (1994). The show features talented singers, dancers, puppeteers, fire and knife juggling, and acrobats, performing on trapezes, trampolines, and more. Guests join Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, and their friends for a celebration of the African culture, music, and wildlife that inspired the beloved Walt Disney Animation Studios film.
The 30-minute show typically performs once an hour, on the hour, beginning at 10:00 a.m. However, a fire alarm and subsequent emergency response interrupted the show’s normal performance schedule on Sunday.
At around 10:30 a.m. on February 1, X (formerly known as Twitter) user @bmodealex shared two photos taken from outside the Festival of the Lion King queue in Africa. According to the Disney Park guest, a fire alarm was blaring, and the sprinkler system had activated in the area.
So I know everyone is focused on Dino but uhhhh folk has the fire alarm going off and this sprinkler is drenching the queue
So I know everyone is focused on Dino but uhhhh folk has the fire alarm going off and this sprinkler is drenching the queue pic.twitter.com/j4H9QUCTlH
— Alex (@BModeAlex) February 1, 2026
The attractions’ cast members who typically work throughout the queue are all stationed outside the line. At least two leaders (Disney’s term for upper management across the parks and resorts) are in the area, indicating that something serious has disrupted operations.
The 10:00 a.m. performance had already begun when the issue arose. According to the My Disney Experience app, performances of the Festival of the Lion King were paused until 2:00 p.m., when shows continued as scheduled through 5:00 p.m. That means that the 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. performances were canceled.
Walt Disney World Resort has not issued a public statement about the fire at Festival of the Lion King on Sunday. At this time, the show appears to be operating normally.
A Busy Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
The alleged fire came during one of the busiest days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in recent weeks.
Despite below-freezing temperatures that forced the late reopening of Kali River Rapids and frozen fountains throughout Walt Disney World Resort, thousands flocked to the park to experience the last remaining parts of DinoLand U.S.A. before its extinction. Like Festival of the Lion King, the DINOSAUR ride remained closed for part of the day on Sunday due to technical issues.
DINOSAUR, Restaurantosaurus, and other Quick-Service dining kiosks throughout the land will close permanently on Monday, February 1, to make way for a Tropical Americas-themed land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Other parts of DinoLand U.S.A., including Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama and The Boneyard, closed in phases throughout 2025.
The new land, known as Pueblo Esperanza, will feature two attractions inspired by Encanto (2021) and an Indiana Jones retheme of DINOSAUR. Walt Disney Imagineers have promised that the ride will be different from Disneyland Park’s Indiana Jones Adventure, which uses the same ride system and track.
Pueblo Esperanza is scheduled to open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park sometime in 2027. However, Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an exact date. The final day to experience the remaining parts of DinoLand U.S.A., including DINOSAUR, is Sunday, February 1.
How are you handling the cold weather at Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!