A familiar face in the Harambe Theater is taking his final bow. Veryl E. Jones, who helped open Festival of the Lion King at Disney‘s Animal Kingdom back in 1998 and has performed in the show ever since, has retired after 28 years and tens of thousands of performances.
Fellow cast member Monica Quinn shared the news with a video showing the show’s cast and crew celebrating Jones at the theater, capturing an emotional send-off for a performer who has become synonymous with the attraction.
A Longtime Fan Favorite
Jones portrayed Kiume, leader of the elephant section, one of the show’s four human hosts, and was known for belting out Scar’s villainous anthem “Be Prepared.” Beyond the parks, Jones has also appeared on screen in films including The Punisher (2004), Bad Boys II (2003), and Out of Time (2003).
Festival of the Lion King has been a Disney‘s Animal Kingdom staple since the park opened on April 22, 1998. Originally staged in Camp Minnie-Mickey, the show now runs in the Harambe Theater in the park’s Africa section, where the hosts perform beloved songs from The Lion King alongside life-size puppets of Simba, Pumbaa, an elephant, and a giraffe atop parade floats. Timon roams as a walkaround character while aerial gymnasts, a fire twirler, and dancers round out the performance during the “Tumble Monkeys” number.
The show remains one of Animal Kingdom’s most enduring attractions, having celebrated its 80 millionth guest just last year.
A Tribute to a “Model Parks Performer”
Nathan Eick, Senior Editorial Writer and Archivist at Ramsey Solutions, Disney Historian, Dispenser of Fun Facts, posted a tribute on LinkedIn calling Jones’ retirement “the end of an era.”
“Festival of the Lion King is my favorite show at WDW—and from the first time I experienced it, VJ stood out as one of its best components,” Eick wrote. “His magnetic personality, amazing talent, and sincere passion for what he does gives the show an authenticity and energy that is palpable. He also gives each and every performance his all—100%, five shows a day, five days a week, for almost three decades.”
Eick drew a comparison to Disney Legend Wally Boag, star of the original Golden Horseshoe Revue, who performed the same show for 27 years without letting it grow stale. In his autobiography, Boag wrote: “I tried to approach every performance as if it was my opening night. It often was. Most of the people in the audience at each show hadn’t seen me work before, and I wanted to give them the best performance possible. While it might have appeared that every show was the same, it really wasn’t. Every audience was different and I got a feel for each one by watching their reactions to the show up until my entrance.”
“VJ exemplifies that same wonderful attitude and is a model parks performer,” Eick continued. “His passion for excellence was obvious. And you could tell that he was having a great time doing it too.”
Thank You for the Memories
While no replacement has been announced, Jones’ retirement marks the end of an era for longtime Animal Kingdom regulars who have watched him command the Harambe Theater stage since day one. As Eick put it, “The show will go on, of course, but his presence and personality will be missed.” Congratulations to Veryl E. Jones on a well-earned retirement.
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