I received an invitation from Disney Studios to attend the red carpet world premiere of The Lion King. All opinions expressed are my own.
When I got the invitation by email to attend the red carpet premiere of The Lion King, I screamed. And I am not saying that to be dramatic. I literally got out of the bed (from taking a nap with my kids) and shrieked with excitement. I have been patiently waiting for the release of The Lion King since I found out about the amazing cast back in 2017. Knowing fully that this live action remake was going to be a good one, and knowing that the community that I share online with Tomika and Tiffany (The Brown Side of Disney) would be just as excited about us attending . It was exciting that the opportunity that we all had been waiting for, was finally presented.
If I sat here and told you that everything leading up to the premiere was a breeze it would be a flat out lie. I was luckily able to save some money and get a buddy pass via a friend last minute. I didn’t find a dress that I loved for the red carpet until the day before I was leaving. And 3 days before we left for our trip, Tomika and I still had no hotel plans. Yet and still (even after a solid 24 hours on standby) when I arrived in LA I was in high spirits. I was prepared for this experience to be everything that I ever imagined. All bumps in the road still led me to The Dolby theater that night. And I was in complete awe taking it all in.
The Red Carpet Experience
I had done press junkets in New York but this was my first time attending an actual red carpet. Naturally on that end, I had no idea what to expect. I had a few people tell me it was crazy. Some people were expecting me to take a picture of all the red carpet fashions. I really was just taking in all amazing portions of the experience. I will admit that some of the red carpet pros (other influencers) that I spoke with that night said the whole red carpet process this time went by very quickly. While (from what I have seen) there is usually time to take pictures and celebrity selfies, security pushed as much people as possible off the carpet. I assume they didn’t want it to be madness when Beyonce arrived. Nevertheless, for my first experience it was beautiful and you could feel the amazing energy.
The Afterparty
Not only did I get to attend my first red carpet premiere, but I got to attend the afterparty. It took us a little while to all leave the theater but that just meant I got to see more celebrities along the way. I got a few celebrity pictures, fangirled over some celebrities and got to hang out and enjoy the experience with the Brown Side of Disney team and some fellow bloggers. They had tons of interactive moments set up inside and outside for the children that attended the afterparty as well. It was just all around a beautiful experience. If you want to get more of a sneak peek at the afterparty you can head to my Instagram and check out The Lion King story highlight.
If I were given the opportunity for another movie that I loved I would head back to LA without a second thought. The travel was awful, I almost had nothing to wear but it was still a moment I will never forget. The Lion King was such an amazing moment in cinema. And, I was so thankful that I could be in the room to witness it with so many others for the first time. PLUS, that cast full of amazing black talent?! A MOMENT. The Lion King was visually amazing, true to story with just enough surprises to make it feel good (speaking of surprises check out 4 things that surprised Tiffany about the movie). With the movie releasing this Friday, July 19th I can’t wait to rewatch it with the family.
Are you planning to see the Lion King? Planning to take your little ones with you? Make sure to tune in to the Brown Side of Disney tonight (Monday) at 9pm est to hear all about our experience as a group walking the red carpet!
Be Prepared – Disney’s The Lion King is in theaters everywhere July 19th 2019!
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