Happy 15th Anniversary, TLK!

[Moka]

Today's the day! Our beloved film turns 15 today. Let's all say "Happy 15th, TLK!" as we celebrate this day. Let's all pause and think of what amazing things this film has done. First off, let's compare The Lion King to just about any other film out there. Do you think there's a buzzing fan community congratulating the film on it's 15th anniversary? No! The Lion King has a wonderful and loving fanbase that you just don't see with any other film. Think about it! What other movies have a fandom such as ours 15 years afterwards? Think about it!! The world's population has grown by over a BILLION since 1994! Computers were still TAN! (lol). We have a really special thing going on, I say we keep it going for as long as we can - because The Lion King is truly a Timeless Film.

My story is similar to other fans of The Lion King. My brother and I received a few movie posters. I was SO excited for the new Disney movie I could hardly contain myself. I saw it on the week it came out in theatres. I loved it! The craze of the day was Lion King Lion King Lion King! I kept that craze going, but it died down with the rest of the crowds until I saw it's direct-to-video sequel in a movie rental store. I begged my grandmother to rent it. She did, despite my mom saying it wasn't a good idea. When we watched it on my grandmother's TV, the love for the characters returned. I got to keep the VHS and I watched it over and over. I was completely obsessed with Kovu. Unfortunately, I moved on to newer films.

Love for the series returned when I saw The Lion King in my Spanish class Junior year (2006). I remembered how much I loved the film and I decided to purchase the movies for myself on DVD. When I watched them all again, I quickly found out that I had discovered my favorite series of all time. Coming into the Lion King fandom more than a decade late, I decided to check out the internet to see what kind of websites were around. I was a bit impressed with the large archival sites like lionking.org, but I found out that there weren't too many active communities. This deeply saddened me, I thought I was the last Lion King fan until I found The Lion King Pride forum in November, 2006. I joined up and met some of my first TLK friends, King Kovu, Fangs, and more, but my memory is bad. TLKPF quickly became quite active in late 2006 and early 2007. Having experience in making websites, I started a small website with a few pictures of the movies that I pretty much stole from other websites. As I kept on updating the website during the years, it *very* slowly transformed into the MLK that it is today.

The Lion King will always hold a special place in my heart. To me, it is an unforgettable portrayal of a wide variety of timeless themes and human emotions. You can really feel the emotions pumped into the film as you watch it. The creators definitely knew what they were doing, and you can tell that they loved making it - not just for the monetary gain - but simply because they loved making it. There is simply not a single movie that has been made that can match THE LION KING.

Share a little bit about your history with TLK and why you like TLK!...and whatever else you want to contribute! ^^

[Katelyn23]

Hello members of MLK. This post is for me to show my appreciation to TLK, and how it has affected me during my lifetime. To start off, I would like to say "HAPPY 15TH ANNIVERSARY DISNEY'S THE LION KING," and we are hoping to have the love stay alive for many more years to come! Thank you TLK for giving us all these things we have in live today. You have made many of your fans the happiest lions and lionesses in the world! This is going to be a LONG post so if you are planning on reading the entire thing, you'd better get comfy lol. I would first like to start this long post by thanking TLK for everything it has done for me in my lifetime.

Wow... 15 years of having such a spectacular film in our lives. 15 years of dedicated fans watching the films as much as they can and showing their dedication in many ways such as: being the Admin/Creator of a Lion King forum, creating TLK Animated Music Videos (AMVs), creating all different types of images/graphics that deal with The Lion King, talking about the film all the time, and just loving it in general. We should all be VERY thankful to Disney for releasing such an amazing film on June 24th, 1994 for all of us to enjoy. I am so greatful for this film because it has helped me in many ways like if I was depressed I would put on TLK and no longer would I feel pain, it has tought me a lifestyle that works: "Hakuna Matata." I don't need to worry anymore. Thank you SOO much Disney, you have helped out the LOT of us! TLK has also given me an Online home where I can discuss my problems with members and I never get any negative replies back.. "My Lion King" is like a safe haven to me and I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same way. Just another reason to be greatful to Disney AND Moka. =] 4 years after this spectacular film was released though, the sequal being just as flawless was released to VHS. This was an amazing time for all TLK fans especially because "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" turned out to be a HUGE hit with it's lovable characters and the amazing music featured. We will all be very greatful that this sequel was released, won't we? In 2003 the moment we had all been waiting for had come.. TLK on Special Edition DVD! We were very excited to hear the new song "Morning Report" which was added with the DVD. Right after we got TLK2 on DVD, and then "The Lion King 1&1/2!!" (Also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata.) This was another amazing film, not as great as the first two, but still enjoyable to watch for the laughs we got out of it. I would like to thank Disney ONCE again for their hard work on the TLK series. We would like to thank them for their work on the very lovable characters who make us smile, and are great role models to us, and the great music, all these things that make us love the film the way we love it.

Now I'm going to ask a few questions just to clarify why I am such a big fan of the film:

What makes me so pulled into the films?

None other then the characters, the wonderful music, the amazing voice actors, the animation that is just so flawless, basically everything about all three films. This film has been my favourite movie my whole life, never have I loved another film more. ^^ I am what you would call a dedicated fan because I try each and every day to dedicate myself to TLK since it is one of the only things that makes me TRULY happy in life along with a few of my other favourite things. ^^ TLK is definitely my biggest obsession and will stay that way the rest of my life. Yes, that is what pulls me into the films so much, it's truly the fact that these films are the BEST films in the world in my honest opinion.

How has TLK affected my daily life?

Ever since I first saw the film back in 1994 at a Drive-In theater when I was only 1 I have loved it. I have vague memories when I was around 3 years old of watching the film over and over again all day. One of the biggest memories of my childhood is NOT just a vague one though. It was when I was just 4 years old, I remember trying to watch TLK one day but my VHS wouldn't play it. That was probably the SADDEST day of my life. I was crying that whole week, just kept trying to watch it but it wouldn't work. The fact is, I broke my original TLK VHS tape because I watched it too much. Anyway, that's just part of my life, I will get on with more memories during my lifetime that deal with The Lion King. I remember during the time when I hadn't seen TLK for about 4 years, (after I broke it,) I used to pretend I was Mufasa from TLK and my little brother was Scar and we always played the "Mufasa's Death" scene. I would always hang over couches saying "Scar, brother, help me." And then of course he would reply "Long Live the KING!" Other memories I had during this time was I used to get all my stuffed lions and animals and play "Lion King" with them. Yeah.. to be honest I sometimes do it now, and I'm NOT embarrassed either. Those were ways I entertained myself with when I didn't have TLK to watch.

Then when I was 9, me and my family were shopping at a Costco, and I found the TLK DVD just laying in a basket. I kept begging my parents to buy it because I hadn't seen it for years, and they were like "Okay, Kate." That made me once again soo happy. Right when I got home I kept watching the film over and over like as a kid. Surprisingly I still knew a LOT of the words from the film. Now I know every single word from all 3 films lol. ^^ My next memory was a BIG one that effects me actually almost DAILY! On July 6th, 2006, I was bored one night and I decided to search The Lion King on Google. That was when I found "The Lion King Pride." This was the beginning of my TLK forum life. I remember joining that night, on my Birthday lol. ^^ Soon when MLK was made, I joined the old MLK forum, and then came the new one. During this time I created two of my own TLK forums, one of them USED to be pretty active but not anymore sadly. But anyway, now I have a safe haven to go on every day and now I have many friends who I can chat with about the film as much as I want since you guys are all fans too. TLK has also affected me by making me try and get EVERY little TLK item that I see, so now I have a PRETTY big collection hehe. And the fact that I watch the films almost daily affects me because I could be doing something else but I'd rather just enjoy the amazing film that I love the most! Recently I have created some TLK AMV's of my own, that has affected my life. I have also created some of my own TLK graphics, that's just dedication to the film hehe. ^^

Who is my favourite TLK character and why?

My favourite character from any TLK film is and ALWAYS has been Mufasa. ^^ I have a lot of reasons why I like Mufasa the best, but I'll just say my biggest reasons. Mufasa reminds me so much of my own father because they are both very caring, very wise, and both are very strong and protective. I know that if I was in a life/death situation my own father would do what Mufasa did with Simba. Another big reason is because of Mufasa's voice actor, James Earl Jones. <3 I've always loved JEJ's voice, he was definitely the PERFECT pick for Mufasa because of his deep voice. It just made Mufasa sound stronger and wiser. ^^ Another reason why I love Mufasa is because of his size, he was always the biggest and strongest and so as a kid I always thought he was the coolest lion and I still do. Mufasa, don't worry, you will ALWAYS be my favourite character, and I will always support you. Mufasa is another reason why I love TLK so much along with all the other reasons discussed above hehe.

I am coming to the end of my Speech, and I'm sorry if I forgot some things that I could have added in. I sort of am on a Writer's Block at the moment, but that's the most I could get out of my mind hehe. =] Anyway, once again I would like to say THANK YOU to The Lion King for everything it and it's sequels have done for me to make my life a LOT more enjoyable then it may have been. (I'd like to think about what my life would be like if there was no TLK.) One last time, "HAPPY 15th Anniversary Disney's The Lion King.) We would all like to wish the great film for it's 15 years of ruling! Here is a banner I made for this special occassion:

[Majordomo]

That ain't a speech, that's an essay! I'll probably have to read it in segments.

Happy 15th, Lion King! Let the party begin!!! *DJ's*

[Katelyn23]

Sorry, I kind of made it a little... long.

[Panda-chan]

Wow, that was great Katelyn. You're a truely dedicated fan, just like the rest of us. The Lion King is definitely the best films Disney ever created. HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY TLK!

I'll put up my siggies and stuff later. ^^

[Mike]

For TLK's birthday I would like to say a few words. I don't consider myself a good public speaker, but here I go. This is what The Lion King means to me.

When I first saw TLK I was too young to really understand. I loved the movie, but I couldn't grasp that it would one day become a classic with such a treasured place in my heart. I can still remember my father walking in on Mufasa's death scene, trying to get my sister and I off the television. "No please, We just have to see the dad die!" I begged him. He didn't seem to like the fact that we were so set on that particular scene.

Eventually my parents decided I had outgrown the film, and the VHS was sent to my new baby cousin when I reached highschool. For a years The Lion King barely entered my mind. Only now do I realize how much I missed that beautiful film in those years.

Last winter I stumbled upon Can you Feel the Love Tonight which had been posted up on Youtube. I was enchanted. I quickly devoured every language of the song that Youtube had to offer, before moving on to other TLK songs, and then the entire film, parts one to nine. Over the course of a few months I watched all three Lion King videos. More than a few times I was driven to tears by the beauty and simple clean memories of childhood it evoked in me.

Finally, I could no longer keep The Lion King to myself, and I sought out like-minded people on the internet. For the past two months I have gotten to know them, and a better community of people I have yet to find on the internet. I was inspired to analyze the characters, exposed to beautiful artwork and AMVs that others had made, and found it in myself to follow their example, making some artwork of my own. I joined a fabulous RPG where I'm exploring one of the infinite possible futures for Simba, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, and all the rest of my favorite characters.

The joy I get from doing all these things is marvelous. I thank you all for being part of my experiences here, and I thank Moka for making it all possible with My Lion King Site and Forums. Here's to The Lion King's 15th birthday, and may we celebrate many, many more in this wonderful place.

Long live the King!

[/theperfectcornyspeech =)]

[Nightstar75]

You know, now that I think about it, I really hope I can attend. I'm leaving to go play Triva with my Dad and his friends the same day. *sniffle* Depending on what time the party starts depends if I can go... And I really planned on coming. I'm sorry.

[PrincessKiara]

My very first TLK-excperience was in 1994, when the movie was released. I was 8 years old. My mother bought TLK colouring and activity books for my sister and me. I knew nothing of the movie of the characters, but being a catlover, I instantly fell in love with them, especially Nala. (I clearly remember being frustrated because there were so few pictures of the "girl-lion.")
The same year my mother took me to the cinema to watch the movie, and I was enchanted. I begged my mother to buy me TLK-merchandise like figurines and even clothes!
At the time, we did not own a video player, so I was unable to get the orginial VHS. I did watch TLK whenever I was at a friends house who owned the video though. When the DVD was released, I made sure to pre-order it.

TLK has always been a part of my life, but it’s only the last six years I have been truly able to express my love for it. With the help of computers and Internet I have been able to make contact with other TLK fans across the world, and in 2004 I made my very first website, dedicated to Sarafina. Today I can even make my own graphics (though very simple ones) watch TLK songs and scenes on YouTube and excperience the movie in many different languages. I have even joined this wonderful community of TLK fans with whom I can discuss TLK and share my love for it. I have never lost my intrest or love for TLK, and I know I never will.

What I love about TLK is quite simply everything. The characters, the music, the gorgeous animation, the voices, everything is perfect! TLK really is a big part of my life, it has touched me in a way no other movie has. I can simply never get enough of it!

TLK is THE greatest animated feature ever made.

[CheetahCat]

I can't believe that this marks the 15th Anniversary for The Lion King! This is such an amazing moment for me and all of the TLK fans out there! When it comes to the fan base, you can safely say that The Lion King has a remarkable fan base and each and every one of us out there stays true to the film. ^^ When it comes to other films in Disney, I believe they don't really add up to the resplendent that TLK has to offer. Even after 15 years of Lion King, the film is still going strong! There are couple of cubbies around my area that have watched the films and even talk about it too. ^^ Heck, I've seen some TLK merchandise around my area as well, things are looking bright for TLK and I really hope that these 15 years of Lion King, Disney will do something nice for us but I'm kinda doubt they will. ^^ Either way, I wanted to contribute something for this awesome film. I already made a Anniversary picture above as you can see and a TLK Trailer. ^^ If you wanna check out the trailer of my contribution for the film, you can click on this link.

Lion King: 15th Anniversary Fan Made Trailer

Lol, the trailer is a bit suspense and isn't entirely that good. It was made quite early too and I had these sounds laying around on my PC so I wanted to see if I can make something out of it. I hope you all will enjoy this fan made trailer I've made. ^^

Reminiscing of TLK is one of the best things for me, especially when I first seen the film back in 1994. Even though I was young, I can still recall some of the events I experienced with TLK. For one, when I seen the movie in theaters, it was by far my favorite film from the start. I knew I was going to enjoy this movie a whole lot and I always had a thing for Lions. ^^ When my parents took me to see TLK for the first time, it was like magic. The scenes, characters, story and music scores were the absolute best! I was glued to my seat throughout the entire film and when times came where I had to use the restroom or something, I just ended up holding it in lol. I didn't get snacks or anything at the theaters but I drank quite a lot before heading there. When the movie was over however, I felt really great inside and the characters, music and the story just revolved around in my mind for the longest time. ^^ When we got home, I wanted to go and see the film again but I'm one of the unfortunate ones that don't have a theater close to him. At my old den, the closest theater is about a few miles away in Hazelton. ^^ Skipping ahead to, March 3, 1995, when TLK first hit VHS... I didn't get mine until a few days later but when I did, boy... Did my VCR get a workout! lol. Who here played their TLK movie over and over and ended up having their tape eaten up? I definitely fit in that category. I still ended up getting a new VHS tape again. It's great to be the youngest in the Pride. lol. ^^

Another thing I can recall is when I go to my grandmother's den, she had a Pizza Hut next door for a neighbor. I'm literally serious! She lived next door to Pizza Hut. >.> It was so awesome! Also, across the street from her den was Burger King. lol. As of now, Pizza Hut is gone but Burger King is still around. Although during the times when Pizza Hut was around back in the 90s, they had this jukebox that had variety of different soundtrack listings on there. The ones that stood out the most for me were the TLK songs on there. They had a few of them. I can remember playing the, Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Hakuna Matata and I Just Can't Wait To Be King. ^^ I've spent so much money on the jukebox alone because I wasn't really able to afford any of the cassette players. So, any money I do get, I didn't save up right away and they ended up going to the jukebox. ^^ One of the lionesses there working at Pizza Hut noticed this and got me some free pizza. ^^ It was an awesome moment. lol. Eating pizza while listening to some TLK music! Simply great.

The Lion King will forever be a special movie in my heart with its unmatched story, characters and music scores. The creators of the film knew how to capture the perfect moments in this magnificent film and they did a great job on TLK. You can also tell had a lot of passion for making this film too. ^^ I'm already looking forward of spending another Anniversary of TLK on MLK.

Long live,

THE LION KING!

[Simba01]

I'm not very good at speeches, guys, I'm sorry

It started with me when I was less than a year old when my dad got me a Simba stuffed toy from the airport. I had no idea what "Simba" was, but I loved that toy nonetheless. When I was around four or five my parents made me watch The Lion King. I obviously didn't understand a world but it was my favourite movie anyway

I kinda forgot about the movie as I grew older but when my school was doing a Lion King concert I was totally rejuvenated. I watched the movies again and realized how much it meant to me.

My lifelong dream has been to watch the Broadway Musical, and I haven't managed to yet. I downloaded the songs, and I think they're remarkable. All of them. To think, one Disney movie has such power and magic to be turned into a musical. I watched a couple of scenes online and I was enthralled.

This movie isn't just any Disney movie. I swear, it's had one of the biggest and best impacts on my life. People still make fun of me for it but I don't care. The fact is that it's a brilliant movie, and no one else is going to tell me different.

Like I said, I suck at speeches