In anticipation of Disney 100: The Exhibition opening at London’s ExCel – on October 13, to be exact – we are getting slightly Disney obsessed here at Secret London. We’re reliving the Disney films that defined our childhoods, we’re rewatching the films at home (not during WFH hours, promise!), and we’re having a fair few minor arguments over which characters are actually the best and the worst from Disney’s last 100 years of storytelling. And then, all this got us thinking: what is London’s favourite Disney film?
The poll
Now, Disney has so many films, especially since the likes of Pixar, Star Wars, and MARVEL joined the family; we’d be here for a month if we pit them all against one another. Instead, we took inspo from our team’s fave Disney films. Biased? Maybe. Still fun? Absolutely.
Round one
Finding Nemo (2003) vs The Lion King (1994)
The Little Mermaid (1989) vs Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The Jungle Book (1967) vs Toy Story (1995)
Mulan (1998) vs The Fox and the Hound (1981).
Round two
The Lion King (1994) vs The Little Mermaid (1989)
Mulan (1998) vs Toy Story (1995).
Final round
The Lion King (1994) vs Toy Story (1995).
The winner: London’s favourite Disney film
Drum roll, please. The reason you came to read this article in the first place. London’s favourite Disney film, as voted for by Secret London followers and readers, is The Lion King (1994). The tale of Simba and the battle for his rightful place as King of the Pride Lands is renowned, after all.
The characters are all relatable to us London folk: are you laid back like Timone and Pumba? Or a busy body like Zazu? From animation to film to live stage production, this story has captured all of London’s hearts.
You can see a costume from The Lion King stage production firsthand at the rawr-some Disney100: The Exhibition, plus many other props, original costumes, and moving stories. Classic tales (as old as time) and newer additions to the Disney family will unite to celebrate this incredible milestone. Here you can wander through 10 outstanding themed galleries, and see the likes of the carousel horse that Dick Van Dyke rode in Mary Poppins (1964) to the Iron Man helmet from Avengers: Infinity War (2018). For now though, I’ll be humming Hakuna Matata for the rest of my days…