If you are a die-hard Disney fan like myself, then you would have been waiting with bated breath for the live-action remake of Disney’s The Lion King.

It’s been twenty-five years since the original came out (way to make me feel old), and for a lot of us, The Lion King was such a huge part of our childhoods.

I know I spent hours on end watching the movie, constantly rewinding my VHS copy.

Now, as an adult and a parent myself, I feel the movie has even more special meaning to me.

Watching the classic movie with my girls, as well as experiencing the new movie with them at the same age my mum was when she took me as a little girl.

The Lion King Ooshies

To make the release of the movie even more exciting, Woolworths has partnered with Disney to release 24 The Lion King-themed Ooshies.

You can visit their website to learn more about how to collect them all here, while stocks last.

Not to mention – the opportunity to win one of 116 INCREDIBLE holidays for four to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The home of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, and the Festival of The Lion King*. 

*T&Cs apply, see woolworths.com.au. Open to AU res 14+. Promo runs 17/7/19 – 27/8/19. Drawn 11.00 AEST on 30/8/2019. Total maximum prize pool = $3,645,485.68 as at 1/5/19. Set travel dates apply: 19/1/2020-26/1/2020. Promoter: Woolworths Group Limited (ABN 88 000 014 675) of 1 Woolworths Way, Bella Vista NSW 2153. NSW Permit No. LTPS/19/34379, ACT Permit No. TP19/03269, SA Permit No. T19/696.

With all this The Lion King excitement, I thought it was the perfect time to share some of my favourite moments from the film and the important lessons this movie has taught me as both a child and adult!

Here are some important messages the Lion King can teach us all…

The Circle Of Life

Mufasa’s memorable speech to Simba about how we are all connected in the great circle of life is one that will stay with us forever.

He explains to Simba that every living creature, big or small, plays such an important role in our ecosystem. And as a leader, he must understand that balance and respect all the creatures.

When Scar abandons these principals, and the balance is thrown out, it becomes evident pretty quickly the damage that can happen.

We Don’t Own The Earth, But It Is Our Job To Protect It

This was a tweak to the original script that really stood out to me! I found my self nodding along and really thinking “YES”. An important message considering the current climate.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, you can still be friends!

Simba’s friendship with Timon and Pumba has always been something that warmed my heart. Even though technically being predators and prey, they shouldn’t be friends.

Their friendship transcends this and they become inseparable. Accepting each other’s differences and breaking down stereotypes.

A lesson we could all take a lot from!

“Hakuna Matata”

Okay, so without breaking out into song here (jk. I already did)… It means “no worries”, and I think this is a great lesson for both kids and adult, maybe more adults 😉

In a world where we are so stressed all the time, always on edge and go-go-go. It can be important to remember that sometimes you cannot control everything. And things outside your control are not always worth worrying about!

Marry Your Best Friend

It is such a giggle at the start of the movie when Simba and Nala are disguised at Zazu’s declaration that they will one day be married.

I think this is a beautiful way of highlighting the importance of trust and friendship in relationships.

I took especially from the new movie, that when you have problems it is not you guys against each other, but the two of you against the problem. Together, side-by-side <3

We Need To Protect The Pride

Since the release of the original movie 25 years ago, the number of lions in the wild has dropped by over HALF!!

Alongside the release of the new movie, The Walt Disney Company has announced a global conservation campaign to raise awareness of the crisis facing lions and other wildlife across Africa.

The Lion King “Protect the Pride” campaign focuses on protecting and revitalizing the lion population, with Disney lending its support to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and their vision to double the lion population across Africa by 2050 through efforts that engage communities to ensure a future for African wildlife and their habitats.

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I think that it is SO critically important that brands use their voice for important issues like this and always make sure I am aligning myself with brands who not just create cute and fun products and experiences, but also have a conscience around social issues affecting us.

Send On Your Pre-Loved Ooshies

That is why I was thrilled to learn, that as a part of this initiative Woolworths partnered with Terracycle to give all unwanted Ooshies a second life.

That is why TerraCycle is pleased to be able to offer a recycling solution for any pre-loved or Lion King Ooshies™. 

If for any reason, you no longer want to keep your Lion King Ooshie, you can now drop them off at your local Woolworths by 31st October 2019 for recycling. 

Not that I think any from this household will need re-homing, as they are much loved and enjoyed all our little (and big) lions in this house 😉

We have been busy collecting them for the last week and the girls are so excited they only have a few left to find, so wish us luck!!

You can find out more about collecting your Ooshies, partnered brands and more on the competition here.

*T&Cs apply, see woolworths.com.au. Open to AU res 14+. Promo runs 17/7/19 – 27/8/19. Drawn 11.00 AEST on 30/8/2019. Total maximum prize pool = $3,645,485.68 as at 1/5/19. Set travel dates apply: 19/1/2020-26/1/2020. Promoter: Woolworths Group Limited (ABN 88 000 014 675) of 1 Woolworths Way, Bella Vista NSW 2153. NSW Permit No. LTPS/19/34379, ACT Permit No. TP19/03269, SA Permit No. T19/696.