Alternate versions

This film was re-released in IMAX and other large format theaters on December 25, 2002. The following changes were made to the film for this release: -This movie opens with "The Lion King: Special Edition" title card, following the Walt Disney Pictures logo(mistakenly orange and black instead of blue). -The pouncing lesson scene was replaced with an all-new song, "Morning Report", originally from the stage show. -The animation of crocodiles in the "I Just Can't Wait to be King" sequence was completely re-done. -The animation in some of the scenes went back through the clean-up animation department a second time, to correct problems such as wavering lines and missing details, which, while not very noticeable during a traditional 35mm showing of the film, would have been discomforting on a much large IMAX screen. Small details, such as the characters who had faces that were too small to be seen in the original had faces, were also added. -The waterfalls in the "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" sequence were enhanced. -The original scrolling version of the end credits is replaced with the static TV airing end credits and the memorial card to Frank Wells is moved to the end of the credits.

When the movie was released on DVD in October 2003, it offered two versions of the film: The "Special Edition" (the 2002 IMAX re-release), and the "Original Theatrical Release". The "Original Theatrical Release" is actually identical to the 2002 IMAX/"Special Edition" re-release, except that it opens with the memorial card to Frank Wells(mistakenly red instead of yellow), following the Walt Disney Pictures logo(mistakenly orange and black instead of blue). This includes the pouncing lesson scene. The "Original Theatrical Release" on the 2003 Platinum Edition DVD release omits the original scrolling version of the end credits sequence and it contains the static TV airing version of the original end credits sequence. All of the other edits that were made to the 2002 IMAX re-release (the cleaned-up animation, etc.) are also present in this version.

In the post-2011 releases, the original 1990 Walt Disney Pictures opening and closing logo were replaced by the current 2006 Walt Disney Pictures opening and closing logo (to restore the movie's Disney opening and closing logo to their original blue color) and also have the 2007 Steamboat Willie-inspired Walt Disney Animation Studios logo as an extra opening and closing logo. These changes were also made in the 3D re-release.

The post-2011 releases only included the "Original Theatrical Release" option but reinstated the original scrolling version of the end credits sequence, restored the memorial card to Frank Wells back to yellow to match the end credits and reinstated the original frame-rate during the shot where Simba ran after the clouds as his father's spirit disappeared, but aside from darkening the new color scheme, retained the animation changes made to the Platinum Edition. The 3D Blu-Ray disc included in the 2011 release, however, in addition to also reinstating the original frame-rate during the shot where Simba ran after the clouds as his father's spirit disappeared, undid almost all of the Platinum Edition changes, and shows a color scheme more accurate to the original theatrical version.