I agree with Broadway61004. There was some anti-Disney backlash in the wake of 'Lion King.' At the Drama Desk Awards, it got only ONE nomination: for Heather Headley, and she won. ... Had 'Aida' been up for Best Musical at the Tonys, it would've had a good shot at winning. 'Aida' was up for only 5 Tony nominations, but it won 4 of them (the same number as 'Contact'). 'Aida' was more popular among the Tony voters than the Tony nominators. (I'm still baffled at how Sherie Rene Scott DIDN'T get a nomination for Featured Actress.)
And it was more popular with Broadway theatergoers. Best Musical nominees: 'Contact' (1,010 performances); 'Swing!' (461); 'James Joyce's The Dead' (120), and 'The Wild Party' (6

. 'Aida' ran longer than all FOUR of those put together: 1,882 performances.