I'm seeing the Lion King in May at the Bushnell. We have two sets of tickets, one we will be using and the other we'll be auctioning off. One of them is on Orch, Section C- Row D 101-107. This is on the left if your entering the theater. The other set is Mezz, Section D- Row D 303-306. This is the second row center.
I say orchestra would be better for Lion King, since it's very audience inclusive - like when the animals walk up the aisle. I sat in the balcony when I saw it on Broadway, and they tried to have animals up there (some guys holding birds) and it just wasn't the same. So yeah, I'd say orchestra is better.
Well, really, they don't use the aisles too much. I believe an elephant and maybe a rhino come to the stage from the audience, its not too much (I don't know if its different on Broadway). If you sit in the front mezz, you'll be able to see the animals in the aisles, you should be fine.
I agree with Mythus - you'll feel more connected with the show if you choose the orchestra seats, particularly since they are right on the aisle. IMO, it's a little bit of a spoiler to tell someone who hasn't seen the show about how the aisles are used, because the impact is bigger when you're not expecting anything, but oh well.
Month late, I know, but about the spoilers... they tell you in advance that the aisles will be in use, and the large stairs from the aisles to the stage kinda give it away.