Disney is no longer saying, "I just can't wait to be King," for it has become one. With over $6.2 billion in ticket sales worldwide, "The Lion King" has become the highest-grossing Broadway show in history, surpassing the longest-running show, "The Phantom of the Opera."

The vibrant and impressive stage musical has now achieved "the most successful box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history," The Associated Press reports.

Late this summer, "The Lion King" took over top spot from the $6 billion-earning "The Phantom of the Opera," according to representatives from both shows.

How do "Phantom" producers feel about being surpassed at the box office?

They have taken it like a champ -- a humble Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group reportedly congratulated "The Lion King" in a statement, calling their rival show "The Pride of Broadway."

"The total makes 'The Lion King' more valuable than any single 'Harry Potter' film, the blockbuster 'Titanic,' or any of the 'Star Wars' movies. By way of comparison, the highest-grossing film in history is 'Avatar,' with nearly $2.8 billion worldwide," the AP reported.

"It's difficult not to become emotional at this realization of the show's impact," said Thomas Schumacher, the president and producer at Disney Theatrical Productions.

Schumacher took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing of when the colorful musical first started -- back in May of 1997 in four downtown rehearsal rooms.

"Our goal then was to tell the story purely and theatrically so that audiences could feel it in their heart," he said. "And, to this day, that is the audience experience whether they see the show in Madrid; Appleton, Wisconsin; South Africa; Tokyo or Broadway. Of that, we are deeply proud."

"The Lion King," which features music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice (most notably, "The Circle of Life"), and the direction of Julie Taymor, was initially an adaption of the animated film when it hit Broadway, but it has "overshadowed" the film, AP added.

The family-friendly musical is also more reasonably priced than other shows, which is a testament to its accessibility and reach. The $6.2 billion figure only accounts for box office receipts, not merchandise sales and revenue from the film, which reportedly grossed $423 million domestically.

Don't worry too much about "The Lion King" stealing "The Phantom of the Opera's" thunder, for "Opera" is still the longest-running show in Broadway history -- with 140 million people worldwide who have experienced its magic. "The Phantom of the Opera" continues to make history by featuring the first African-American Phantom, Norm Lewis, who was highlighted by Latin Post.

Currently, there are eight productions of "The Phantom of the Opera" with new ones planned for Moscow, Hong Kong and Istanbul.