SHANGHAI — On Broadway, Timon and Pumbaa have entertained audiences for years with their Brooklyn accents.

But in China, the famous meerkat-warthog duo not only speak Chinese, but they also do so with a distinct beifang, or northern, twang.

The rough-around-the-edges Chinese accent is one of several localized elements that infuse a Mandarin-language production of “The Lion King” at the new 1,200-seat Walt Disney Grand Theater. The theater is an anchor of the colossal $5.5 billion Shanghai Disney Resort, which opened on Thursday.

Sitting in the audience at the premiere on Tuesday was a contingent of Disney executives including the chairman and chief executive, Robert A. Iger. Local officials and a sprinkling of celebrities including Yao Ming, the former N.B.A. player, also attended.