NEW YORK — Here’s something the folks at Disney can take real pride in: “The Lion King” is the top ticket of all time.

With a worldwide gross of more than $6.2 billion, “The Lion King” stage musical has now achieved the most successful box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history, The Associated Press has learned.

The show quietly took over top spot from the $6 billion-earning “The Phantom of the Opera” late this summer, according to representatives from both shows. “Phantom” producers Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group 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.

“It’s difficult not to become emotional at this realization of the show’s impact,” said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer at Disney Theatrical Productions. He recalled the long road the musical has taken from its beginning in four downtown rehearsal rooms in May 1997.

“Our goal then was to tell the story purely and theatrically so that audiences could feel it in their heart,” he added.