I was excited to head to Animal Kingdom yesterday and talk with cast members about the closure coming to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.  So for fun fact Friday here are a few facts I found out from cast members.

This weekend character meet-and-greets with Rafiki and Doc McStuffins are ending.  On October 20th, Rafiki’s Planet Watch will be closing permanently.  This includes the Affection Section (petting zoo), the Conservation Station and the Wildlife Express Train.  However, the animal care area will remain open for Disney cast members to continue to take care of the animals.  I had a chance to talk with a few cast members who have worked in the area for the 20 years that it has been open, and you can tell how dedicated they are to the area and how much they are going to miss it.  These cast members are being re-assigned to the Maharajah Jungle Trek or Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.  The other fact that we know right now is that Disney has not released what will happen to this area or what their plans are for the future.

On past visits to Animal Kingdom I have had the opportunity to ride the Wildlife Express train but never to have stopped in to visit Rafiki’s Planet Watch.  I was so impressed with how many things can be discovered in this area.  I’m hoping before it closes I will get to see an animal being cared for by the Disney animal care team.   Kids and adults alike have enjoyed this area for 20 years and I know it will be missed.  I will have updates as I found out more information and videos of some of the areas before it closes.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” – Walt Disney

To Infinity and Beyond – Traci – Be a friend to our environment and animals