Animation Experience Closed February 2020

[justadreamaway77]

Does anyone know anything about the Animation Experience at AK being closed starting February 1, 2020?

 

[raraavis]

What?!?!? Where did you read this? We plan to do this in February, and there were fast passes available when I did mine last week. I hope it's not closed

 

[justadreamaway77]

On touringplans.com fastpass availability site it lists it as closed/refurbishment starting on 2/1. Which doesn't make sense since it is so new.

 

[raraavis]

On touringplans.com fastpass availability site it lists it as closed/refurbishment starting on 2/1. Which doesn't make sense since it is so new.

That's so weird. I just checked my personalized plans on touringplans, and Animation Experience is still there, and I am allowed to add an FP for it. I searched further on touringplans and see what you said that it's listed as closed for refurbishment. I did notice when I did my fast passes last week that MDE said that there is no fast pass availability but didn't list a date or a reason. I just checked again on MDE, and it still just says FP service is unavailable. I tried searching Google for any news on it closing but can't find anything. I really hope that it is an error. My 5 year old loves to draw, and I was so excited to take her to this.

 

[yulilin3]

It's either not on the schedule yet or closed. The train, rafiki's planet watch and the animation academy don't show hours of operation past January

 

[MelRavenswood]

Don't they move the experience over to Epcot for Festival of the Arts during that time? Maybe they have a limited number of instructors, and can only staff one or the other.

 

[raraavis]

Don't they move the experience over to Epcot for Festival of the Arts during that time? Maybe they have a limited number of instructors, and can only staff one or the other.

Even if that's true, I hope they still keep Rafiki's open.

 

[yulilin3]

Don't they move the experience over to Epcot for Festival of the Arts during that time? Maybe they have a limited number of instructors, and can only staff one or the other.

FotA starts January 17th, this is unrelated

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

It's either not on the schedule yet or closed. The train, rafiki's planet watch and the animation academy don't show hours of operation past January

I wonder if this is going to be an annual thing since Rafiki's was close around that same time when I went down in February this year.

 

[maranara]

I was unable to book a FP for it the last week of January. I'm going to be really disappointed if it's closed and not just a no FP situation, considering PWhirl and Kali are also closed that week.

EDIT: It wasn't available to book when I booked my FPs a couple of weeks ago. I just went back (was trying to move one of my FPs to an earlier time) and now it's available. We're all booked...which is great...but I also wonder if they just haven't added them yet since I feel like I've been checking fairly regularly to move the times around and today was the first time I saw it.

 

[ejgonz2]

Isn’t it a seasonal thing?

 

[DuskKodesh]

I've been checking regularly for a feb 3rd Fastpass but nothing yet. I hope it's just them adding them slowly and nothing has happened.

 

[justadreamaway77]

Isn’t it a seasonal thing?

That's garbage.....Disney only has two seasons now, busy and unbearable! All of their attractions should be open now that they are 365/yr packed!

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

That's garbage.....Disney only has two seasons now, busy and unbearable! All of their attractions should be open now that they are 365/yr packed!

That's a bit unreasonable to expect attractions to be open 100% of the time. Yeah it sucks but that's the nature of ANY theme park.

 

[justadreamaway77]

That's a bit unreasonable to expect attractions to be open 100% of the time. Yeah it sucks but that's the nature of ANY theme park.

It just opened up! That is not unreasonable. Reasonable is closing for repairs, not cheapness. This whole seasonal operation is ridiculous. Disney has worked hard and marketed to be busy all year. They need to follow through and provide the same experience year round.

 

[raraavis]

I contacted touringplans about the discrepancy on their website, and even they don't know what is happening with it. I'm just waiting and watching....

 

[Amyshubby]

Any updates on this?

 

[themeparkoholic]

I can't comment on February or earlier, but there are FP available for the animation experience in the first week of March anyhow.

 

[DuskKodesh]

I finally got my FP for it. Weirdly enough checking every day I watched them creep up there day by day. Got mine about thirty days out, I may be a few days off. Maybe they only open FP once they have staffing schedules?

 

[Amyshubby]

Thanks for the responses. Going end of January and looking forward to it!