Rafiki's Planet Watch reopens July 11th.

[BaymaxFan78]

Disney has confirmed that Rafiki's planet watch at Animal Kingdom will be reopening July 11th with a new Animation Experience. Fastpass will be offered for the new experience.

 

[rteetz]

http://blogmickey.com/2019/06/the-a...ion-begins-july-11-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

 

[SaintsManiac]

Interesting. I hope it sticks around. Would love to do this in November since we just miss it in July.

 

[OSUZorba]

Any idea if the petting zoo is coming back? Or at what point the FP is for (before/after train ride)?

 

[tlmadden73]

http://blogmickey.com/2019/06/the-a...ion-begins-july-11-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

What a great new experience! Another reason to make that fun trip on the train.

 

[Liv4Dis]

I'm so glad to hear this will be opening back up. I hope it is still open the first couple of weeks in September when we are there. We always stop here. I have a great picture of my son from previous years standing beside a hawk - a very memorable moment.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Awesome. My kids will be very happy.

 

[rteetz]

Opens the day after I leave...

 

[SaintsManiac]

Opens the day after I leave...

I feel you.

 

[BrianL]

This is cool. Not only are they bringing the Animation Academy back, but I always appreciated the Planet Watch area. I finally caught a veterinary procedure a couple of trips back, and it was awesome. I learned all about this beautiful vulture and saw it up close (sedated) as it was going to have a small growth removed from it's foot. That's how I learned that this particular bird, a Ruppell's Gryphon Vulture, can fly up to 37,000 feet in the air. That's insane!

 

[Phicinfan]

This is cool. Not only are they bringing the Animation Academy back, but I always appreciated the Planet Watch area. I finally caught a veterinary procedure a couple of trips back, and it was awesome. I learned all about this beautiful vulture and saw it up close (sedated) as it was going to have a small growth removed from it's foot. That's how I learned that this particular bird, a Ruppell's Gryphon Vulture, can fly up to 37,000 feet in the air. That's insane!

okay not to steal the thread - but didn't we see in the WoL addition in Epcot that there will be an Animation academy there as well? Don't get me wrong, I love having more than one...but is this a bit redundant?

 

[BrianL]

okay not to steal the thread - but didn't we see in the WoL addition in Epcot that there will be an Animation academy there as well? Don't get me wrong, I love having more than one...but is this a bit redundant?

Well, we know little about what is going into the Play Pavillion. It could be somewhat different - not to mention that it's a few years away. I assume the AK version will focus specifically on animal characters, so maybe the other will focus more on human-like ones.

 

[rangerxenos]

Great news, I hope they're still doing this in December.

 

[Stacey25]

I was excited to see this! We will be there July 21. AND I booked a fast pass earlier for this. Note it is not a 1 hour window. Fast pass says show up from 9:40-9:55. So only a 15 minute window.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm looking forward to finding out what changes they've made that justified them closing it for so many months. I'm sure the Animation class isn't the only change.

 

[Liljo22]

okay not to steal the thread - but didn't we see in the WoL addition in Epcot that there will be an Animation academy there as well? Don't get me wrong, I love having more than one...but is this a bit redundant?

I don't see having a similar attraction in two different parks as being redundant. If both were in one park, that would be redundant.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

okay not to steal the thread - but didn't we see in the WoL addition in Epcot that there will be an Animation academy there as well? Don't get me wrong, I love having more than one...but is this a bit redundant?

Well, we know little about what is going into the Play Pavillion. It could be somewhat different - not to mention that it's a few years away. I assume the AK version will focus specifically on animal characters, so maybe the other will focus more on human-like ones.

Plus this article talked about how this was connected to the Lion King anniversary - made me think this is not a permanent thing (but perhaps will depending on how popular it is and what they do with Rafiki's Planet watch long term)

 

[rteetz]

Plus this article talked about how this was connected to the Lion King anniversary - made me think this is not a permanent thing (but perhaps will depending on how popular it is and what they do with Rafiki's Planet watch long term)

Yeah this doesn't feel long term to me. WoL isn't reopening this year so I don't see it as issue.

 

[okilydokily]

I'm looking forward to finding out what changes they've made that justified them closing it for so many months. I'm sure the Animation class isn't the only change.

It was a neat area, but a little underwhelming unless they were doing a procedure on an animal. Hope they added some cool interactive activities.

I don't see having a similar attraction in two different parks as being redundant. If both were in one park, that would be redundant.

But Dumbo, Flying Carpets, and Astro Orbiter are in completely different lands and not redundant.

 

[Moliphino]

But Dumbo, Flying Carpets, and Astro Orbiter are in completely different lands and not redundant.

Ehhh, they kind of are. Or at least the Flying Carpets are. Astro Orbiter is a little more thrilling than Dumbo because of the height, so in my opinion, at least, those two are different enough to not be redundant.