News Rafiki's Planet Watch is closing Oct. 21st will reopen in Summer 2019

[Disney Maddux]

Actual conversation with a cast member today in the goat area:

Me: Is this area closing?

CM: Oh, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say (gestures to another cast member)

CM: He has a question.

Me: Hi, is this area closing?

CM2: Yes, this area is permanently closing for guests, but we will continue to care for our animals with our Veterinarian Services team.

So in other words, until D23 (which is when I think they’re gonna announce a replacement), everything except the hospital will pretty much be abandoned.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

So in other words, until D23 (which is when I think they’re gonna announce a replacement), everything except the hospital will pretty much be abandoned.

The hospital is the majority of the area. With the exception of the path and train station, I expect it to be active with staff

 

[JoeCamel]

So in other words, until D23 (which is when I think they’re gonna announce a replacement), everything except the hospital will pretty much be abandoned.

It is nice to be positive but you need to step back and see the reality. This is not closing to guests to make way for a replacement. AK will be expanded sometime in the future but I wouldn't hold my breath. Has Bob ever answered the kid's question about the new name for DHS? He has had plenty of opportunity. Has a parade come back to AK? Nope, all you get is glow in the dark plastic plants.

 

[Disney Maddux]

It is nice to be positive but you need to step back and see the reality. This is not closing to guests to make way for a replacement. AK will be expanded sometime in the future but I wouldn't hold my breath. Has Bob ever answered the kid's question about the new name for DHS? He has had plenty of opportunity. Has a parade come back to AK? Nope, all you get is glow in the dark plastic plants.

I know it’s just for budget cuts, but like someone else said, I think it’s also for an eventual replacement.

 

[yensid67]

This SUCKS! We were planning on visiting this on our May 2019 trip! But glad to know that the hospital won't be going anywhere

 

[lazyboy97o]

I know it’s just for budget cuts, but like someone else said, I think it’s also for an eventual replacement.

That someone else is not a reliable source of information.

 

[MaximumEd]

WDW doesn’t really have a good track record of closing areas they deem underperforming and immediately replacing them with something better. They let them rot indefinitely. See Stitch, WOL, the Odyssey, part of the Canada pavilion, and now Innoventions. I’m sure there’s a bunch of areas I’m leaving out. Oh yeah, there’s that island in Bay Lake.

 

[JoeCamel]

I know it’s just for budget cuts, but like someone else said, I think it’s also for an eventual replacement.

The dust runs strong with this one..

 

[Disney Maddux]

The dust runs strong with this one..

Spoiler

no u

 

[WraithxLawx42]

Nope...under the universal contract shield...

And comic books have less to do with a Animals than alien mining colonies

Black Panther was not a major character explicitly covered by the original contract. One image on IOA is not enough to block Disney. The two companies are working on a deal to spell out what characters are covered. Bottom line, Wakanda is coming, either to Epcot (Wonders of Life Pavilion) or Animal Kingdom (Rafiki's). As you pointed out they made Pandora work in AK, Wakanda is no greater of a stretch.

 

[danlb_2000]

Black Panther was not a major character explicitly covered by the original contract. One image on IOA is not enough to block Disney. The two companies are working on a deal to spell out what characters are covered. Bottom line, Wakanda is coming, either to Epcot (Wonders of Life Pavilion) or Animal Kingdom (Rafiki's). As you pointed out they made Pandora work in AK, Wakanda is no greater of a stretch.

Black Panther is a member of the Avengers in the comics, Universal has attractions based on Avengers characters so this give them exclusive rights to all the characters in the Avengers family, so they have Black Panther. Not "deal" is needed to spell out the characters, they where documented at the time the original contract was made, but this document is not publicly available. They are not going to build Wakanda without the ability to use Black Panther.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Black Panther was not a major character explicitly covered by the original contract. One image on IOA is not enough to block Disney. The two companies are working on a deal to spell out what characters are covered. Bottom line, Wakanda is coming, either to Epcot (Wonders of Life Pavilion) or Animal Kingdom (Rafiki's). As you pointed out they made Pandora work in AK, Wakanda is no greater of a stretch.

Black Panther is a member of the Avengers in the comics, Universal has attractions based on Avengers characters so this give them exclusive rights to all the characters in the Avengers family, so they have Black Panther. Not "deal" is needed to spell out the characters, they where documented at the time the original contract was made, but this document is not publicly available. They are not going to build Wakanda without the ability to use Black Panther.

Wakanda is not coming....

Mainly because of the contract....but also because it doesn’t fit unless they blow it up and go full marvel.

Why would Comcast do that? Disney and Sony are making movies advertising their park....it’s the greatest setup...really for both. One gets free advertising and one gets free cash.

Really gotta stop doing this “Disney is getting marvel back” nonsense

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The dust runs strong with this one..

I think there’s a 90% chance they shut down planet watch just to shut it down.

Wonders of life.

 

[Disney Maddux]

I think there’s a 90% chance they shut down planet watch just to shut it down.

Wonders of life.

WoL - v2.0

 

[Jambo Joe]

WDW doesn’t really have a good track record of closing areas they deem underperforming and immediately replacing them with something better. They let them rot indefinitely. See Stitch, WOL, the Odyssey, part of the Canada pavilion, and now Innoventions. I’m sure there’s a bunch of areas I’m leaving out. Oh yeah, there’s that island in Bay Lake.

How about River Country - rotting into the ground for 17 years. So notorious that urban explorers document it on YouTube.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

How about River Country - rotting into the ground for 17 years. So notorious that urban explorers document it on YouTube.

They were waiting to build a DVC...for the 50th

 

[RSoxNo1]

I’d be fine with Zootopia in DHS. They could probably put it in that backstage area behind Star Tours.

Not to fuel Zootopia discussion, but if it's still relevant in 5 years, I think it's a viable replacement for Star Tours using those simulators.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Black Panther is a member of the Avengers in the comics, Universal has attractions based on Avengers characters so this give them exclusive rights to all the characters in the Avengers family, so they have Black Panther. Not "deal" is needed to spell out the characters, they where documented at the time the original contract was made, but this document is not publicly available. They are not going to build Wakanda without the ability to use Black Panther.

He also made his debut in the Fantastic Four comics and has even joined them as an occasional substitute member.

 

[marni1971]

Not to fuel Zootopia discussion, but if it's still relevant in 5 years, I think it's a viable replacement for Star Tours using those simulators.

Depends if they’re still there.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I wonder if Raf has seen a temporary drop in attendance owing to Pandora.

Pandora ate away at my DAK time last trips. An hour for the restaurant, one mire to stroll around, 90 minutes for the boat, 36 hours waiting for FaP. So much so that I had to skip my other attractions. I didn't do my train + Raf, whereas I would before.

But was ready to go there again next trip.