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

[Kman101]

It's funny how Rafiki's just doesn't fit with the rest of DAK. The building looks like something you would see in any zoo. It would be perfectly adequate for a city zoo exhibit but it comes off as cheap and disappointing when you arrive on the train. The train is nice and a good build up for something cool but the whole thing is just kind of a let down when you arrive. There is a simple city playground and modern building. It's like we are outside the park. Where did the African theming go? It's very DCA1.0 feeling. I think we spent about twenty minutes there looking at the baby chimps. It seems like a placeholder that is long over due to be replaced.

What salvages it for me is the animal care windows where you can witness things going on, but I agree the overall feeling is a let down. It's still a nice place to get away for a while but you're absolutely right. It feels cheap and like a placeholder. I hate saying that because I do like it, but that's gotta be the general feeling for most guests, apart from us hardcore fans of course.

 

[disneyC97]

I agree. When the train hits that section where you see the modern backstage animal stuff, I'm always like "why did I ride this?" How great if the train was incorporated into the park like the Western River Railroad at TDL?

 

[Phroobar]

Rafiki's isn't part of Africa. It's supposed to be "backstage," that's the whole point.

It starts in Africa on a African train. Then all of a sudden your backstage at a regular city zoo facility. It totally breaks the park's illusion of being someplace else. They couldn't bother to make the facility look like something on the outback plains?

 

[Rteetz]

It starts in Africa on a African train. Then all of a sudden your backstage at a regular city zoo facility. It totally breaks the park's illusion of being someplace else. They couldn't bother to make the facility look like something on the outback plains?

Pretty sure thats the point of the train. Not sure how you make an animal hospital themed.

 

[Phroobar]

Pretty sure thats the point of the train. Not sure how you make an animal hospital themed.

So you are on an African train going into the jungle and wind up at a modern zoo building in the middle of no where. Stupid.
The animal hospital could be themed like every other building at DAK. One nice thing about DAK is the wonderful theming except when you get to your destination. Giant cut outs don't cut it. It's too Six Flags.

 

[Rteetz]

So you are on an African train going into the jungle and wind up at a modern zoo building in the middle of no where. Stupid.
The animal hospital could be themed like every other building at DAK. One nice thing about DAK is the wonderful theming except when you get to your destination. Giant cut outs don't cut it. It's too Six Flags.

To each their own I guess. I love AK and it doesn't bother me. I know what it is going into it. I am not expecting it as part of Africa.

 

[Phroobar]

To each their own I guess. I love AK and it doesn't bother me. I know what it is going into it. I am not expecting it as part of Africa.

I'm just saying it doesn't live up to the quality of the rest of the park. It's too Dinorama.

Something amazing could be done with that train. You could see real animals wondering around like the safari ride does. You could end up a remote village to see primitive African tribe. You could end up at a Indiana Jones Allen Quarterman and the Lost City of Gold type dark ride. It could have been a Victorian-African town and explore the age of colonialism. Anything that fits the theming of the rest of the park would be better than going back stage and seeing your local zoo or Discovery science center building.

 

[Missing20K]

I'm just saying it doesn't live up to the quality of the rest of the park. It's too Dinorama.

Something amazing could be done with that train. You could see real animals wondering around like the safari ride does. You could end up a remote village to see primitive African tribe. You could end up at a Indiana Jones Allen Quarterman and the Lost City of Gold type dark ride. It could have been a Victorian-African town and explore the age of colonialism. Anything that fits the theming of the rest of the park would be better than going back stage and seeing your local zoo or Discovery science center building.

Ummmmm, nope. Just nopity, nopity, nope. So many reasons this should be avoided.

 

[MrPromey]

So Disney is becoming universal where every other float is a F-150? #budgetcuts #thanksshanghai #thebobsdontknowthethemeparkbusiness

To be fair, Universal drives their floats the way most everyone who isn't Disney does. In fact, I took a tour of the factory which makes them in New Orleans. They happen to be the same company* that makes almost all of them for the 20 or so parades that happen around Mardi Gras season over there which are nearly all pulled by tractors.

Interesting trivia that was pointed out on the tour: The Mardi Gras floats they make for Universal feature far more glitter and lighting effects than the real ones they make for actual Mardi Gras.

*At the time at least, they were also the same company that made the 3D cows for the Chic-Fil-A billboards.

 

[Phroobar]

Ummmmm, nope. Just nopity, nopity, nope. So many reasons this should be avoided.

Show modern Africa isn't exactly a pretty thing either.

 

[eddie104]

Show modern Africa isn't exactly a pretty thing either.

 

[MrPromey]

What salvages it for me is the animal care windows where you can witness things going on, but I agree the overall feeling is a let down. It's still a nice place to get away for a while but you're absolutely right. It feels cheap and like a placeholder. I hate saying that because I do like it, but that's gotta be the general feeling for most guests, apart from us hardcore fans of course.

As a local who usually has only gone on weekends, this part, kind of like the former live working animation area of MGM, was normally empty on my visits.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

To be fair, Universal drives their floats the way most everyone who isn't Disney does. In fact, I took a tour of the factory which makes them in New Orleans. They happen to be the same company* that makes almost all of them for the 20 or so parades that happen around Mardi Gras season over there which are nearly all pulled by tractors.

Interesting trivia that was pointed out on the tour: The Mardi Gras floats they make for Universal feature far more glitter and lighting effects than the real ones they make for actual Mardi Gras.

*At the time at least, they were also the same company that made the 3D cows for the Chic-Fil-A billboards.

That is the company that does Uni’s floats yeah

 

[Kman101]

As a local who usually has only gone on weekends, this part, kind of like the former live working animation area of MGM, was normally empty on my visits.

Well, yeah. One of the nice parts which is why I agreed it was a let down for most who traveled there. And I totally understand Disney wanting more guests to travel there. Depending on the Lion King stuff, that hardly seems like enough, but we'll see. It still feels on borrowed time to me.

 

[jt04]

Well, yeah. One of the nice parts which is why I agreed it was a let down for most who traveled there. And I totally understand Disney wanting more guests to travel there. Depending on the Lion King stuff, that hardly seems like enough, but we'll see. It still feels on borrowed time to me.

Definitely seems like a DAK expansion would precede a 5th gate by several years at the very least.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Show modern Africa isn't exactly a pretty thing either.

It’s prettier than modern Detroit.

 

[Phroobar]

It’s prettier than modern Detroit.

I'm just waiting for OCP to take the place over and deploy a squad of ED-209s.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Maybe in 2023 they’ll announce a new park for the 100th anniversary.

 

[Goofyernmost]

It's funny how Rafiki's just doesn't fit with the rest of DAK. The building looks like something you would see in any zoo. It would be perfectly adequate for a city zoo exhibit but it comes off as cheap and disappointing when you arrive on the train. The train is nice and a good build up for something cool but the whole thing is just kind of a let down when you arrive. There is a simple city playground and modern building. It's like we are outside the park. Where did the African theming go? It's very DCA1.0 feeling. I think we spent about twenty minutes there looking at the baby chimps. It seems like a placeholder that is long over due to be replaced.

How many times must you be told that it is Notazoo and never has been. It is a real savanna and real Indian ruins. When we enter these areas we are magically transported to these places. In Rafiki's it just transported you to a Zoo so you could tell the difference.

 

[MrPromey]

Well, yeah. One of the nice parts which is why I agreed it was a let down for most who traveled there. And I totally understand Disney wanting more guests to travel there. Depending on the Lion King stuff, that hardly seems like enough, but we'll see. It still feels on borrowed time to me.

Borrowed time or in need of a serious rethinking of what is in there. They're building a whole pavilion of interactive exhibits over at Epcot so clearly, they haven't gotten out of the game. How hard would it be for them to throw a few into that building and actually give people something to do out there besides pet goats?

I kind of wonder what the original plan was for this area. Was this just a holding space like the inflatable tent building with museum-like stuff in it they had where Dinorama ended up? It seems like there must have been more that they were going to do back there to justify the staggered delivery of people by train, especially with the hike you've still got back to the building from the train station.