Rafiki's Planet Watch

[k.hunter30]

I've never gone over to this area of AK, but my husband loves animals and zoos. Is it worth it to take the tram/train ride over to Rafiki's (how long is that ride anyways?) It always just seemed too out of the way so we've passed it up. We've done the regular petting zoos with our niece and nephew - is it more than that? What are some highlights of that area? I'm just looking for some recommendations on either visiting this area or skipping it.

I also don't think I've been to the Asia section of the park either. I want to say they were still working on it in 2003 (my last visit) ...? Our usual AK visit is only a half-day, but I'm thinking with adding these two areas to our tour plan it might be longer...?

 

[kcnole]

even more worthless than Dinorama in my opinion.

 

[dazzer68]

if your there for a day do it, if youve got time
its quite interesting, pocohantas is over there, theres apetting zoo, an animal hospital, there was guy there with tarantulas when we were there which was good fun:veryconfu .the train rides abit of a wasre of time, i dont know why they dont make it a walking to attraction.
theres a good thing with the talking tree from pocahuntas you put headphones on and its a binural recording of the rainforest
even better if youve got some kids to take you there!

 

[Blonde Princess]

There is not much to see or do. Rafiki's Conservation station is geared to the 2-10 years of age group. While ocassionally you do get to see a small animal have simple surgery or medical care that is about it. The train ride, while cute, is slow, long and boring. You might get a glimpse of a large animal through its enclosures bars or a window of the animal's building. The petting zoo has goats, a cow or 2, sheep, and a donkey. I might have missed a small animal or 2. Inside the building there are some observation windows for "vet labs", a few creepy animals in glass cages, and not much else. If you don't have small children with you I would skip it.

As for Asia, I like the Maharajah (sp??) Jungle Trek. The bats, Tigers, Komodo Dragon, Tapir and exotic birds are wonderful. The stroll through the area is nice and peaceful.

 

[bradandsarabr]

I personally likes this section less the petting zoo. There are exhibits on spiders, snakes, butterflys & vet stuff. The train ride takes you back stage & explains how the park works. On the train ride, we saw a baby hippo & baby giraffe.

 

[eroyee]

:wave: my opinon is I wouldnt bother. the train ride is so boring. theres really not anything there to take all that park time out of your day. maybe others will think different, though.......

 

[RiversideBunny]

Riding the train is fun. You see some of the animal buildings also.
When you arrive you can see Rafiki and look around. Sometimes one of the zoologists is there to talk about taking care of the animals.
If you get really lucky, the Phd. zoologist will let you hold a ball of elephant dropping while she explains how they analyze it for proper nutrition, pregnancy, etc. Of course she doesn't tell you what you are holding until she is finished. Surprise.

It's worth doing if you have not done it.
I really like riding on the train. There's something immersing about it. Reminds me of the opening scenes in 'Out of Africa'.

 

[jesserin]

I've never gone over to this area of AK, but my husband loves animals and zoos. Is it worth it to take the tram/train ride over to Rafiki's (how long is that ride anyways?) It always just seemed too out of the way so we've passed it up. We've done the regular petting zoos with our niece and nephew - is it more than that? What are some highlights of that area? I'm just looking for some recommendations on either visiting this area or skipping it.

I also don't think I've been to the Asia section of the park either. I want to say they were still working on it in 2003 (my last visit) ...? Our usual AK visit is only a half-day, but I'm thinking with adding these two areas to our tour plan it might be longer...?

Rafiki's is DEFINATELY one of our favorite parts of AK!!!

First off... the train ride is like 3 minutes. LOL Not long at all.

Secondly... the animals are great for those who are animal lovers... inside the main building they introduce animals every hour or so and you can see up close some exotic animals and learn about their environments...

And Thirdly. My personal favorite part is in the back of the main building, where you can go into these little sound booths and listen to Mother Earth (i think?) You put head phones on and she tells you a story about rainforests... and you close your eyes and it feels like all the rainforest animals are right there in the room with you. I love just sitting down for a moment and enjoying this little hidden gem of Rafiki's Planet. Definately a must do, at least once!

 

[summergurl]

If you're interested in seeing the vet procedures in the on-show treatment room, then your best bet is to get over there in the morning, the earlier the better. Procedures are done on all of the animals that fit in the exam room, so you never know what you'll see.

 

[disney magic 06]

I would rather spend more time looking round the animals in Asia than going on Rafikis Planet Watch, I really love the rest of AK but found this section had little of interest and a rather strange atmosphere for some reason.

 

[Figment82]

My favorite part of the area was the trash cans (I collect photos of them - there's 4 different ones at Rafiki's). Apparently Jiminy Cricket also has a meet and greet there along with Pocahontas, but we never saw him.

It's kinda fun but if you're in a time crunch I wouldn't bother. I'd make Asia a much higher priority. It's been there since opening, but the nature walk, the raft ride, and Everest are all great.

 

[jonesenon4]

:ROFLOL: I love Rafikki's Planet Watch. It's a great place for pics, to meet characters and see animals. The train ride is really great too exspecially after spending the day walking around in the park.:animwink:

 

[bayoutinkbelle]

I like it. The train ride gives you a backstage glimpse at where the animals are housed, which is neat.

If you get there early enough, you might be lucky to catch the vets doing medical procedures on different animals. My son and I saw a lemur getting a checkup last year. Very cool to watch.

We've also seen some of the CMs doing their presentations with different creatures.

IMHO, a neat place that really conveys a great conservation message.

 

[sbkline]

If you have plenty of time, and are not pushing a time limit I don't see any reason not to do it. There's not too much over there, but I seem to enjoy it a little. At least just go to say you did it, rather than having to put that on your next list of "things I have never done at WDW".

 

[aeillill]

It's interesting, but not something you need to see IMO. The most exciting thing over there were the Vet procedures but there's always a million people crowded around the windows, so it can be hard to view. I always manage to wander over there though whenever I'm in AK. So, I would recommend going if you have the time.

 

[Texas84]

It's a nice break with lots of good info. And I like trains!

 

[MJMcBride]

I'm a big zoo guy and liked Rafiki's. The educational aspect is worth the trip out there. If you have kids, you'll see Jiminy Cricket, Pocohontas and Rafiki. The kids loved it. There's also some hand-on type things for them

 

[HoneyMnShawnee]

All I can say is "Air Conditioning" :sohappy: .. I really enjoyed the robotic trash can.. But for me and my husband, we enjoyed the Animal Hospital but everything else was geared to much younger children..

 

[GenerationX]

We (me, wife, 3 young boys) thought it was mildly interesting, but not something we would do if pressed for time. We found the petting zoo small and unimpressive. The best part for us was talking with the friendly and informative CMs in the Conversation Station.

 

[jcc0621]

Our 3 year old loved it. He got to pet and brush the sheep and goats and got to meet Rafiki. Like others said, don't bother if you have time constraints, but worth it for a break in the day