Okay so we need to talk about something that happened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom last month that most people completely missed, because the way it went down is genuinely kind of wild.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch closed for refurbishment on February 23, 2026. That part was announced. What was NOT announced at the time — and only came out afterward — is that when it reopens this summer, it will not be called Rafiki’s Planet Watch anymore. The name is being retired. The whole experience is reopening as Conservation Station.
Which means Rafiki’s Planet Watch technically closed forever without a single guest knowing it was the last day. No farewell signage. No announcement. Just… closed, and then later, oh by the way, that name is gone now. An opening-day Animal Kingdom experience that has been there since April 22, 1998 quietly slipped out the back door and nobody got to say goodbye. We are not okay about this and we are going to need a moment.
Here Is What Was Actually Going On Behind the Scenes
For those who have not visited in a while, Rafiki’s Planet Watch was the umbrella name for a whole back-of-park destination you could only reach by riding the Wildlife Express Train from Harambe Station. Once you got there, the indoor facility was always called Conservation Station. Outside was the Affection Section petting zoo. And inside Conservation Station, among other things, was The Animation Experience where guests could learn to draw Disney characters.
Going forward, Conservation Station becomes the name for everything — the whole train destination, not just the building inside it. The Rafiki’s Planet Watch name is done, and a new era is beginning.
And that new era has a very specific, very cute, very Australian identity.
Bluey Is Coming to Conservation Station and It Is Going to Be a Whole Thing
The big new addition is an interactive experience called Bluey and Bingo, bringing the iconic animated series into Conservation Station with games, activities, and animal encounters. The animal encounters part is particularly clever: the animals are going to be native to Australia, which is the home of Bluey’s Heeler family. So the Affection Section is not just getting a fresh look — it is getting a thematic overhaul with Australian species that actually connect to the show. That is a real creative choice and we appreciate it.
The Bluey fan base is enormous and extremely devoted. Pairing that IP with hands-on Australian animal encounters in a physical space at Walt Disney World is going to be one of those things that becomes instantly iconic for families with young kids. Summer 2026 at Conservation Station is going to be busy, is what we are saying. Go early, go often, go before the crowds figure it out.
The Animation Experience Is Not Coming Back — But Here Is the Good News
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station, which let guests sit down and learn how to draw Disney characters from an instructor, is not making it through the refurbishment. That one hurts a little, honestly. It was a genuinely sweet experience and the kind of low-key Animal Kingdom activity that people remember.
The good news is that Disney is not abandoning drawing-based programming entirely. A new animation experience is opening this summer inside The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Different park, same spirit. Worth checking out.
What Animal Kingdom Looks Like Right Now
DinoLand U.S.A. closed permanently on February 2, 2026. DINOSAUR is closed. Construction has started on the new Tropical Americas land, which is expected to open in 2027 and will include Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions. The park is in a full-on transformation and it is moving fast.
Conservation Station fits into this moment as one of the more forward-looking pieces of the puzzle. The Bluey additions bring a genuinely popular contemporary IP into a part of the park that had been feeling a little quiet in recent years. When it reopens in Summer 2026, that whole back section of Animal Kingdom is going to feel new and relevant in a way it has not in a while.
Right now, the Wildlife Express Train is also closed as part of the refurbishment, so the back of the park is completely offline until the summer reopening.
If you are planning an Animal Kingdom trip and Bluey is a big deal in your house, Summer 2026 is the window you are waiting for. Mark the calendar, watch for the official opening announcement, and try to get there before the rest of the world figures out that Conservation Station just became one of the coolest spots in the park. Seriously, your kids are going to absolutely lose their minds and you are going to be glad you planned ahead.
