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Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrDisney’s Animal Kingdom will lose another area in 2026, as Rafiki’s Planet Watch closes on February 23, 2026, following the recent shutdown of DinoLand U.S.A. on February 2. This closure impacts family-friendly experiences at a park that has been eliminating kid-focused attractions. The Affection Section petting zoo and the Wildlife Express Train will also close, making Rafiki’s Planet Watch entirely inaccessible until summer, when a new Bluey experience debuts.
With the loss of these areas, Animal Kingdom now has very few dedicated attractions for young children. Remaining options include Discovery Island Trails with the Wilderness Explorers scavenger hunt, Festival of the Lion King, and the Finding Nemo show. This limited selection contrasts sharply with the park’s previous focus on providing experiences for families with children of all ages.
What’s Closing on February 23
The Affection Section at Rafiki’s Planet Watch served as Disney World’s only petting zoo, allowing guests to encounter and interact with goats, sheep, and other domesticated animals in a hands-on experience particularly appealing to young children who may not have opportunities to interact with farm animals in their daily lives. The petting zoo provided a tactile, interactive element that distinguished Animal Kingdom from being purely an observation-based wildlife park, giving kids agency to pet and feed animals rather than just viewing them from safari vehicles or behind glass.
The Wildlife Express Train closing alongside the Affection Section means the entire Rafiki’s Planet Watch area becomes inaccessible since the train provides the only guest transportation from the main park areas to that section. The train itself appeals to young children who enjoy the novelty of riding a train through backstage areas while traveling between different park zones, creating an experience that functions as both transportation and attraction.
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station also closes February 23, eliminating another hands-on activity where guests learned to draw Disney characters with guidance from Disney artists. That experience provided air-conditioned indoor activity appealing to families seeking breaks from Florida heat while still offering entertainment value beyond just passive observation.
Why Everything Is Closing at This Disney Park
All three closures at Rafiki’s Planet Watch are related to the new Bluey experience coming to Animal Kingdom for Cool Kids’ Summer. This will be the first Bluey experience at Walt Disney World. The Australian children’s show has become very popular with young families in recent years. It airs on Disney Channel and Disney Junior, so adding Bluey experiences to Disney parks makes sense, even though Bluey is produced by BBC Studios and Ludo Studio, not Disney.
Cool Kids’ Summer runs from May 26 to September 8, which suggests that Rafiki’s Planet Watch might reopen with the Bluey experience by late May. However, Disney has not confirmed specific reopening dates or whether all three closed elements will return when Rafiki’s Planet Watch reopens. The details about The Animation Experience at Conservation Station are unclear, with no indication whether it will return or if the Bluey experience will take its place.
Animal Kingdom’s Identity Crisis
The compound effect of DinoLand U.S.A.’s permanent closure and Rafiki’s Planet Watch’s temporary closure leaves Animal Kingdom functioning primarily as an adult-focused park until summer at the earliest and possibly longer depending on how Rafiki’s Planet Watch evolves when it reopens. The park’s remaining attractions skew heavily toward experiences requiring height requirements, extended wait times, or thematic content better suited to older children and adults rather than toddlers and young elementary school students.
Pandora: The World of Avatar features Avatar Flight of Passage with a 44-inch height requirement and Na’vi River Journey, which while technically accessible to all ages, draws from a film franchise that young children may not know or care about. Expedition Everest has a 44-inch height requirement and intense thrill ride elements. Kilimanjaro Safaris works for all ages but functions as a passive observation experience rather than interactive play. Kali River Rapids has a 38-inch height requirement and gets guests soaking wet, which isn’t ideal for families with young children who then need to spend the rest of the day in wet clothes.
Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond provide age-appropriate entertainment for young children, but they’re shows with fixed showtimes rather than continuous-access experiences kids can engage with at their own pace. The Wilderness Explorers scavenger hunt offers interactive elements throughout the park, but it requires reading comprehension and sustained attention that very young children may not possess.
What Families Can Do at This Disney Park
For families visiting Animal Kingdom with young children until late May, the park currently offers fewer kid-friendly experiences compared to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, or Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom boasts attractions without height requirements and interactive areas, making it more appealing for young kids. As a result, Animal Kingdom has temporarily become a half-day park for these families rather than a full-day destination, which feels unjustified given the ticket price.
This may change with the upcoming Bluey experience at Rafiki’s Planet Watch in summer, but until then, Animal Kingdom’s value for families with toddlers and young elementary students has diminished significantly.
Looking Forward to Tropical Americas
Disney’s closure of DinoLand U.S.A. is part of a long-term plan. They want to replace old rides and themes with new experiences based on popular characters and stories. This strategy aims to keep guests interested in the park. In 2027, the new Tropical Americas land will include attractions from Encanto and Indiana Jones, adding more options for guests at Animal Kingdom. The new rides may include features for young children, depending on their design and height requirements.
However, until 2027, Animal Kingdom will have fewer attractions and limited options for kids. Families planning trips to Disney World in 2026 or early 2027 should think about whether spending a whole day at Animal Kingdom is worthwhile. They might want to focus more on other parks due to the current closures and construction.
On February 23, Rafiki’s Planet Watch will close, marking the second time this year that Animal Kingdom loses an entire area. This change highlights the park’s shift towards experiences for adults until new attractions open. Rafiki’s Planet Watch will return in some form when the new Bluey experience launches for Cool Kids’ Summer.