Rafiki's Planet Watch is Now OPEN - See Post #296

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We visited the area last summer and my daughter discovered the little dark rooms with headphones where you could listen to sounds. She said it was a perfect napping spot and she was correct lol. On the train ride back an employee was talking to someone about a private event they were planning and talking about different options for them and we found it so very fascinating. It was to be held on the train and also at RPW. Just listening to them discuss what all they could do made that train ride very fun.
 
They just released that now it will be reopening in Spring 2019.
"The area will be unavailable to guests beginning October 21st. While the attractions are closed, Walt Disney World is expected to rework the offerings to improve the guest experience, then reopen the area next year.
Not sure how much of a change will occur.
i was still hoping for a Zootopia land instead.
 
Looks like they just reversed course and PW will close for refurbishment Oct until spring 2019. It feels like they wanted to see what the reaction would be with an announced closure, but all in all only planned for a short closure.
 


Does anyone have a sense of what “spring”means at Disney? We’re going in early March, just before/during the first week of spring break. I’ll have to keep an eye out and see when a date is announced—we didn’t do this on our previous trip, but I think my kids would really like it. Fingers crossed!
 
Glad to hear it's reopening. I have yet to do RPW, and was sad at the thought that I'd missed it completely. It's definitely on the "to do" list for June 2019!
 


But opening Spring, nobody knows what that means as to when it will reopen. Is it closed for budget reasons or are they doing a rehab/refurbishment/redoing it? They really haven't given out any infomration as to what is happening there.
 
The original explanation on 9/14 was “seasonal” operation and RPW would continue as a special event venue during non-operational downtimes.

On 9/21, RPW Managers were told it was a full closure.

On 9/28, a confirmed reopening was announced but that info wasn’t conveyed to the Entertainment division. So no one knows what will happen to RPW during the closure nor what RPW will entail when it reopens. Coordinators who were in RPW on Saturday knew nothing about any definite refurb plans. All the Rainforest rooms were closed and non-operational.

All that’s known is the Vet Hospital remains because that’s the main location for animal care and medical procedures are intermittent so there’s never a guarantee guests will be able to view a procedure.
 
All that’s known is the Vet Hospital remains because that’s the main location for animal care and medical procedures are intermittent so there’s never a guarantee guests will be able to view a procedure.
And you can't run a "zoo" without those facilities.

I expect some changes when it reopens. There is some work going on at the RPW train station currently.
 
The original explanation on 9/14 was “seasonal” operation and RPW would continue as a special event venue during non-operational downtimes.

On 9/21, RPW Managers were told it was a full closure.

On 9/28, a confirmed reopening was announced but that info wasn’t conveyed to the Entertainment division. So no one knows what will happen to RPW during the closure nor what RPW will entail when it reopens. Coordinators who were in RPW on Saturday knew nothing about any definite refurb plans. All the Rainforest rooms were closed and non-operational.

All that’s known is the Vet Hospital remains because that’s the main location for animal care and medical procedures are intermittent so there’s never a guarantee guests will be able to view a procedure.
So are the rainforest rooms closed now?
 
Just got back. It was indeed closed after the 21st. For anyone interested though they did have the Wilderness explorer stations just at the entrance to RPW before you would have gone down the path so kids could get all their badges. (Mine was happily able to finish her book)
 
We visited the area last summer and my daughter discovered the little dark rooms with headphones where you could listen to sounds. She said it was a perfect napping spot and she was correct lol. On the train ride back an employee was talking to someone about a private event they were planning and talking about different options for them and we found it so very fascinating. It was to be held on the train and also at RPW. Just listening to them discuss what all they could do made that train ride very fun.
Oddly enough we only did those headphone rooms last Christmas and always somehow didn't really notice them before
 
Oddly enough we only did those headphone rooms last Christmas and always somehow didn't really notice them before

Same here! Actually she discovered it and was inside when I was looking at the vet hospital and it took me forever to find her. She was 14 so no biggie but she loved that resting place
 
So is it going to be closed or just refurbished or open seasonally?
 
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