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Kilimanjaro Safaris; Animal Kingdom; AA
  • On Jul 14, 2008
    Pamela from PA Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    I am wondering if we should take the time to go to Rafiki's Plant Watch. Is it likely to be of interest to a 5 year old girl? What times are the staff available? How long is the walk back to the main part of the Animal Kingdom?

    Rafiki's Planet Watch in the Animal Kingdom is accessed from a special train ride that just takes guests back and forth from the main area of the park. The train ride takes about 7 minutes and takes you past some of the park's animal care buildings and evening housing. Once you're at the train depot on the other side, there's a 3-5 minute walk to the Planet Watch building. Staff will be available whenever the Planet Watch is open, but the Planet Watch hours may be slightly shorter than those in the rest of the park. Check the free Times Guide as you enter the park for details.

    As for whether it would interest a five year old girl, that really depends on the child. Honestly, my kids were not particularly interested in some of the veterinary exhibits at the Planet Watch, but I have seen many animal lovers who were fascinated with every detail of the place. Though my kids, were not particularly interested in animal feeding information, we once did see a parrot being examine by a vet there, and they loved that. There are also often characters appearing here that are not available for greeting in other areas of WDW. From my kids' perspective, by far the best part of the Planet Watch is the Affection Section. This is really a large petting zoo type exhibit, stocked with several dozen roaming sheep and goats of various species. Because guests are not allowed to feed the animals, they are incredibly docile and will withstand infinite hugs and brushing. This might not be so fascinating for a rural family that deals with farm animals every day, but my city-slicker kids were in heaven. There was one trip to WDW when my kids were 4 and 7 that we spent an hour and a half at the Affection Section alone. At that age, it was the perfect activity for them.
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Meet the Panelist: Erin, New York

I have three teenage daughters. We're DVC members obsessed with Disney travel. We've been to Walt Disney World countless times and have visited Disneyland & Disneyland Paris. We've taken several Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise trips. Learn More About Erin

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