At Animation Experience, guests will discover the secret of how Disney animators bring your favorite characters to life at Rafiki’s Planet Watch’s main facility of Conservation Station.
Ride Information Restrictions Accessibility Location Fun Facts Top 5 Tips
Ride Information
Opening Day: July 11, 2019
Type of Experience: Get step by step instructions on how to draw a popular Disney animal character.
Age Recommendation: All ages
Duration of Ride: 25 minutes
Typical Queue Time: None
Single Rider Line: No
Chicken Exit Available: Yes
Baby Swap Available: No
Type of Vehicle: None
Type of Restraint: None
Attraction Open During Early Theme Park Entry: No. See our Early Theme Park Entry page for more information.
Ride Photo Available For Purchase: No
Ride Restrictions
Height Requirements: None
Flash Photography or Video Allowed: Yes
Safety, Accessibility, and Guest Policies
Accessibility:
- Guests may remain in wheelchairs.
- audio description available
Location
Shopping: Purchase apparel, bags, books, and animal plush dolls at “Out of the Wild.”
Dining/Refreshment: No dining options are available at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. In Harambe, in the park’s Africa section, guests craving a quick service lunch or dinner should consider eating at Harambe Market, where offerings such as skewers, flatbreads, and grilled vegetables are served. Those preferring a sit down meal can make ADRs for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Tusker House buffet. Tusker House serves a mixture of American and African dishes at all three meals with regular appearances from Donald Duck and friends.
Restroom: Find facilities at the Conservation Station.
Smoking Location: Smoking is permitted in designated smoking areas only. Disney parks are smoke free.
Conservation Station Fun Facts
Did you know?
- The Animation Experience at the Conservation Station is only accessible via the Wildlife Express Train from the Animal Kingdom’s Africa section with a walk of about six minutes to reach the Conservation Station once you exit from the train station. So, add some travel time before each animation class.
- A large mural of various animals adorns the walls of the Conservation Station.
- In addition to housing The Animation Experience, Conservation Station also shows medical treatments in the veterinary room which have included regular examinations, dental procedures, and radiography.
- From the Animal Kingdom’s opening day, April 22, 1998, until 2001, Conservation Station was the name for the entire area of the park accessed via the Wildlife Express Train, including Conservation Station and Affection Section. In 2001, “Rafiki’s Planet Watch” was implemented as the moniker for the overall area in an effort to attract more guests; Rafiki is the baboon shaman from The Lion King (1994).
Hidden Mickeys:
Find numerous Hidden Mickeys within Conservation Station’s murals, including in an ostrich eye.
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Top 5 Tips for The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
- Guests with artistic inclinations should make sure to check out the conservation station as character drawing classes are periodically offered here.
- Classes last for 25 minutes and no experience is necessary! Guests will follow along with a Disney animator.
- The characters featured in each class will vary, so guests can experience this attraction multiple times with a different experience.
- The Conservation Station focuses more on exhibits that guests linger over. Therefor, guests with packed schedules or guests looking for thrills might want to skip this attraction.
- Consider watching movies such as The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Bambi before your visit such as to better appreciate Conservation Station and prepare for the kind of characters you will see in this class.