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In March of 2010, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums renewed the accreditation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom through 2015. This means they are on par with places like the Central Park Zoo in New York, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in DC, the San Diego Zoo and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, for providing animals the best possible care from highly qualified staff, in modern facilities that represent the state-of-the art in the industry. This is a big deal. When Disney first announce they were going to start the Animal Kingdom, many people came forward and asked why Disney believed they had the right to try and get into the Zoo business. Disney Responded by stating the Theme of the Animal Kingdom was going to be “NATAZU” pronounced “Not a Zoo”. They decided to make the “zoo” more visitor friendly and at the same time educational. And with shows like Flights of Wonder, you can see that have succeeded. But Flights of Wonder is not the only place to learn about the animals. If you catch the Wildlife Express
run of the Eastern Star Railway in Harambe, you will find an Unknown Magic when you disembark. The area where you arrive is called Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Rafiki’s Planet Watch is really 4 different sections.
The first section is the
Train Station. Here not only will you leave the train and re-board it later, but you get the feeling when you first pull into the station that this is a special place. The next area is
Habitat Habit. This is actually a walkway with many exhibits on how to help animals around your home to build and maintain a good habitat. There are sections for inviting Birds, Bats, frogs and Butterfly to your backyard, how to keep them there and how to protect them when they are there. As you keep walking, you come to a building.
This Building is the next section. This building houses the main part of Rafiki’s Planet Watch and is called the Conservation Station. There are eleven different areas in the Conservation Station; Eco-Web, Song of the Rainforest, Eco Heroes, Caring for the Wild, Animal Encounters, Self Guided Backstage Tour, Wildlife Tracking Center, Veterinary Treatment Room, Hatchery, Nursery, and the Food Preparation Room. All of these different areas help you to learn what Disney is doing to protect not only their animals, but also animals from around the world. A lot of the viewing areas here are based on Disney’s Veterinarians and how they do their job, but there are also presentations by The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund which “was established in 1995 on Earth Day as a global awards program for the study and protection of the world’s wildlife and ecosystems.”
The displays by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund are an Unknown Magic of their own. They have one section that is about their Adopt a Nest program, which has its home at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. The program is one in which you can Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest. We actually did this when we were down last year and we put my wife’s 4th grade class as the adopted parents. They received updates and could check in on their nest throughout the school year. The kids
loved the program and were all excited when they received the e-mail telling them their nest had hatched. Our trip to
Rafiki’s Planet Watch last summer created a
Magical Experience for twenty-one different kids that weren’t even with us in Disney, that’s the kind of
Magic Disney provides.
Outside of the Conservation Station is the last section of Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This area is called Affection Section. This is the only place in the Animal Kingdom, where it is okay to make contact with the Animals. It is a little petting zoo area that you can visit to feed and pet different domesticated animals. The kids always seem to love petting yards, and this one is no different. Spending some time here may be the highlight of your little one’s day and can lead to a Magical Experience for them.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch is definitely an educational place to visit. They want you to learn about the earth and how to help it, but in true Disney fashion, they make the trip a fun one and they make sure you enjoy the ride.
So, now you know, when in Africa in the Animal Kingdom, jump the Wildlife Express, in Harambe and take a ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This Unknown Magic will provide you with some knowledge, some insight and maybe even a Magical Experience, too.
Click here for More information on Disney’s Commitment to Conservation
And here for More information on the Adopt-A-Nest Program
The first section is the Train Station. Here not only will you leave the train and re-board it later, but you get the feeling when you first pull into the station that this is a special place. The next area is Habitat Habit. This is actually a walkway with many exhibits on how to help animals around your home to build and maintain a good habitat. There are sections for inviting Birds, Bats, frogs and Butterfly to your backyard, how to keep them there and how to protect them when they are there. As you keep walking, you come to a building.
loved the program and were all excited when they received the e-mail telling them their nest had hatched. Our trip to Rafiki’s Planet Watch last summer created a Magical Experience for twenty-one different kids that weren’t even with us in Disney, that’s the kind of Magic Disney provides.
unknownmagicwithinwaltdisneyworld 