Disney World Announces Closing Date for Everything at Rafiki’s Planet Watch Ahead of Bluey Takeover

Ahead of the Bluey “experience” that’s coming to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, several new closure dates & refurbishment bulletins have been posted for attractions & experiences in the Rafiki’s Planet Watch region of the park. Here’s the latest on these temporary & permanent closings to prepare for the Bluey takeover.

In case you missed it, Bluey is finally coming to Florida, with the popular pups making their first-ever appearances in Animal Kingdom as part of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER (not to be confused with last year’s Cool Kid Summer) in 2026. During that, guests will be able to take a fun excursion to Conservation Station in Animal Kingdom to play and dance with Bluey and Bingo!

Play some of your favorite games from Bluey episodes with a fun animal twist, like butterfly keepy uppy. Grab the whole family and snap some pictures alongside your Blue Heeler pals to remember this one-of-a-kind adventure. Plus, as part of your wild excursion, step outside to discover an experience with animals native to Bluey’s home country of Australia!

Actual details about Bluey and Bingo in Animal Kingdom were first shared about one year later as part of Walt Disney World’s 2026 Calendar of Events. We still haven’t heard any concrete start date, although it’s assumed to be on or around May 26, 2026 with the kickoff of Cool KIDS’ Summer.

We now also have dates when the existing experiences in Rafiki’s Planet Watch will close…

Here are the bulletins:

• Conservation Station will temporarily close on February 23, 2026, to make way for a new Bluey adventure coming Summer 2026.
• Wildlife Express Train will temporarily close on February 23, 2026, to make way for a new Bluey adventure coming Summer 2026.
• The Affection Section at Animal Kingdom will temporarily close on February 23, 2026, to make way for a new Bluey adventure coming Summer 2026.
• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station will close on February 23, 2026, to make way for a new Bluey adventure coming Summer 2026.

At least for now, the last day to experience all of these offerings will be February 22, 2026.

Note the slight verbiage changes, with everything except the Animation Experience temporarily closing.

This distinction is clearly purposeful and indicates both that the Animation Experience is a permanent closure and everything else is not. This might seem like bad news for the Animation Experience, but we fully expected this one, as the Walt Disney Studios Lot opens this summer with an all-new “The Magic of Disney Animation” experience.

That will almost certainly include an Animation Academy, as teased by the announcement that guests should “pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.” This experience makes much more sense there, and although we wouldn’t be averse to multiple Animation Experiences, that was always unlikely.

Obviously, Conservation Station as a whole and the Wildlife Express were always (necessarily) going to reopen. One is the area where Bluey will appear and the other is the only means of accessing the Bluey experience. Can’t have an experience without a venue and means of getting there!

Or can you?! That would’ve been a good way to explain the conspicuous omission of Bluey over the last year of not-so-patiently waiting for this. “Bluey does meet in the parks, you just can’t see her without going through a secret underground tunnel with an invisible entrance.” Kind of like the Walt Disney World version of having a girlfriend in Canada.

The bigger news here is that Affection Section is reopening. There have been scattered rumors about Affection Section being replaced by the Bluey experience. That would be disappointing but unsurprising.

It seems likely that the petting zoo is going to be replaced or supplemented by the previously-announced “experience with animals native to Bluey’s home country of Australia.” I think I speak for everyone in hoping this is an interactive kangaroo boxing experience, but if Disney Legal won’t even allow third party engagement photographers at the resorts, there’s no amount of waivers in the world that’ll make that fly.

It is possible that they’re replacing the goats with friendly and pettable options the Quokka, Wombats, Wallabies, wild dogs, and so forth. I’m not sure how much of that’s actually viable, but whatever the animals are, I hope we can pet them. It’s probably safe to assume those will replace the goats, whether it be directly or indirectly.

It now also seems like Affection Section will return once the Bluey takeover ends. Or perhaps more accurately, if it ends. Maybe Affection Section is listed as a temporary closure because Australian animals are replacing goats on a permanent basis and that experience will still be called Affection Section.

I’m still having a tough time visualizing where this Bluey experience is going to go at Conservation Station without replacing something. There are unused areas indoors that would be suitable if this were simply a meet & greet. But it isn’t. It’s more like GoofyCore Hall based on what we already know from casting calls.

Maybe the end of the Amination Experience frees up enough space. Perhaps the closure is a few months long (presumably) because they’re actually going to refurbish the building and free up space in the atrium to turn this into a flex space suitable for future summer Cool Kids’ Summer events. It’s also possible that I’m overestimating just how popular this will be due to the friction of getting there. But Bluey is very popular with kids. It might even be impossible to overestimate the appeal.

Perhaps it ends up being both indoors and outdoors, with a core play component indoors replacing the Animation Experience, plus crafting, critters, and who knows what else outdoors replacing the Affection Section and central courtyard. This strikes me as the most logical option, and I think an indoor/outdoor element (beyond animal interactions) might breathe new life into Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Time will tell, though.

As we’ve discussed previously, Walt Disney World locating the Bluey and Bingo experience out at Conservation Station in Animal Kingdom is a bold move. It is, without a doubt, the in-park location that the fewest fans have visited; which is to say that if there’s anything in the parks you have not done as a WDW regular, it’s most likely to be Conservation Station.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Conservation Station is located at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which is accessible only via the Wildlife Express Train. Trains depart periodically, with the last from Harambe Station at 4:30 PM. Conservation Station offers animal-themed activities, conservation methods you can do at home, and more.

Current highlights of Conservation Station include the Veterinary Treatment Room, where you can see Disney caring for animals; the Nutrition Center, where experts prepare meals for animals; critter windows with bugs and stuff; and the Science Center to learn about what Animal Kingdom scientists are working on.

Walt Disney World has mixed things up at Conservation Station over the last several years, adding meet & greets and offerings for the Lion King. It’s also been repeatedly rumored as on the chopping block, but its remote location and challenging access makes it an illogical candidate for replacement. Realistically, nothing “too popular” could be placed back here due to the logistics of transporting guests by train to Conservation Station.

We seldom visit Rafiki’s Planet Watch for this reason, but when we do, we always say “we should visit here more often” after making the trek out. It’s a nice little area to escape the crowds and the animal procedures are truly fascinating to watch–I wish there were a way to see the schedule of them in the My Disney Experience app.

And yet, almost every time we’re presented with the opportunity to go back, we decline because it’s too much of a hassle. I would imagine that many Walt Disney World fans share similar sentiment–thinking Rafiki’s Planet Watch is underrated based on their rare visits, but mostly not opting to go back very often. No matter what people might say, they essentially “vote with their feet.” Conservation Station has been a ghost town every time we’ve visited.

This is why it’s a bold bet on Walt Disney World’s part to put Bluey and Bingo back here. Presumably, the thinking is that Bluey will draw people back to this underutilized space while also adding some friction to manage demand for the hugely popular pups.

My hope is that Walt Disney World makes it worth everyone’s while. Hopefully this is ambitious as “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” at Disneyland, and it becomes a win-win for Disney and guests by breathing new life into an underutilized corner of the park. Cool Kid Summer punched above its weight and this Bluey thing will likely get a healthy budget, so I’m fairly confident Walt Disney World can deliver something strong here. We can’t wait to experience it!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think about Bluey coming to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World? Will this Bluey experience be a good addition to Conservation Station? Enough to get you to take the Wilderness Express Train out to Rafiki’s Planet Watch? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!