A familiar face has disappeared from Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Rafiki Is Gone From the Train Station Sign
BlogMickey reported on Tuesday that Walt Disney World Resort has quietly removed the Rafiki statue and accompanying design elements from the entrance sign at the Wildlife Express Train Station in the Africa section of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
The sign had been hidden beneath a white tarp for some time, but the outlines of Rafiki, a cutout of the Earth, and other protruding details were still visible through the fabric…until now. The elements have been stripped away entirely, leaving no trace of the former Rafiki's Planet Watch branding on the structure.
With the May 26 reopening of the area approaching fast, Walt Disney World Resort is clearly in the final stages of erasing the old identity and making way for what's coming next.
How We Got Here
Conservation Station opened alongside the fourth Central Florida Disney park in April 1998 and was renamed Rafiki's Planet Watch in 2000. The Conservation Station name was kept for the indoor building at the site, which housed the animal veterinary center, character meet-and-greets, and eventually Animation Academy classes. The area also included the beloved Affection Section petting zoo.
Rafiki's Planet Watch closed temporarily on February 23, 2026, taking the Wildlife Express Train service offline with it. In the meantime, Walt Disney World Resort has been using the empty train station in Africa as a meet-and-greet location for Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy.
What's Taking Its Place
The area's reinvention is tied directly to Cool KIDS' Summer at Walt Disney World Resort, with a May 26 reopening date locked in. The space will return under its original Conservation Station name and will anchor a brand-new experience called Bluey's Wild World: an interactive indoor attraction featuring Bluey and Bingo from the globally beloved children's series.
Guests will be able to meet the characters, get into the spirit of the show through dancing, and play games inspired by the series, including “Butterfly Keepy Uppy.”
The Affection Section petting zoo is also making a comeback, this time in a reimagined form, featuring Australian animals.
Wildlife Express Train service is expected to resume when Conservation Station reopens on May 26, restoring the full Africa-to-Conservation Station journey that has been on pause since February.
Have you spotted any other signs of construction around Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your story with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
Disney keeps dumping what made Disney great to add junk. We don’t need an Australian cartoon to ruin the petting zoo. Stick the Australian section where it belongs at EPCOT. EPCOT needs more countries because it’s getting boring for us regular visitors.