Two longtime favorites from The Lion King (1994) have quietly vanished from Walt Disney World Resort. In a move that shocked fans and went entirely unannounced, Timon and Rafiki have officially been removed from the meet-and-greet lineup at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
The characters were last seen at Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, a somewhat remote area accessible by the Wildlife Express Train in Africa. Despite the distance from construction zones elsewhere in the park, guests began noticing the pair’s absence in early May.
This quiet removal comes as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park undergoes significant changes. Earlier this year, Disney shuttered the Tree of Life’s original show, It’s Tough To Be A Bug!, to make room for “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!”, a new 3D experience opening later this year. Meanwhile, over in DinoLand U.S.A., demolition is underway for the upcoming Tropical Americas land, featuring new attractions based on Encanto (2021) and an Indiana Jones-themed overhaul of DINOSAUR.
Disney hasn’t officially addressed the removal of Timon and Rafiki, but their disappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed. As of May 10, they no longer appear in the My Disney Experience app’s entertainment schedule, prompting concern among fans hoping to catch them during their trips.
“Are Rafiki and Timon gone from Animal Kingdom?” Reddit user u/PickleStarMan asked. “Trying to get some solid confirmation on this! It looks like they stopped appearing on the app May 10th…Would love to meet them when we go next week, but we might be too late!”
Another Redditor, u/Throwaway1303033042, responded, “I would surmise they’re unavailable.”
While Disney hasn’t issued a public statement, guests should know that character lineups are always subject to change — sometimes without notice. And for fans of The Lion King, all hope isn’t lost. Timon and his friends still appear in the Festival of the Lion King stage show, a fan-favorite production featuring Simba, Pumbaa, and an ensemble of live performers, dancers, and acrobats in Animal Kingdom’s Africa section.
Are you disappointed about Disney’s decision to remove the Timon and Rafiki meet-and-greets? Disney Fanatic would love to hear from you in the comments!
