Entertainment D-Day

Disney Rumors 10

UPDATE: A spokeswoman for Disney has come out with more details regarding Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The area will close at the end of operating hours on October 20, 2018. The area is going under an extensive refurbishment and will return in the Spring.

Disney is digging a lot of holes right now, and in order to keep their current financial goals, many popular offerings are coming to an end, and much sooner than expected.

Beginning in Magic Kingdom, the interactive show “Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial” will be coming to an end. The show involved Captain Jack as he trained some of the younger guests in the crowd on becoming pirates. The area does become congested during showtime, so it will at least provide some more walking room for another….hour. The show is set to end September 29, 2018 and it is unlikely to receive a replacement. The stage will most likely remain for the Captain Jack Sparrow Meet and greet during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. After that, it is unclear what will happen to the stage.

Move it! Shake it! Dance and Play It! Street Party is also leaving, with a confirmed replacement coming mid-January. The final Vamos will happen December 1, 2018, to make room for Move it! Shake it! Mouskedance It! Street Party.

Moving on to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Star-Lord and Baby Groot Meet and greet in Walt Disney Presents is leaving. Disney has confirmed that Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc. will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios once again, this time in the location of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Star-Lord and Groot will make their getaway on September 29, 2018.

Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far, Away stage show will be going dormant. It’s not going away entirely, only for a few weeks. The show will temporarily end also on September 29, 2018 and will return in November.

Many fan-favorite and long-lasting Citizens of Hollywood will also be cut from the park. This includes Dorma Nesmond, Paige Turner, and Dara Vamp, the three of which are all Hollywood stars. Also leaving will be Officer Brody, one of the officers of Hollywoodland. There is no indication if there will be any new characters or a re-casting of these four.

Moving on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we have Rivers of Light in the spotlight. It’s not going anywhere, but it’s human stars are. The four shamans who appear on the two boats will be removed. This includes their puppets on the sails before the water displays begin. The boats will still run, despite having no purpose after the loss of their captain. The four shamans will go extinct on September 29, 2018.

And the most massive of these changes is the end of Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The behind-the-scenes area will be going down under on October 21, 2018. This includes Affection Section, Conservation Station, four Wilderness Explorers badges, and the Wildlife Express. The meet-and-greets in the land, Rafiki and Doc McStuffins, will leave sooner on the entertainment D-Day, September 29, 2018. It is unknown what will become of the area and the animals residing there. Rumors have suggested for quite some time that a Zootopia overlay will take place.

Some sad news, but time goes on. The short notice is no doubt going to cause some anger, especially for those planning to attend in October. I personally am saddened at the loss of Rafiki’s Planet Watch, one of my favorite parts of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Don’t shoot the Messenger.

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By SEJ101
SEJ101 is one of our contributors to D-COT and finds all the juicy gossip going on at Disney.

10 Comments

  1. Awwww man! :( Sorry to see these go. I actually found the entire Conservation Station quite interesting. Also makes me more disappointed that I didn’t make it to WDW this year. :(

  2. Yay for Mike and Sully returning for a meet and greet!!

    I still think they should scrap Rivers of Light…. its a snorefest for me LOL

  3. I think I’m okay with most of these changes. I agree with Acamm, just get rid of Rivers of Light. Kids (& kids at heart) need something much more upbeat. I’m not sure how I feel about Rafiki’s Planet Watch… I like it,but I’m not in love with it. I guess I’m interested in what they can bring with Zootopia.

    • What’s not upbeat about RoL? There’s freakin’ fire! IT’S LIT FAM! :P

  4. eh…none of these changes bother me. i am annoyed cuz i would have stopped at the Planet Watch if i knew. darn!

  5. I really had some fun interacting with the street people at the studios. You can really have some fun if you dont mind being laughed at, or is that laughed with?

    Other then that, none of the changes pull at my heart strings

  6. i’m actually glad they’re bringing back monsters inc! none of these changes are too bad… i don’t even remember the last time i visited rafikis planet watch :P

  7. I sure am glad we got to meet Starlord and baby Groot (two of our family’s favorites) in June! Even if my 4 year old did crack everyone up by loudly declaring “that looks NOTHING like Starlord!” Only other one I’m sad about is the Citizens of Hollywood…they are fun!

  8. Any updates on the Citizens of Hollywood? If they’re gone completely I’ll be very upset :(
    Star-Lord and Baby Groot was a fun meet and greet but I also love Sulley and Mike :monstershat:

    • There are still some citizens left, although their numbers are limited :(

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