PHOTOS: Guests Wait Over an Hour at Rafiki’s Planet Watch Due to Wildlife Express Train Breakdown; Bussed Back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Matthew Soberman

PHOTOS: Guests Wait Over an Hour at Rafiki’s Planet Watch Due to Wildlife Express Train Breakdown; Bussed Back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The Wildlife Express Train is temporarily closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom following a train breakdown.

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One of our reporters happened to be at Rafiki’s Planet Watch at the time and was left waiting for over an hour for a train back to Harambe.

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While they waited, water bottles were distributed to keep guests hydrated and comfortable in the sweltering Florida heat.

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Managers called to get Disney Transport buses to transport guests back to the main segment of the park.

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About fifteen minutes later, buses arrived, and guests began boarding. Altogether, our reporter waited at the station approximately an hour and ten minutes before they could leave Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

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To board, guests crossed the train tracks, entering a space seldom visited by the public.

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Cast Members apologized profusely for the inconvenience.

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Soon after, they were ready to depart on the quarter-mile journey back to the park.

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Managers made sure all guests were evacuated.

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As guests disembarked, they were let off in a backstage area near the Harambe train station.

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As of 2:00 PM, the attraction is now listed as “temporarily closed” on My Disney Experience.

Keep reading WDWNT for updates as we learn more about the situation.