Affection Section at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
This interactive petting zoo area permanently closed with the rest of Rafiki’s Planet Watch on February 23, 2026. A new experience called Jumping Junction replaced this offering. The information left below is for historical reference.
The Affection Section is an attraction at Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is the only petting zoo at the Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can expect to find animals like goats, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. This attraction used to have llamas and KuneKune pigs. However, we haven’t seen those specific animals on our last couple of visits.
Below, we’ll discuss the specifics for visiting the Affection Section during your visit to the park, including how to locate this park area and what to expect. Make no mistake: The area is an excellent place to let your kids be kids. Learning about animals and having these kinds of experiences might impact them more than you could ever know.
Here are the quick reference details for the Affection Section.
| Affection Section | Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park |
|---|---|
Location: | Rafiki’s Planet Watch |
Height Requirement: | None |
Experience Type: | Petting Zoo |
Rider Switch: | N/A |
Lightning Lane: | No |
Early Theme Park Entry: | No |
Extended Evening Hours: | No |
Good For: | Children |
Scary Factor: | None |
Must-Do List: | Low Priority |
Perfect For: | Animal Lovers |
Special Mention: | This entire area closes earlier than the rest of the park. |
Other: Guests must transfer to a wheelchair to experience this attraction. Service animals are not permitted in this area.
Affection Section is a large petting zoo with gentle animals. To reach it, guests must take the Wildlife Express Train from Harambe to Conservation Station.
Affection Section often opens later and closes earlier than the rest of the park. Therefore, this area’s closing time depends on the day and how late it gets dark. So, make sure to check the hours of operation for this particular area. For example, you wouldn’t want to hop on the train at 4:15 p.m. only for Affection Section to close at 5:00 p.m. Typically, the earlier you visit this area, the better. (As of this update, Affection Section is open daily between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.)
Is Affection Section a must-do experience? That depends on your party. If you have young children who love animals, it’s not to be missed. But adults or teenagers might not be as interested. It really depends on whether or not you enjoy interacting with animals. We enjoy touring this area, but we don’t do it on every visit.
Hand-washing stations are available for guests to sanitize before entering the enclosures. They also ask that guests wash their hands again before exiting. Several bins with brushes are placed throughout that you can use to brush the animals.
Care Story at Affection Section
Affection Section has a small outdoor theater with benches. During the day, cast members bring a few animals onto the stage and share some fun facts.
Showtimes are typically on the hour.
Here are a few more photos of the animals:
Our Spin on Affection Section
If you or someone in your group loves animals, you’ve got to give this the green light. It’s kind of what a park like Disney’s Animal Kingdom is all about. But if you don’t like to get up close and personal with the livestock, you can give this one the red light!
Resorts Gal Traffic Signals
Green Light
We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move, and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.
Red Light
We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also give some attractions the red light that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.
Final Thoughts
For similar attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, see our list of rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Or, for other parks, see our Disney World Rides and Attractions guide. It links to attraction guides for all four theme parks.
Our Disney World Resorts guide covers the hotels and everything they offer. You might also like our overview of dining at Disney World and our Disney World Characters List. Need to learn how to get around? Our comprehensive Disney World Transportation Guide is one of our top resources.
If you’re just getting started, you might like our Disney World Vacation Planning Guide. It brings together the resources you need to plan your visit. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more updates.
In the Comments
Did you get a chance to visit the Affection Section before it closed? Let us know in the comments.