When you think about visiting the Walt Disney World Resort, do you ever think you would be watching a lion get its annual wellness exam?

Well, that's exactly what my family got a chance to see during a recent Disney World Vacation.  This unexpected treat became a highlight of our Disney trip.  The fact that it was so different from the usual Disney World experience made it special.

Rafiki's Planet Watch in Disney's Animal Kingdom
Rafiki's Planet Watch is probably one of the least visited attractions in Disney's Animal Kingdom and that is a shame.  It is diffficult to get to, as you actually have to catch a train from the African Section of Animal Kingdom to get to Rafiki's Planet Watch.

The most interesting part of Rafiki's Planet watch is the opportunity to observe the Disney World Veterinary Staff perform anything from routine check-ups to surgery on the animals that reside at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The special viewing area gives you a unique look at the special care that animals receive here.  There is no other facility like this where you can actually observe the veterinary procedures.


Watching A Lion Get Its Wellness Exam
You can imagine the thrill we had, when we saw that the schedule for the day showed that a female lion would be getting her annual check-up starting 15 minutes after we arrived.  This was truly lucky.

Disney does not post its Veterinary Treatment schedule on-line since it may need to make changes and re-arrange things when necessary.  You never know what animals will be treated that day until you go to Rafiki's Planet Watch and check for yourself.

The lion we had the opportunity to observe had a very thorough exam.  It started with the lion being sedated, then it had a series of X-rays conducted in a room we could see on closed-circuit television.

Once the lion was moved into the main exam room we had an excellent opportunity to view the large Disney  veterinary staff in action.  They conducted a series of checks on the lion and did routine items like trim her nails, take her temperature, and take a blood sample.

Disney had a Cast Member stationed outside the exam room that described what was going on and answered questions.  The whole experience was very interesting and we were very glad we had the opportunity to witness it during our Disney World Vacation.

Great Unexpected Disney Experience
Our visit to Rafiki's Planet Watch was one that provided a great unexpected experience.  The close up opportunity to see the veterinary staff in action was very educational.

Seeing a lion get its annual check-up became one of the memorable moments of our Disney Vacation that was totally unexpected.

If you have any animal lovers in your family definitely make sure that you take the time to visit Rafiki's Planet Watch and check out who the Disney Veterinary staff is treating that day.  It will definitely be worth your while and may end up being one of the highlights of your trip.