Everything We Know About What’s Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Latest Updates)

Animal Kingdom is about to embark on another expansion – and we are extremely excited to see what all that entails.

The previous large-scale project at Animal Kingdom brought us Pandora, and from the looks of what Disney has released so far, this next project will be equally spectacular.

Let’s get into everything we know about what’s coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom…

What we know so far

Disney is just wrapping up a multi-year reworking of Epcot, and now it looks like Animal Kingdom (and Magic Kingdom) are next in line for some serious construction.

Need to get caught up on what’s happening at Epcot? Check out our Epcot Updates post for the latest news.

That means things will likely get a bit worse before they get better. But here’s the deal – the construction at Animal Kingdom probably won’t throw us for the same loop as it did at Epcot.

Why? Because it looks like the work will be happening in one corner of the park, not smack in the middle or right at the entrance like we saw with those giant green walls at Epcot.

Not gonna to lie, we are more than happy about that because although we love the way Epcot looks now, those walls made navigating the entire park a nightmare that we’d prefer not to have to go through again, thankyouverymuch.

As of right now, what Disney has said about what’s coming to Animal Kingdom is fairly limited, but here’s what they have released so far:

This is a re-imagining of DinoLand U.S.A.

Unlike Pandora which was the addition of a brand-new land to Animal Kingdom, Disney has said that what they have planned next is a reimagining of the current area of the park known as DinoLand U.S.A.

To be honest, that makes sense as the kitschy roadside attraction vibe (which is intentional, by the way) always seemed to confuse those unfamiliar with the backstory.

We are not DinoLand haters, though, so we are a little sad. But we also recognize that maybe it is time for a refresh, especially since the closure of Primeval Whirl gave guests one less reason to venture over to that section of the park.

Here’s what is currently in DinoLand and our best guesses as to what will happen to it. Remember, these are just guesses and nothing is official until Disney confirms it:

Attractions:

• The Boneyard: Likely being replaced
• Fossil Fun Games: Likely being replaced
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!: This is far enough away from the core of DinoLand that we think it won’t be impacted by construction (hopefully)
• TriceraTop Spin: Likely being replaced
• DINOSAUR: Likely being reimagined into an Indiana Jones-themed ride

Dining:

• Restaurantosaurus: Possibly being rethemed
• Dino-Bite Snacks: TBD
• Trilo-Bites: TBD
• Corn-ivores: TBD

Shopping

• Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures: TBD
• The Dino Institute Shop: TBD

Name for the new land

As of right now, Disney has only referred to this area as being a “Tropical Americas-themed” land. We imagine they will come up with something catchier and reveal it later this year, possibly at the D23 Expo in August.

But, while we don’t have a name, Disney has said that they are hoping to bring both elements of Encanto and Indiana Jones to this part of the park.

Opening date

Alas, everything is likely years from completion. But, we are hopeful that we’ll see it before we are too old to enjoy it. Just kidding. Kind of. If we had to guess, maybe 2027 or 2028? Or 2050? But those are just guesses.

Concept art

Disney has shown us some concept art. So although we don’t have the full details, we can get a decent idea what their goal is:

As you can see, they look to be capitalizing on the lush environment of Animal Kingdom to help them really lean into that “Tropical Americas” vibe.

For reference, in the top-right corner appears to be where DINOSAUR is currently located.

Attractions

Disney has yet to confirm too many details and while it can be difficult to tell too much from the art, it does appear as if DINOSAUR will be re-themed into an Indiana Jones ride, which is understandable considering Disneyland already has an Indy attraction which utilizes the same track system and basic layout as the DINOSAUR version at Animal Kingdom.

Beyond that, several buildings do give us an “Encanto” vibe (especially this house from a 3D model Disney released video of which looks to be the Casa Madrigal) with plenty of florals and lush landscaping – but Disney hasn’t said specifically how they are incorporating Encanto or what other attractions we might see.

Dining

Although Disney has revealed absolutely nothing about possibilities for new restaurants, the DinoLand section of the park does currently have a quick service restaurant and several carts and counters where you can get snacks, so we expect to see at least close to an equal number of options when the final details are released.

Tropical Americas News and Updates

April 2024

Imagineers took to Instagram to reveal a little bit of what’s behind the curtains – including a 3D model of what they are working on for Animal Kingdom. Plus, they revealed that they’ve recently taken a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico to study the culture, art, and archeology of the Maya.

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September 2023

Although Disney hinted at the possibility of something coming back in 2022, the first formal announcement of the reimagining of DinoLand U.S.A. was made at the 2023 D23 Expo.

Here’s what they said:

At Destination D23 2023, it was announced that Walt Disney Imagineering is planning to reimagine Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park into a new land inspired by a region sometimes referred to as “tropical Americas.”

As part of their research, Imagineers are looking at some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet in the regions just north and south of the equator in the Western Hemisphere – the northern part of South America, stretching up into Central America.

New experiences inspired by “Encanto” – the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney Animation Studios film – and the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones are being considered for the reimagined land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

• Read more on the Disney Parks Blog

September 2022

The first we heard about a possible re-theming of DinoLand U.S.A. was at the 2022 D23 Expo. At that time, Disney spoke of their ideas as still being in the blue sky phase, but that they were looking at possibly bringing Moana or Zootopia elements to the park. During that presentation, there was no mention of Tropical Americas, Encanto, or Indiana Jones.

• Read more on the Disney Parks Blog

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