After 27 Years, Disney Razes Animal Kingdom Theme Park to the Ground

Walt Disney World Resort has made a monumental change to Animal Kingdom, completely transforming its former “theme park within a theme park.” After 27 years, Disney has demolished much of the original DinoLand U.S.A. area in preparation for a major overhaul of the opening-day park area. The project will introduce a brand-new area called Pueblo Esperanza, inspired by the Tropical Americas.

Walt Disney Imagineering first announced that DinoLand U.S.A. would close permanently at D23 Expo 2024, marking the end of an era for the decades-old park area. Attractions such as TriceraTop Spin, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, and Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama (including the Fossil Fun Games) closed in January, years after the area’s steel roller coaster, Primeval Whirl, was dismantled. Pueblo Esperanza will feature two new attractions based on Encanto (2021) and a reimagined version of the DINOSAUR ride, inspired by Indiana Jones.

Since the official closure of DinoLand U.S.A. in January, construction walls have surrounded the area, and Disney Park guests have watched as familiar landmarks slowly disappeared. The iconic Cementosaurus, Dino Institute-themed billboards, and the structures from TriceraTop Spin and Fossil Fun Games have all been demolished. In their place, only dirt and construction equipment remain.

This week, @Attractions on X (formerly known as Twitter) shared an aerial image showing just how much progress has been made in DinoLand U.S.A. since January 2025:

Construction progress from January to July at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as workers transform DinoLand into the Tropical Americas, the future home of an “Encanto” ride.

More photos by @bioreconstruct: https://buff.ly/cVyWUG5

Construction progress from January to July at Disney's Animal Kingdom as workers transform DinoLand into the Tropical Americas, the future home of an "Encanto" ride.

More photos by @bioreconstruct: https://t.co/PNvOOzBLEk pic.twitter.com/rroB3ES53T

— Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) July 30, 2025

The photos show the complete removal of the area’s attractions, leaving only the DINOSAUR building untouched. As of July 2025, the entire closed section of DinoLand U.S.A. has been cleared, but construction on the Pueblo Esperanza attractions has yet to begin.

While most of DinoLand U.S.A. is gone, some sections remain open for guests. DINOSAUR, Restaurantosaurus, and Trilo-Bites will continue to operate until the end of 2025. The Boneyard play area will close permanently on September 1, 2025.

Pueblo Esperanza is expected to open in 2027, but Walt Disney World Resort has not yet announced a specific grand opening date. Follow Disney Tips for updates on this and other projects around Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park!

Have you visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park during the Pueblo Esperanza construction? Share your experience with Disney Tips in the comments!