Animal Kingdom’s Permanent Closure Leads to New Updates at the Resort

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is in the middle of a sweeping transformation, and newly surfaced construction images show how fast the evolution is progressing.

The park’s former DinoLand U.S.A. footprint is steadily being reimagined as Tropical Americas, a large-scale expansion that will draw inspiration from the cultures, wildlife, and stories of Central and South America. What was once a quirky, roadside-style dinosaur carnival is gradually giving way to lush theming, new attractions, and an entirely different creative direction.

Guests don’t need concept art to see the change underway. Construction walls now carve through the land, pathways have been rerouted, and heavy equipment fills spaces that were once home to fossil digs and carnival games. It was in early February when DinoLand officially closed permanently, with the last day of operation for the DINOSAUR attraction. The land was subsequently erased from park maps and the My Disney Experience App.

A major preview of what’s ahead arrived courtesy of Walt Disney Imagineering, which unveiled a detailed scale model inside the Walt Disney Presents gallery at Walt Disney World Resort. The display outlined the three upcoming developments across the resort: the Tropical Americas reimagining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a Monsters, Inc. coaster planned for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a Cars and Villains-inspired expansion coming to Magic Kingdom.

The Tropical Americas model offered a comprehensive look at the land’s layout. Meandering walkways wind through dense greenery, leading to a central gathering space known as Pueblo Esperanza. The plaza is anchored by a fountain and surrounded by architecture inspired by Latin American influences. The model also showcases a carousel featuring hand-carved animals inspired by creatures from beloved Disney films.

The display further confirmed what many fans had long suspected about DINOSAUR’s next chapter. The attraction’s track and ride system will be converted into an Indiana Jones-themed experience. Alongside it, an Encanto attraction will serve as a marquee draw for the land, joined by a quick-service dining location and additional offerings that Disney has yet to fully reveal.

Beyond official announcements, aerial photography has helped chart progress from above. Images captured in October 2025 showed that vertical construction was already in motion for the Encanto attraction.

Steel beams, concrete foundations, and the early stages of structural framing suggest the future show building is rapidly taking shape. Large excavation areas nearby have prompted speculation among fans about potential large-scale ride moments or a climactic finale scene. Separate aerial views reveal continued groundwork in the area designated for the carousel.

Disney offered its first official construction update on the Encanto attraction late last year, marking a significant milestone. Walt Disney Imagineering shared on social media that the project had officially “gone vertical” with the installation of its first steel supports. The structure will house the main show building for what is expected to become Animal Kingdom’s signature new addition.

Creative details are beginning to surface as well. Filmmaker Jared Bush, who co-directed Encanto, is collaborating directly with Imagineering and writing original dialogue for the attraction.

Rather than retelling the events of the 2021 film, the ride is expected to expand the story world of the Madrigal family with entirely new scenes and interactions crafted specifically for the park. The strategy echoes how other Disney attractions have built upon their source material, creating fresh narratives that coexist with the films.

That sense of scale is especially apparent in a new aerial video from @Bioreconstruct, which captured the breadth of the ongoing work. The footage underscores just how extensive the redevelopment has become, with large swaths of land cleared and new structures emerging from the ground.

Now, the same social media creator has shared new images of the Encanto construction spreading out of the showbuilding. The recent uploads seem to reveal the skeleton of what will become the ride queue area–a location that will no doubt become heavily dressed and themed in true Walt Disney Imagineering fashion.

Aerial photos of steel frame raised for the entrance areas of the Encanto ride in Animal Kingdom.

Aerial photos of steel frame raised for the entrance areas of the Encanto ride in Animal Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/bOHB7DoNxl

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) February 28, 2026

Animal Kingdom has undergone significant expansion before–most notably with the debut of Pandora–The World of Avatar–which reshaped perceptions of the park and helped position it as a full-day destination for many visitors. Tropical Americas appears poised to continue that trajectory, layering in new intellectual properties, richly themed environments, and attractions rooted in regional storytelling.

With each visible milestone, the scope of the transformation becomes more tangible. The prehistoric chapter of this corner of the park is winding down, but beyond the construction walls, a new landscape is steadily taking form as Imagineers press forward.

How are you feeling about Animal Kingdom’s new land? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!