Haven’t been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a while? Planning to visit soon and wondering what’s new? Or just curious to see what’s going on in this park? We’ve got you covered!

We’re constantly making our way around the Disney parks to see what’s new. During our recent trips to Animal Kingdom we found that a ride has been completely DEMOLISHED and some seriously adorable merchandise has arrived. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to take a virtual trip around Animal Kingdom to see what’s new!

Animal Kingdom Construction Updates

Restaurantosaurus

Over at Restaurantosaurus some painting has been going on. When we stopped by recently, we noticed that the deck there had been newly painted.

Looking fresh!

DinoLand U.S.A.

In DinoLand U.S.A. we spotted one of the BIGGEST changes that has recently made to this park. Primeval Whirl, which closed permanently last year, has been being dismantled little by little.

But, during a recent trip, it looked like this ride has now been totally DEMOLISHED!

Everyone just take a moment now to think of all the times you spun around on this ride, laughed with your friends and family as you went down the little drops, and probably waited in a long line for those few seconds of fun.

We’re very curious to see what becomes of this space in the future. We’ll keep an eye out for more updates.

Click here to see more photos of Primeval Whirl!

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates

Discovery Trading

This week we spotted quite a few new merchandise items in Animal Kingdom. At Discovery Trading, we found 2 awesome holiday lantern pins which resemble the actual animal lanterns you’ll find decorating the park.

The pins are $19.99 each.

We also found a new MagicBand honoring a DinoLand U.S.A. attraction — TriceraTop Spin!

If you’re a huge fan of this ride, you can now pick up the specialty MagicBand themed to it.

It’s priced at $34.99.

We also found some holiday items including a gold tumbler featuring animal silhouettes on it for $24.99, which we actually spotted outside of the store. It’s priced at $24.99.

There is also a beautiful holiday-themed Tree of Life matted print available featuring the Merry Menagerie animal puppets (which will be returning to the parks this year!) priced at $49.99…

…and a holiday shirt available for $24.99.

At Discovery Trading we also found some great light up ornaments for $29.99. They would look beautiful on any tree (or even just on an ornament holder!).

Finally, we end our merchandise wrap-up with some of the CUTEST things we’ve seen — puppet holiday plushes themed after the Merry Menagerie puppets you’ll find in Animal Kingdom during the holidays.

They are absolutely adorable and are in fact puppets, so you can use them for all kinds of puppet shows and games at home (or you can just display them because they’re so cute).

You can get these cuties for $29.99 each.

Click here to learn more about these adorable puppets!

Popcorn Kiosks

We checked various spots and kiosks for holiday sippers and popcorn buckets, but none have arrived yet. A Cast Member at Drinkwallah told us that the holiday items are on their way and that there will likely be a holiday popcorn bucket, a gold sipper, and straw topper.

They’re expected to arrive in the next 1-2 weeks, but of course things can change. We’ll be on the lookout for all of those items and we’ll let you know what we find!

Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures

At Chester & Hester’s we spotted a really fun Mickey bubble wand. The wand may have been around for a while, but since it’s one we didn’t really recognize, we wanted to share it with you.

The wand features “animation cels” around the base that show the progression of Mickey’s animation style through the years.

You can bring this bubble wand home for $30.

Animal Kingdom Miscellaneous Updates

The Holidays are HERE

If you’re in the mood for ALL things peppermint, hot cocoa, and holly, then Animal Kingdom is a good spot to visit! The park is fully decked out in holiday decorations, from the giant Christmas tree in the front of the park…

…to the lanterns up above the stores…

…and even some fun decor in Pandora — The World of Avatar!

Oh, and we can’t forget one of our favorites — the Santa dino!

The park looks especially beautiful during the holidays.

Be sure to walk through next time you’re there and really soak in all of the festive goodness.

Click here to see more about the holiday decor in Animal Kingdom!

Henna

If you’ve been hoping to get henna done in the parks, you can head over to Animal Kingdom where henna has returned to the stand by the Festival of the Lion King show!

According to a Cast Member we spoke to, the henna stand opened about a week ago.

Entertainment

We’re still waiting on quite a bit of entertainment to return to the parks, but in Animal Kingdom you can once again enjoy the performances of the Tam Tam Drummers!

When you’re in Africa, be sure to stop by and check them out!

And that’s it for us for now from Animal Kingdom. Stay tuned for more updates!

Click here to see what’s new in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

What’s your favorite ride in Animal Kingdom? Tell us in the comments!