Disney World will be undergoing several HUGE changes in the next few years.

Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom will all be getting new lands with new attractions. DinoLand, U.S.A., in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, has been a cult-favorite land since its opening with the park in 1998. The land was designed as a roadside carnival, complete with rides and attractions you would likely see at your local fair, but with a dinosaur theme. Famous Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rhode is known for his work on the land, but soon it will be going extinct. Disney announced that a new Tropical Americas land will be taking the place of DinoLand, U.S.A., and here’s when you can expect this 22-year-old land to be demolished from the park.

Work on the new Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was announced to begin in the fall of 2024, so it’s likely Disney has already begun behind-the-scenes preparations. In fact, we’ve seen permits filed for the area hinting at this. While Disney may have already started some work, the rides and attractions are currently still open as of writing (December 9th, 2024). But the attractions and restaurants in DinoLand will be closing in waves for construction to begin.

Disney recently announced that the first round of DinoLand closures will begin on January 13th, 2025. The last day to experience TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures will be January 12th, 2025, and then we can expect to see construction walls go up shortly after. Knowing this, we can likely say that DinoLand’s “demolition” will begin on or around January 13th, 2025, with the closures of these attractions.

The rest of DinoLand is still currently safe. No other closure dates for the remaining attractions and restaurants here have been announced. However, Disney did recently share that you can still ride Dinosaur and “get that dino” through 2025, hinting that this popular ride will be closing sometime in 2026.

It appears that different areas of DinoLand will begin demolition at different times, but the first wave of construction that we’ll likely see and/or hear will begin with the first round of closures in January. That means you have around a month or less to get to DinoLand to experience those attractions that will be closing first to make way for the new Tropical Americas land. After the first attractions close, you’ll still be able to experience Dinosaur (through 2025), the Boneyard,  Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bite Snacks, and Trilo-Bites.

While many will miss DinoLand, U.S.A., the new Tropical Americas land will bring all-new experiences to Animal Kingdom. Pueblo Esperanza, the official name of the new land, will include an Encanto ride, an Indiana Jones ride, and a new carousel.

The new Encanto ride will feature the Madrigal family and begins just as Antonio receives his special gift of speaking to animals. His room transforms into a beautiful rainforest where you’ll go explore with him. And according to Disney, “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…” Knowing how biodiverse the Tropical Americas and rainforests are, this ride sounds like it fits right in at Animal Kingdom!

The Indiana Jones ride will be a new adventure ride, different from the one currently at Disneyland and other Disney parks around the world. It will feature a brand-new story following “the man with the hat” during a time when he has “recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.”

The new carousel will feature hand-carved animals that a “local woodcarver” sculpted from his favorite Disney stories.

The ride will even feature one of our favorite Disney characters — Kevin from Up!

According to Disney, “The land feels lived in, with a long, rich history — plus there’s a large hacienda which will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort. The space will be lush and sprawling, featuring a large fountain in the center where the villagers like to gather and tell stories.”

Disney’s Imagineers are taking inspiration from some of the most biodiverse areas of the world, including regions just north and south of the equator in the Western Hemisphere, including the northern part of South America, stretching up into Central America. If you’ve ever been to these parts of the globe, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and more, you likely know just how many amazing creatures and cultures there are to take inspiration from for this new land. 

Imagineers took research trips to Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula, to learn about the art, culture, and archaeology of the Maya. This information and the biodiversity of these parts of the world have gone into the plans for this new land. Disney has also begun focusing on incorporating more of its IP (Intellectual Property) into its parks, so the change from DinoLand to Pueblo Esperanza with attractions from several Disney movies makes sense to accomplish this goal.

It might feel sad to lose a piece of Animal Kingdom’s history in DinoLand, U.S.A., but the new Tropical Americas land, Pueblo Esperanza, will likely be a fun addition to the park that makes sense in terms of theming with the number of animals found in these parts of the world. We look forward to the opening of the new land in 2027!

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Are you excited to experience Pueblo Esperanza? Let us know in the comments!