There’s no way of putting this gently: Disney World is going to be a bit of a mess this year and probably next year, too.
That’s because a TON of new construction projects are happening in three out of Disney World’s four parks, meaning you’re going to see construction walls and detours EVERYWHERE (it’s like the EPCOT transformation times three). Magic Kingdom is getting an expansion AND a new land. Hollywood Studios is getting a new land. Animal Kingdom will also be getting a new land, resulting in construction walls and closures. Well, we’ve now got some maps to give you an idea of what Animal Kingdom will look like over the next few years.
Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand, U.S.A. will be going away to be replaced by Pueblo Esperanza, which will bring a Tropical Americas theme plus new rides to the area. The land will be closed off in phases, starting with TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures on January 13th, when the first construction walls will go up. It seems like Dinosaur might be the LAST thing to close, as Disney has promised it will remain open through 2025 so folks can get a last chance to ride it.
We drew up some maps to give you an idea of what Animal Kingdom will look like during this process. The first map is where we think construction walls will appear during the first round of closures that we previously mentioned.
We’ve also zoomed out on this map so you can see that the trail from Dinosaur to Chester & Hester’s is blocked. Okay, we’re not 100% sure this is how Disney will put up the construction walls, but this is our best guess given what we currently know about these phased closures.
We also have a map estimating where construction walls will go up once the entire land is closed. We have to say this could mean a lot less to do in Animal Kingdom, so during the construction, this entire area will be unavailable.
You might wonder if that means that there will be a lot less to do in Animal Kingdom, essentially turning it into a half-day park. Well, possibly, depending on your priorities. However, there is SO much to do in Animal Kingdom, including a ton of non-ride activities that you might just want to check out some things in the park you’ve never done before, like spending time petting animals, learning to draw Disney characters, and checking out some of the park’s shows like Feathered Friends in Flight.
Keep in mind, though, that It’s Tough To Be A Bug is also scheduled to close soon to make way for Zootopia: Better Zoogether, so that will be yet another closure to deal with in Animal Kingdom.
Stay tuned to DFB for more.
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