There are a LOT of exciting things in the works at Disney World right now!

Construction is underway on MAJOR land rethemes or expansions in almost every Disney World park right now! In Magic Kingdom, both Villains Land and the Cars-themed Piston Peak are in development. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is plugging away on construction for Monstropolis. And over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, crews are hard at work on Pueblo Esperanza, a land themed to the Tropical Americas. So far, Pueblo Esperanza is the only new land that Disney World has given an official opening timeline for. But will it be ready to welcome guests by the 2027 opening announced by Disney? Let’s take a look!

What Is Pueblo Esperanza?

At the 2023 D23 Expo, Josh D’Amaro shared that Disney would be “building on what makes Animal Kingdom so, so special,” with a new area focused on the Tropical Americas! 

The land, which was later officially named Pueblo Esperanza, will occupy an 11-acre space in the former DinoLand, U.S.A. area of Animal Kingdom, which was officially closed in 2026 to allow for construction on the new land.

Pueblo Esperanza will highlight the Tropical Americas through the stories of Encanto and Indiana Jones. 

Encanto Attraction

The new land will be home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride. Plus, there will also be a carousel as a third ride option.

The all-new Encanto-themed ride will feature the family Madrigal inside the enchanted Casita.

Based on the concept art, it appears to be a boat ride. Disney has shared that the ride’s story will begin just as Antonio has received his special gift and his room becomes a beautiful rainforest, and “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…”

Indiana Jones Attraction

The Indiana Jones ride will also be a new attraction, with a different storyline from the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction in Disneyland.

Disney has described the ride as 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.”

Carousel

The large carousel attraction is “sculpted by a local woodcarver,” and it will include some familiar Disney characters.

We’ve seen a sneak peek of some of the animals that will be included on the ride, like Kevin, from Up!

Other Pueblo Esperanza Attractions & Details

Disney has revealed that the area will feature classic Spanish-style architecture with a large hacienda that will serve as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Disney World.

There’s also a new play area coming to Pueblo Esperanza.

The lush colors and rich biodiversity of the Tropical Rainforest will be on full display, and at the center of Pueblo Esperanza will be a large fountain where stories will be told by gathering villagers.

Pueblo Esperanza Construction

The closure of DinoLand took place in phases, beginning with TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures at Animal Kingdom, which all closed on January 13th, 2025.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Shortly after the first phase of DinoLand closures, on January 18th, 2025, Disney shared photos of an official groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off construction of Pueblo Esperanza.

From that point, construction began in the closed areas while operations in the rest of DinoLand continued.

Phased DinoLand Closures

The next phases of DinoLand closures began in the second half of 2025, starting with the Boneyard play area which permanently closed on September 2nd, 2025. Dino-Bite Snacks and Trilo-Bites then closed on October 20th, 2025. 

The remainder of DinoLand closed on February 2nd, 2026. 

This included the DINOSAUR ride, the Dino Institute Shop, Restaurantosaurus, and Restaurantosaurus Lounge. 

Construction Progress

Some of the construction on Pueblo Esperanza is visible from within the park, peeking out from behind the construction walls.

We’ve also seen overhead shots shared by @bioreconstruct that give an aerial view of the construction progress. In a photo that was posted in April 2026, we can see some of the steel frame for the new carousel.

A wider shot also shows how Disney is using trees to hide some of the construction work, creating a visual barrier between an Animal Kingdom walking path and the work site.

Another April 2026 update shows work happening at what used to be the DINOSAUR ride, but will become the new Indiana Jones attraction, visible in the top left of this overview photo.

Looking at other April progress shots, we see construction staging at what will be the center of Pueblo Esperanza, including construction for the Encanto ride to the right.

This photo shows the steel frame for the Encanto ride’s pre-show and queue. The lighter steel frame on the right could be for the ride’s exit.

Here’s a full view of the April progress on the MASSIVE show building for the Encanto ride.

These April updates show that progress is being made on all three of the land’s new attractions.

Opening Timeline

Disney previously announced that Pueblo Esperanza is expected to open in 2027.

Disney hasn’t given a specific opening date or even an expected season/time of year, but they typically provide more detailed opening information on projects as construction progresses.

Will Pueblo Esperanza Open On Time?

Since Disney World has only given a broad opening timeline of 2027 so far, they technically still have over a full year to complete construction for Pueblo Esperanza to open “on time.”

Disney typically narrows down opening timelines with specific seasons or dates as things get closer to completion, so the window for an “on time” opening will likely narrow later, when an official update is given.

As we previously covered, we’ve seen what appears to be good construction progress happening on all three of the land’s attractions, as well as on other features throughout the land.

Between the wide opening timeline Disney has announced and the steady construction progress, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that an on-time opening for Pueblo Esperanza is in the cards!

We’ll be on the lookout for any further updates about construction milestones, grand opening dates, or exciting Pueblo Esperanza details, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest news!

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What are you most excited to experience in Pueblo Esperanza? Let us know in the comments!