The new Tropical Americas land is rising at full speed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Encanto attraction’s steel framework is nearing completion, and Disney has started working in the former DinoLand USA following the land’s permanent closure.
There’s a lot to see! What better way to review all the progress than from the sky? Cue @bioreconstruct! Let’s start with the ride building for the new Encanto attraction.
If you’re keeping track at home, crews were still working on the Encanto building’s concrete forms in October 2025. Five months later, the building’s steel framing is about to be complete. That’s an insane pace by Disney’s standards. Maybe there’s something to this whole “turbocharged” buzzword Disney leadership has been preaching.
Shifting to the other side of the Tropical Americas land, we can see work on the carousel attraction is underway. Look for the circle to see where the carousel will live.
Now, let’s move over to the old DinoLand USA. Look away, DINOSAUR fans. This update is going to be tough to see.
Aladar the Iguanodon is gone. The figure and the small pool it stood in has been removed. The sign for DINOSAUR is still in place, but its days are certainly numbered.
We’re pleasantly surprised (and a little shocked) by how fast Disney is moving on the Tropical Americas project. Slow construction timelines have been the norm for Disney. Remember when it took roughly five years to build TRON: Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom? Maybe this is the new normal for projects around Walt Disney World.
To be fair, Disney needs to build quickly in Animal Kingdom. The park was a bit short on attractions even prior to DINOSAUR and the rest of DinoLand USA closing. We don’t think it’s a half-day park as many claim, but the current roster of things to do does feel a bit light. The Tropical Americas will have three attractions (carousel, Encanto, Indiana Jones) and their popularity will take some of the pressure off the other rides at Animal Kingdom.
Disney has said the Tropical Americas land will open in 2027. It’s unclear if the land will open in its entirety in 2027, or if it’ll open in phases. That 2027 target seems pretty reasonable based on the current rate of construction.
