Walt Disney World Resort is pressing full steam ahead with the transformation of its original theme park within a theme park at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Here’s what we know.
The transformation centers on DinoLand U.S.A., which has been part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park since its opening day. In January 2025, TriceraTop Spin, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, and Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama—including the Fossil Fun Games—closed permanently. This came after the 2020 closure of Primeval Whirl, which was disassembled well before Walt Disney World Resort officially revealed plans for its replacement. That replacement is Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-themed land inspired by Encanto (2021) and the Indiana Jones franchise.
Construction walls quickly went up in the days following the DinoLand U.S.A. closures. Disney Park guests watched iconic fixtures like the Cementasaurus and TriceraTop Spin vanish seemingly overnight. Now, aerial photos show the area has been completely leveled, reduced to an empty dirt lot hidden behind those same walls.
Despite the swift demolition, building the new attractions has moved slowly—until now. This week, Walt Disney Imagineering filed two “Notice of Commencement” permits for installing trailers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. One permit lists an area just outside the Encanto construction site, while the other lists an Imagineering trailer complex backstage near Expedition Everest.
Whiting-Turner, the contractor listed on both permits, has a history of working on Disney’s biggest projects, including TRON Lightcycle / Run, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Toy Story Mania!. Their involvement here suggests these trailers will be connected to the upcoming Encanto attraction buildings.
The closure of DinoLand U.S.A. is happening in stages. The Boneyard play area will shut down on September 2, while DINOSAUR and the land’s Quick Service dining locations will remain open until early 2026. At that point, the DINOSAUR attraction will be rethemed into an Indiana Jones ride.
Walt Disney World Resort says the full Pueblo Esperanza project will be finished sometime in 2027. An exact opening date has yet to be announced.
What will you miss most about DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your favorite memories with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
