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Permit Filed for Closed Animal Kingdom Park Address at Disney World

Disney has released official names and expanded story information for the three attractions planned for Tropical Americas, the land under construction at Disney's Animal Kingdom on the former site of DinoLand U.S.A. The announcement came during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23 Expo. The land was first revealed at D23 2024.

Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent logo
Credit: Disney

The three confirmed attractions are Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos. Of these, Encanto and Indiana Jones are positioned as the land's headliner attractions.

Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto will guide guests through the Casita, the Madrigal family home, in a celebration of Antonio Madrigal's gift. The attraction concludes in a reimagined, rainforest-themed version of his bedroom. The film's original voice cast has returned to record dialogue for the ride, and no minimum height requirement will be enforced.

The attraction replacing DINOSAUR on its former footprint has been officially named Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. According to Disney's released story details, Indiana Jones discovers a hidden passage within an ancient temple that, per local legend, connects to the Mayan underworld. The same legend holds that the passage is guarded by a mythological creature. Indy proceeds regardless, and the creature — named Tsukán — proves to be real.

The ride then transitions guests through a portal into the underworld for an escape sequence involving bats, scorpions, fire, and snakes, culminating in a direct confrontation with Tsukán.

Concept Art for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Credit: Disney

Disney Parks Blog provided additional detail on this sequence, reporting that “you may be asking, ‘why'd it have to be snakes?' and Imagineers have a great answer to that,” and that Chris “divulged that you'll encounter the Tsukán throughout the attraction, including a final confrontation that will probably solidify your fear of snakes for the rest of time.”

Disney has also confirmed a franchise first: the ride's Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic figure will be sculpted in the likeness of Harrison Ford, marking the first time an Indiana Jones animatronic has been modeled directly on the actor.

Visual evidence of construction progress has continued to surface. Parks photographer bioreconstruct shared a recent aerial photograph documenting the temple facade's colorful exterior sections, which were fabricated off-site at Imagineering's backstage offices at Animal Kingdom over a period of several months before being installed above the surrounding rockwork via crane.

Separately, Disney filed a new notice of commencement on September 11, 2026, related to the Indiana Jones attraction. Per the filing, Buena Vista Construction Company — Disney's internal construction division — is authorized to “provide labor, material, and/or electrical for construction” at the address associated with Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.

Aerial view of concept art for Disney World's Tropical Americas land in Animal Kingdom
Credit: Disney

Notices of commencement of this type carry a standard one-year expiration from their filing date. The specific scope of work covered under this particular filing has not been detailed by Disney.

With attraction names, story specifics, and animatronic details now confirmed alongside ongoing, visually documented construction, an opening date remains the primary unconfirmed detail for Tropical Americas. Given the pace of recent announcements, further updates — potentially including a timeline — may follow in the near term.

Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.

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