Disney's Animal Kingdom has been under a long, slow transformation since DinoLand U.S.A. began its wind-down, and the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23 Expo last month finally gave fans the confirmations they've been chasing for years.
Tropical Americas now has official names attached to all three of its attractions, expanded story beats for its two headliners, and visible, photographed progress at the physical site.
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. Disney has positioned Encanto and Indiana Jones as the land's headlining pair, which tracks with what fans had been told going back to the land's first official reveal years ago.
Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto will send guests through Casita in celebration of Antonio Madrigal's gift, ending in a reimagined, rainforest-styled version of his bedroom. The film's original voice cast is returning for the attraction, and Disney confirmed there is no height requirement, making it the family-friendly counterpoint to the land's more thrill-oriented headliner.
That headliner is the one generating the most construction chatter: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, taking over the footprint vacated by DINOSAUR. Per Disney's setup, Indy discovers a hidden passage inside an ancient temple that, according to local legend, opens into the Mayan underworld — a passage said to be guarded by a mythological creature named Tsukán. Guests are pulled through a portal directly into the underworld for an escape sequence involving bats, scorpions, fire, and snakes, building to a full confrontation with Tsukán.
Disney Parks Blog offered additional color on just how far that confrontation goes: “You may be asking, ‘why'd it have to be snakes?' and Imagineers have a great answer to 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 also confirmed a franchise first: the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic will be sculpted to resemble Harrison Ford directly, marking the first time an Indy animatronic has been built in the actor's likeness.
On the ground, parks photographer bioreconstruct shared a new aerial shot showing the temple facade taking shape, with sections reportedly sculpted and painted offsite at Imagineering's backstage Animal Kingdom offices before being crane-placed atop the surrounding rockwork.
On September 21, Bioreconstruct followed up with a fuller set of aerial photographs documenting the current state of the land and its massive show buildings, showing additional rockwork and theming on the Indiana Jones show building exterior, along with structural framing progress at the Encanto attraction near its exit and continued setup work at the carousel site.
Aerial overview of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Aerial overview of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney's Animal Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/rq4BoL1VKb
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2026
Permitting paperwork backs up what the photos show. On September 11, 2026, Disney filed a notice of commencement for the Indiana Jones ride, naming Buena Vista Construction Company — Disney's in-house construction arm — as set to “provide labor, material, and/or electrical for construction” at the address tied to Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. As is standard, the filing expires one year from its date, and Disney has not specified which construction phase it covers.
With names, story beats, and animatronic details now locked in, and visible progress at the site backed by permit filings, the remaining open question is timing. Disney has not announced an opening date for Tropical Americas, but given how much has already been confirmed, an update may not be far off.
What are you most looking forward to in this new land? Let us know in the comments.
