Disney’s Animal Kingdom is in the middle of a sweeping overhaul, and newly shared aerial footage is offering one of the clearest looks yet at the park’s next major land.
Crews continue transforming the former DinoLand U.S.A. footprint into Tropical Americas, a newly themed area inspired by Central and South America. The shift replaces the carnival-style dinosaur setting with new stories, architecture, and environments. Guests visiting the park can already see how extensive the work is, with blocked-off zones, redirected guest flow, and active construction sites throughout the area.
Some experiences have already said goodbye as part of the change. The Boneyard playground closed on September 1, 2025. DINOSAUR is still welcoming riders but only for a limited run, with its final day scheduled for February 1, 2026. After that date, the attraction’s ride system will be reused for a different themed adventure.
Disney has also provided an official preview through a detailed scale model inside the Walt Disney Presents gallery. That display highlights three separate projects in development across Walt Disney World: the Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, a new Monsters, Inc. coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a Cars and Villains-themed expansion planned for Magic Kingdom.
The Animal Kingdom model outlines the new land’s design, including looping pathways, heavy foliage, and a central Pueblo Esperanza area built around a fountain feature. A carousel attraction is also shown, featuring hand-crafted animal figures inspired by familiar Disney movie creatures.
The model presentation confirms that the DINOSAUR attraction will become an Indiana Jones ride using the same underlying track system. It also shows the Encanto attraction positioned as a primary draw for the land, supported by food locations and additional experiences that Disney has not fully outlined yet.
Text displayed alongside the model reads: “A vibrant new land is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, transporting guests into the lush rainforests and exciting stories of the Tropical Americas.” The description adds that Imagineers conducted on-site research trips and identifies two major attractions, a quick-service restaurant, the carousel, and the fountain as anchor elements.
Recent aerial photography has added even more context. Photos from October show that the Encanto ride building has begun vertical construction, with steel framing and concrete structures now in place. Wide excavation areas nearby suggest large show scenes or advanced ride components. Work is also continuing at the carousel’s future location, where ground preparation is still underway.
Disney shared its first official construction look at the Encanto attraction late last year. According to Walt Disney Imagineering’s social media update, the installation of the first steel beams marked the start of vertical progress on the show building that will contain the ride.
Creative development is also moving forward. Encanto filmmaker Jared Bush is partnering with Imagineering and creating original dialogue for the attraction. Instead of repeating the movie’s plot, the experience will introduce brand-new moments with the Madrigal family created specifically for guests visiting the park. The strategy matches other Disney attractions that extend their film worlds with new story material.
As the footprint of the construction zone grows, many longtime visitors are reflecting on DinoLand U.S.A.’s offbeat roadside aesthetic and how different it felt from the rest of the park. Even so, attention is now shifting to what’s rising in its place as new buildings and infrastructure come into view.
New overhead footage shared by @Bioreconstruct captures the scale of the ongoing work across the site.
“Aerial video of current Animal Kingdom construction for Tropical Americas.
With a bonus look at Aladar at the Dinosaur attraction that closes in a few days.”
Aerial video of current Animal Kingdom construction for Tropical Americas.
With a bonus look at Aladar at the Dinosaur attraction that closes in a few days. pic.twitter.com/eTuDcflzM5
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) January 30, 2026
Animal Kingdom has seen a major expansion once before with Pandora–The World of Avatar, which helped reshape guest expectations and extended typical visit times. Tropical Americas appears designed to continue that growth with additional attractions, themed environments, and character-based adventures rooted in nature and regional storytelling.
With each new image and video update, the park’s future layout becomes more defined. DinoLand U.S.A. is nearing its final stretch, while the next generation of experiences continues rising just beyond the barriers.
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