The walls at Disney's Animal Kingdom are keeping a secret, and the aerial cameras are not cooperating.
New photos from bioreconstruct have given the clearest look yet at what is building inside the former DinoLand U.S.A., and the answer is a lot. Cranes, temporary roads, stacked materials, multiple active buildings, and the unmistakable beginnings of something that is going to change what Animal Kingdom feels like when guests walk through those walls in 2027.
That something is Tropical Americas, and it is taking shape faster than the park suggests.
A nearly straight-down aerial overview of construction of Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/uYBraLFAa7
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) July 17, 2026
The Carousel Nobody Knew Was Already Happening
Here is the detail that is going to travel: Kevin from Up is going on a carousel.
The future carousel near the northern entrance to Tropical Americas now has a visible circular foundation and surrounding structures going up around it. When finished, it will sit under a large canopy and feature hand-carved wooden animals inspired by Disney characters, with Kevin among them. This will be one of the anchor experiences inside Pueblo Esperanza, the fictional Central and South American village that forms the heart of the new land.
Kevin from Up. On a carousel. In Animal Kingdom. That is the sentence that belongs in the headline and on every Disney fan's social media feed.
Two Major Animal Kingdom Attractions Going Up at the Same Time
The Encanto show building has dominated the northern aerial views for months as a massive concrete-and-steel structure with no exterior finish. That changed in the latest photos. Mesh, masonry elements, and stacks of finishing materials have appeared around the building, and what appears to be the land's first rockwork is beginning to develop across the facade.
Aerial video of construction of Tropical Americas.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) July 17, 2026
One of the the things featured is that chips (wire mesh) for rock work are being installed on the highest roofline of the Encanto show building. pic.twitter.com/mRxu0a2Z2j
This is the moment construction watchers have been waiting for. Rockwork means theming has started. Theming means the experience is becoming real rather than theoretical. Multiple levels and elevated pathways are also going up within the Encanto attraction footprint, and steel framing along the top of the building is now visible from inside the park at certain angles.
Across the site, the former DINOSAUR building is becoming an Indiana Jones adventure. The steel framework for its Maya temple exterior rises several stories with projecting sections and still has boom lifts positioned around it, confirming the exterior work is actively ongoing.
Best aerial photos I have this time of the development of scenic elements for the Indiana Jones ride in Animal Kingdom.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) July 17, 2026
In the Imagineering office area. pic.twitter.com/Do3kkF4HGJ
A Tree Showed Up and That Means Something
Here is the tell that construction insiders look for: a mature transplanted tree has appeared in the northern entrance area of Tropical Americas, with orange fencing protecting its base and workers visible tending to it.
Trees do not show up until projects are far enough along to start designing the actual guest experience rather than just the bones. This tree may be among the first things guests see when entering from the north. Its arrival, alongside the rockwork beginning on the Encanto building, suggests Tropical Americas is moving from structure to place faster than the walls would indicate.
What the Animal Kingdom Backstage Is Telling Everyone
One more piece of intelligence from the aerial footage: behind the construction zone, Disney has assembled a field of theming samples. Freestanding wall panels, painted architectural finishes, sculpted rock formations, all arranged for evaluation. These are not going into the park directly. They exist so Imagineers and construction teams can see how finishes hold up against Florida sun, humidity, and rain before anything gets permanently installed.
The existence of an active outdoor showroom means decisions are being made in real time about what Pueblo Esperanza is going to look like. The samples are the answer key to the finished product, and they are out there in a field right now getting tested.
The Part Disney Has Not Said Yet
Disney has confirmed Tropical Americas opens in 2027, with no specific date attached. What the aerial photos confirm without Disney saying anything is that the project is real, active, and moving on multiple fronts at once.
DinoLand U.S.A. closed. The walls went up. The cameras kept watching. And behind those walls, a carousel foundation is in place, rockwork is underway on an Encanto attraction, a Maya temple is rising over an Indiana Jones ride, and a tree is already planted at the entrance.
Animal Kingdom is becoming something different. The photos just proved it.
