Josh D’Amaro Just Teased A Major Disney World Announcement

Walt Disney World is in a constant state of reinvention. It was the way that Walt Disney wanted it. When you move throughout Disney World, you can see that continuous change. Even the parks continue to bring in new and exciting rides to keep guests returning year after year. That is all except one park.

Magic Kingdom recently saw the opening of Tron Lightcycle/Run and will soon see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replacing Splash Mountain. EPCOT has been in a constant state of change for years, but now there seems to be some light at the end of that particular tunnel. Moana’s Journey of Water was opened for previews and is expected to open to the general public soon. And EPCOT’s World Celebration is almost finished, ending the construction of the park’s four new lands. While Disney’s Hollywood Studios hasn’t had significant changes, it at least got Roundup Rodeo BBQ, and it’s only been a few years since Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad opened up.

And that leaves Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s been six years since Pandora– The World of Avatar opened. And even that hasn’t stopped the persistent feeling among guests that Animal Kingdom is still a half-day park. But Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Josh D’Amaro may have just dropped a major hint about what’s coming to spice up Animal Kingdom.

Disney teases “reveals throughout the week” that will include updates on the Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai, World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Disney Treasure reveal (Tuesday). The Destination D23 parks panel will streamed live be on Saturday. Here we go… pic.twitter.com/7K3CRBBcP5

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 4, 2023

DinoLand USA

It’s been a year since D’Amaro announced that DinoLand USA would close for a significant revamp. The original concept art featured a Zootopia and Moana theme land that would better complement the overall aesthetic of Animal Kingdom. But since D’Amaro made that announcement at D23 last September, there has been nothing. But with a new D23 just around the corner, D’Amaro is dropping hints about a major report this week.

On Labor Day, D’Amaro was hosting a “creative preview” of the brand new Zootopia land at Shanghai Disneyland. The invited guests were there to give feedback on the ground so that changes could be made before its soft opening for the press. A stipulation was put on the guests: they were not allowed to take any photos or videos of the new land or take any of their notes with them.

This has led to speculation that D’Amaro will announce at D23 this week that DinoLand USA will officially become Zootopia land and provide an update on when the construction will begin.

Disney fans favor his change by a wide margin, but there is still some trepidation over the attraction, Dinosaur, which Disney fans love.

This would be an exciting announcement and project for Walt Disney Imagineering and give Disney’s Animal Kingdom a much-needed upgrade. Since DinoLand USA has been out of commission for a while, it’s hard for fans to miss it, but that area needed a new theme.

Shanghai Disneyland is hosting a “Creative Preview” for the Zootopia-themed land today. Invited guests will not be able to share photos and videos.

I'd expect Josh D'Amaro to mention this at Destination D23 this week, potentially even leading into the DinoLand announcement. pic.twitter.com/d1lQVEbjUT

— Drew (@DrewDisneyDude) September 4, 2023

Disney’s D23 Expo begins on September 8, and Josh D’Amaro is set to speak on September 9. The Destination D23 will be held at Walt Disney World Resort this weekend and will include speakers, interactive exhibits, and plenty of announcements on Disney’s future.

We will continue to update any news or concept art from the D23 Expo at Disney Fanatic.