Animal Kingdom guests this week may have been caught off guard when they walked into DinoLand U.S.A. and saw a shocking sight—major portions of the land were simply… gone. No big announcements, no official sendoff, just a quiet but unmistakable transformation taking place right before their eyes.
The entrance sign to Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama? Vanished. The quirky dinosaur statues that greeted visitors? Demolished. Piles of rubble now sit where carnival-style games and attractions once stood, and green construction walls surround much of the area. If you weren’t paying attention, you might not have realized that Animal Kingdom was in the middle of one of its most significant overhauls in years.
But the truth is, this demolition was inevitable. Disney had already confirmed that DinoLand U.S.A. would be replaced with a brand-new land, Tropical Americas, featuring attractions inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones. The writing was on the wall when Primeval Whirl shut down for good in 2020, leaving DinoLand with only a handful of attractions to justify its presence.
Theme park reporter Drew Smith shared images on social media confirming that demolition is officially in progress. Overnight, construction crews moved in, erasing pieces of the land that had been around since Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.
FIRST LOOK: The former Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! entrance sign and dinosaurs were demolished overnight in DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This is a significant milestone as work ramps up on the Tropical Americas land opening in 2027.
📸: @JerolomR11456 pic.twitter.com/OiuRJ8JBB3
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) February 16, 2025
Guests visiting this week described the sight as both exciting and eerie—exciting because a long-awaited transformation is happening, and eerie because it’s happening so fast.
As with any major change at Disney parks, the reaction from fans has been mixed. Some have celebrated the news, calling DinoLand an outdated and hastily designed land that never quite fit with Animal Kingdom’s larger vision. Others, however, have expressed disappointment, especially those who have fond childhood memories of the land’s playful, roadside-attraction aesthetic.
Despite the demolition, parts of DinoLand will remain open for the time being. The Boneyard playground, Restaurantosaurus, and the DINOSAUR ride will continue operating through the end of 2025, giving guests one last chance to experience the land before it disappears entirely.
With construction now in full swing, it’s clear that Disney is wasting no time. The new Tropical Americas land is expected to debut in 2027, bringing a fresh new identity to this corner of Animal Kingdom. Whether fans are ready for it or not, DinoLand U.S.A. is officially on its way out.
