Walt Disney World in Florida undergoes many changes to stay fresh and exciting. However, Disney is usually very upfront with what to expect when it completely reimagines a section of the parks. DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been a hot topic lately due to its imminent and expected demise. Fans previously mentioned bringing a Zootopia land to the location, but Disney dropped a bombshell announcement no one anticipated for a DinoLand replacement at Animal Kingdom.
DinoLand U.S.A Goes Extinct
DinoLand U.S.A. is a themed land within Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The land is designed to resemble a roadside dinosaur-themed amusement park and includes attractions such as DINOSAUR, TriceraTop Spin, and Primeval Whirl. DinoLand U.S.A. has a playful, retro vibe and includes the Dino Institute, where the DINOSAUR attraction is based.
There have been rumors and speculation about the potential reimagining or transformation of DinoLand U.S.A. within Disney’s Animal Kingdom due to the perception that it may not have the same level of popularity or thematic cohesion as other areas in the park. Some fans and Disney enthusiasts have suggested that the land be updated or replaced with a different theme or concept to better align with the park’s overall mission of celebrating the natural world and wildlife conservation, and Disney has also confirmed its days are numbered.
DinoLand Replacement at Animal Kingdom
Most people expected Disney to commit to the idea of making a Zootopia-themed land. The company recently unveiled its Zootopia expansion at Shanghai Disney, and it often likes to copy experiences in other parks. However, Disney shocked everyone with a new announcement for DinoLand at 2023’s D23 event.
DinoLand U.S.A. will eventually close and be turned into a new section of Animal Kingdom. This place will be themed entirely around Northern South America and Central America. Disney can do a lot with this park section, bringing a rainforest aesthetic with new animals and plants from a location not represented in Animal Kingdom yet. It has been referred to as a “tropical Americas” experience. Scott Gustin shared some concept art of the new space on Twitter/X.
Disney: "New experiences inspired by “Encanto” – the Academy Award winning Walt Disney Animation Studios film – and the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones are being considered for the reimagined land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!"
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 9, 2023
On top of this, Disney announced bringing Encanto (2021) and Colombia to this location, including the famous Casita from the hit film. This is not a far stretch as Mirabel’s little cousin Antonio’s gift is talking to animals. His room is even a giant Colombian rainforest filled with animals and foliage that could make for a great attraction.
Furthermore, Disney hinted at reimagining the DINOSAUR ride into an Indiana Jones attraction. While unexpected, the ride is basically already copied from the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction at Disneyland Resort in California, just with dinosaurs. It would not be a stretch to make this change, though the appeal of Indiana Jones might have been waived after the recent film’s poor showing.
As more information emerges, Disney Fanatic will continue to update on this major DinoLand replacement at Animal Kingdom. This was definitely not where most fans thought the area was heading, but it was a nice surprise!
