Walt Disney World has been given the green light to move forward with its major Animal Kingdom plan.
In the coming years, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be completely transformed. No longer will guests enjoy the prehistoric era-themed DinoLand U.S.A., but a Tropical Americas area instead. Known as the Pueblo Esperanza, the development has already claimed parts of DinoLand, with multiple locations–including TriceraTop Spin–getting shuttered permanently. While it will be eventually redesigned with an Indiana Jones overlay, DINOSAUR remains open for guests through 2025.
The second signature attraction will be Antonio Madrigal’s bedroom from the movie Encanto (2021). Judging by concept images, this will be a ride through the Casa Madrigal, with lots of familiar faces from the franchise along the way. Joining the Indiana Jones and Encanto rides will be other experiences for guests to enjoy, including a woodcarver’s carousel featuring beloved Disney animals.
It will, of course, take a long time to bring the area to life. Disney has a 2027 opening in mind, and even with Josh D’Amaro’s declaration that all announced projects will be happening, it seems an awfully short time to prepare, test, and debut an entire area. With that in mind, Disney’s recent approval of Project Ro–the Tropical Americas expansion–will allow significant work to get underway.
On February 6, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) approved the permit relating to the Animal Kingdom development, which, in part, includes relocating areas of the theme park to cater for the overhaul. Per WDWMagic, the Project Ro permit approval includes these modifications:
“Relocation of parking, sidewalks, and utilities; Updates to the stormwater drainage system to integrate with the existing wet detention system; Compliance with state water quality standards under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.”
The permit notes that Disney only has permission to change the current infrastructure without altering the land as it presently is. No wetlands will be altered or removed, and mitigation measures have been put in place to reduce the risk to protected species in the area. According to the report, the permit lasts through February 2030.
The Tropical Americas area is not the only major change coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. On March 16, guests will bid farewell to the It’s Tough to be a Bug! show in the Tree of Life Theater. This permanent closure will mark the beginning of the transition into the theater’s Zootopia era with Zootopia: Better Zoogether. The show, based on Disney’s Oscar-winning animated movie, will feature Ginnifer Goodwin’s Judy Hopps, as well as other characters, including Judy’s companion Nick Wilde.
The Zootopia: Better Zoogether show is scheduled to open in the winter of 2025.
Elsewhere at Disney World, Magic Kingdom is also bracing itself for a complete land overhaul. In the near future, Frontierland as guests know it will cease to exist. The removal of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America will be the first step in bringing Pixar’s Cars franchise to the flagship Disney park in Central Florida.
Presently, Frontierland’s Big Thunder Mountain is currently closed indefinitely and will reopen sometime in 2026. This seems to be the first phase of the Frontierland transformation as Disney will surely want to keep this classic ride open for when it dismantles the rest of the theme park land.
How do you feel about the new Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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