Credit: DisneyAnother closure is heading for Animal Kingdom – and it starts in just two days.
The next few years are huge for Walt Disney World Resort, with the Florida destination receiving a significant chunk of Disney’s $60 billion investment into its various experiences worldwide.
While the biggest portion of its share is heading for Magic Kingdom Park, which is receiving two new areas (a Cars Land and a Disney Villains Land), Animal Kingdom is also set to welcome its fair share of new additions.
Changes Heading For Animal Kingdom
The biggest change heading for Animal Kingdom is the introduction of Tropical Americas. This new land will replace DinoLand U.S.A., whose Dino-Rama area controversially closed forever in January. Once open, this will include attractions inspired by Encanto (2021) and the Indiana Jones franchise, with the latter taking over DINOSAUR.
Elsewhere in the park, the Tree of Life will bid adieu to It’s Tough to Be a Bug! in March. Later this year, the immersive show – which had a reputation for being surprisingly terrifying for adults and children alike – will be replaced by a new show, Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
For years, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been seen as the outlier among the four Walt Disney World Resort parks, with a focus that has prioritized natural environments and wildlife conservation over traditional attractions.
Since its debut in 1998, the park has carved out a unique niche, offering a slower-paced, immersive experience that doesn’t quite align with the high-octane rides and spectacular shows found in Disney’s other parks.
But that could soon change. As part of a broader trend at the resort, Disney is shifting toward an increasing emphasis on IP – something that arguably began with the introduction of Pandora: World of Avatar in 2017 – signaling a transformation at Animal Kingdom that could redefine its identity in the years to come—whether fans embrace it or not.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of animal-focused activities to enjoy at the park, and we don’t see that changing any time soon. Disney has invested a lot into its animal exhibits, as proven by one upcoming renovation.
Disney Refurbishes Animal Exhibit
As per a notice on the Walt Disney World Resort website, the bats exhibit at Maharajah Jungle Trek will close for refurbishment from February 17.
The exhibit – which houses the world’s largest bat species, Malayan flying foxes, with wingspans up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length – is slated to reopen in early March 2025.
This is the latest in a string of refurbishments for Disney’s animal exhibits. In 2023, Disney shuttered the Maharajah Jungle Trek aviary for maintenance. Two years earlier, the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail was also temporarily closed in multiple sections for a month-long refurbishment. That same year, the lions were briefly removed from Kilimanjaro Safaris to allow for work on their area of the attraction.
Animal Kingdom is home to 5,000 animals across 300 species, including gorillas, hippos, gibbons, and elephants. Most recently, the park welcomed a new baby tiger, Bakso, who attracted wait times of over two hours – longer than any attraction in the park – when he made his public debut earlier this month.
What’s your favorite animal attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?