Credit: Derek Hatfield, FlickrDisney World is making more progress on one of its largest projects ever.
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Guests can always expect to find something new during their time at Walt Disney World. Whether it’s a new place to eat or a new roller coaster to conquer, Disney strives to keep its theme parks as fresh as possible, with 2025 being perhaps the biggest year for the company in a long, long time.
Disney is currently in the midst of multiple large-scale projects that stretch across Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. Guests can expect a ton of new rides, attractions, and lands to pop up in the coming years.
However, Disney is closing quite a bit of the old to make room for the new. One of the biggest changes is happening inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, with the company recently filing two new permits.
Disney Files New Permits for Tropical Americas
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Walt Disney Imagineering has filed two new Notices of Commencement for its ongoing Tropical Americas project. Specifically, the new permits detail work on Restaurantosaurus and a former meet and greet location.
Tropical Americas will take over the land currently occupied by DinoLand U.S.A. Half of the prehistoric land closed earlier this year, with the second half set to close in 2026. The second phase of this closure will include DINOSAUR, the land’s big “E-ticket” thrill ride, and Restaurantosaurus, one of Disney World’s largest quick-service eateries.
Both permits tag longtime Disney partner Whiting-Turner for the work, which is described as general construction. While details remain scarce, we know that Restaurantosaurus will not be demolished but repurposed for a new quick-service eatery.
Once complete, Disney’s new Tropical Americas land will feature two new major attractions, one based on Encanto and the other on Indiana Jones. The Indiana Jones ride will use the DINOSAUR show building, track, and ride system, a fitting end for the time-traveling journey, considering it was a reskin of Disneyland’s original Indiana Jones Adventure.
Disney first teased the removal of DinoLand U.S.A. back in 2022 during one of the company’s D23 events. However, the original plan would have seen attractions based on Moana and Zootopia be built at the park. Reactions to this news were mixed to say the least, with some fans confused as to why Moana would be brought into a park like Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Over the next few years, these plans would change, leading to a bombshell announcement during Disney’s D23 event in August 2024. No longer were Moana and Zootopia the focus of this project. Instead, franchises like Indiana Jones and Encanto would inspire new rides and locations.
Disney has not shared an exact timeline, but Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas expansion is expected to be complete by 2027.
Are you excited about the changes coming to DinoLand at Walt Disney World?