Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrMuch of DinoLand U.S.A.–the original roadside theme park within a theme park–has gone extinct from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with only DINOSAUR and two Quick Service dining locations remaining open for guests. The rest of the land, including Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama and The Boneyard, has been bulldozed and hauled away; guests must now embark on a lengthy hike between tall construction walls if they want to visit Dr. Seeker at the Dino Institute one more time. Here’s the latest update on the area’s transformation into Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-inspired land.
Walt Disney World Resort confirmed that Pueblo Esperanza would replace DinoLand U.S.A. at D23 Expo 2024. The new land will feature two attractions inspired by Encanto (2021) and an Indiana Jones-themed reskin of the existing DINOSAUR ride. Walt Disney Imagineers promised that the latter would differ from Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland Park’s version of the DINOSAUR ride system.
The phased closure of DinoLand U.S.A. began in January 2025 with the extinction of Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, TriceraTop Spin, and Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama (including the Fossil Fun Games). The Boneyard play area welcomed its final young paleontologists on September 1.
Days after these areas closed, the construction walls rose, and the bulldozers rolled in. Recent aerial photos from @bioreconstruct on X (formerly known as Twitter) show a leveled DinoLand U.S.A., with only a narrow walkway for guests between two construction walls.:
Aerial photos of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Including the demolition of The Boneyard. A play area in the former Dinoland U.S.A.
Aerial photos of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Including the demolition of The Boneyard. A play area in the former Dinoland U.S.A. pic.twitter.com/YN74ryxVrb— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2025
Now that the area is cleared, Walt Disney Imagineers have begun constructing the foundation of the show building for the main Encanto attraction in Pueblo Esperanza.
Aerial photo of the development of Tropical Americas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Show building construction at top, for an Encanto ride.
Aerial photo of the development of Tropical Americas in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Show building construction at top, for an Encanto ride. pic.twitter.com/DweBNAXJGK— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2025
Though construction walls conceal much of this work from Disney Park guests, one recent Pueblo Esperanza development was impossible to hide. According to X user @DrewDisneyDude, Walt Disney Imagineers have assembled a large crane on the Encanto site:
BREAKING: Crews are assembling a massive crane at the Tropical Americas project site at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This marks the biggest milestone so far for the Encanto attraction as Walt Disney Imagineering begins major construction.
📸: @imderekbell
BREAKING: Crews are assembling a massive crane at the Tropical Americas project site at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This marks the biggest milestone so far for the Encanto attraction as Walt Disney Imagineering begins major construction.
📸: @imderekbell pic.twitter.com/rfzqU4yE1z
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) September 22, 2025
The final day to experience DINOSAUR, Restaurantosaurus, and Trilo-Bites is February 1, 2026; DinoLand U.S.A. will permanently close on February 2. Pueblo Esperanza is expected to debut sometime in 2027, though Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an exact grand opening date.
Which Pueblo Esperanza attraction are you most excited about? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!