Credit: Disney Don’t expect to easily explore this prehistoric Disney World location.
Related: Disney’s Jungle Cruise Attraction To Be Rethemed Imminently
Things are constantly changing in Walt Disney World, though the last few months have been significantly more impactful than most. This summer, guests said goodbye to not only Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios but also Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America.
All four parks look completely different from how they did just a year ago, with significant changes still on the way for each. Some of the biggest changes are happening inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom, more specifically, the park’s DinoLand U.S.A. area.
As work continues to transform the land, new construction walls have been placed.
According to BlogMickey, these walls block what was already off-limits, though they do give a new look at the park’s upcoming Indiana Jones attraction. Previously, construction walls at Animal Kingdom only showed off concept art for the park’s upcoming Encanto ride, but now also show off the new Indiana Jones-themed thrill ride.
Related: Disney World Facing Boycott of Controversial Lightning Lane System
The concept art appears to be exactly the same as what Disney previously released, albeit a little brighter and more saturated. This new Indiana Jones ride will be built using the bones of DINOSAUR, the land’s big “E-ticket” attraction, a fitting end for the attraction, considering it was a copy of Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure.
This comes just days after the closure of The Boneyard, an interactive playground area designed for young children. Following this closure, Disney World blocked the main entrance to DinoLand, forcing guests to navigate a rather long and winding path in order to reach DINOSAUR.
DINOSAUR and the rest of DinoLand U.S.A. will go extinct on February 2, 2026.
Details of DinoLand’s closure first materialized in 2022 during one of Disney’s annual D23 events. All kinds of announcements were made, ranging from updates to classic areas and attractions in Disneyland to brand-new projects for Disney’s Florida theme park. However, it’s what Disney had to say about DinoLand that came as the biggest surprise.
Disney teased a complete refresh of the land, sharing concept art of its new vision for what DinoLand could be. Gone were any references to dinosaurs. Instead, this new, unnamed area was anchored by popular Disney IPs, like Zootopia and Moana.
Reactions to the news were mixed. Some were excited that DinoLand would finally be getting an update, as the land had become one of the more divisive locations in Walt Disney World. Others weren’t as excited, as the prehistoric area had become a staple of the park. The project’s connection to Moana and Zootopia also proved controversial, with fans arguing characters like Maui and Judy Hopps had no place inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney would go silent on the project before delivering more news on it during the company’s D23 conference in August 2024. However, instead of Zootopia and Moana, the new anchors of the proposed land, now a South American-inspired hub called Tropical Americas, will be Indiana Jones and Encanto.
Disney’s Tropical Americas is expected to open in 2027.
Will you miss DinoLand U.S.A.?