Credit: DisneyIt’s less than two months until DINOSAUR reaches extinction level at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with the ride and the last remaining vestige of any dinosaurs at the park, closing on February 1.
With the rest of DinoLand U.S.A. having already shut down to make way for Animal Kingdom’s massive expansion and the transition into the Tropical Americas Land featuring Encanto, fans knew the closure of DINOSAUR was coming, but today’s announcement makes it feel more real.
Disney has filed a permit for work at a site that is believed to be the courtyard area for the new Indiana Jones ride at Animal Kingdom. The permit, which is valid for only one year but can be easily extended, allows work to begin as soon as the ride shuts down on retheming the area into the attraction it will become.
General contractor Whiting-Turner, which has completed dozens of projects for Disney, including Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, Tron Lightcycle/Run, and the latest updates at EPCOT, is listed to complete “general construction,” which does not reveal much about the project’s specifics. However, the address listed on the project hints at a location.
Disney lists the address for work as “600 DinoLand Drive”, which is slightly removed from the “594 DinoLand Drive” that was listed on the permit for the new playground area that is being built as a part of the project. This work would most likely be for the courtyard area that, in concept art, looks vastly different from what currently greets guests at DINOSAUR.
Disney has yet to announce an opening date for the new Tropical America Land, but most expect it to open sometime in late 2027 or 2028. The new area hit a significant milestone this week when the first vertical beam was erected in the new land.
Tropical Americas is one of several major projects underway at the Walt Disney World Resort, including construction at over a dozen hotels, the Magic Kingdom’s addition of Piston Peak and Villains Land, and Hollywood Studios’ transformation from the Muppets to Monstropolis. That list doesn’t even include some of the smaller projects that are set to be completed in 2026.
Disney has yet to announce any timelines for completion of its larger projects, so guests will just have to wait and wonder when they may see the redesigned Disney World Resort.
Which Disney World ride are you most sad about losing? Let us know in the comments.