Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney World Resort is on the verge of another visible shift, and in just one week, guests visiting the parks will start to feel the impact in a big way.
As 2026 continues, Walt Disney World is in what may be one of the most construction-heavy and transitional periods in its history. After a 2025 that brought the permanent closures of longtime offerings like Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and MuppetVision 3D at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Central Florida resort is now preparing for even larger changes across multiple parks.
Animal Kingdom remains at the center of that evolution. The most significant project currently underway is the complete dismantling of DinoLand U.S.A., making room for the Tropical Americas-inspired Pueblo Esperanza.
This new land will introduce major attractions themed to Encanto and Indiana Jones, with Disney targeting a 2027 opening window. Construction activity has already intensified, signaling that the countdown to DinoLand’s end is nearly over.
Over the past year, guests have watched DinoLand steadily shrink. Popular quick-service stops like Dino-Bites Snacks and Trilo-Bites have already closed, and The Boneyard playground has permanently shut its gates. At this point, only Restaurantosaurus and the DINOSAUR attraction remain, standing as the last remnants of an area that once anchored a large section of the park.
That remaining footprint won’t last much longer. Disney Experiences, which oversees the company’s parks and resorts globally, has confirmed that the final operating day for both Restaurantosaurus and DINOSAUR will be February 1, 2026. Beginning February 2, those locations will close permanently, officially ending DinoLand U.S.A. as guests have known it since Animal Kingdom opened in April 1998.
Once those closures take effect, construction is expected to expand further into the former DinoLand space. Disney has already stated that DINOSAUR will be reimagined into a brand-new Indiana Jones attraction, one that the company says will not mirror any existing version found at other Disney parks around the world.
Meanwhile, work on the Encanto attraction is well underway. Vertical construction has begun, and the ride is expected to take guests inside Antonio Madrigal’s bedroom. Antonio, voiced by Ravi Cabot-Conyers in Encanto (2021), has the magical ability to communicate with animals, a concept that aligns naturally with Animal Kingdom’s overall theme and storytelling approach.
Latest Animal Kingdom News Circulates
These aren’t the only changes guests may notice around Animal Kingdom in early 2026. Disney has also temporarily closed a portion of Pandora–The World of Avatar as part of a project to repaint and refresh the land’s bioluminescent elements. While the work is meant to maintain the area’s nighttime visuals, it could affect crowd patterns and guest flow, particularly during evening hours when Pandora typically draws heavy traffic.
Elsewhere in the park, paperwork hints at more updates on the horizon. A newly filed permit indicates upcoming work at what WDWNT has highlighted as the Feathered Friends in Flight! attraction, suggesting that theater construction or modifications are planned. The notice states that Buena Vista Construction Company will “Provide labor, material, and/or electrical for construction.”
While Disney has not made a formal announcement, filings like this often signal backstage preparations ahead of refreshed or adjusted show experiences.
With DinoLand U.S.A. fully closing in just days, the version of Animal Kingdom that guests have experienced for the past (almost) 28 years is about to change permanently. What opened alongside the park in 1998 is now giving way to a new era, reshaping the layout, attractions, and flow of Disney’s youngest theme park.
It’s a major turning point for Walt Disney World, one that blends nostalgia with forward-looking development as 2026 continues.
How do you feel about updates being made to Feathered Friends in Flight! at Animal Kingdom on top of all the other changes? Let Inside the Magic know your thoughts in the comments.