Credit: Inside the MagicDisney fans have spent years hunting for confirmations about Tropical Americas, the land set to replace DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase during D23 Expo 2026, they finally got them.
Now, work is ramping up.
Three Attractions, Two Headliners
Disney used the Horizons showcase to confirm official names and expanded story details for the three attractions headed to Tropical Americas: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos. Encanto and Indiana Jones have been positioned as the land’s two headlining attractions.
Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will carry guests through Casita to celebrate Antonio Madrigal’s gift, culminating in a reimagined, rainforest-themed version of his room. The film’s voice cast is returning to voice the attraction, and Disney has confirmed there will be no height requirement, positioning it as a family-friendly counterpart to the land’s more intense headliner.
But the bigger story coming out of the showcase is what’s replacing DINOSAUR.
A New Legend Rises Where DINOSAUR Once Stood
Disney has officially named the attraction taking over the former DINOSAUR footprint: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. The setup, according to Disney: Indy stumbles upon a hidden passage inside an ancient temple — one that, per local legend, leads directly into the Mayan underworld. That same legend warns that the passage is guarded by a mythological creature. True to form, Indy pushes forward anyway and finds out the legend wasn’t exaggerating. The guardian is real, and its name is Tsukán.
From there, Disney says the ride doesn’t let up. Guests are pulled through a portal directly into the underworld, launching an escape sequence packed with bats, scorpions, fire, and snakes, before building to a full confrontation with Tsukán itself.
Disney Parks Blog offered a preview of just how intense that confrontation gets: “You may be asking, ‘why’d it have to be snakes?’ and Imagineers have a great answer to that. Chris divulged that you’ll encounter the Tsukán throughout the attraction, including a final confrontation that will probably solidify your fear of snakes for the rest of time.”
There’s also a franchise first built into the attraction. Disney confirmed the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic will be sculpted in the likeness of Harrison Ford himself — the first time any Indy animatronic has been built to directly resemble the actor.
Parks photographer bioreconstruct recently shared a new aerial shot of the site, showing the temple’s colorful facade taking shape. Those sections were reportedly sculpted and painted over several months at Imagineering’s backstage offices at Animal Kingdom, and have since been placed above the surrounding rockwork forms using a crane.
New photographs have been collected showing progress at the Tropical Americas site, including further work on the facade of the Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent attraction, as well as theming work now underway at both the Encanto and carousel attractions.
On September 21, Bioreconstruct captured a series of photographs showing the current state of the Tropical Americas-themed land.
Aerial overview of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Aerial overview of construction of Tropical Americas in Disney's Animal Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/rq4BoL1VKb
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2026
When it comes to the Encanto attraction, work is ramping up.
2 aerial overviews of construction outside of the Encanto ride in Animal Kingdom. (Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.) Structural frame for theming is in progress at side of the show building. Near the exit.
2 aerial overviews of construction outside of the Encanto ride in Animal Kingdom. (Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto.)
Structural frame for theming is in progress at side of the show building. Near the exit. pic.twitter.com/j1pmOoB7qu— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2026
More rockwork and theming have now been added to the exterior of Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, as well as work on the show building itself.
Aerial overview of work at the front of Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. Zoom in an you can see how 2 layers at the top of the pyramid were designed to be placed as sides and front. Workers at right are preparing a garden for new trees to hide the show building.
Aerial overview of work at the front of Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
Zoom in an you can see how 2 layers at the top of the pyramid were designed to be placed as sides and front.
Workers at right are preparing a garden for new trees to hide the show building. pic.twitter.com/VSHyCGkEUF— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2026
Construction paperwork backs up what the photos suggest. On September 11, 2026, Disney filed a new notice of commencement for the Indiana Jones ride. The permit shows that Buena Vista Construction Company, Disney’s in-house construction arm, is set to “provide labor, material, and/or electrical for construction” at the address associated with Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
As is standard for these filings, the notice will expire one year from the date it was documented. Disney has not detailed what specific phase of construction this notice covers.
With names, story details, and animatronic specifics now confirmed, and construction visibly progressing onsite, the next milestone fans are watching for is a firm opening timeline. Disney has not announced a date, but given how much has already been locked in, that news may not be far behind.
What new attraction are you most looking forward to at Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
