Florida Govt. Approves New Disney Construction for Divisive Multi-Year Expansion

Disney has been officially approved to continue work on its divisive theme park expansion project.

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Disney has received official approval from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for a new construction project that is part of the company’s plan to retheme DinoLand U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom.

This new permit, issued on May 13, 2025, allows Disney to develop a 10.43-acre contractor lot at its Animal Kingdom theme park, providing infrastructure for crews working on the Tropical Americas expansion.

Half of DinoLand closed permanently in January, with the rest of the prehistoric-themed land set to close in early 2026. Work on this project began months ago, though Disney has made significant progress in recent weeks.

Eventually, Animal Kingdom will sport a brand-new, South America-inspired hub where DinoLand currently resides. Gone will be any references to prehistoric creatures, and in their place will be new rides, attractions, and other locations for guests to visit.

Disney’s World’s Upcoming Tropical Americas

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This project was first teased several years ago at one of Disney’s D23 events. Originally intended to include both Zootopia and Moana-themed attractions, Disney’s plans to transform DinoLand seemingly changed as the years went on, with the company eventually unveiling a completely different take on the land during a D23 event in 2024.

This updated version ditched Zootopia and Moana as anchors, swapping these brands out with Encanto and Indiana Jones. While there’s an argument to be made that neither one of these IPs really “fits” in with the rest of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the community sees them as much better options than Zootopia and Moana.

This overhaul has not been received kindly by everyone, with a significant portion of fans pushing back against the idea of losing DinoLand, specifically DINOSAUR, the land’s big “E-ticket” attraction. DINOSAUR has been providing riders thrills and chills for decades, ever since Animal Kingdom opened in fact, marking a big loss for Walt Disney World as a whole.

However, the new rides set to replace DinoLand’s current offerings appear to be exciting, but only time will tell if they match up to the ferocity of Animal Kingdom’s soon-to-be-extinct DinoLand.

These are hardly the only changes happening at Walt Disney World, with Disney recently closing Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, an Italian sit-down restaurant at Hollywood Studios. This is the first step in the company’s plans to completely transform the park’s Muppets Courtyard area, which will eventually become Monstropolis, the fictional city seen in Pixar’s Monsters Inc.

Are you excited about the changes coming to Walt Disney World?