The corner of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park that once celebrated dinosaurs with carnival games and roadside kitsch now looks nothing like it did even a year ago. Let’s take a look at the latest construction update.
DinoLand U.S.A. Is Officially Gone
The extinction period for DinoLand U.S.A. lasted more than a year. Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, the Fossil Fun Games, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, and TriceraTop Spin all closed in January 2025. The Boneyard play area shut down that September. Last month, the remaining areas — DINOSAUR, Restaurantosaurus, and the last surviving structures of the land that opened alongside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in April 1998 — were taken offline for good.
Nearly 28 years after it first welcomed guests, DinoLand U.S.A. no longer exists.
Pueblo Esperanza Takes Shape
Walt Disney World Resort has confirmed that the replacement for DinoLand U.S.A. is Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-themed land that will bring three new experiences to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. An Encanto (2021)-inspired attraction built around Casita headlines the project, joined by a wood-carved Disney animal carousel featuring characters including Dug from Up (2009), and an Indiana Jones reimagining of the DINOSAUR ride system. Imagineers have promised that it will feel distinct from the long-running Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Resort, despite sharing the same attraction technology.
On Thursday, March 12, WDWNT reported that construction crews had poured a concrete foundation on the future carousel site, sharing a photo of the area on Facebook.
That new concrete pad sits within sight of the Casita attraction’s show building, which started as a reddish-brown steel framework and has since been wrapped in silver steel beams.
Most of DinoLand U.S.A.’s buildings have been reduced to rubble. The bar connected to Restaurantosaurus has been knocked down, though the main dining structure will survive the transition and eventually be converted into a hacienda. Inside the former DINOSAUR building, work is actively underway on the Indiana Jones experience that will replace it.
No official opening date for Pueblo Esperanza has been announced. However, the land is expected to premiere in 2027.
Have you noticed any other changes around Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
