Animal Kingdom’s biggest expansion has lost its promised opening slot.
Walt Disney World is deep into rebuilding a major section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where the former DinoLand U.S.A. is being transformed into Tropical Americas. The new 11-acre land, officially named Pueblo Esperanza, is one of several major expansions currently underway across the resort.
Its lineup includes Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, a family attraction inspired by Encanto (2021), and Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, an entirely new Indiana Jones adventure drawing on Maya mythology.
Guests will also find El Carrusel de los Animalitos, featuring 22 hand-carved Disney and Pixar creatures, a Maya-inspired play area, and one of Walt Disney World’s largest quick-service restaurants.
Disney previously gave guests a relatively clear idea of when all of this would arrive. Now, that commitment has quietly disappeared.
Disney Removes Its Tropical Americas Opening Year
Walt Disney World has updated its official Coming to the Parks page and removed the previously announced 2027 opening timeframe for Tropical Americas.
The change is notable because Disney had previously promoted 2027 directly on its own website. Although the year still appears on an older Disney Parks Blog announcement, the primary Walt Disney World page now gives guests no indication of when Pueblo Esperanza will open.
The page previously read: “Tropical Americas: Pueblo Esperanza — Get ready to journey to an 11-acre, immersive land in 2027. This Village of Hope will feature an exciting Encanto attraction, an action-packed Indiana Jones attraction, a woodcarver-themed carousel and more.”
That description has now been replaced with: “Tropical Americas — Prepare for your journey to an 11-acre land. This village of hope will feature new attractions like the joyful Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto and action-packed Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent—plus a handcrafted El Carrusel de los Animalitos featuring wooden animal figures inspired by Disney and Pixar films.”
The removal comes after another conspicuous omission. When Disney shared fresh details about Tropical Americas at D23 in August, it also stopped short of promising that the Animal Kingdom expansion would debut in 2027.
Disney has not announced a delay, nor has it provided a replacement opening date. For now, however, the company is no longer publicly committing to the timeframe it previously advertised.
Importantly, there is little sign that construction itself is slowing down.
Recent aerial photography shows major progress across the Tropical Americas construction site. The large show building housing Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto is now largely enclosed, while steel framing for the attraction’s Casita facade has risen beside it.
Aerial photo of the show building for Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto. pic.twitter.com/xa2TTGCyta
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 5, 2026
Construction is also advancing on El Carrusel de los Animalitos, where much of the roof is now covered. Crews have begun work on Pueblo Esperanza’s central plaza fountain, while the former Restaurantosaurus building is undergoing extensive work ahead of its conversion into a large hacienda restaurant.
Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is also taking shape inside the former DINOSAUR area.
Large portions of the new Maya temple facade were installed in September, including red and blue decorative elements reportedly fabricated and painted backstage by Walt Disney Imagineering before being moved into place.
Elsewhere, the main Pueblo Esperanza entrance near Discovery Island has begun receiving exterior sheathing. New rooflines, themed rockwork, and an artificial mountain range intended to conceal the massive Encanto attraction building are also emerging around the land.
Animal Kingdom Could Face a Longer Wait
The disappearance of 2027 matters particularly at Animal Kingdom, where guests are already feeling the impact of the redevelopment.
DinoLand U.S.A. is gone, taking attractions including TriceraTop Spin and DINOSAUR with it. That has left Animal Kingdom with a smaller attraction lineup while Disney builds their replacements.
Families still have plenty beyond the park’s thrill rides, including Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, the wildlife trails around Gorilla Falls and Maharajah Jungle Trek, and character experiences such as Mickey and Minnie at Adventurers Outpost.
There are also shows including Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!, giving younger guests more to do even without meeting height requirements.
Still, the shortage of rides is particularly noticeable for families with small children. Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest both carry 44 inch height requirements, while Kali River Rapids requires riders to be at least 38 inches tall.
Na’vi River Journey and Kilimanjaro Safaris are therefore among the park’s few remaining major rides without height requirements. TriceraTop Spin previously provided another option for small children while also adding capacity to a park that already has fewer rides than Walt Disney World’s other theme parks.
If Tropical Americas no longer opens in 2027, that reduced ride lineup could remain in place longer than originally expected.
One possibility is that Pueblo Esperanza has slipped into 2028. Disney has not confirmed that scenario, however, and the amount of visible construction progress means several other outcomes remain possible.
A phased opening is one of them.
Disney is already using that strategy elsewhere at Walt Disney World. At Hollywood Studios, the company has confirmed that portions of its new Monstropolis land will begin welcoming guests in 2027 while work continues on its Monsters, Inc. door coaster.
Tropical Americas could potentially follow a similar model. Completed areas such as El Carrusel de los Animalitos, the restaurant, or portions of Pueblo Esperanza could open first, with Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto or Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent following later.
There are also unanswered opening date questions elsewhere around Walt Disney World. Piston Peak National Park, the new Cars themed area being built at Magic Kingdom, and the park’s future Disney Villains land are both moving forward without firm public debut dates.
Are you excited for Tropical Americas?
