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Entire Land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Is Closing: Here’s What to Know

Disney's Animal Kingdom is being changed within Dinoland U.S.A.
Credit: Disney

Say it ain’t so! The news first hit in September 2023 that Dinoland, U.S.A., at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, was endangered, going extinct to make way for a brand new expansion of tropical-themed experiences.

dinoland usa entrance

Credit: Becky Burkett

Related: Guests Will Say Goodbye to an Original Classic Attraction at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Changes Ahead for DinoLand

The Walt Disney World Resort theme park will be changing as we know it! Chester and Hester’s old stomping grounds at Dinoland, U.S.A., at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, will be removed to make way for what Disney is calling “The Tropical Americas” area of the park.

Dinoland has long been a favorite of Disney World guests since it first opened with the park on April 22, 1998. Fans of the prehistorically-themed land love the DINOSAUR! attraction, as well as TricerTop Spin, the Boneyard, and the previously closed Primeval Whirl attraction.

primeval whirl attraction disney's animal kingdom

Primeval Whirl/Credit: Becky Burkett

Encanto and Indiana Jones

New experiences inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones are being considered for the reimagined Dinoland U.S.A. land at Disney’s Animal Kingdomper an announcement at Destination D23 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort held in September 2023.

Bruce Vaughn, Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Imagineering, shared the vision for a complete overhaul of Dinoland, U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which would include the addition of magical new experiences inspired by Disney’s Encanto (2021) and the Indiana Jones film series. Both popular film franchises are the inspiration for new featured attractions as part of a total revamping of Dinoland, U.S.A. Check out the art rendering below:

tropical area expansion to replace dinoland usa

Concept Art for “The Tropical Americas” land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom/Credit: Walt Disney Imagineering

Vaughn said they have a long way to go and much more to discover before they begin the process of overhauling the guest-favorite area at Disney World’s fourth theme park, but he says that Walt Disney Imagineering teams are up for the challenge in the Sunshine State.

The official announcement noted:

“During a special “Blue Sky” look with Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn, Josh D’Amaro talked about plans to reimagine Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom… including a sneak peek at potential experience theming #DestinationD23″

When Will DinoLand Demolition Begin?

Much of Dinoland U.S.A. has already looked like a demolition zone since the destruction of Primeval Whirl in September 2021. The land is in need of a facelift, but just like other D23 news, Disney has remained quiet on when select projects will begin, including DinoLand’s reimagining.

More Changes Ahead

The Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Credit: Disney

Not only will DinoLand U.S.A. experience changes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but the iconic Tree of Life will be home to a new attraction as well. Disney announced the Tree of Life’s “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” attraction will be replaced by a Zootopia-themed attraction.

Additionally, other changes were announced at September’s D23 event, including the reimagining of EPCOT’s Test Track attraction and a new, first-ever Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge coming to Magic Kingdom Park.

As always, we will continue to keep readers updated as we learn more about the future of memorable experiences.

Are you excited about these upcoming changes? Let us know in the comments! 

About Becky Burkett

Becky's from the Lone Star State and has been writing since she was 10 and encountered her first Disney Park when she was 11. It was love at first Main Street Electrical Parade. Joy is blank lined journals, 0.7 mm pens, and all things Walt, Woody and Buzz, PIXAR, Imagineering, Sleeping Beauty (make it blue!), Disney Parks history and EPCOT. At Disney World, you'll find her croonin' with the birdies at the Enchanted Tiki Room or hangin' with Woody and the gang at Toy Story Land. If you can dream, you really can do it!

9 comments

  1. Dear Disney and Disney’s Animal Kingdom,

    I don’t want Dinoland USA to be replaced, and neither do all the other dinosaur 🦕 🦖 fans across the country.

    More people and kids prefer dinosaurs than Encanto and Indiana Jones. New finds are being made every day.

    I met the man who did the murals at the Dinosaur ride, William Stout, at DragonCon in Atlanta. I’d bet he’d be disappointed if his work there was gone.

    It’s important to keep something about the past, because that can teach us something about our future.

    There is No Way that this amazing park can go extinct!

    So please reconsider, and, “Keep Dinoland USA!” For all of us Dino lovers! Please!

    Sincerely,
    Jac Conte-
    Decatur, GA.

    • I agree 00 percent that Dinoland NEEDS to stay, kids dont know Indians Jones! Even parents and Disney fans like myself live it. It’s part of Disney. Please don’t do this!

  2. I believe Disney should keep Dinoland. Every child I know loves dinosaurs. They will always be popular. Other ideas not so much.

  3. Triple bogey! Not only Dinoland, but Bugs Life and the tree?
    Indiana Jones can go back to Indiana. Dinoland doesn’t need reimagining. I remember my first time there. Besides, dinosaurs are much more popular!

  4. I’m going to miss Chip and Dale dressed up as dinosaurs.. They really were going to make it to Donald’s party this time

  5. Dinoland USA is an original iconic land since 1998 and I respect the dinosaurs for being lords of creations/magnificent creatures. The dinosaurs are not monsters they are animals that ever roamed the earth for billions and billions of years ago. The Dinosaurs were lords of creation. Indiana Jones has absolutely 0, nada, nothing to do with animal and nature conservation, animal kingdom and its core theme, and it’s important for the kids to learn about them in the past, where it all began, how paleontologist and scientist discovered the dinosaur fossils. It’s very interesting and educational.

  6. WALT DISNEY AND HIS NEPHEW WOULD NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. NO WAY NO HOW. TO bad he is not here to stop THIS from happening. The ignorance of the people who want this to happen is amazing. This is not what WALT WOULD ALLOW.

  7. another wrong move by CEO of Disney destroying Disney with stuff that does not need to be removed,