Disney World Replacing Cultural Restaurant With Hamburgers and Chicken Nuggets
Walt Disney World Resort is making another unexpected change at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in 2025, this time affecting one of its Quick Service dining locations. After announcing the permanent closure of DinoLand U.S.A., which will officially go extinct on February 2, 2026, Disney revealed that Harambe Market in Africa will temporarily close for a refurbishment before reopening with a new, family-friendly menu featuring hamburgers and chicken nuggets.
DinoLand U.S.A.’s closure has been happening in stages since January 2025, starting with the permanent shutdown of TriceraTop Spin, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, and Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, including the Fossil Fun Games. The Boneyard play area welcomed young paleontologists for the final time on September 1, marking the end of a 27-year legacy at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. The remainder of DinoLand U.S.A.—including the DINOSAUR attraction, Trilo-Bites, and Restaurantosaurus—will officially close on February 2, 2026.
Plans for a replacement land were announced at D23 Expo 2024, when Walt Disney Imagineering unveiled the Tropical Americas-themed Pueblo Esperanza coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. The new land will feature two Encanto (2021) attractions and an Indiana Jones retheme of DINOSAUR. Walt Disney World Resort confirmed this new area is scheduled to open in 2027.
With Restaurantosaurus closing, Walt Disney World Resort confirmed that Harambe Market will officially take over the family-friendly Quick Service dining role. According to the Central Florida Disney park’s website, Harambe Market will temporarily close in winter 2025 for refurbishment. When it reopens in early 2026, some of the menu items from Restaurantosaurus will migrate to Harambe Market, giving families a familiar, kid-friendly dining option in the park.
With Restaurantosaurus closed as of Feb. 2, its menu items will move to Harambe Market in early 2026. To get ready for the new menu items, Harambe Market will close for refurbishment this winter. Specific dates will be shared later.
Currently, Harambe Market offers a mix of adventurous dishes, such as “a Chicken and Shrimp Rice Bowl, a Chicken Caesar Salad, a Beef and Lamb Kofta Pita, or a delicious Mango-Passion Fruit Cheesecake.” The upcoming menu change will shift the focus toward more traditional, approachable fare for families and younger Disney Park guests.
No specific dates have been shared yet for the closing or reopening of Harambe Market, but we expect it to return before DinoLand U.S.A. closes permanently in February 2026.
Where is your favorite place to eat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
