Our coverage of the 2024 D23 Expo continues with a look at the study model for the Casita facade for the upcoming Encanto attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro offered some solid updates on the town of Pueblo Esperanza, which will replace DinoLand USA in the coming years. Construction is set to begin this fall in DinoLand USA as Disney works on the transformation in stages.
Within the new land, there will be three attractions – an Indiana Jones attraction, an Encanto attraction, and an IP-less(ish) attraction (that will still use Disney characters). In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Encanto-themed attraction.
Encanto Casita Study Model at D23 Expo
In the Imagineering pavilion at the 2024 D23 Expo, a few different models were revealed after Saturday’s Disney Experiences keynote presentation from D’Amaro. One of the models on display was a “study model” for the Madrigal family Casita. In the movie, Casita is just about as alive as any of the characters, and the new attraction will see the house act as a character, bringing magic into the ride experience.
Casita will be located roughly where the former Primeval Whirl attraction used to sit before being demolished in fall 2021. While we’ll have a dedicated article in the coming days with a detailed look at the full Tropical Americas land model, we wanted to start with a photo of the Casita and massive show building for the attraction from the land scale model before moving on to the study model.
In addition to the full land model, there is about a 2-foot-tall (estimated) model of the Casita. Here’s a detailed look at Casita, including a look at the miracle candle with an undying flame, and a unique weathervane. The Casita will function much the same as the Haunted Mansion building does. It provides a visual reference for the house that you will be traveling through. In reality, a massive show building exists behind it, but if it is staged properly, there will be enough suspension of disbelief that guests will think they’re really traveling through the magical house. Another similarity to the Haunted Mansion is that we will not be walking through the front door, but more on that in another article.
Here’s a detailed look at Casita, including the magical candle and fluttering shutters caught mid-action. Hopefully, Disney will be able to create some effects, such as the fluttering shutters, that will give the Casita some life as seen from the outside.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
