Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a Notice of Commencement permit for the Tropical Americas reimagining of DinoLand USA. The permit is yet another signal that work is set to begin soon in DinoLand USA following the announcement from Walt Disney World that the land will close in phases starting in January 2025.
New Tropical Americas Site Prep Permit
The recently filed permit lists longtime Walt Disney World contractor Whiting-Turner and the scope of work is defined as “Area Development”. In this context, area development likely means land clearing and sculpting to support the new Encanto-themed attraction that will be developed in the first phase of the work.
The work could also include the demolition or removal of props in the Dino-Rama area, including the demolition of TriceraTop Spin and the area games. An earlier permit offered a detailed outline of Disney’s plans, including what was staying to be rethemed and what is being removed from DinoLand USA as Disney transforms the area over the next three years.
The permit expires December 30, 2025, which is slightly longer than the typical 1-year expiration date, but it still signals that the permit does not envelop the entire scope of the project. Instead, the area development will likely include moving a lot of dirt, demolishing existing infrastructure, and installing new infrastructure. While I think that it’s likely that we see some vertical construction on the Encanto-themed attraction sometime in 2025, the ride certainly won’t be fully built by December. Instead, the construction of the ride will likely be covered by another permit to be filed at a later date.
Walt Disney World has previously said that the Tropical Americas-themed land would be completed and fully open in 2027, but that the work will happen in phases. The first phase is the demolition and land clearing in the Dino-Rama and former Primeval Whirl area to support an all-new Encanto-themed attraction.
If you’re a fan of drawers, floors, and doors, let’s go! The first-ever “Encanto”-themed ride-through attraction is coming to Animal Kingdom, featuring the beloved Madrigal family from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Inside the Casita, Antonio has just received his special gift — the ability to communicate with animals — and his room has transformed into a rainforest. It’s time to go explore alongside him, and you never know what member of the family you might bump into…
The next phase of the work will likely include the Boneyard, Restaurantosaurus, and the DINOSAUR attraction. That said, Disney has confirmed that the DINOSAUR attraction will remain open through the end of 2025 before closing sometime in 2026. The attraction will be rethemed to Indiana Jones, and it is expected that the track layout and ride vehicles will remain the same.
In this new venture, the man with the hat has recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Starting January 13, 2025, the following attractions and offerings will be closed and behind construction walls:
- TriceraTop Spin
- Fossil Fun Games
- Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures Gift Shop
For everything you need to know about the Tropical Americas permit, check out our project page below!
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