As part of the ongoing transformation of DinoLand USA into the Tropical Americas-themed town of Pueblo Esperanza, The Boneyard has been demolished at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Boneyard had its final day of operation back on September 1st, and a new construction wall maze was installed overnight. Since then, crews have been removing select props before the wrecking crew came in and leveled the former excavation-themed children’s play area. Now, new photos from Bioreconstruct show the demolition from above.
The Boneyard Demolition at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Before we take a look at the demolition, let’s turn back the clock a bit to October 2024 and the aerial photo below. In the upper right of the photo, you can see The Boneyard, covered by tarps to provide some shade to the playground. Also in the photo is the since-demolished Dino-Rama roadside carnival section of DinoLand USA.
In this first photo, we can see the construction wall maze that leads guests back to the still-open DINOSAUR attraction (closing in Feb. 2026), along with the demolition progress on The Boneyard. The playground structures have been demolished, along with the Oldengate Bridge, a bridge connecting one side of the playground to the other, featuring the giant bones of a Brachiosaurus. Eventually, the entire area will be completely demolished to make way for a new carousel.
In this second angle, we can see the still-standing Restaurantosaurus. This dining venue will remain in place for the Tropical Americas project, although it will be rethemed to a large hacienda. When the work is complete, it will be one of the largest quick-service dining locations in all of Walt Disney World.
This final photo gives us the best look yet at the demolition. The top middle of the image was the main playground area. We can see some rockwork still in place, although it will all be demolished eventually. Two cranes are parked in what used to be the main walkway into DinoLand USA. In the lower left of the image we can see the old Dig Site, which was a sand-filled play area where little ones could unearth fossils. In the lower right of the image, we see the former home of Marley the American Crocodile. Marley was moved to a new facility back in October 2024, ahead of the bulk of the construction and demolition of nearby areas.
What’s Replacing The Boneyard?
The Boneyard will be replaced by the previously announced character carousel. Within the Tropical Americas land is a new town called Esperanza. The town features classic Spanish-style architecture in the heart of the rainforest and a carousel featuring the resident wood carver’s favorite animals.
Here’s a look at the before/after of the DinoLand USA area as revealed in an October 2024 permit. We can see The Boneyard represented in a yellow “hardscape” area in the upper left of the DinoLand USA plot. On the right (after development) image, we can see a V-shaped blue building representing the carousel and covered queue area/building support areas.
Here’s a look at the DinoLand USA elements, labeled on top of the Tropical Americas concept art. We can see that the Encanto-themed attraction is replacing much of the Dino-Rama area, the DINOSAUR attraction is being kept in place and being rethemed, both the Dinosaur Treasures and Restaurantosaurus buildings are being kept in place, and The Boneyard is going to be the new home of the carousel.
Finally, here’s a look at the Tropical Americas model that was on display during the 2024 D23 Expo. The first image represents a look at the themed land from above, while the second image offers a closer look at the new carousel.
For everything you need to know about the Tropical Americas retheme project for DinoLand USA, check out our article below!
