The Encanto attraction under construction has reached a new milestone, with steel mesh now installed in a continuous run atop roughly half of the building’s width. Crews have shaped the mesh into a rolling, multi-peaked silhouette, giving the clearest look yet at the faux mountains planned for the building’s exterior. This follows our earlier report on the steel mounts installed to hold the mesh “chips” in place. Here’s a closer look!
Encanto’s Mesh Mountain Range Installation Underway
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Steel mesh now covers roughly half of the Encanto building’s roofline
- The mesh forms a continuous, multi-peaked mountain silhouette
- Additional structural steel remains uncovered as work continues
During our visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom this morning, we snapped some photos showing a continuous run of steel mesh installed across roughly half of the Encanto building’s width. The mesh rises and falls in several distinct peaks, forming a rolling mountain-ridge silhouette along that stretch of roofline. The remaining steel superstructure beyond that stretch still sits bare as crews continue the installation.
Crews will install these pre-fabricated “chips” in sections as the mountain takes shape. From there, the mesh wire will be enclosed and themed to look like a real mountain range. If there’s one thing that Disney has absolutely excelled at for years, it’s rockwork. We expect that this mountain range will be beautiful once complete. That said, we don’t expect it to be a major feature of the land like in Pandora or even next door at Expedition Everest.
Crews appear to be working their way across the building’s frame section by section. Here’s a look at the Tropical Americas model, which shows the faux mountains installed on top of the Encanto show building. This will provide layers of depth to immerse guests in the world of the Tropical Americas land, and the Encanto attraction.
Story So Far
- Steel mounts for the mesh “chips” were installed on the building’s frame, setting the stage for the mesh itself.
- Disney has patented an automated system for designing and building artificial rockwork structures like the mesh “chips” used here.
We still don’t know how many total mesh sections the finished building will need. Disney also hasn’t confirmed a timeline for finishing the rockwork. We’ll keep following this story as construction progresses.