Walt Disney Imagineering has amended its permit paperwork for a backstage address in the former DinoLand USA area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The amended Notice of Commencement was filed late last week, and it names longtime contractor Whiting-Turner. It extends a permit recorded back in December 2025. Here’s the latest.
Permit Extended for Tropical Americas Construction
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Walt Disney Imagineering filed an amended Notice of Commencement on November 12th with Whiting-Turner as the contractor
- The filing amends a December 2025 notice for the Tropical Americas project
- Whiting-Turner has been the contractor on earlier Tropical Americas permits, including the Encanto ride
The new filing joins a long line of Imagineering permits tied to the Tropical Americas project at Animal Kingdom. The filing is marked as an amended Notice of Commencement and states that it amends an earlier permit, filed in December 2025. Both filings list Walt Disney Imagineering as the owner, The Whiting-Turner Contract Company as the contractor, and 500 DinoLand Drive in Bay Lake as the address. Each describes the improvement as “General Construction”, offering no insight into the scope of the work. That said, Whiting-Turner is usually a general contractor on big projects like the Tropical Americas project.
A Familiar Backstage Address
The 500 DinoLand Drive address belonged to a temporary trailer that sat backstage at DinoLand USA before the land closed. That address now shows up regularly on Tropical Americas paperwork, which makes it a useful marker for work behind the construction walls.
The spot where that trailer once stood may now connect to the Encanto attraction, which was built nearly on top of the address.
Whiting-Turner and Tropical Americas
Whiting-Turner has been part of Tropical Americas from the start. The contractor appeared on the site prep permit Imagineering filed in December 2024, which covered “Area Development” in the old Dino-Rama section. It also appeared on the amended Encanto ride permit for 610 DinoLand Drive in May. That amendment extended the work to May 19th, 2027. The new filing for 500 DinoLand Drive is another amendment with Whiting-Turner named as the contractor.
Tropical Americas will include Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos. As of our last check, Disney World is still targeting a 2027 opening for the land. That holds even after the opening year was removed from a Disney World webpage in September.
Tropical Americas Permit Story So Far
- Imagineering filed a site prep permit with Whiting-Turner for the Tropical Americas reimagining of DinoLand USA in December 2024.
- Imagineering extended the Encanto ride permit at 610 DinoLand Drive through May 19th, 2027.
- Disney World is still targeting a 2027 opening for Tropical Americas as of September 2026.
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!