Crews have started setting crumbling rockwork into the main entrance archway at Tropical Americas, giving the structure an aged look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Orange spray paint outlines show where crews will add more rockwork in the coming days. Elsewhere on site, concrete now covers sections of the faux mountain range above the Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto show building, and workers are busy on the Casita’s steel frame. Here’s the latest!
Tropical Americas Entrance Archway Rockwork and Construction Update
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Crumbling rockwork now sits in the main entrance archway, with spray paint marking where more will follow.
- Concrete covers sections of the faux mountain range, and new mesh framing is visible behind the Casita.
- Workers are on the Casita’s steel frame, which shows gabled roof trusses and a curved arch.
Tropical Americas is the land that is replacing DinoLand USA at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The main entrance archway into Pueblo Esperanza will greet guests as they walk in from the Discovery Island bridge into the land. We watched crews assemble the steel archway in early August, and a dark mesh covered most of the frame by October 2nd. The aging work now underway gives us our best look yet at how the entrance will feel.
Rubble-style stones now sit in clusters across the archway’s gray surface, at the base, along the curve of the arch, and in the upper corners. The look somewhat matches the side entrance, where scaffolding came off to reveal cracked plaster, exposed stonework, and moss in the seams.
Orange spray paint outlines mark the surface above and beside the stones. Crews will add more rockwork inside those outlines in the coming days. At the side entrance, sculpted concrete came first, and the weathered finish followed. We expect the same order here.
Concrete Spreads Across the Faux Mountain Range
Wire mesh gave the faux mountain range its outline in July. By October 2nd, crews appeared to be applying concrete over it. Concrete now covers sections of the range above the Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto show building. In our photos, the upper peaks carry smoother gray concrete, while a few peaks on the sides have a rougher, sandier finish. Mesh with black marker numbers still shows in other sections.
Workers Climb the Casita Steel
Workers are on the Casita’s galvanized steel frame, with the mesh rockwork rising directly behind it. Gabled roof trusses run along the top of the lower section, and a curved galvanized arch sits low in the frame. Those are the peaked rooflines and arches we noted on October 2nd. A tall braced tower of steel rises above the rest of the frame.
During our visit, one worker climbed a diagonal brace and reached overhead while another worked on a lower beam. The steel is still bare, but the rooflines and arch already suggest a house.
Behind the Casita steel, new mesh framing now shapes a massive rockwork wall that will cover the show building. The wire curves into rocky contours, with yellow numbers marking sections and sheeting visible through the gaps. Once finished, the wall should make the Casita look like it sits on a much larger hillside while hiding the show building.
Story So Far
- July 15: Steel mesh across roughly half of the Encanto building’s width gave us our first look at the faux mountain range.
- August 3: The main entrance archway took shape in steel, and new vertical steel appeared at the Casita site.
- August 10: Test paint swatches showed up on the side entrance rockwork as the tower crane came down.
- September 22: Aerial photos showed the Casita’s steel framing at the front of the attraction.
- October 2: The archway gained a dark mesh covering, the Casita’s steel showed themed shapes, and crews appeared to be applying concrete to the mountain range.
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!