DinoLand U.S.A. Closing To Make Way For All-New Tropical-Themed Area

Walt Disney believed that his namesake theme parks should be constantly evolving and changing. That’s great for drawing back fans year after year. It’s not so great for people who become attached to one area or another.

If DinoLand U.S.A. holds a special place in your heart, you need to plan a trip to Orlando now to bid it adieu.

What Is DinoLand U.S.A.?

First opened in 1998, DinoLand U.S.A is an area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom that was designed to resemble a roadside dinosaur-themed amusement park. (A bit of a mind twist to visit a park inside a park, if we do say so ourselves.) DinoLand was ideated around the fictional story of a western United States city that discovered dinosaur bones in the 1940s and wanted to draw guests to see their famous prehistoric pals. The attractions includen carnival games and nearly-cuddly dinosaurs perfect for selfies.

DinoLand also features an enhanced motion vehicle attraction appropriately named Dinosaur that also launched in 1998. (It was renamed in 2000 to promote Disney’s animated film of the same name.) A few years ago, Disney announced plans to retheme this ride around Indiana Jones. This was the first hint major changes were coming to DinoLand.

What’s Replacing DinoLand U.S.A.?

Earlier this summer, Disney confirmed DinoLand will be going away in its entirety, to be replaced with an all-new land called Pueblo Esperanza.

This 11-acre area will be themed around Northern South America and Central America, which will be the first area of the park to represent this part of the world. Known as the “Tropical Americas,” Disney says to expect this new land to be “lush and sprawling.” (If you’ve been to the Pandora-themed land of Animal Kingdom, you know they can really deliver on this promise.)

With the confirmation of the new area, we also found out more about what Pueblo Esperanza will have. The first-ever Encanto-themed ride will be showcased here. Fans of this 2021 Disney film know the Madrigals’ Casita will be right at home in the rainforests of Tropical Americas, as they call Colombia home. Mirabel’s cousin Antonio has a gift of talking to animals, and this new ride will let you “go explore alongside him” as his room is transformed into a rainforest.

The Dinosaur ride is in fact getting that Indiana Jones makeover as hinted at previously. This isn’t too terribly surprising. In fact, the ride itself is a copy of Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure. It uses the same track and the same vehicles. However, Disney says the new Indy experience “will be different from any other Indiana Jones experience around the world,” so don’t expect a copy-paste of the California experience.

In addition to these two new rides, you’ll find a giant carousel with carved Disney friends in this area. Disney says it’s “a new take on a classic attraction.”

For people who love to scope out Disney World’s best restaurants, there will soon be a new one. A “large hacienda” will open in the new area and be “one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort.”

So When Will DinoLand U.S.A. Close For Good?

DinoLand U.S.A. has been winding down for some time. Primeval Whirl was shuttered several years ago, and I saw while in Animal Kingdom this summer some landscaping work that was clearly making space for upcoming changes.

But if you’re headed to Walt Disney World this fall, you might still be able to get that dino and take a ride on the TriceraTop Spin one more time. Disney hasn’t announced an official closing date, but they did just announce new food offerings in Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus for Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month, which runs until October 15.

The new area is expected to open in 2027, and Disney may try to keep areas of DinoLand available to fans as long as possible. Certainly, however, the whole area will have to be closed ultimately for the final makeover, so get to Orlando quickly if you need to dig once more in the Boneyard Playground or visit with Dino-Sue once again.