Disney Clarifies DinoLand U.S.A. Closure Plans as Tropical Americas Construction Progresses at Animal Kingdom

Mar 06, 2025 in "Tropical Americas"

Posted: Thursday March 6, 2025 9:20am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has provided a new blog update offering clarification on what remains open in DinoLand U.S.A. and a timeline for its full closure as work progresses on the Tropical Americas expansion at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The post, titled "DinoLand Is Closing: Here's What to Catch Before It Goes Extinct," confirms that parts of DinoLand U.S.A. will remain open through 2025, including DINOSAUR, The Boneyard, and Restaurantosaurus. However, Disney reiterates that this is the final year to experience the area before the land is completely transformed.

What's Still Open in DinoLand?

According to the update, guests can still visit:

  • DINOSAUR – The Time Rover adventure remains operational until 2026 before being replaced by a new Indiana Jones attraction set in a newly discovered Maya temple.
  • The Boneyard – The interactive play area will remain open throughout 2025, giving young guests more time to explore.
  • Restaurantosaurus – The quick-service dining location is still serving meals and will remain open in 2025.
  • Dino-Bite Snacks – The snack stand continues to serve ice cream sandwiches and other treats.

What's Already Closed?

 

The first wave of closures took place on January 12, 2025, when the following permanently shut down:

  • TriceraTop Spin
  • Fossil Fun Games
  • Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures

Additionally, the large entrance dinosaur (Cementosaurus) and the Dino-Rama billboards have now been completely demolished as the site continues to be cleared.

When Will DINOSAUR and Restaurantosaurus Close?

  • DINOSAUR will remain open through 2025, with its final year confirmed before its transformation into the new Indiana Jones attraction in 2026. No specific date has been announced.
  • Restaurantosaurus will also remain open in 2025, but Disney has not yet provided a final closure date.

A Look Ahead at Tropical Americas

Disney's blog post also reaffirms some key details about the Tropical Americas expansion, which will open in 2027:

  • New Pueblo Esperanza Themed Area – Inspired by real-world South American villages, this land will feel like a place with a deep history, similar to Harambe in Africa.
  • Encanto Ride-Through Attraction – Guests will step inside the Madrigal family's casita and experience Antonio's magical ability to communicate with animals.
  • Indiana Jones Adventure – A new take on an Indy ride, where guests join Dr. Jones on a quest to uncover a mythical creature deep inside an ancient Maya temple.
  • Large Quick-Service Hacienda Restaurant – One of the biggest quick-service dining locations in Walt Disney World.
  • A Unique Carousel – A woodcarver's handcrafted carousel featuring animals from Disney stories will be a highlight for families.

The Final Countdown for DinoLand U.S.A.

With demolition accelerating, and only a handful of locations still operational, DinoLand U.S.A. will continue to disappear throughout 2025 as Disney transitions to full-scale construction. Guests who want to experience DINOSAUR, The Boneyard, or Restaurantosaurus should plan their visits soon, as the land goes extinct for good in 2026.

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    rd8056 days ago

    hitting the tri-fecta is the ultimate in summer park planning lol

    celluloid6 days ago

    I have always enjoyed Toon Lagoon to JP because of this. You can choose to wait and cha ge after JP or before if you do t mk d bejng damp vs soaked.

    SoFloMagic8 days ago

    You can see the clearing from the hill on Everest. I was blown away by how much they've taken out back there.

    Gremlin Gus8 days ago

    So minor update to this but based off of some videos I've seen recently about TA, it does seem like all the trees from behind the former Primeval Whirl have been cut down. Idk how obvious this was, but I thought I should let everyone know just in case

    DisneyHead1239 days ago

    😂 Yeah, and AK tends to be a little more subtle with theming so I don’t necessarily see a wrap-up moment where they verbalize the moral of the story. But Indy messing with natural forces and getting more than he bargained for is 90% likely, to my mind. I kinda think Encanto will be the more difficult one to blend in, thematically. That one may be more “Well, it’s a butterflies and rainbows fairytale but it’s enclosed”.

    Slowjack9 days ago

    Now you've got me picturing Indy on the hunt for a mythical treasure and the ride ending with him saying, "Knowledge was their treasure. Their treasure was knowledge." But to your point, sure, I could see a story which ends with Indy getting clapped back by nature.

    MisterPenguin10 days ago

    And ospreys.

    ᗩLᘿᑕ ֊ᗩζᗩᗰ10 days ago

    I think it's cause we can't talk about TBA in the Tiana threads. OT or some such nonsense.

    danlb_200010 days ago

    Cool, it's gone vertical! :)

    truecoat10 days ago

    Now that Epic is in previews, he can move on to this and the Cars projects.

    JD8010 days ago

    I'd love to see ne aerial shots. However I'm sure bioreconnstruct is having more fun taking pictures of Epic.

    Gremlin Gus10 days ago

    Sources comes from a website I can't put here for some reason Seems like they might be doing some utility work right now, though I'm curious to see what's going on in the backstage area as it does look like they're focusing on clearing that out for the Encanto showbuilding

    EagleScout61011 days ago

    At the last moment they've switched to a CARS theme it seems

    truecoat11 days ago

    How about a ride where you drive a Multi-Troop Transport crushing as many trees and animals as possible. After the ride, they show you how much ecological damage you've caused.

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