Project Ro Approved: Disney's Animal Kingdom Tropical Americas Expansion Clears Key Regulatory Hurdle

Feb 07, 2025 in "Tropical Americas"

Posted: Friday February 7, 2025 12:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has officially approved an Individual Environmental Resource Permit for Project Ro, Disney's Tropical Americas expansion at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The permit, issued on February 6, 2025, authorizes modifications to existing infrastructure, including stormwater management enhancements, to support the redevelopment of Dinoland U.S.A. The project is set to encompass 12.87 acres.

Tropical Americas Concept Art

Permit Details and Project Scope

The approved permit (No. 48-111978-P) allows Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US, Inc. to proceed with infrastructure updates necessary for the transformation of Dinoland U.S.A. into a Tropical Americas-themed area.

Modifications include:

Relocation of parking, sidewalks, and utilities.
Updates to the stormwater drainage system to integrate with the existing wet detention system.
Compliance with state water quality standards under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

Operational and Environmental Considerations

No new land use changes: The project strictly involves renovations to existing infrastructure without additional land development.
Wetland protections: No wetlands are impacted, and the permit aligns with existing Disney Wilderness Preserve conservation efforts.
Wildlife safeguards: The area has been reviewed for potential impacts on protected species, with mitigation measures in place should any be discovered.
Water and wastewater: Reedy Creek Energy Services will supply water and wastewater services, while reclaimed public water will be used for irrigation.

Next Steps for Disney

With the permit now in place, Disney can move forward with construction and drainage modifications for the Tropical Americas expansion. The permit remains valid through February 6, 2030, unless modified or challenged through a public hearing request.

What to Expect from Tropical Americas

The Tropical Americas expansion promises to be a significant addition to Disney's Animal Kingdom, featuring:

An Encanto-themed attraction: Guests will step inside the magical casita to celebrate Antonio's gift of communicating with animals, exploring the Madrigal family's extraordinary world
An Indiana Jones adventure: Set to replace the DINOSAUR attraction after it closes in early 2026, this thrilling ride will take guests on an archaeological journey through a newly discovered Maya temple.

The new land will also include themed dining, entertainment, and lush environments inspired by the natural beauty and cultural richness of the region.

Tropical Americas Concept Model

Discuss on the Forums

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MrHappy1 hour ago

Just got back from 2 days USF, 3 days IoA. Flew in from CT. We chose not to give Disney our money this year, rather, take advantage of pre-Epic deals. There are definitely some pros and cons comparing to Disney. But as an admitted pixie duster, I was impressed. USF’s front was a little wonky, but Minion “land” is a nice strip. Dreamwork land was nice too. Whatever they do to Rip Ride, I’m sure will further add cohesion and energy. Disney better stop with the silly summertime discounts and get a clue.

TheMaxRebo1 hour ago

Probably never happen but maybe they could do a stage show of Raya and the Last Dragon. While in a fictional land it is inspired by Southeast Asia so could connect it to the Asia part of AK and then could finally have Dragons represented like on the park logo

Gremlin Gus1 hour ago

I was talking about the Tokyo Disneyland rumor of the ride, not the Disneyland Paris one. Though I agree with what you said with it being a moving theatre ride.

Fox&Hound1 hour ago

Yes but the Up ride is literally a swings ride from a local amusement park or state fair. It is nothing special. Up should have a moving theatre ride that makes you feel like you are lifting up in the air and moving back and forth. Edit- I do think parks need more rides and A/B tickets at that but it is disappointing that Up’s first ride is so basic. Maybe with a little more theming it would seem better but the theming in the concept art is pretty bare.

Gremlin Gus3 hours ago

I think the only issue with changing the Finding Nemo show to an Encanto show is that there would be an "oversaturation" of Encanto content in a land that's themed to the tropical regions of the Americas. I could see them maybe doing an Encanto show there if they want to save money rather than demolishing it, though I would like to see the Finding Nemo show get replaced with an Up ride as the space is there to do it (though I doubt it'll be an E or maybe a D ticket attraction) and there is a rumored Up ride coming to Tokyo Disneyland, so there's that. I guess the other possible IP I could going there is maybe Coco or Emperor's New Groove as either stage shows or attractions, but I'd like to see Up the most imo.

eddie1043 hours ago

Not liking the attraction lineup doesn’t make it bad park in essence. A lot of people use nostalgia as a way to justify not liking something. But I can only name a few problem areas and they can be fixed in time.

flyerjab5 hours ago

One idea I thought of instantly when Tropical Americas was first mentioned was changing the Finding Nemo show to an Encanto show. I don’t know how overall popular the movie was, but I do know that the music from that movie was very well liked. With the change to a Tropical Americas land, having a random Nemo theater show place between Asia and Tropical Americas seems odd to me. I would rather this get changed and included into the Tropical Americas land instead.

IMDREW6 hours ago

When we saw that banshee animatronic in Singapore I thought it only natural for a trail at DAK through caverns leading to the creature, but it never came. I think a lot of people would visit the park to see that and it could be a very fast build.

UNCgolf7 hours ago

While I think USF is a pretty bad park right now (other than Diagon Alley), it's probably significantly worse for people who visited/remember the 1990s version. Most of current USF is a downgrade from what was there 30 years ago, so it fares especially badly in comparison. It's similar to the former Future World at EPCOT in that regard.

Disstevefan18 hours ago

Universal does a lot of “destroy and replace”. I my view is what was the replacement; are we getting something better in replacement. F$F was the worst destroy and replacement ever done by Universal. They destroyed Disaster! I loved the subway with the exploding tanker and the food! That was always great no matter how many times you saw it. Universal destroyed two attractions for the failed F&F; that monsters stage show and Disaster! For that. Very bad!

eddie1049 hours ago

I’m not excusing anything and even agree with you about Jurassic needing a huge refurb. Universal Creative leadership admitted that Fast and Furious shouldn’t have never been built. You must not follow their parks like I do. All this information is very much public.

BrianLo9 hours ago

The shoes used to be reversed. Stop building spinners and give us some quality again. I much prefer this current era and execs like the monetization.

MisterPenguin10 hours ago

We're down a C-Ticket level ride. It (Primeval) is being upgraded to a D- or E- Ticket ride. Remember the fandom mantra... "Disney parks need more C-Ticket rides." And Disney execs: "Make 'em all Es!!!"

doctornick11 hours ago

I think it was a huge missed opportunity to not have an "animal trail" in Pandora analogous to the trails in Africa/Asia but with obviously AA animals. Especially if it would be at least partially indoors and out of the weather. The land is nice to walk about and explore but an explicit path would have really been a good way to round off the land.