Walt Disney World has confirmed that the Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama section of DinoLand, U.S.A. within Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be closing on January 13, 2025 to help make way for the park’s new Tropical Americas.
The TriceraTop Spin ride, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures gift shop will all have their final day on January 12th, before closing as the first phase of DinoLand, U.S.A. closures.
A closing date has not yet been announced for the DINOSAUR ride, The Boneyard play area, and Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bite Snacks, and Trilo-Bites dining locations.
While the park opened with DinoLand, U.S.A. in 1998, the colorful roadside-themed Dino-Rama area wasn’t added until a few years later in 2001. Expanding upon the theme of the initial “Dinosaur Treasures,” a gas station turned gift shop, the new carnival-like area brought two more rides to the land’s already existing DINOSAUR ride (originally named Countdown to Extinction).
One of these carnival rides, a spinning family roller coaster named Primeval Whirl, closed in 2020. This left the Dumbo-clone flat ride, named TriceraTop Spin, as the sole ride in Dino-Rama for the last several years.
Disney has announced that all of the DinoLand, U.S.A. will be closing to make way for a new land based on the Tropical Americas. This new land has been announced as starting construction this Fall, and that it will open in 2027.
Official concept art for Tropical Americas, coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Despite being announced to start construction this Fall, the first major closures are now not scheduled until January 13th of 2025.
There is at least one element of the land has already been removed. The American Crocodile was recently removed from its animal exhibit in the center of the land, and its pool was drained.
Former American Crocodile exhibit at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The new Tropical Americas land will feature new attractions based on Disney’s animated film Encanto and the Indiana Jones franchise. The land is inspired by the biodiverse areas of the northern part of South America, stretching up into Central America.
Tropical Americas area will be 11 acres in size. Disney has given the fictional town where the land takes place the name of “Pueblo Esperanza,” which they call a lush and sprawling town.
Art for entry into “Pueblo Esperanza”
The DINOSAUR ride is being transformed into a new ride based on Indiana Jones. Disney says this ride will feature an original story, and will not be the same as the original Disneyland ride, despite utilizing the same ride system.
Art for new “Indiana Jones Attraction”
Official description for this new Indiana Jones ride:
An all-new adventure centered on Indiana Jones will be different from any other Indy experience around the world. Guests will venture inside a Mayan temple where Indy’s discovered a new place to explore. Amid rumors of a mythical creature living deep within the temple, this thrilling new story will take guests along for the ride with the famed archaeologist. As long as there are no snakes.
Official art for interior of “Indiana Jones Attraction”
An all-new ride will be taking over the soon-to-close Dino-Rama area, based on Disney’s Encanto. While Disney has not yet confirmed what type of attraction this indoor ride will be, there have been rumors that it could be a trackless ride where magical moving furniture takes us around the Casita for a retelling of select sequences from the film.
Official concept art for “Encanto” Attraction
Official description for this new Encanto ride:
The first-ever “Encanto”-themed attraction will bring casita to life as guests join the beloved Madrigal family on the day Antonio receives his special gift, the ability to communicate with animals. Guests will feel like part of the family Madrigal as they join the celebration and explore their magical home like never before.
Art for interior of “Encanto” Attraction
A third attraction has been announced for the Tropical Americas land as well. A carousel will be added, in roughly in the location where The Boneyard play area is located now. The official description for this ride says it will feature “intricate wood carvings of animals from Disney stories, created by an Esperanza resident.” Concept art shows the ride seating as modeled after Disney character animals.
Official concept art for the Esperanza Carousel
Restaurantosaurus will be transformed into a large hacienda, which Disney says will be one of the largest quick service restaurants at Walt Disney World. Concept art refers to this dining location as the “Esperanza Market.”
Official concept art for “Esperanza – Open-Air Market”
The Dino-Rama area will have its last day of operation on January 12, 2025. Work walls are expected to go up around that section of the park as early as January 13th. That will leave the DINOSAUR ride and other DinoLand, U.S.A. areas open until further notice. Tropical Americas is expected to open in 2027.
See our recent Vlog video, below, for a good look around the DinoLand areas before they’re gone for good. The video shows off all of the land as it exists now, but also talks about how the new Tropical Areas land will be worked in. Stay tuned for more coverage of this project as it happens over the next couple years!
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