When Disney announced changes for Dinoland USA were on the way, many guests and pundits thought it would surely take a long time considering the slow pace of Disney construction in the past. Who can forget the many years of Tron to the point the ride had mold and mildew on its canopy before opening? And one would be forgiven for such pessimism given that Epcot has undergone six years of transformation only to be — perhaps — a worse version of itself than when the construction began (it’s still not finished).
Dinoland U.S.A. via 4K WDW YouTube
When it comes to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort; however, the time table is being moved up considerably according to sources I have spoken with. Not only should we expect a massive rush to close Dinoland and open the town of Esparanza set in Central America, but the details are actually quite nice.
According to sources we’ve spoken with, work is already underway to open the refurbished land in the southeastern portion of Animal Kingdom with great haste. That’s impressive given it’s not even closed yet! A carousel of animals is under construction in Bali. Land is being cleared for Imagineers to take up work residence. Animated ride-throughs of a new Indiana Jones attraction have been generated. And all of this is to help repair a theme park that is losing attendance despite Pandora’s amazing atmosphere. One of the goals: increase the number of attractions guests want to ride in order to keep guests at the park for much, much longer.
Key art for Avatar Flight of Passage in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
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Short on real animals but dense on attractions, Esparanza will be home to a carousel, a very impressive trackless ride celebrating the movie Encanto, and the current Dinsoaur ride will be transformed into an all-new Indiana Jones thrill ride.
While we all thought Indiana Jones would be a cloned attraction brought over from Disneyland, our sources say that is not the case at all. Instead, Indiana Jones will be taking on a brand new adventure with guests as he battles against the Mayan god of snakes, Kukulkan. The track layout will not change for Dinosaur, but state-of-the-art effects are expected to be brought in as a suite of young Harrison Ford look-a-like animatronics lead you to treasure… that surely belongs in a museum.
But perhaps the most exciting part of this new land taking over Dinoland will be the Encanto attraction, which we are told will be similar in layout to Phantom Manor from the international Disney Parks. The story here is thematically appropriate with guests going to celebrate at the Madrigal’s Casita.
But things go awry after visiting Antonio’s room where guests are taken into a magical animal adventure they can’t seem to escape. Luckily, the Madrigal family will join with with all their powers to rescue the guests and bring them back to safety. You can definitely expect sightings of Bruno as well!
MEET THE MADRIGALS – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” introduces the Madrigals, a compelling and complicated extended family who live in a wondrous and charmed place in the mountains of Colombia. Opening in the U.S. on Nov. 24, 2021, “Encanto” features the voices of (clockwise starting from center) Stephanie Beatriz as the only ordinary child in the Madrigal family; Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Rhenzy Feliz and Adassa as Mirabel’s cousins Antonio, Camilo and Dolores, respectively; Mauro Castillo and Carolina Gaitan as Mirabel’s uncle and aunt, Félix and Pepa; María Cecilia Botero as Mirabel’s grandmother, Abuela Alma; Angie Cepeda and Wilmer Valderrama as Mirabel’s parents, Julieta and Agustín; and Jessica Darrow and Diane Guererro as Mirabel’s sisters Luisa and Isabela. © 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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And while all of this sounds good — in fact, I think it’s a huge positive — there are negatives that go along with what Disney is doing in Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, despite Disney’s claims of turbocharging the parks, there are major budget constraints here as reported to us. Josh D’Amaro is reported to have told Imagineers that they should do just enough to make existing buildings look like they weren’t just painted new colors. That’s not a good sign, even if D’Amaro is constrained by financial limits just like everyone else at Disney.
Work to incorporate Coco is also lackluster at best. A dark ride into the Land of the Dead has fallen through with no plans to bring it to life. It’s a major missed opportunity. I’m also disappointed there’s not a bigger focus on animal exhibits like at the rest of the park. Many of the animals of Central and South America are seldom seen in zoos; this could have been an excellent opportunity. And, perhaps most importantly, removing dinosaurs from the park is a negative. Little boys are always going to love dinosaurs. If Disney really wanted to spend money well, they could have built this land east of Expedition Everest and revitalized the dinosaur area. It’s a shame they didn’t do that.
But overall, I have to say that these changes are likely to be a benefit to Animal Kingdom. I just hate the dinosaurs had to go to make it possible.
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto,” Antonio may be shy, but his huge heart is his biggest asset—rivaled only by his newly received magical ability to communicate with animals. Directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino, “Encanto” opens in theaters on Nov. 24, 2021. © 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
This is not the only article we’ll be releasing about Animal Kingdom changes on the way. Let’s just say you might want to hang out “zoogether” with us for even more. And yes, that’s a horrible, horrible pun… but I promise it’s not our pun.
The above article discusses plans — as told to us by sources whose identities we are protecting — regarding future products and projects not yet open to the public. As such, please consider this article rumor and speculation.
For all the latest news that should be fun, keep reading That Park Place. As always, drop a comment down below and let us know your thoughts!
