As Walt Disney World followers put together to take farewell journeys for sights & areas which can be closing in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, readers have been asking about closure dates for DINOSAUR, Dinoland, and Dino-Rama. Should you’re questioning when the rides, eating places, retailers, and leisure on this land will go extinct, this explains what we all know.
A few of this was already lined Building & Openings Timelines for New Lands, Rides & Additions at Walt Disney World. That gave a rundown of all initiatives on the horizon, and our expectations as to when closures would happen and when the reimagined replacements or new sights would open. This publish elaborates on that, providing corroboration and new rumors concerning the demise of dinosaurs at Animal Kingdom.
What this publish doesn’t provide is an official announcement or affirmation of something. These are credible rumors which can be strengthened however what Walt Disney World has already shared when it comes to building timelines and opening dates, however particular closure dates haven’t been revealed. If that’s all you care about, this publish isn’t for you. Take into account as a substitute subscribing to our free Walt Disney World e-newsletter, the place we’ll share prompt updates as quickly as they’re introduced.
What we all know to this point is that Tropical Americas is the subsequent large growth (or redevelopment, when you’d want) on the horizon at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World has already revealed that Tropical Americas will include three considerably distinct areas.
The primary is Pueblo Esperanza, the hub in coronary heart of the rainforest that’s identify interprets to “Village of Hope.” (Some followers have began referring to this complete Tropical Americas challenge as Pueblo Esperanza–it’s our understanding this identify is only for the core group up entrance. It’s kinda like the brand new EPCOT, which has a bunch of useless neighborhood names.)
The Pueblo Esperanza group will function a big hacienda, which shall be one of many largest quick-service eating places at Walt Disney World Resort. It’ll additionally provide a critter carousel as an attraction. Pueblo Esperanza will exchange the Boneyard, TriceraTops Spin, Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Chunk Snacks, and (presumably) Trilo-Bites.
After leaving the Pueblo Esperanza, visitors can enterprise deeper into the rainforest to search out not one however two signature sights. To the left is the Encanto magical Madrigal Casita darkish experience, which is more likely to be a family-friendly Omnimover–maybe like an Encanto-ized model of Mystic Manor.
The Encanto attraction will exchange all of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, together with all of its carnival video games, that large roadside dinosaur, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, Donald’s Dino-Bash, and TriceraTop Spin (once more–it straddles the Pueblo Esperanza and Encanto areas).
Lastly, there’s the new Indiana Jones Journey attraction, which can exchange DINOSAUR.
I assume there’s additionally Dino-Sue and a few winding pathways with statues again right here, however for essentially the most half, this space is just being reimagined from DINOSAUR to the third incarnation of Indiana Jones Journey.
Towards the backdrop of those three mostly-distinct areas of Tropical Americas, let’s flip to when every thing goes to shut…
Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro already revealed that work on this new 11-acre part of the park is underway, with building set to start later this 12 months. Extra particularly, Walt Disney World acknowledged the next: “Building on the land is ready to start this fall and can open in 2027 — however don’t fear, you’ll nonetheless have loads of time to expertise Dinosaur once more (and get that dino).”
It’s essential to attract a distinction between work and building, as Disney itself has accomplished this. Work is already underway on numerous these initiatives or will begin quickly. That’s a nebulous time period, and will imply something from the submitting of permits to set up of trailers to backstage prep to clear the way in which for precise building.
Against this, building does (or ought to) imply that visitors are going to see closures, partitions go up, and stuff occurring on the substance of the additions. Not less than, to the extent that is attainable–a number of of those initiatives are correct expansions or will happen close to or past the berm. We in all probability gained’t see a lot in the way in which of Villains Land work as a consequence of its location.
Anyway, so we already knew that building on Tropical Americas is slated to start in Fall 2024 and that visitors “nonetheless have loads of time to expertise Dinosaur once more.” From that, we beforehand inferred that this could be a multi-phase challenge with Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama closing this 12 months and DINOSAUR closing in 2025.
Since DINOSAUR just isn’t closing ASAP, it’s secure to imagine that Indiana Jones Journey experience reimagining is not being fast-tracked, and likewise that Tropical Americas will not open in phases. That’s in all probability a sensible transfer, because the method didn’t go effectively for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We suspect Walt Disney World wouldn’t make the identical mistake twice, even when there’s an pressing need to offer Animal Kingdom a wanted/overdue shot within the arm.
If the Tropical Americas land is opening suddenly as a substitute of in phases, there’s extra work to be accomplished on the Encanto–a model new construct–than there may be on Indiana Jones Journey, which can reuse the prevailing experience system from Dinosaur. All of those had been our fairly-confident assumptions primarily based on Disney’s public statements.
Properly, now wdwmagic has corroborated this, reporting on a rumor that the primary closure will happen “earlier than the 2024 vacation season” when Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, its carnival-themed video games and rides, and TriceraTop Spin all shut. We view this rumor as extremely credible primarily based each on the supply reporting it and the truth that logic just about dictates it being true.
I hesitate to foretell a exact closure date for Dino-Rama as a result of I doubt it’s being given strategic thought. Which means they gained’t essentially wait till after Columbus Day or Veterans Day or no matter–they’ll simply shut it when Imagineering is able to get began on the Encanto growth.
If something, I’m barely stunned that Dino-Rama hasn’t closed already. It might’ve been a strong assertion for Josh D’Amaro to rise up on stage at D23 and announce that partitions had been going up in a single day and building would start instantly again in August. There’s nothing of worth being misplaced in Dino-Rama, it doesn’t meaningfully add to Animal Kingdom’s capability or cachet, and it’s been the low season. Closing it final month made sense, whereas walling it off proper at first of the vacation season is much less logical. I assume one of the best factor to come back from this corroboration is that the closure, fortunately, has not been pushed off into January 2025.
With regard to Dino-Rama, I feel the most important query is whether or not the principle present store–Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures–will shut together with the remainder of the miniland. This store is technically on the opposite facet of the “highway” (which is staying) and the present store itself is staying. There’s no want to shut it so early, except Walt Disney World views it as pointless throughout building and the working bills exceed the income generated. Frankly, I may see that going both means–however I’d lean barely in favor of the present store remaining open.
In any case, the a lot greater query is when every thing else will shut. Despite the fact that Pueblo Esperanza and Indiana Jones Journey are two distinct areas, I’m going to lump them collectively for the needs of building. The explanation for that’s purely sensible–as soon as the entrance part closes, it’s sport over for DINOSAUR. That attraction turns into inaccessible.
Equally, as soon as DINOSAUR goes down, there’s not a lot to attract individuals again to this nook of the park. It’ll all shut across the similar time except administration appears like Restaurantosaurus is required as eating capability for a bit longer. I doubt that, although.
It additionally simply is smart. All the things except for the critter carousel is a reskinning or reimagining, and it’s not like a carousel is the head of attraction complexity. With regards to these two areas, the time wanted to transform DINOSAUR to Indiana Jones Journey will seemingly dictate the closure date, because it’s essentially the most complicated part of this half (give or take) of Tropical Americas.
When making an attempt to reverse engineer DINOSAUR’s closure date from the deliberate 2027 opening of Tropical Americas, we now have some current precedent to work with: Tiana’s Bayou Journey and Frozen Ever After. These two initiatives each took round 18-20 months.
Clearly, these should not good comparisons since each are slow-moving boat rides whereas Indiana Jones Journey is an exciting high-speed attraction. Splash Mountain and Maelstrom additionally had work that wanted to be accomplished that’s seemingly irrelevant right here. However, I’d name them “adequate” proxies.
If we assume that Walt Disney World needs Tropical Americas open by Spring Break in 2027, we are able to conclude that the newest seemingly closing for DINOSAUR is after Summer time 2025. If that opening shifts to Summer time 2027, so too does the closing of DINOSAUR. There’s a state of affairs the place Walt Disney World may be capable to push off the extinction date till January 2026.
In a special timeline, I may see DINOSAUR surviving till then…however I view that as exceeding unlikely. About the one factor that would trigger that a lot delay is Walt Disney World needing to refurbish different sights in Animal Kingdom first (so there aren’t a number of simultaneous closures in 2025-2026) or the corporate anticipating a blockbuster 2025 as a result of debut of a drone present.
That additionally appears not possible. Even when Walt Disney World rolls out wonderful leisure subsequent 12 months for DAK, it’s solely going to take action a lot and for therefore lengthy. It’s more likely that the corporate realizes Animal Kingdom goes to be the park hit hardest by Epic Universe, and quick tracks the Tropical Americas challenge to the best extent attainable.
Given all of that, I may see an inside push to have Tropical Americas accomplished by early December 2026. (The Encanto experience stays the limiting issue there–there’s solely so early Tropical Americas can debut since that darkish experience will take no less than 2 years to construct.)
Between the potential for an aggressive opening date for Tropical Americas and the probability that Animal Kingdom goes to be slower for the foreseeable future (each more likely than the alternate options), my wager is that DINOSAUR goes extinct shortly after Spring Break 2025. That’s in all probability the final large season when Walt Disney World will “want” the experience capability, and it offers visitors ample time to say their goodbyes.
The excellent news for these of you who’ve procrastinated and haven’t taken farewell journeys is that Easter falls just a few weeks later subsequent 12 months–on April 20, 2025. My wager can be that DINOSAUR survives Easter and Earth Day, and doesn’t shut till April 28, 2025 on the earliest. If there’s a drone present subsequent summer time and it’s projected to maneuver the needle on demand, I’d revise this date to August 11, 2025.
Whereas I clearly know nothing and am merely speculating, I’d pencil in these two dates because the almost certainly closure prospects for DINOSAUR. Each time that attraction closures, you may anticipate the remainder of the land to shut and be walled-off, too. (Even with out having any inside data, my intestine says {that a} late April 2025 closing for DINOSAUR is the almost certainly state of affairs–above 50%.)
Actually, I’d like to be flawed and for DINOSAUR to shut in mid-January 2025. I actually don’t suppose that’ll occur, nevertheless it’s my hope. The longer DINOSAUR is closed, the extra time Imagineering has to do justice to an bold reimagining. All the things I’ve heard about this model of Indiana Jones Journey has me optimistic, together with insiders suggesting it has the potential to be one of the best of the trio.
However that solely occurs if Imagineering is given the time, assets, and cash to make it so. Their concepts and ambition are clearly essential, however that solely issues a lot in the event that they’re hamstrung by tight timelines or restricted funding. I’m truthfully not anxious concerning the latter–Burbank is opening the cash spigot at first of the upcoming fiscal 12 months.
What’s the larger concern is Walt Disney World administration taking a look at Animal Kingdom’s already restricted experience roster and demanding a quicker turnaround for worry of hemorrhaging (much more) attendance. That’s going to occur regardless with Epic Universe, and DINOSAUR just isn’t the outcome-determinative issue. Hopefully classes had been discovered with that mentality from Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and Imagineering may have two years or so to rework DINOSAUR into Indiana Jones Journey.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
When do you anticipate DINOSAUR, Dinoland, and Dino-Rama at Animal Kingdom to shut? Assume DINOSAUR will go extinct in April 2025–or shut earlier or later? Assume the Tropical Americas opening shall be moved ahead or delayed? Assume our hypothesis is flawed, and this complete land closes suddenly? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
