A brand new allow filed by Imagineering signifies that the Tropical Americas enlargement of Animal Kingdom is greenlit and able to begin building quickly at Walt Disney world. This put up covers particulars in regards to the potential Indiana Jones, Encanto, and Coco land slated to exchange Dino-Rama and the most recent growth.
Let’s begin by clarifying what this enlargement is and isn’t, because the blue sky daydreaming classes have confused many Walt Disney World followers. To shortly recap, two years in the past on the D23 Expo in California, Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro talked in regards to the “what if” prospects for Animal Kingdom, and confirmed off idea artwork for a Moana space to exchange Dino-Rama and a Zootopia land past that.
Between the specificity within the artwork (it was not ‘impressionistic’ like plenty of Disney idea artwork the place ultimate particulars haven’t firmed up) and rumors on the time, plenty of followers believed this was very near receiving the greenlight–together with us! Then former Disney CEO and umbrella fanatic Bob Chapek was fired and Bob Iger introduced again.
Quick ahead one yr, and each Disney and Imagineering are ‘Underneath New Administration.’ D’Amaro once more takes the stage at Vacation spot D23 in Florida, however this time beneath Iger and alongside newly-returned head Imagineer Bruce Vaughn. Right here is the place issues get a bit complicated, as they engaged in one other blue sky session, but in addition made official bulletins.
Let’s begin with what’s really-for-real occurring in Animal Kingdom. A brand new present primarily based on Zootopia is being created for the Tree of Life theater. There’s been some confusion about whether or not this can be a projection present on the skin of the Tree of Life, nevertheless it’s not–it’s a alternative for the “It’s Powerful to Be a Bug” 3D present inside. The idea artwork ought to make that clear:
The idea for the brand new “Zootopia” expertise has friends visiting the completely different biomes you solely glimpse within the movie, touring together with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and different characters.
I hesitate to learn an excessive amount of into the idea artwork, however it seems that a Officer Clawhauser Audio Animatronics determine will substitute Hopper. This is able to made full sense given each the idea artwork and that Imagineering already created an (lovely) Clawhauser AA for Shanghai Disneyland. There’s an excellent likelihood they made multiple.
Disney has not supplied a date for when “It’s Powerful to Be a Bug” will shut or when the untitled Zootopia present will open. In reality, they haven’t stated something about this present since Vacation spot D23. Our guess is that the present present will shut late this yr or early 2025, with the Zootopia present debuting in Summer season 2025.
Backside line: Zootopia present occurring inside Tree of Life, all different specifics are speculative.
Then there’s the Dino-Rama alternative and enlargement. On the formally introduced facet of the ledger, Disney has confirmed that Imagineering will rework this into a brand new land impressed by a area typically known as “Tropical Americas.”
As a part of their analysis, Imagineers are a few of the most biodiverse areas on the planet within the areas simply north and south of the equator within the Western Hemisphere–the northern a part of South America, stretching up into Central America.
Now the unofficial half: into consideration for the Tropical Americas space are new experiences impressed by Encanto and the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones. It additionally seems to be like the doorway and restaurant would possibly be impressed by Coco, however that IP was not talked about by title.
Whereas on stage, Bruce Vaughn stated the Tropical Americas land would characteristic “genuine experiences” from this space of the world, with placemaking and storytelling you’d count on from Animal Kingdom. “It’s a lovely area to discover and has been the inspiration for therefore many magical tales over time,” added Vaughn.
He additionally indicated that Imagineering had thought of a number of choices for Dino-Rama and Tropical Americas, however that Encanto and Indiana Jones “rose to the highest” as a result of they provide Imagineering “a lot to play with.” Vaughn additionally indicated that there’s “a protracted method to go and much more to find, however our workforce in Florida is throughout it.” All of that implies Tropical Americas that includes Encanto and Indiana Jones is the plan for Dino-Rama.
On the time of Vacation spot D23, we additionally suggested that that is what’s occurring. That it’s just about a executed deal, however Disney simply isn’t prepared to verify for a wide range of causes. With that stated, even some official bulletins from the 2017 and 2019 D23 Expos didn’t come to fruition, so nothing is actually a “executed deal” till it opens. Backside line: Tropical Americas has been formally introduced for Animal Kingdom, principally seemingly with Encanto and Indiana Jones–however these two IPs are usually not absolutely finalized. Coco appears to be within the combine, too.
This brings us to the most recent growth as of March 2024, which is that Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a brand new allow with the South Florida Water Administration District for Animal Kingdom, suggesting that main enlargement is slated to start out quickly.
In essence, the allow outlines a plan to create a Walt Disney Imagineering staging space behind Kali River Rapids. That is NOT the place building will happen. Reasonably, it’s primarily a trailer park for on-site Imagineers that can embody 5 short-term workplace buildings, plus 363 parking areas and a brand new sidewalk with crosswalks down the complete stretch of roadway from the WDI trailer park to behind Dino-Rama.
The allow lists this as being for “Challenge RO” and the proposal itself for the “Challenge RO Trailer Compound” (or ROTC). It doesn’t point out Tropical Americas or Dino-Rama, however between the sidewalk resulting in the undertaking web site and prior bulletins, the allow’s objective is patently apparent. You’ll be able to obtain the total 25-page allow file from the SFWMD authorities web site right here (warning: it’s 40MB and there’s nothing attention-grabbing past the photographs already posted right here).
As a little bit of shade commentary and context, any such trailer park and staging space just isn’t unusual for large-scale building initiatives at Walt Disney World the place Imagineering doesn’t have already got backstage workplaces. Simply going from reminiscence, there have been related compounds created for New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, Hyperion Wharf/Disney Springs, and Pandora – World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom.
It’s the kind of factor created when there’s a large undertaking, and never only a reimagining or perhaps a single new attraction. The presence of this trailer compound is, itself, an excellent sign in regards to the scale and scope of the Tropical Americas undertaking. (And maybe extra that has but to be introduced…)
Equally as important, it’s a potential sign that that is being led in-house by a Florida-based workforce of Imagineers. It caught my consideration that Bruce Vaughn stated this was being led by a workforce in Florida final yr at Vacation spot D23, however I wrote it off as one thing that would change or would possibly simply be a throwaway line for an viewers in Florida.
Nevertheless, a Florida-based workforce for this undertaking is sensible. For one factor, although the Lake Nona undertaking was cancelled, some Imagineers had already relocated to Central Florida. They offered properties and upended their lives in California–and are nonetheless in Florida. For an additional factor, plenty of any such work is project-based.
Common Artistic nonetheless has different initiatives up its sleeve after Epic Universe, however they’re nonetheless seemingly trying to downsize after that new park. In the meantime, Imagineering must workers again up. So historical past will repeat itself and workers will bounce between the 2 inventive organizations, but once more.
From my perspective, having extra Florida-based initiatives for Walt Disney World is a nice factor. Whereas I like the historical past that Imagineering has in Glendale and it was heartbreaking to see that each one unfold, the issue was the “how” of that. It was callous and chilly, meant (not less than partially) as a layoff in disguise. Against this, Imagineering having robust presences in each California and Florida is a good factor.
That is an underappreciated win, and one I hope continues with all the different enlargement deliberate for Walt Disney World. Initiatives like this needs to be led by individuals who stay in Florida, who may give it their undivided consideration and aren’t simply flying in from LAX each different week. Amongst different issues, I’m trying ahead to design by individuals who have firsthand expertise with a factor often known as “rain.”
I’m not going to rehash my commentary from the unique announcement finally yr’s Vacation spot D23, a lot of which centered on why Animal Kingdom is Disney’s prime precedence proper now. That’s price studying when you query the choice to maneuver ahead with enlargement at Animal Kingdom versus Past Large Thunder at Magic Kingdom or potential initiatives at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.
As additionally talked about there, I like the thought of reimagining DINOSAUR into Indiana Jones Journey. For individuals who are unaware, Dinosaur and Indiana Jones Journey at Disneyland use the very same journey system and even a really related observe structure. Regardless of this, Indiana Jones Journey is considerably superior. It’s not even shut. There’s additionally a model of Indiana Jones Journey at Tokyo DisneySea, which iterated on points with the unique and streamlined the journey. Every have their very own distinctive twists, and I’d count on that to proceed with Indiana Jones Journey at Animal Kingdom.
Truthfully, that is one state of affairs the place my dream method includes Disney going the “quick and low-cost” route and merging the worlds of dinosaurs and Indiana Jones–a better of each worlds attraction that may be achieved with a smaller price range and faster turnaround time. Whereas I’d nonetheless wish to see this occur, I now have motive to imagine it won’t happen–that the modifications from DINOSAUR to Indiana Jones Journey are literally fairly important.
Regardless, it’s secure to count on that the Tropical Americas undertaking will open in phases, with the Indiana Jones facet debuting earlier than the Encanto facet. I’d count on these to be the 2026 and 2027 tentpole additions at Walt Disney World. Hopefully these timelines are on the conservative facet, and each initiatives are executed sooner. As demonstrated by Tiana’s Bayou Journey, Disney can construct shortly when there’s a way of urgency. Maybe they lastly have that.
In the case of urgency, a constructive right here is the timing of this allow’s submitting. This beginning now means that Disney is able to really get to work. That would imply that, as a substitute of asserting on the D23 Expo in August after which ready one other 6 months to really put shovel-to-soil, Disney would possibly begin earlier than really asserting. Go the Common route, for as soon as. (Effectively, as long as you ignore the blue sky classes from the final two years.)
It’s potential that the announcement will happen at Disney’s Annual Assembly of Shareholders on April 3, 2024. That is what I’d love to see occur. Animal Kingdom enlargement has been the discuss of two consecutive D23 occasions, and doing the identical at a 3rd–even when it’s lastly for actual and rather more detailed–is perhaps a bit a lot. Nevertheless, I solely suppose an announcement solely occurs on the shareholder assembly if Disney already has a sufficiently strong slate for the D23 Expo and desires to shift a few of that earlier. (Mainly, this being introduced earlier can be a bullish signal for D23 Expo.)
For reference, I dug by means of the DTB archives to seek out the water allow dates for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Journey at EPCOT. These had been filed in mid-Could 2017, with the D23 Expo being about 2 months later, in July 2017. Maybe most critically, these permits opened the floodgates on the rumor mill, and each sights had been an open secret lengthy earlier than Disney formally introduced them.
The hole between at this time and the 2024 D23 Expo is even longer, and it’s potential that Disney has discovered from its mistake and can need to get out forward of this information. Or maybe not. Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Journey had been first unveiled on the 2017 D23 Expo, and never teased for two years prior. The cat is already principally outta the bag on Tropical Americas. It’s the specifics we don’t but know.
Nevertheless, the rumor mill is already kicking into overdrive, so I’d think about much more turns into an open secret if an announcement isn’t made earlier than the 2024 D23 Expo. (Critically. If sure rumblings show to be correct, this trailer park will outlast the Tropical Americas undertaking, as there are multiphase plans in movement for Animal Kingdom enlargement.) It’ll be an attention-grabbing saga to observe unfold–we’ll hold you posted!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Lodges Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot you have to know!
Your Ideas
Excited that Imagineering has already filed permits for a trailer park behind DAK? Are you optimistic that this may usher in an period of enlargement at Walt Disney World? What do you consider the Tropical Americas enlargement introduced for Animal Kingdom? What in regards to the potential of Indiana Jones and Encanto in DAK? Excited or underwhelmed by the (potential) plan? Or, are you in wait and see mode with this? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
