- Mar 13, 2024
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There are a LOT of exciting things in the works at Disney World right now!
Overview of Pueblo Esperanza coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Construction is underway on MAJOR land rethemes or expansions in almost every Disney World park right now! In Magic Kingdom, both Villains Land and the Cars-themed Piston Peak are in development. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is plugging away on construction for Monstropolis. And over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, crews are hard at work on Pueblo Esperanza, a land themed to the Tropical Americas. So far, Pueblo Esperanza is the only new land that Disney World has given an official opening timeline for. But will it be ready to welcome guests by the 2027 opening announced by Disney? Let’s take a look!
At the 2023 D23 Expo, Josh D’Amaro shared that Disney would be “building on what makes Animal Kingdom so, so special,” with a new area focused on the Tropical Americas!
Tropical Americas
The land, which was later officially named Pueblo Esperanza, will occupy an 11-acre space in the former DinoLand, U.S.A. area of Animal Kingdom, which was officially closed in 2026 to allow for construction on the new land.
Pueblo Esperanza construction
Pueblo Esperanza will highlight the Tropical Americas through the stories of Encanto and Indiana Jones.
The new land will be home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride. Plus, there will also be a carousel as a third ride option.
Model of the Encanto ride
The all-new Encanto-themed ride will feature the family Madrigal inside the enchanted Casita.
©Disney
Based on the concept art, it appears to be a boat ride. Disney has shared that the ride’s story will begin just as Antonio has received his special gift and his room becomes a beautiful rainforest, and “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…”
The Indiana Jones ride will also be a new attraction, with a different storyline from the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction in Disneyland.
©Disney
Disney has described the ride as following “the man with the hat” during a time when he has “recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.”
The large carousel attraction is “sculpted by a local woodcarver,” and it will include some familiar Disney characters.
A carousel model of Kevin on display at the D23 Ultimate Fan Convention
We’ve seen a sneak peek of some of the animals that will be included on the ride, like Kevin, from Up!
Disney has revealed that the area will feature classic Spanish-style architecture with a large hacienda that will serve as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Disney World.
Pueblo Esperanza Market
©Disney
There’s also a new play area coming to Pueblo Esperanza.
Pueblo Esperanza Concept Art ©Disney
The lush colors and rich biodiversity of the Tropical Rainforest will be on full display, and at the center of Pueblo Esperanza will be a large fountain where stories will be told by gathering villagers.
The closure of DinoLand took place in phases, beginning with TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures at Animal Kingdom, which all closed on January 13th, 2025.
Shortly after the first phase of DinoLand closures, on January 18th, 2025, Disney shared photos of an official groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off construction of Pueblo Esperanza.
©Disney
From that point, construction began in the closed areas while operations in the rest of DinoLand continued.
The next phases of DinoLand closures began in the second half of 2025, starting with the Boneyard play area which permanently closed on September 2nd, 2025. Dino-Bite Snacks and Trilo-Bites then closed on October 20th, 2025.
Trilo-Bites
The remainder of DinoLand closed on February 2nd, 2026.
DINOSAUR is gone, y’all
This included the DINOSAUR ride, the Dino Institute Shop, Restaurantosaurus, and Restaurantosaurus Lounge.
Some of the construction on Pueblo Esperanza is visible from within the park, peeking out from behind the construction walls.
Pueblo Esperanza construction
We’ve also seen overhead shots shared by @bioreconstruct that give an aerial view of the construction progress. In a photo that was posted in April 2026, we can see some of the steel frame for the new carousel.
©bioreconstruct
A wider shot also shows how Disney is using trees to hide some of the construction work, creating a visual barrier between an Animal Kingdom walking path and the work site.
©bioreconstruct
Another April 2026 update shows work happening at what used to be the DINOSAUR ride, but will become the new Indiana Jones attraction, visible in the top left of this overview photo.
©bioreconstruct
Looking at other April progress shots, we see construction staging at what will be the center of Pueblo Esperanza, including construction for the Encanto ride to the right.
©bioreconstruct
This photo shows the steel frame for the Encanto ride’s pre-show and queue. The lighter steel frame on the right could be for the ride’s exit.
©bioreconstruct
Here’s a full view of the April progress on the MASSIVE show building for the Encanto ride.
©bioreconstruct
These April updates show that progress is being made on all three of the land’s new attractions.
Disney previously announced that Pueblo Esperanza is expected to open in 2027.
Pueblo Esperanza Construction
Disney hasn’t given a specific opening date or even an expected season/time of year, but they typically provide more detailed opening information on projects as construction progresses.
Since Disney World has only given a broad opening timeline of 2027 so far, they technically still have over a full year to complete construction for Pueblo Esperanza to open “on time.”
Construction Progress
Disney typically narrows down opening timelines with specific seasons or dates as things get closer to completion, so the window for an “on time” opening will likely narrow later, when an official update is given.
Crane
As we previously covered, we’ve seen what appears to be good construction progress happening on all three of the land’s attractions, as well as on other features throughout the land.
©bioreconstruct
Between the wide opening timeline Disney has announced and the steady construction progress, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that an on-time opening for Pueblo Esperanza is in the cards!
We’ll be on the lookout for any further updates about construction milestones, grand opening dates, or exciting Pueblo Esperanza details, so stay tuned to Magical Guides for the latest news!
What are you most excited to experience in Pueblo Esperanza? Let us know in the comments!
Overview of Pueblo Esperanza coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Construction is underway on MAJOR land rethemes or expansions in almost every Disney World park right now! In Magic Kingdom, both Villains Land and the Cars-themed Piston Peak are in development. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is plugging away on construction for Monstropolis. And over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, crews are hard at work on Pueblo Esperanza, a land themed to the Tropical Americas. So far, Pueblo Esperanza is the only new land that Disney World has given an official opening timeline for. But will it be ready to welcome guests by the 2027 opening announced by Disney? Let’s take a look!
What Is Pueblo Esperanza?
At the 2023 D23 Expo, Josh D’Amaro shared that Disney would be “building on what makes Animal Kingdom so, so special,” with a new area focused on the Tropical Americas!
Tropical Americas
The land, which was later officially named Pueblo Esperanza, will occupy an 11-acre space in the former DinoLand, U.S.A. area of Animal Kingdom, which was officially closed in 2026 to allow for construction on the new land.
Pueblo Esperanza construction
Pueblo Esperanza will highlight the Tropical Americas through the stories of Encanto and Indiana Jones.
Encanto Attraction
The new land will be home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride. Plus, there will also be a carousel as a third ride option.
Model of the Encanto ride
The all-new Encanto-themed ride will feature the family Madrigal inside the enchanted Casita.
©Disney
Based on the concept art, it appears to be a boat ride. Disney has shared that the ride’s story will begin just as Antonio has received his special gift and his room becomes a beautiful rainforest, and “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…”
Indiana Jones Attraction
The Indiana Jones ride will also be a new attraction, with a different storyline from the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction in Disneyland.
©Disney
Disney has described the ride as following “the man with the hat” during a time when he has “recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Carousel
The large carousel attraction is “sculpted by a local woodcarver,” and it will include some familiar Disney characters.
A carousel model of Kevin on display at the D23 Ultimate Fan Convention
We’ve seen a sneak peek of some of the animals that will be included on the ride, like Kevin, from Up!
Other Pueblo Esperanza Attractions & Details
Disney has revealed that the area will feature classic Spanish-style architecture with a large hacienda that will serve as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Disney World.
Pueblo Esperanza Market
©Disney
There’s also a new play area coming to Pueblo Esperanza.
Pueblo Esperanza Concept Art ©Disney
The lush colors and rich biodiversity of the Tropical Rainforest will be on full display, and at the center of Pueblo Esperanza will be a large fountain where stories will be told by gathering villagers.
Pueblo Esperanza Construction
The closure of DinoLand took place in phases, beginning with TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures at Animal Kingdom, which all closed on January 13th, 2025.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Shortly after the first phase of DinoLand closures, on January 18th, 2025, Disney shared photos of an official groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off construction of Pueblo Esperanza.
©Disney
From that point, construction began in the closed areas while operations in the rest of DinoLand continued.
Phased DinoLand Closures
The next phases of DinoLand closures began in the second half of 2025, starting with the Boneyard play area which permanently closed on September 2nd, 2025. Dino-Bite Snacks and Trilo-Bites then closed on October 20th, 2025.
Trilo-Bites
The remainder of DinoLand closed on February 2nd, 2026.
DINOSAUR is gone, y’all
This included the DINOSAUR ride, the Dino Institute Shop, Restaurantosaurus, and Restaurantosaurus Lounge.
Construction Progress
Some of the construction on Pueblo Esperanza is visible from within the park, peeking out from behind the construction walls.
Pueblo Esperanza construction
We’ve also seen overhead shots shared by @bioreconstruct that give an aerial view of the construction progress. In a photo that was posted in April 2026, we can see some of the steel frame for the new carousel.
©bioreconstruct
A wider shot also shows how Disney is using trees to hide some of the construction work, creating a visual barrier between an Animal Kingdom walking path and the work site.
©bioreconstruct
Another April 2026 update shows work happening at what used to be the DINOSAUR ride, but will become the new Indiana Jones attraction, visible in the top left of this overview photo.
©bioreconstruct
Looking at other April progress shots, we see construction staging at what will be the center of Pueblo Esperanza, including construction for the Encanto ride to the right.
©bioreconstruct
This photo shows the steel frame for the Encanto ride’s pre-show and queue. The lighter steel frame on the right could be for the ride’s exit.
©bioreconstruct
Here’s a full view of the April progress on the MASSIVE show building for the Encanto ride.
©bioreconstruct
These April updates show that progress is being made on all three of the land’s new attractions.
Opening Timeline
Disney previously announced that Pueblo Esperanza is expected to open in 2027.
Pueblo Esperanza Construction
Disney hasn’t given a specific opening date or even an expected season/time of year, but they typically provide more detailed opening information on projects as construction progresses.
Will Pueblo Esperanza Open On Time?
Since Disney World has only given a broad opening timeline of 2027 so far, they technically still have over a full year to complete construction for Pueblo Esperanza to open “on time.”
Construction Progress
Disney typically narrows down opening timelines with specific seasons or dates as things get closer to completion, so the window for an “on time” opening will likely narrow later, when an official update is given.
Crane
As we previously covered, we’ve seen what appears to be good construction progress happening on all three of the land’s attractions, as well as on other features throughout the land.
©bioreconstruct
Between the wide opening timeline Disney has announced and the steady construction progress, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that an on-time opening for Pueblo Esperanza is in the cards!
We’ll be on the lookout for any further updates about construction milestones, grand opening dates, or exciting Pueblo Esperanza details, so stay tuned to Magical Guides for the latest news!
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What are you most excited to experience in Pueblo Esperanza? Let us know in the comments!
