It’s official: DINOSAUR is now closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, marking the end of the last major piece of DinoLand U.S.A. as Disney clears the area for its upcoming Tropical Americas expansion.
If you’re trying to pin down the dates (because Disney timelines can get confusing real fast), here’s the clean version:
- Feb. 1, 2026 was the last day guests could ride DINOSAUR.
- Feb. 2, 2026 is when the broader “DinoLand is closed” headlines started rolling in as the land fully cleared out for what’s next.
Either way, the end result is the same: the park’s opening-day dinosaur-themed area is done.
What exactly closed (beyond just the ride)
DINOSAUR was the headline, but it wasn’t the only closure tied to the final phase. Along with the attraction, the nearby Dino-themed locations like Restaurantosaurus, Restaurantosaurus Lounge, and the Dino Institute Shop were also included in the final “last day” lineup on Feb. 1.
Most of the land had already been winding down for a while, including:
- TriceraTop Spin
- Fossil Fun Games
- Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures
- The Boneyard playground
So while this weekend felt sudden to me online, the reality is that DINOSAUR was basically the final anchor keeping the area feeling “alive.”
A quick history of DINOSAUR (and why it stood out)
DINOSAUR opened with the park on April 22, 1998, but it didn’t originally go by that name. Early on it was called Countdown to Extinction before being rebranded in the era when Disney wanted tighter synergy with its 2000 animated film called Dinosaur.
What made it memorable wasn’t just the dinosaur theme, it was the whole vibe of the ride. It had a “science institution” setup (called the Dino Institute) that felt like a real museum project with corporate sponsorship energy. It also had a mission structure that turned into a slightly reckless rescue operation, and a ride experience that was loud, dark and genuinely intense compared to most of Disney’s lineup when it opened.
Also, it’s worth noting that the ride system really mattered here. DINOSAUR used Disney’s enhanced motion vehicle technology (EMV), which is the same type of ride system that debuted at Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure in the mid-1990s. That connection is part of why the Indy replacement makes a lot more sense on paper…oh right, DINOSAUR is getting replaced by Indiana Jones. Forgot to mention that until now.
Why Disney is doing this: Tropical Americas and Pueblo Esperanza
Disney’s plan is to replace DinoLand with an approximately 11-acre area themed to the Tropical Americas, set in a fictional town called Pueblo Esperanza, with a current target of 2027 for the opening.
These are the two big attraction components Disney has already talked about:
- An Indiana Jones attraction set in a Maya temple, which Disney has emphasized will NOT just be a copy of the Disneyland version.
- The first-ever ride-through attraction themed to Encanto, set inside the Casita with Antonio’s room transforming into a rainforest.
That’s the official high-level plan. We’ll get more specifics probably once construction walls, permits and visible vertical progress start telling the real story.
Joe Rohde’s comments add some interesting context
Former Imagineer Joe Rohde weighed in on the closure, and his perspective is important because he wa heavily involved in the park’s original creative DNA.
His overall message (this is paraphrased): DinoLand had a layered concept and a specific sense of humor, but it also had compromises that came from building the park under tight cost constraints at the time. He also said he’s been watching the new project develop from afar and feels the team is doing strong work.
That’s about as close as we’ll probably get to a respectful “yeah it was imperfect, but I still loved it” farewell. It frames the change as more than just “old ride out, IP ride in” which is definitely good.
MCO airport says goodbye too??
One of the more surreal details from the final weekend is that Orlando International Airport posted a tribute video that playfully references the attraction’s famous preshow lines and the ride’s “mission.” It’s a small thing, but it shows how embedded this ride was in the broader Orlando theme park culture.
My take: why this closure is a bigger deal than it looks
DINOSAUR wasn’t just a simple dino-themed ride. It really was one of Animal Kingdom’s few true thrill-leaning rides, amplified by the fact that it was a dark ride. It gave that corner of the park a distinct identity that wasn’t trying to necessarily be “pretty” or “serene.” It was scary and intense, and that was fun.
Tropical Americas could absolutely be a net win, especially if Disney nails the “place-making” that Animal Kingdom does best. But the bar is set pretty high in my opinion, because Animal Kingdom additons tend to age best when they feel grounded, not just a simple brand tie-in (see the recent Zootopia show for an example of the latter).
The good news: the early concept art and the scale suggest Disney is trying to do something really substantial, not just a quick overlay.
. . .
Did you get a last ride on DINOSAUR, or were you already moved on when the rest of DinoLand started closing, and didn’t bother to ride it again?And are you more excited about the Indiana Jones replacement or the Encanto ride-through? Leave a reply and tell me where you’re at with this one. Thanks for reading, see yo uin the next article!
Sources:
https://disneyparksblog.com/wdw/tropical-americas-encanto-indiana-jones-animal-kingdom/
https://blooloop.com/dinoland-usa-closed-disney-world/
https://ew.com/disney-world-closes-dinosaur-ride-new-indiana-jones-attraction-11896214
https://blogmickey.com/2026/02/joe-rohde-comments-dinosaur-dinoland-usa-closure/
https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/dinosaur-mcos-version/
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