A Look at the Potential Tropical Americas Land Layout at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Hey Disney Vacationers! You’ve probably heard the buzz about Disney’s new Tropical Americas Land, officially dubbed Pueblo Esperanza (translated as “Hope Town”). This vibrant addition to Animal Kingdom aims to replace DinoLand U.S.A. and promises immersive attractions, lush theming, and unique experiences. Let’s dive into what the potential Tropical Americas Land layout could look like based on current concept art, permits, and expert speculation, including insights from Len Testa of Disney Dish.

What We Know About the Layout So Far

At the D23 Expo in 2024, Disney unveiled concept art for Tropical Americas, showcasing an inviting entrance, colorful pathways, and lush greenery. Here’s what we’ve gathered about the main features:

Tropical Americas Main Entrance

The entrance will retain much of DinoLand’s existing pathways while incorporating vibrant architecture reminiscent of Latin American towns. Concept art highlights a long building on the right, which Len Testa speculates could serve retail, theming, or possibly even Disney Vacation Club kiosks. This “transitional space” ensures guests seamlessly move into the land’s immersive storyline while keeping functional elements like queues out of immediate sight.

Pueblo Esperanza Fountain

At the heart of the entrance is the Pueblo Esperanza Fountain, surrounded by flowering trees and decorative elements. Len Testa notes that early permit filings indicate plans for decorative landscaping around the fountain, enhancing its vibrant aesthetic and creating a picturesque gathering space.

Main Attractions in Tropical Americas

Tropical Americas will host two major attractions alongside a family-friendly carousel, offering something for every type of guest:

Animal-Themed Carousel

This whimsical carousel features intricately designed animal seats inspired by creatures native to the Americas. Len Testa explains that the queue is thoughtfully placed to the left, ensuring it doesn’t disrupt the land’s entrance experience. Rectangular buildings flanking the carousel’s area are likely designated for queue cover or thematic purposes, ensuring shaded waiting areas and a seamless blend into the land’s storytelling.

New Indiana Jones Attraction

Replacing the beloved Dinosaur ride, this Indiana Jones attraction promises thrills and adventure. Len Testa highlights that the large footprint of the Dinosaur queue—designed to handle significant crowd volumes—provides ample space for updates.

When Dinosaur was originally constructed, Imagineers projected larger crowds, similar to what they observed with the California version of the Indiana Jones attraction. This foresight led to the inclusion of a longer version of the queue, used only during peak times and emergencies, such as the pandemic. The big question now is whether Disney will extend the covered queue to account for Florida’s frequent summer and fall rainstorms. Covering this area to would greatly improve the guest experience, especially during rainy and hot seasons.

Encanto Dark Ride

Themed to the magical Madrigal family, this ride is a cornerstone of Tropical Americas. Here’s what Len Testa suggests:

• Entrance: Faces the carousel, with separate paths for standby and Lightning Lane guests.
• Queue Design: A substantial indoor queue, similar in size to Flight of Passage, ensures comfort and immersive pre-ride storytelling. Early estimates suggest the queue could stretch up to a third of a mile, depending on how Imagineering routes everything.
• Ride Layout: Compact and efficient, maximizing scenes and minimizing wasted space. Expect a “goodbye” scene for a heartwarming finale, along with a spectacular “big show scene” featuring the magical Casita.
• Maintenance Area: Likely located at the top right of the building for easy backstage access, minimizing ride track curves and reducing construction costs.

The Old Boneyard and New Playground

With The Boneyard being removed for the new Animal-Themed Carousel, speculation points to a new, interactive playground being put in new place.

What Could the Playground Look Like?

Theming could go two ways: an Indiana Jones-inspired Mayan dig site or an Encanto-style magical play area. Len Testa discusses the possibility of water features, leveraging new technology like what’s seen in EPCOT’s Moana Journey of Water. This addition could include interactive elements like cascading waterfalls, animal-themed water spouts, and sensory play areas.

Alternate Use: Animal Exhibits

Given Animal Kingdom’s focus on wildlife, this space could host animal trails similar to the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Len Testa highlights that the proximity to backstage areas makes it feasible for animal care and transitions. A walking path lined with lush foliage and interactive animal exhibits would seamlessly blend into the land’s theme and tie into the over arching theme of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Character Meet-and-Greet Locations

Three medium-to-large buildings from the design permits remain unassigned, but they’re likely designated for character greetings and/or retail:

Who Will You Meet?

Dinoland’s existing character greetings are known as Donald’s Dino-Bash. These small, outdoor locations were carved out of corners, nooks, and other spare areas around DinoLand. They’re not great when it’s too hot, too cold, or when it’s raining. Many of these character meet ’n greets were added after the original design of DinoLand U.S.A. to add more entertainment and “Disney” to the land. This time around, Imagineering has the opportunity to build out the character meet ’n greet areas. It’s likely that Disney will want to change these into something more permanent for Tropical Americas.

Expect popular characters like Mirabel and other Madrigals in permanent, air-conditioned spaces. Len Testa compares these setups to Anna and Elsa’s Royal Sommerhus at EPCOT, combining retail with meet-and-greet opportunities. This type of character meet ’n greet space is far more advanced than the majority of the character meet ’n greet areas found around Disney World. The design allows increase guest flow and great capacity. The could even feature rotating character experiences to keep offerings fresh.

Additional Retail and Food Kiosks

Smaller buildings scattered across the land are likely to house themed food kiosks, merchandise shops, and Guest Experience stations. Len Testa notes that these smaller spaces will provide guests with a chance to explore the flavors and crafts of the Americas, enhancing the overall immersion. Could we new activities that are part of the Wilderness Explorers Club or would they be standing activities for the land. Think along the lines of The Pirates League in the Magic Kingdom.

Final Thoughts

While the Tropical Americas Land is still in development, the potential layout already paints an exciting picture of what’s to come. With a mix of thrilling attractions, interactive spaces, and immersive theming, Pueblo Esperanza promises to be a must-visit addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Len Testa’s insights offer a fascinating glimpse into how this vibrant land might take shape. As the project progresses, expect more updates that bring us closer to this vibrant vision. Stay tuned to see how Disney transforms this space into a celebration of culture, adventure, and magic.

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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!