Animal Kingdom is changing. As Walt Disney World’s most recently opened theme park steams towards its 30th birthday in 2028, the park is set to receive its biggest addition since Pandora with the building of the Tropical Americas land, which will feature the fictional setting of Pueblo Esperanza, which will be home attractions based on the Encanto and Indiana Jones franchises. Furthermore, a new Zootopia show is coming to the park’s Tree of Life.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
However, all of those additions are coming at a price. Tropical Americas will be replacing DinoLand, while the Zootopia show will be booting opening day stalwart It’s Tough To Be a Bug. All of which begs the question, is Animal Kingdom about to truly become a half-day park for a few years?
To understand how Animal Kingdom may become a half-day park during the construction, it’s important to look at what the park will be losing during this period. The first portion of DinoLand, Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, closed on January 13th. This shuttered TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures.
TriceraTop Spin
Meanwhile, It’s Tough to Be Bug will be closing on March 17th to make way for the Zootopia: Better Together show, which is coming to the park sometime in “Winter 2025.”
New ‘Zootopia’ show announced at D23 2024
Finally, the second portion of DinoLand, including Dinosaur, has no scheduled closing date as of now. However, Disney’s pronouncement that guests will be able to ride the attraction throughout 2025 before it goes “extinct” leads us to believe that it will be operational for the majority — if not all — of 2025.
DINOSAUR
So, once the second half of DinoLand closes, will that make Animal Kingdom a half-day park? Well, that depends. Once Dinosaur is closed, the park will boast a very thin roster of attractions until Tropical Americas opens, with just Avatar: Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari, Kali River Rapids, and (depending on whether it’s ready or not) Zootopia: Better Together.
Expedition Everest
So, if someone were only heading to Animal Kingdom for rides, it likely would only be a half-day park during the construction period. However, given the fact that Animal Kingdom features so many live animals, and areas that can be explored at a guest’s own pace, those who are going to the park for more than just the rides would likely be able to get a whole day out of the experience. According to Disney, the Pueblo Esperanza land is scheduled to open in 2027, the year before the park turns 30.
@Disney
Animal Kingdom has been seen as a “half day park” for years. But this is really pushing it more into that category for the time being. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Animal Kingdom’s changes.
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I think that even if someone was visiting AK only for the rides, it would still be a full day as the queues for the remaining rides would be longer.