After the night in Anaheim, we know everything Disney revealed at D23 Tropical Americas about Encanto, Indiana Jones, and the new carousel at Animal Kingdom.

DinoLand U.S.A. has been dead for months, and this weekend at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney finally let us see what’s been growing in the crater it left behind. The Tropical Americas expansion at Disney’s Animal Kingdom got its biggest public reveal since the land was first announced back at Destination D23 in 2023, and Imagineering didn’t hold back on the models. We’re talking ride vehicles, animatronics, carousel animals, and a Maya temple facade that finally makes “Indiana Jones is coming to Animal Kingdom” feel real, not theoretical.

No official opening date dropped this weekend (still just a 2027 target, folks), but if you’ve been starving for details since DinoLand’s last operating day back in February, D23 fed you well. Here’s the full breakdown.

Antonio’s Birthday Party Is the Star of the Encanto Ride

Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation Studios Jared Bush, who also happens to be the writer and director of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto, took to the Honda Center stage, giving fans a preview of how this lively land is coming together, including brand new details about the story and inspiration behind the Encanto attraction. 

New Details About the Encanto Attraction at Animal Kingdom –  Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto

Jared reflected on the events of last night’s Studios showcase, where a sensational slate of upcoming films was shared with an enthusiastic audience. When asked by actor Skylar Astin what it’s like bringing those movies to life in the form of theme park experiences, he fondly recalled a legacy that traces all the way back to Walt Disney’s original dream for Disneyland. Walt wanted a place where films could be pulled from the screen and into the real world in a transformative, tangible way, and credits the new Encanto attraction as being a key part of this rich history. 

The first big reveal came with confirmation of the attraction’s official name: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. As previously shared, guests will be invited to celebrate Antonio’s new gift, which is the ability to communicate with animals. Also, the heartwarming message of this adventure is that we are all part of the familia of living things, regardless of our special gifts or abilities. 

Voice actors from Disney Animation’s Encanto return to Casita to lend their voices, including Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow, and Diane Guerrero, playing the roles of Mirabel, Luisa, and Isabella, respectively. A behind-the-scenes video of them recording was shared for the crowd, with Jessica explaining that “it’s sort of a perfect film to take all these colors and excitement out of and allow audiences to immerse themselves in it.” 

Another helpful tidbit we learned? There will be no height requirement for the attraction, so it’s a fun family-friendly item to add to your Animal Kingdom itinerary. 

What Will the Encanto Attraction Be Like?

Jared shared that one of the most fun parts of working with Imagineers on this project has been to expand the world of Encanto as we know it by creating new parts of the Madrigal house you never see in the film. Since the attraction takes place on Antonio’s gift day, a sacred and special occasion for the family, riders are invited to Casita as part of a cheerful celebration. 

When you enter the house, you’ll board a ride vehicle meant to represent the different pieces of furniture assembled by the power of Casita to carry you through the rooms. They feel lively and dynamic, reacting like characters themselves to the scenes unfolding around you, which feels so perfectly representative of what we felt from the film. 

Jared showed a new rendering that details how you’ll move through the house, eventually ending upstairs in Antonio’s room. The space has been transformed into a verdant rainforest, overflowing with animal species of many shapes and sizes. In total, there are more than 50 animals represented inside the attraction, and we got to see a first glimpse at some of them in action, including a very cute capybara receiving a hair trim, along with a toucan and donkey. 

Disney Research Trips

Imagineer Joan Hartwig had previously given us an inside look at the research trip that the team had taken to Colombia, where they saw firsthand how certain colors, materials, and structures interact with things like climate, terrain, and the overall culture of the region. This mission of telling authentic stories with extreme care and attention to detail is present throughout the entire project process – we learned today that Walt Disney Imagineering partnered with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Team to make sure all of the animals included in the attraction are accurate to Colombia. 

The centerpiece of Tropical Americas’ Encanto attraction, housed inside a recreation of the Madrigal family’s magical Casita, will apparently leaning hard into Antonio, the youngest Madrigal and the only member of the family whose gift we’d actually want. The model Imagineering displayed shows off the Casita kitchen decked out for Antonio’s birthday, complete with colorful bunting, a bird perched on the chandelier, and animal friends scattered throughout the scene, including one hiding among his presents.

Rather than retelling the movie beat for beat, this ride sounds like it’ll live inside Antonio’s jungle-bedroom world, which honestly tracks with concept art Disney released back in the spring. If you’re the kind of Disney parks fan who’s already tired of legacy characters getting shoehorned into every new attraction, an Antonio-and-his-animals focus is a refreshingly weird choice, and we are here for it.

D23 Tropical Americas: The Ride Vehicles Are Furniture. Obviously!

Casita famously brings furniture to life in the film, so naturally, Imagineering ran with it. The ride vehicle models shown at D23 are built to look like a piano and a dresser, with guests seated on bench seating styled like couches and chairs, two rows with four seats each. It’s a clever bit of world-building logic: the house is literally building your ride vehicle for you as you walk through it. Animatronic models on display included a donkey hauling party supplies with a toucan perched on top, plus a capybara who turned out to be a bigger deal than expected.

Chispi the Capybara Gets a Promotion

Antonio’s capybara friend Chispi isn’t just appearing in the Encanto ride. She’s also joining the lineup of carved wooden animals on the Tropical Americas carousel, the family-friendly spinner planned for the heart of Pueblo Esperanza. Disney first teased the carousel back at D23 2024 with a single Kevin-from-Up-inspired creature, and this year’s expo added four more riders to the roster: Eeyore, Chispi, Pua from Moana, and Nigel the pelican from Finding Nemo. Each figure is carved in a wood-plank style with a saddle themed to its home movie (tropical flowers for Pua, forest florals for Eeyore) and, per the in-universe backstory, the whole carousel was supposedly built by a local Pueblo Esperanza wood carver. It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of layered storytelling that makes Animal Kingdom’s best lands work.

D23 Tropical Americas: Indiana Jones Finally Gets a Face

Indiana Jones And the Myth of the Jade Serpent is the name of the upcoming Indiana Jones Ride at Animal Kingdom. Also, for the first time, Harrison Ford’s face will be used for the ride’s animatronic.

After expressing his gratitude to fans at D23 for being along for the ride on so many adventures with this beloved character, Harrison Ford briefly shared that he is the actual model for the next Indiana Jones animatronic. He confirmed that this is the first time he will be the face you see on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world. 

Unlike the Indy attractions at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, this one has an original storyline built specifically for Animal Kingdom: Indy uncovers a remarkably well-preserved temple rumored to hide a mythical creature and the underworld. No ride vehicle or scene reveals yet, but the facade alone suggests Disney is treating this as a genuine E-ticket, not a re-skin.

What Inspired the Indiana Jones Attraction?

Also revealed during the Tropical Americas D23 talk were the first details about the ride’s cultural inspiration, new storyline, and the experience guests will have once entering the temple and embarking on this breathtaking quest. 

Imagineers were eager to blend the thrill of a classic Indiana Jones adventure with the rich cultural details that are quintessential to Animal Kingdom, a park that is dedicated to creatures both real and imagined. The attraction takes riders on a journey alongside Indy, beneath an ancient temple ruin, showcasing Maya culture and its profound connection to nature.  

During the Disney Experiences showcase, “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress,” Imagineers Michael Hundgen and Chris Beatty revealed a treasure trove of announcements about everyone’s favorite hero with a snake grudge. The attraction will live in the vibrant, lush new land of Tropical Americas, and includes revolutionary Audio-Animatronics figures, an original storyline, and one grand escapade that transports guests into the world of the ancient Maya alongside Indiana Jones, in a way that only Animal Kingdom could. 

What is the Storyline of the Indiana Jones Attraction? 

On the new ride, guests will rendezvous with Dr. Jones, who is in the midst of exploring this mysterious temple near a once water-filled underground cave, called a cenote. Local legend says the passageway leads directly to the Maya Underworld, and is protected by a serpentine creature: the Tsukán. Michael and Chris provided an animated first look at one of the key scenes. Also, they shared that the adventure takes off when riders are unwittingly sucked through a portal to the Underworld, where they’ll have to escape perilous dangers, like monstrous bats, larger-than-life scorpions, fire and flame, and of course, snakes. 

You may be asking, “why’d it have to be snakes?” and Imagineers have a great answer to that. Chris divulged that you’ll encounter  the Tsukán throughout the attraction, including a final confrontation that will probably solidify your fear of snakes for the rest of time. 

A first look at the gigantic Audio-Animatronics figure was showcased to the crowd, revealing how it completely towers over the Imagineers bringing it to life. Not only that, but the team is taking great care to sculpt the figure by hand, which will make it that much more life-like, and snake-fear-inducing, for guests. 

Third Attraction for Tropical Americas in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

During the D23 showcase, Disney Imagineers shared that this attraction is part of the biggest slate of expansion projects in the history of Walt Disney World, so getting an inside look at this extraordinary feat was such a special treat. 

We first learned of Tropical Americas during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024, where then Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed the new 11-acre section being added to Animal Kingdom. The sprawling land will contain two headlining attractions inspired by Indiana Jones and Disney’s Encanto, in addition to shopping and dining. 

Additionally, families visiting Tropical Americas will find plenty to discover, including El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a brand-new carousel featuring 22 hand-carved animals inspired by Disney and Pixar stories. Riders can spot the likes of Scuttle, Squirt, Pua, Pascal, Simba, Eeyore, Kuzco, Heimlich, and more. Young adventurers can continue the journey in a nearby play area inspired by the Maya, where young explorers can unearth artifacts and investigate the natural wonders of the rainforest through hands-on exploration and play. Also, this ride will have no height requirement.

In recent months, the Imagineers have divulged details about their research trips to places like Honduras, where they’ve learned firsthand about the region’s culture, customs, and folklore. Their experience with native artistry and architecture has served as inspiration when crafting the new land, specifically for the Indiana Jones attraction leveraging observations from the Copán site, one of the most well-preserved cities of the ancient Maya civilization. 

El Carrusel de los Animalitos

New photos revealed during the D23 Tropical Americas presentation showed the progress on construction in the Tropical Americas land, with things starting to really take shape. One of the other attractions that guests of all ages can experience here is the beautiful animal-themed carousel, which was announced today as officially being called  El Carrusel de los Animalitos. 

22 figures of hand-carved animals from beloved Disney and Pixar stories will make up this relaxing ride, and you may have spotted some in the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion on the show floor this weekend. El Carrusel de los Animalitos is a uniquely Animal Kingdom-inspired adaptation of a classic Disney attraction, and I can’t wait to see it come to life. 

So… When Does It Actually Open?

Still no hard date. Disney continues to point to a 2027 opening window for Tropical Americas, and this weekend’s reveals didn’t narrow that down any further. Construction has been moving fast all summer. The tower crane that spent most of the past year looming over the Encanto show building has already come down, which is usually a sign the vertical work is wrapping up. Our money’s still on Disney holding a specific date for a standalone announcement once the walls come down, rather than burying it in a showcase slide. But hey, that’s what I said before this D23, too.

D23 Tropical Americas: Did Someone Say Food?

Final food and beverage plans are still being cooked up, but guests will enjoy eating at a large hacienda, which will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants in all of Walt Disney World Resort property. Also, we can of course expect some spots for souvenir shopping as well, along with a play area inspired by the Maya, where young explorers can unearth artifacts through hands-on play. 

D23 Tropical Americas: The Bottom Line

Between the Encanto scene models, the ride vehicles, the carousel menagerie, and the Indiana Jones temple facade, this was easily the most substantial Tropical Americas update since the land was announced. DinoLand U.S.A. is not walking through that door again, and honestly? Looking at what’s replacing it, I’m not sure anyone’s going to miss it.

For more theme park-related news and information, visit MSM News.

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