Is Disney World Really Opening the Tropical Americas Rides in 2027?
Walt Disney World says Tropical Americas 2027 is still on for Animal Kingdom, with the Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions. Walt Disney World keeps promising Encanto and Indiana Jones in 2027. Here is why that promise makes us nervous, and why we hope we are wrong.
Walt Disney World turns 55 on Thursday, October 1, and the resort is celebrating by saying a lot of new things are coming in 2027. Disney once again says both of its major rides will be a part of Tropical Americas 2027. We would love for that to be true. We also have some concerns, and we’ll share them in a calm, measured way.
What Disney Actually Said (About Tropical Americas 2027)
The anniversary statement opens by saying Walt Disney World is not slowing down, and then lists the construction currently underway across the resort. The list is short, but notice how often one year shows up:
- Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with a theater show, dining and a merchandise shop, opening in 2027.
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opening July 1, 2027.
- Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions, opening in 2027.
- The largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, including a Cars area and Villains Land, with no year attached.
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort room refurbishments, also with no year attached.
- Three of the five items say 2027. Only one of them, Lakeshore Lodge, comes with an actual date. The rest get the year and a hopeful smile.
Why Two Rides in 2027 Makes Us Nervous
Tropical Americas is an 11-acre land replacing DinoLand U.S.A., with three attractions: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos, plus a playground and a very large quick-service restaurant. The Encanto ride is the first of its kind at any Disney park, with more than 50 animals and a family-friendly design. The Indiana Jones ride brings a giant Tsukan audio-animatronic and an Indy figure modeled after Harrison Ford.
That is a lot of ride to finish in the next 12 months. DINOSAUR closed for good on February 2, 2026, so the Indiana Jones attraction is a major reimagining of that building and not a paint job. Construction has clearly progressed. Recent updates show the entry arch framing, village rooflines and rockwork taking shape. Still, Imagineering broke ground in January 2025, and a long list of work remains between rockwork and a working dark ride with a gigantic animatronic snake.
Nobody outside Disney knows the schedule, and we are not predicting one. Other outlets have floated their own guesses, including a late-2027 Indiana Jones opening and a spring 2028 Encanto opening. Permit paperwork reported in May also runs on the Encanto side through May 2027. None of that is official. It is just what happens when a company gives a year, not a date, and the fan community gets out the calculators.
Walt Disney World Has Moved Dates Before
This is the part where we remind everyone that Walt Disney World has been here before. TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind were both pitched around the resort’s 50th anniversary, and both opened later, with the pandemic playing a big role in those delays. That is a fair caveat, and we want to be fair. Still, it does show how quickly an “opening in the year” can turn into “opening in the following year.”
The risk is not that Walt Disney World is lying. The risk is that a year-based promise leaves less room to adjust, and backtracking later is much more awkward than saying, “W will share a date when we are confident.” If the date slips, Walt Disney World will have some explaining to do.
Why Disney’s Animal Kingdom Needs This
Here is the other side of my feelings. I really want this to happen on time. Disney’s Animal Kingdom desperately needs it. With DINOSAUR and DinoLand U.S.A. closed, Tropical Americas is the only major project underway at the park, so very little new capacity is coming online elsewhere.
Both Tropical Americas rides would help with crowds. Encanto has no height requirement and should appeal to the whole family, while Indiana Jones is the thrill ride that gives the land a second draw. Add the carousel, the playground and a big restaurant, and you have a land built to spread people out, which is exactly what this park needs.
Tropical Americas 2027: What to Watch For
If you are planning a Walt Disney World trip around Tropical Americas, our honest advice is to hold off on locking in your dates until Walt Disney World announces an opening season or a specific date. Keep an eye out for ride testing, cast member previews, and any Main Street Magic updates. Also, if you can plan a trip that is still fun without the new land, you will be happy either way.
So, will Tropical Americas open with both rides in 2027? We hope so. We wouldn’t be shocked if that big promise gets a little smaller by next summer. We will be here to cover it either way.
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