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DinoLand U.S.A.’s Surreal Final Chapter

Joshua
Written by Joshua Posted
DinoLand U.S.A.’s Surreal Final Chapter

The slow dismantling of DinoLand U.S.A. has to be one of the strangest farewells in theme park history. The phased closing started last January with the removal of Triceratop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and the Cementosaurus. Earlier this month, construction walls surrounded The Boneyard. And on February 1, the land takes its final bow when DINOSAUR and Restaurantosaurus close for good. Dr. Grant Seeker will soon hijack his last Time Rover. I’ll miss being his pawn.

The Boneyard behind construction walls

We recently walked through what’s left of DinoLand, and it was surreal. On the day we visited, The Boneyard’s towering Brachiosaurus and giant sign still stood, but both have since been removed. A friend of the site shared photos of what remains of the E-ticket free-play area.

Two excavators in what used to be The Boneyard
A demolished Boneyard in Animal Kingdom
A demolished Boneyard in Animal Kingdom

Bioreconstruct’s aerial photos confirm what ground photos show. The Boneyard is gone.

Bioreconstruct's aerial shot of the Tropical Americas construction in Animal Kingdom
Photo courtesy of Bioreconstruct
Bioreconstruct's aerial shot of the Tropical Americas construction in Animal Kingdom
DINOSAUR (bottom) is DinoLand’s last attraction. Photo courtesy of Bioreconstruct.
Bioreconstruct's aerial shot of the Tropical Americas construction in Animal Kingdom
A guest walkway (left) cuts through the Tropical Americas construction. Photo courtesy of Bioreconstruct.

A detour and plenty of construction walls

To reach DINOSAUR, guests are being directed around the shuttered playground. They eventually reach a narrow corridor, surrounded by construction walls. An Encanto-themed area has gone vertical on the left-hand side. An animal-themed carousel will replace the playground on the right.

A DinoLand walkway surrounded by Tropical Americas construction walls

As always, Disney’s construction walls are top-notch (Tropical Americas murals, bats, and signs offer a peek at what’s coming). But there are just so many of them. I can’t imagine this playing out in any other park. Yet Animal Kingdom, in desperate need of ride capacity, has to keep DINOSAUR running as long as possible. The trade-off? A maze of walls and detours.

An artist concept of Tropical Americas painted on a construction wall
Tropical Americas concept art
An Encanto mural on Animal Kingdom's construction walls
Concept art for the Encanto-themed area coming to Tropical Americas
A sign on an Animal Kingdom construction wall that says 'Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?'
A construction wall sign highlighting the Indiana Jones-themed attraction that is replacing DINOSAUR
Animal Kingdom construction walls
Bats on a construction wall hint at what is coming to the Indiana Jones attraction
Tropical Americas theming on Animal Kingdom construction walls

Just today, crews began installing a tower crane that will be used to build an Encanto-themed attraction. Lucky for us, Derek Bell was there to document it.

A tower crane being installed at Tropical Americas
A tower crane goes vertical in Animal Kingdom. Photo courtesy of Derek Bell
Cranes visible in DinoLand U.S.A.
Cranes and excavators dominate DinoLand’s sight lines. Photo courtesy of Derek Bell.
DinoLand U.S.A. sign with a crane in the distance
The DinoLand sign needs one more word: extinction. Photo courtesy of Derek Bell.

What’s next?

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! will help Animal Kingdom’s capacity issues once it debuts in 45 days, but only a little. Disney also bumped up Kali River Rapids’ annual refurbishment so it reopens before DinoLand’s farewell. Still, starting February 2, the rest of Animal Kingdom will need to absorb DINOSAUR’s lost capacity.

For ride-focused guests, the park will continue to feel like a half-day experience. We know better. Animal Kingdom still has plenty to offer, even without DinoLand. But the truth is, the park will be going through some things, and soon. Let’s all enjoy one last DINOSAUR ride and a Restaurantosaurus burger before that happens.

Read more: Restaurantosaurus Menu Items Moving to Harambe Market in 2026