A new “Encanto”-themed photo opportunity now greets guests as they walk toward the entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, its debut coinciding with the company’s announcement that the 2021 film may soon receive even larger representation at the park. Disney announced during Destination D23 2023 that Walt Disney Imagineering is currently conceptualizing a Tropical Americas-themed overhaul of Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with “Encanto” included as one of the land’s pillar intellectual property tie-ins.
New “Encato” Photo Op at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The photo opportunity is located in the plaza outside of Disney Animal Kingdom’s main entrance, past the security checkpoint. The set is layered and contains two pieces: a vibrant foreground containing characters from and references to the film, and a green background with a quilted aesthetic. Guests stand between the two layers when getting their photo taken.
The front layer contains a vibrant green border with stained wood markings. The Disney’s Animal Kingdom logo appears along the top of the board at its center and is flanked by stylized depictions of snakes on either side. A hummingbird, butterfly, chameleon, and mouse appear as carvings in the corners of the board.
Antonio Madrigal appears on the board, with Pico the toucan sitting on his shoulder. Antonio has the gift of being able to communicate with and summon animals, and he’s done just that on this board; he’s surrounded by a capybara, jaguar, and parrot, among many other vividly-colored animals. Casa Madrigal, affectionately referred to as “Casita” in the film, also appears on the board in its restored glory.
The background looks like a quilt and features traditional Colombian patterns, even containing a section that features a toucan. The “Encanto” photo op replaces the “Up” set that previously occupied the space.
“Encanto” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Walt Disney World
Representation of “Encanto” has steadily increased at Walt Disney World since the film’s release in late 2021, with Disney’s Animal Kingdom, at least currently, set to be the movie’s permanent home. Walt Disney Imagineering spoke of a potential Tropical Americas-themed land replacing Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the “A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” presentation at Destination D23, and “Encanto” plays a very large role in the current concept. Casa Madrigal was included in the initial concept art shared of the land.
“Indiana Jones” was another franchise teased to be included in the new land as a replacement for DINOSAUR. Imagery from “Coco,” a 2017 Pixar film set in Mexico, was also included in the concept art. As with all concept art, the work shown at Destination D23 may not be reflective of the final product.
“Encanto” currently has a presence at Magic Kingdom, as Mirabel Madrigal has appeared in the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade since 2022. A Mirabel meet and greet is scheduled to debut at the park on September 15, the same day that Bruno Madrigal will join Mirabel in the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade. Further representation may be coming, as Walt Disney World recently posted a casting call for a Luisa Madrigal performer.
Will you be checking out the new “Encanto” photo op at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments.
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