Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new notice of commencement for facility demolition ahead of the upcoming first phase of closures for DinoLand U.S.A. in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Imagineering Files Notice of Commencement for Facility Demolition in DinoLand
The permit lists “Facility demo” as the “General description of Improvement,” specified for 614 Dinoland Drive in Bay Lake, Florida. Whiting-Turner is listed as the contractor on the permit; the contracting company has worked with Disney in the past on a number of projects, and is also listed on the permit for “Area Development” that was recently filed for 616 Dinoland Drive.
According to WDWMagic, this permit entails demolition specifically for the TriceraTop Spin and Fossil Fun Games area in Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, which are both set to close alongside Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures on January 13. Above is a screenshot from Google Maps, with a red tag marking the permit address location.
The permit expires on December 30, 2025, giving crews until the end of this year to complete their demolition work.
DINOSAUR, The Boneyard, Dino-Bite Snacks, Trilo-Bites, and Restaurantosaurus will remain open for now, though a closing date for those offerings will come later. DINOSAUR will stay open through all of 2025, with Disney saying that guests will have plenty of time to experience the attraction before it permanently closes.
DinoLand U.S.A. will soon be a thing of the past, with the footprint to be taken over by the previously announced Tropical Americas expansion. This new area will include an “Encanto” ride taking over the area of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama and Primeval Whirl, DINOSAUR being rethemed into an Indiana Jones attraction. There will also be a wood-carved carousel featuring Disney creatures. The new land is scheduled to open in 2027.
Disney filed its first Notice of Commencement on the project in May 2024. Another permit was filed in July to construct Imagineering trailers. In October, another permit was filed with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) that included demolition plans. SFWMD later submitted a Request for Additional Information (RAI) on the project.
Will you be sad to see this first phase of DinoLand’s closure begin next week? Or are you ready for the Tropical Americas? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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