South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has requested additional information about Disney’s permit for the Tropical Americas land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Tropical Americas Construction
The project, dubbed “Project Ro” in the permits, will replace DinoLand U.S.A. with Pueblo Esperanza. Disney’s permit covered “infrastructure modifications to support the re-theming,” including details regarding stormwater management.
In the SFWMD’s RAI (Request for Additional Information), they only asked for clarification on two points. Firstly, they asked for documentation proving the authority of Jose Garrido, who submitted Disney’s application. Secondly, they asked Disney to revise their stormwater management system to provide a required one-half inch of dry detention or retention pre-treatment. They also included a brochure regarding Florida’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System as an advisory that does not require a response from Disney.
The two-page letter is a relatively minimal response. SFWMD’s RAI regarding Disney’s transformation of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America into a Cars area was six pages, asking for several clarifications and changes.
The demolition of DinoLand and the construction of Pueblo Esperanza will happen in phases. Disney filed their first notice of commencement for construction in May and more permits in July. Though Disney originally said work would begin in the fall of 2024, they later announced the first phase of closures, including TriceraTop Spin, would be in January 2025. DINOSAUR, The Boneyard, and restaurants will remain open for longer. Primeval Whirl permanently closed and was demolished in 2021.
DINOSAUR will be reimagined into an Indiana Jones attraction. A new “Encanto” attraction will take over the footprint of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama. These are scheduled to open in 2027. The third new attraction will be a wood-carved carousel of Disney animals.
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