Hi, Brittany!
I'm so glad you stopped by planDisney as you prepare for your upcoming visit!
As you mentioned, it was
recently announced at D23 that DinoLand U.S.A. in
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park would be undergoing a reimagining in the coming years and will become a new Tropical Americas-themed space known as Pueblo Esperanza inspired by the stories of Encanto and Indiana Jones. While I am sad to see one of my childhood favorites go the way of the dinosaurs, I'm simultaneously thrilled to see what magical memories the new area will bring.
Because I have so many fond family memories aboard
DINOSAUR, I too often worry that
we're not gonna make it! We
're not gonna make it back for one more journey through time to the Cretaceous period before the attraction faces extinction. I'm no paleontologist like our beloved Dr. Seeker, Brittany, but I did a little digging of my own to see if an anticipated timeline had been released. Unfortunately, I was not able to unearth an announced closure date, but the
Disney Parks Blog did recently share that work will begin on DinoLand U.S.A. in the fall of 2024. While this may feel like cause for concern, the same announcement reassured Guests that plenty of time remained to experience DINOSAUR again. While it is not guaranteed as updates are constantly evolving, this could mean that certain areas of DinoLand (like The Dino Insitute) will remain accessible even after the retheming begins so that Guests can
get that dino one last time.
I'm sorry that I was unable to provide a definitive answer, Brittany, but I do hope that the information does allow for some peace of mind. If you are able to explore DinoLand during your upcoming visit, I highly recommend spending some time with the adorable (I mean fearsome) Chipmunk-o-Sauruses. Their appearances are helpfully listed in the My Disney Experience app, and their playful antics are sure to cure any lingering sadness you might be feeling over DINOSAUR's impending closure.
Thinking Happy Thoughts,
Lizzie