The Tropical Americas hacienda is starting to take shape at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The facade of the land’s big quick-service restaurant is framed out, and Drew Smith, who shares Disney World construction updates as Drew the Disney Dude, reports that crews have started on large-scale mountain rockwork to hide the Encanto attraction’s show building. He posted the new photos Saturday, October 17.
Big Tropical Americas construction update! 👀
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) October 17, 2026
• The quick-service restaurant’s facade is taking shape; it will be a large hacienda in the Village of Hope.
• The rockwork structures near the land’s side entrance are now fully themed.
• Crews have started constructing large-scale mountainous rockwork to hide the Encanto attraction’s building, a significant development!
• Tall poles have been installed throughout the land, possibly for themed nighttime lighting.
The Hacienda Gets Its Arches
The first of Drew’s photos shows the restaurant’s facade in steel framing, with a row of arched openings across the front. It is the building Disney described as a large hacienda in Pueblo Esperanza, and Disney has said it will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World.
The framing is still bare metal, with a boom lift and wooden scaffolding out front, so none of the exterior finishes have gone on yet. Behind it, the roofs are covered in waterproof underlayment, and a taller roofline to the left is trimmed in bright yellow.
Rockwork For The Entrance And The Encanto Building
Near the land’s side entrance, Drew reports the rockwork is now fully themed. His photo shows weathered stone ruins and broken columns, painted and aged with moss-colored patches, standing behind orange safety fencing. The main entrance archway is now getting the same treatment, with crumbling rockwork set into the arch.
The bigger development is behind it. Drew says crews have started building large-scale mountain rockwork to hide the Encanto attraction’s building. His photo shows tall steel framework in front of the mesh-covered mountains, with a crane working alongside it. Earlier this month, aerials showed the Casita getting its hillside.
Poles Around The Land
Drew also spotted tall poles installed throughout the land and suggested they could be for themed nighttime lighting. One stands just behind the green construction wall with the Tropical Americas sign and its yellow butterflies. Disney has not said what the poles are for.
What Is Coming To Tropical Americas
Tropical Americas is the 11-acre land replacing DinoLand U.S.A. It will hold an Encanto attraction set inside the Madrigal family’s Casita, a new Indiana Jones attraction and El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a carousel of animals from Disney stories. Disney announced a 2027 opening when it revealed the land at D23 in 2024.
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