Casita is about to get its hill! New aerial photos of Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom show crews adding a waterproof barrier to the concrete walls at the base of the Madrigal house’s frame, marking the grade where dirt will be piled. Once it is filled in, the house that fronts Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will sit up on a rise, much the way the Haunted Mansion does.
Aerial overview of construction at Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto in Tropical Americas.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 11, 2026
Waterproof barrier is being added to concrete walls at base of the frame for Casita. Indicates the grade for dirt to be placed, putting The Magical House on hill like The Haunted Mansion. pic.twitter.com/9cdusGY1zY
The photos were posted Sunday by bioreconstruct. To the right of Casita, concrete forms are out for more wall foundations.
3 aerial photos of construction of Casita, The Magical House. Outside of Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto in Tropical Americas. pic.twitter.com/q7wq2pBLBf
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 11, 2026
Broken Walls Will Make Casita Look Farther Away
The bigger change is in the walls going up around the land. Crews are building structures that will be themed as worn, broken walls along the walkways. Their back sides will be covered with a berm planted with shrubs and trees, which adds visual distance to the view of Casita so the house looks as if it is high on a hillside.
3 aerial photos of construction of broken wall structures in Tropical Americas.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 11, 2026
The reverse side will have berm, topped with shrubs and trees. This berm will add visual distance to the view of Casita, causing the Magical House to look as if high on a hillside.
Imagineering has a guide for how those walls should look. Theming models of weathered and broken walls, prepared over a few months at the project office backstage at Animal Kingdom, are now on site, and artists will sculpt and paint the real walls to match. Near El Carrusel de los Animalitos, one base structure is already waiting to become a broken wall, and fresh themed paint has gone on nearby. A similar color was recently added to the exterior of the land’s quick service restaurant, where several outside walls now wear it.
Aerial photo of theming models for Tropical Americas.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 11, 2026
Artists will sculpt and paint theming based on these examples of worn, weathered, and broken walls.
These theming models were prepared over a few months at the Imagineering project office in the Animal Kingdom backstage.
A Fountain, A Play Area And Shops
At the center of the land, crews are building a fountain, with concrete forms going up for the curved walls that border its access walkways. A play area is being developed nearby, and shop buildings are going up as well.
Across the way, the Mayan pyramid in front of Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is about to disappear behind scaffolding. Its top was sculpted and painted at ground level, but gaps in the tiers and the back of the structure still need to be made watertight. Scaffolding has already gone up at the base so crews can sculpt excavation theming onto the rockwork, and work has started nearby on a garden of tall shrubs and small trees.
3 aerial photos of the pyramid at Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 11, 2026
Soon to be enveloped in scaffolding, seen staged in 2nd photo. Although the top was sculpted and painted at ground level, there are gaps in the tiers, plus the reverse, that need to be watertight. pic.twitter.com/DEqFfNgYF2
Earlier this month, the entrance archway was just starting to match the concept art. Now the theming is spreading across the rest of the land, from the walls to the paint on its buildings.
When Tropical Americas Opens
Disney’s expansions page still lists Tropical Americas for 2027, though the Walt Disney World website dropped the year from its description of the land in September. Along with Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto and the Indiana Jones ride, the land will have El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a carousel of Disney animals. Disney has not announced a specific opening date.
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