The first finished pieces of Tropical Americas are out from behind their scaffolding at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The land’s side entrance structures, weathered stone pillars with the words Tropical Americas carved into them, are now fully themed, according to photos posted Friday evening by Drew Smith.
Tropical Americas milestone: the land’s side entrance structures are now fully themed and scaffolding is down!
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) September 18, 2026
These are the first themed elements to be completed and revealed as work continues — and they look fantastic. 🙌
The pillars stand at a side entrance on the Finding Nemo and Expedition Everest side of the land, where artisans were hand-carving the rockwork in August. They are the first themed elements in the land to be completed and revealed. The rest of the site is still behind construction walls.
Casita Rises Over The Village
The biggest change is at Casita, the Madrigal family home that fronts Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. When we last looked at its steel frame earlier this month, it was a house-shaped outline at the front of the attraction’s show building. The steel now rises several levels above the construction walls.
Hola, Casita! The biggest update in Tropical Americas — Encanto Casita has QUICKLY taken shape!
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) September 18, 2026
The Madrigal’s home is huge in person and will tower over Pueblo Esperanza using forced perspective. 👀
Where Things Stood From Above Two Weeks Ago
The most recent aerial photos of the land, posted by @bioreconstruct in early September, show how far the work has moved since. His overview put the Maya pyramid for the Indiana Jones ride at the top of the site, the Casita steel frame on the left and the carousel’s round wooden roof on the right, with the village’s blue-roofed facades between them.
Aerial overview of construction in Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 4, 2026
• Mayan pyramid construction at top center for the Indiana Jones ride.
• Steel frame at left for Casita at the Encanto ride.
• Wooden circular-type roof at right for a carousel.
His closer look at Casita showed the steel frame at the front of the Encanto show building, with the entrance on the left and the exit on the right, rockwork in progress for a hill behind it, and walls fitted with mounts for theming. In Drew’s photos from Friday, that frame has grown several levels taller.
Aerial photo of steel frame for Casita at the front of Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. Entrance at left, exit at right.
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 4, 2026
Rock work in progress for a gentle backdrop hill. Walls at right have mounts for theming.
A berm, as a hill, will be between the concrete walls in foreground.
The Arch, The Carousel And A Restaurant
Other structures have taken form too. The main entrance archway stands under scaffolding in its ochre base color, and the steel frame for a quick-service restaurant facade is in place with its roof going on. Drew also points to a central fountain that has recently formed.
The carousel’s round roof and cupola are sheathed and visible over the walls from the walkway. The roof first went up in July, when the carousel got its carved wood roof.
What Tropical Americas Will Hold
Tropical Americas is replacing DinoLand U.S.A. with two headline attractions. Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto brings the Madrigal family to the land, and Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent takes over the former Dinosaur building, fronted by a Maya-style temple.
The land is set to open in 2027.
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