Changes announced for Animal Kingdom, new Zootopia show, Encanto experience

Bruce Vaughn, Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced major changes coming down the line for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

A new show based on “Zootopia” is being created for the Tree of Life theater. The current concept for the new “Zootopia” experience has guests visiting the different biomes you only glimpse in the film, traveling along with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and other characters.

Imagineers are currently finalizing the concept.

As part of a Blue Sky concept, changes were also announced for the DinoLand area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The area, which has been in need of change for a few years after Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama roller coaster was dismantled, will be changed to the tropical zone of the Americas, which is one of the most biodiverse areas of the world. “We are imagining a land filled with authentic experiences,” Vaughn said.

New experiences inspired by “Encanto” – the Academy Award winning Walt Disney Animation Studios film – and the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones are being considered for the reimagined land, Vaughn and D’Amaro said.

This looks like it means the Dinosaur ride will be changed to an Indiana Jones Adventure. This should not be that difficult since the same ride is used for the Indiana Jones Adventure Ride in Disneyland.

Vaugh said there is a long way to go and a lot more to discover and the Imagineering team in Florida is up to the task.