Watching a Disney theme park take shape is profoundly meaningful. Steel beams rise, walls frame future guest experiences, and before the public can enjoy it, a different kind of magic occurs behind the scenes. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, significant changes are underway as DinoLand U.S.A. closes to make way for Tropical Americas, a new land featuring an attraction inspired by the film Encanto. Recently, Cast Members signed a steel beam that will be integral to the attraction, leaving their mark on a project that will shape this section of the park for years to come.
A Disney Tradition with Deep Meaning
The practice of signing steel beams during construction isn’t unique to Disney, but it carries special significance in theme park development. When cast members add their signatures to structural elements that will be built into an attraction, they’re participating in a tradition that connects them directly to the finished product in a way that transcends their daily operational roles.
Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle shared photos of the beam signing event, describing it as a highlight of his day. He noted how meaningful it was to hear cast members talk about what excites them most as Tropical Americas comes to life. This isn’t just management participating in a photo opportunity. These are the people who will operate the attraction, interact with guests, maintain the experience, and ultimately make the Encanto attraction work as more than just a building with ride systems.
The signed beam will be incorporated directly into the Encanto attraction structure, making cast members part of the story in the most literal sense possible. Long after the attraction opens and guests begin experiencing whatever magic Disney Imagineering has created, those signatures will remain, hidden within the walls and framework, a permanent testament to the people who helped bring it to life.
Disney Construction Reaches a New Phase
The beam signing marks the start of construction on the Encanto attraction, shifting from foundational work to a phase where the experience begins to take shape. The rising steel signifies visible progress. Recent runDisney events gave guests a close look at the extensive changes transforming DinoLand U.S.A. into Tropical Americas. Disney deemed the original area underutilized, which reflects its lack of crowd appeal compared to other park sections. By replacing rather than refurbishing it, Disney underscores its commitment to this transformation.
What Tropical Americas Represents
The Tropical Americas land isn’t just about adding an Encanto attraction. It represents a complete reimagining of this section of Animal Kingdom with a focus on Central and South American wildlife, culture, and storytelling. The land is being designed to fit thematically with Animal Kingdom’s overall mission while offering something distinct from what currently exists elsewhere in the park.
Encanto makes perfect sense as the anchor attraction. The film celebrates family, connection to place, and the magic found in everyday life. Those themes align naturally with Animal Kingdom’s emphasis on the relationship between humans and the natural world. The vibrant colors and musical energy of Encanto should translate well into a theme park experience that needs to engage guests across different age groups and cultural backgrounds.
Beyond the Encanto attraction, Tropical Americas will include a carousel featuring animals from the region, along with additional experiences that haven’t been fully detailed yet.
The End of DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney
DinoLand U.S.A. closes permanently on February 1, 2026, which is less than a month away. For guests who grew up with DINOSAUR, the time-traveling thrill ride that has terrified children and delighted dinosaur enthusiasts for nearly three decades, this closure marks the end of an era.
The Boneyard playground, Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, and all the quirky roadside attraction theming that defined this area of the park will disappear, replaced by something entirely different. It’s the kind of change that generates mixed emotions among Disney fans. Some welcome the transformation and look forward to experiencing Tropical Americas. Others mourn the loss of original Animal Kingdom attractions and the unique aesthetic that DinoLand represented.
The Human Element at Disney
What makes the beam signing moment significant is that it centers the people who will actually make Tropical Americas function once it opens. Imagineers design the experiences, construction crews build the structures, but cast members are the ones who bring it to life for guests every single day.
Their excitement about the project, their investment in what it represents, and their literal presence within the structure through those signatures matter. It’s a reminder that theme parks aren’t just buildings and ride systems. They’re experiences created and sustained by people who care about the work they do.
What Comes Next
With steel going vertical and interior construction beginning, the Encanto attraction is transitioning from concept to physical reality. The timeline for completion hasn’t been officially announced, but major construction milestones like this suggest the project is progressing according to whatever internal schedule Disney has established.
As DinoLand U.S.A. closes and demolition work continues, the pace of visible change at Animal Kingdom will accelerate. Guests visiting the park over the next several months will watch Tropical Americas emerge in real time, steel beam by steel beam, until eventually the construction walls come down and an entirely new land welcomes its first visitors.
Those cast member signatures hidden inside the Encanto attraction will still be there, unseen but present, a permanent part of Animal Kingdom’s ongoing story.
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