One of the opening day areas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has gone extinct, and the Unofficial Guide is honoring this lost land with a last look at Dinoland U.S.A. during its closing week.
As of February 2, 2026, the final portions of Dinoland U.S.A. have permanently closed at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, making way for a new Tropical Americas area that will open in 2027. Debuting with the theme park in 1998, Dinoland U.S.A. was the most typically “Disney“ of Animal Kingdom’s opening day lands. Accessible via the bridge from Discovery Island, Dinoland U.S.A. was home to a children’s play area, a nature trail, a quick-service restaurant, and DINOSAUR, one of Animal Kingdom’s few thrill rides.
Dinoland also featured a couple of natural-history exhibits, including Dino-Sue, an exact replica of the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex discovered to date. Named after the fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson, the replica (like the original) was 40 feet long and 13 feet tall.
The Boneyard playground and carnival-like Dino-Rama areas of Dinoland were shuttered earlier in 2025, and these locations have been concealed behind construction walls for months. The only remaining areas accessible during the land’s closing days were Restaurantosaurus—whose whimsical interior theming will be much missed—and the DINOSAUR attraction.
DINOSAUR was a combination track ride and motion simulator. In addition to moving along a cleverly hidden track, the ride vehicle would buck and pitch (the simulator part) in sync with the visuals and special effects. The plot had you traveling back in time on a mission of rescue and conservation. Your objective: to haul back a living dinosaur before the species became extinct.
Whoever was operating the clock, however, cut it a little close, and you would arrive on the prehistoric scene just as a giant asteroid was hurtling toward Earth. General mayhem ensued as you evaded carnivorous predators, caught your dino, and got the heck out of Dodge before the asteroid hit.
DINOSAUR was a technological clone of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and the same vehicle platform and ride path will be reused as it is rethemed into a new Indiana Jones adventure. While not quite as visually interesting as Indiana Jones, DINOSAUR was a good effort that served up nonstop action from beginning to end. However, the menacing dinosaurs, along with the intensity of the experience, made DINOSAUR a no-go for younger kids.
We’re hoping that the Indy revamp brings some more detail and color to the scenery (which was previously little more than black walls and plastic plants) along with some impressive new effects on par with the rolling-ball finale found in Anaheim.
Relive a ride on DINOSAUR with this POV video:
Although DINOSAUR saw posted standby wait times approaching an hour during its final days—with guests filling the rarely used extended outdoor queue—the ride rarely drew big crowds. Even so, while the new land is under construction, we expect attendance to shift somewhat towards the park’s other thrill rides, particularly Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest.
When Tropical Americas finally debuts next year, the big E-Ticket draw will be an indoor Encanto-themed ride-through attraction. The Family Madrigal will also have a large hacienda restaurant, with an animal-themed carousel rounding out the attractions.
What will you miss most about Dinoland U.S.A., and how do you feel about the changes coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!
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