Disney Files Notice of Commencement for Triceratop Spin and Fossil Fun Games Demolition at Animal Kingdom

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Posted: Tuesday January 7, 2025 12:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has filed a Notice of Commencement for the demolition of Triceratop Spin and the Fossil Fun Games area in Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This filing is part of the ongoing preparations for the park's Tropical Americas expansion. The contractor listed for the project is Whiting-Turner, a company frequently involved in Disney's large-scale construction projects.

TriceraTop Spin

Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama Fossil Fun Midway Games

Triceratop Sping and The Fossil Fun Games have long been a whimsical part of DinoLand U.S.A. and will be removed as part of the area's transformation into a more immersive experience inspired by the cultures and ecosystems of Central and South America.

TriceraTop Spin

The Future of DinoRama

The closure and demolition of Triceratops Sping and the midway games mark a significant step in reimagining DinoRama. This section of the park will be replaced by a new Encanto-themed attraction, allowing guests to step inside the magical casita and join the Madrigal family in a celebration tied to Antonio's gift of communicating with animals.

As previously announced, Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures are also set to close permanently, effective January 13, 2025. DINOSAUR and The Boneyard will remain open during the early stages of construction, though Disney has confirmed that DINOSAUR will close after 2025 to make way for a new Indiana Jones attraction.

Tropical Americas Concept Art

Tropical Americas Expansion Timeline

The Tropical Americas expansion, expected to debut in 2027, will feature new attractions, dining, and themed experiences celebrating the region's rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. The phased transformation of DinoLand U.S.A. begins with the demolition of Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama, with further site work to follow as part of a multi-year project.

Find out more about the Tropical Americas expansion and the land's attractions.

Tropical Americas Concept Model

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Mr. Sullivan1 hour ago

Thank you! I had always incorrectly been under the impression they took them in. Unsure where I picked that up from, but I appreciate you correcting me on it. You learn something every day!

WorldExplorer2 hours ago

Disney Guide to Running Animal Kingdom: Do you want to cut costs somewhere? Yes - Proceed to next question Of course! - Proceed to next question Can it be blamed on animals and their welfare, event if it isn't true? Yes - Do so! Aren't you so caring? No - Blame Dinoland! How could they do this?! Enjoy your money!

lazyboy97o2 hours ago

Outside of veterinary treatment and specific needs based on care, animals are not forcibly moved around the habitats and barns at any well run zoological park. The park already ran night safaris nor was night activities something unique to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

GhostHost10004 hours ago

$taff

FerretAfros5 hours ago

Nonsense. The park regularly operated a nighttime version of the safari from 2016 (coinciding with the Pandora opening, the nighttime lagoon shows, and push toward greater nighttime activities in the park overall) through early 2020 until the Covid shutdowns. They did so in full compliance with animal welfare regulations and best practices. Yes, there were challenges with certain species. No, not all species were present in the evening. Yes, visibility was limited with the low light levels. But they were able to operate the nighttime attraction for years, while complying with animal safety and comfort needs, without even needing to pause operations in the evening while certain animals came indoors for the evening. While the number of animals visible was lower than during the day, they were often much more active, accounting for some of the more interesting sightings I’ve had on the attraction (including a rhino running alongside our ride vehicle and lions getting frisky after dark). They don’t run it any more because they’re too cheap to operate the park with any meaningful nighttime activities. And curiously, when there’s barely anything to do after dark and all of the animal viewing opportunities close early, park guests also leave early, reinforcing their self-fulfilling claim that nobody wants to be in the park after dark. It has nothing to do with animal welfare, and everything to do with being cheap. How quickly we (willfully?) forget our history!

Mr. Sullivan8 hours ago

They stop the safaris earlier than park close because it can be a rather complicated process to take the animals in for the evening. They don't just leave them there on the savannah overnight, they are taken to backstage facilities to be cared for and put to bed. It's the same reason that not many zoos stay open past dark. It's a pretty difficult thing to get the animals in where they need to be at night, especially since many of them are nocturnal and thus more active and less prone to following along what needs to be done. Beyond that too, these animals are used to a routine and it can be very distressing to them if this routine is broken. They're used to being put in their backstage places at a certain time, and it could very well be troubling to them to be left out and met with the trucks and park guests past the time they're used to winding down. Yes, a night safari would be cool but logistically there's just not really any way for them to do that that also allows the zoological cast members to do what they need to do to the best of their ability. They already are working on it past park close as is, it'd be a real nightmare and time consuming process for them if they were only starting it at park close.

mysto10 hours ago

I'm pretty sure it makes life difficult for the resident animals who cannot choose to escape the loud noise and lights like people can. It's the same reason the park closes so early.

EagleScout61010 hours ago

https://attractionsmagazine.com/animal-kingdom-construction-january-2025-tropical-americas-triceratop-spin/

AidenRodriguez73112 hours ago

I guess it can stop people from getting in lines for "one last ride" on FOP. Since they won't make it to the queue before the park close. Much easier to clear people out with one last show than keep open what rides they would go on for a last ride on for longer.

gerarar12 hours ago

They sometimes add a late FOTLK showing right at park closing. Can't remember the exact reason why but it was done very recently. Edit: It was extended evening hours. Say park closed normally at 6pm, there were FOTLK showtimes at 6pm and 7pm. It's rare, but they often do late showings.

MagicHappens197113 hours ago

The theater show performers are unionized and there are restrictions on how many shows they can perform a day and rest times and such. They already have two casts for this reason, another thing is that these closing shows would probably not bring in enough guests to justify adding the cost.

MrPromey17 hours ago

Only thing I can think of is cast pay/scheduling which feels like a solvable "problem".

MrPromey17 hours ago

I never heard. Was there a logistic or animal safety reason why night safaris couldn't continue other than the park no-longer being open past dark? Having been on one, I didn't think it was a bad experience. Certainly not the same as the day one and it felt like fewer animals but being in relative darkness also changed the feel of it, too making it seem in some ways like a different ride - something worth trying even if you'd already done the day one, for instance.