Animal Kingdom Expansion Moves Forward as Trailer Complex Is Approved and New Permits Filed

Since the reimagining of Dinoland U.S.A. and expansion of Animal Kingdom was first announced at Destination D23 last year, fans have been curious about the details of the project and when work will begin on it.

A few months ago, Disney made its first major move to suggest work would start soon as Walt Disney Imagineering filed a permit that included plans for a trailer compound in Animal Kingdom. The plans for the trailer complex located behind Kali River Rapids include four Walt Disney Imagineering trailers, a contractor trailer, and 363 parking spaces, as well as a proposed new sidewalk and crosswalks added to the road going from the trailer compound to Dinoland U.S.A area. Given the placement of the trailer compound, we can likely assume that this is for the Dinoland U.S.A. overhaul.

Now, there has been another big step to suggest that work will be starting soon on the project. Keep reading for more details!

Animal Kingdom Trailer Complex Permit Approved

The overhaul will transform Dinoland U.S.A. into a land inspired by the tropical Americas, and Disney has suggested that Encanto and Indiana Jones may be featured. Specifics are yet to be shared, but fans are excited about the prospect of changes like turning the ride DINOSAUR into Indiana Jones Adventure, the popular ride at Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea. At D23, it was also announced that more changes were in store for Animal Kingdom as a new show inspired by Zootopia would be coming to the Tree of Life Theater.

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The permit for the trailer complex has now been approved, and Walt Disney Imagineering has just filed additional permits for the installation of the trailers. The South Florida Water Management District approved the construction of the trailer compound for 5 years, and the permit will expire on May 22, 2029. After the approval of the permit, Walt Disney Imagineering filed Notice of Commencement permits with Modular Building Systems International, LLC to move forward in installing the trailers.

This is a good sign that progress is moving forward on the project. As we mentioned in our previous article when the plans for the trailer compound were first revealed, we expect that the majority of details for Disney's plans for the land will be withheld until the upcoming D23 Expo in August, but we're hoping that they will have some tangible progress to show by then. Disney has not yet announced when Dinoland will be closing for the overhaul to begin, but the progress being made with the approval of the trailer compound is a sign that it may be soon.

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