One of the most highly anticipated future attractions at Walt Disney World is the resort’s first-ever Encanto ride. It’s currently under construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and set to open in 2027.
Disney World just revealed new details about its upcoming Encanto ride, including how the attraction will connect to Animal Kingdom’s purpose. We break down what Disney announced and share the latest look at the construction progress of the massive ride building. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the new hotel opening at Disney World in 2027 and 8 announcements for Disney World’s 2026 Halloween season.
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Encanto’s Connection to Animal Kingdom’s Purpose
A new ride based on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2021 hit Encanto will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2027 as part of a new land called Tropical Americas.
This land permanently replaces DinoLand, U.S.A, which closed earlier this year. Tropical Americas also includes an Indiana Jones ride and a carousel.
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The Encanto ride’s story takes place inside the Madrigals’ Casita, specifically Antonio’s improbably vast rainforest room.
Joan Hartwig, Executive Producer of Tropical Americas, who has been with Walt Disney Imagineering for 36 years, revealed a new description of the ride on April 30, 2026:
“Guests will be invited to celebrate Antonio’s new gift: the ability to talk to animals. And along the way, we’ll learn that no matter what our special gifts or abilities are, we’re all part of the ‘familia’ of all living things.”
There are a few interesting points to highlight here.
When Bruce Vaughn, President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, first announced the Encanto ride at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024, he said the attraction takes place on the day Antonio receives his magical gift. Hartwig’s new description doesn’t specifically call out that point in the film’s timeline. This omission could be for the sake of a concise sentence, or this idea may have shifted.
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With Hartwig’s description, we also have the first reveal of the Encanto ride’s messaging as it relates to the overall motifs of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Yes, we’ve known about Antonio’s animal-focused gift as the starting point of the ride’s story since 2024. However, the best Animal Kingdom attractions go one step beyond their surface-layer subject matter to embody the park’s spirit of conservation. We now know how the Encanto ride will attempt to take that extra step.
Hartwig’s note that riders will “learn that no matter what our special gifts or abilities are, we’re all part of the ‘familia’ of all living things” speaks to the connection between humankind and the natural world, an idea expressed in many beautiful ways throughout Animal Kingdom’s various attractions.
Further driving this point, Hartwig says Disney’s Tropical Americas land is inspired by “a part of the world where nature doesn’t just surround communities — it shapes them.”
Imagineers creating and evolving Animal Kingdom attractions have long followed three guiding principles for what everything in the park should possess: the intrinsic value of nature, transformation through adventure, and a personal call to action.
This is true even for large-scale rides based on blockbuster film franchises. For example, Pandora – The World of Avatar focuses on the relationship between the Na’vi and Pandora’s wildlife, as well as the notion of nature reclaiming its stake over human-made structures, rather than simply retelling the events of the Avatar movie.
Tropical Americas Construction
It cannot be overstated how huge the Encanto show building is. This newly constructed building is located on real estate that formerly belonged to the Primeval Whirl roller coaster and a portion of Animal Kingdom’s backstage areas.
As a whole, the Tropical Americas land is coming along, with its attractions in various stages of progress. The photo above was captured in late April 2026. We see a bit of everything here: the partially constructed Encanto ride building, the start of the carousel’s framing, and several completed buildings that will be recycled from the days of DinoLand, U.S.A., and repurposed with themes matching those of Tropical Americas.
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