This Disney World Park Will Be EMPTY in 2026

Disney is creating SO many new things for the theme parks at Disney World. From Villains Land to Monsters, Inc. Land to the Tropical Americas Land, there will be so many exciting new attractions, experiences, and restaurants in the next few years. To say we’re excited is an understatement!

Encanto is coming to Animal Kingdom!

Even though we have so much to look forward to, we have a pretty good feeling that one Disney World park is going to be EMPTY in 2026. We love this park so much, but we gotta be honest here. It’s not looking good for Animal Kingdom in the new year.

We know new rides, entertainment, and more are on the horizon for Animal Kingdom, so why in the world would we think it will be empty in 2026? Well, for starters, all the new and exciting things probably won’t be opening for quite some time. There has not been a timeline announced for the opening of Pueblo Esperanza, but if we had to guess, we would bet it will be several YEARS until we’re stepping into the land of the Tropical Americas.

Construction walls at Animal Kingdom

Dinoland, U.S.A., will be completely extinct after February 1st, 2026. That means no Dinosaur ride, no TriceraTop Spin, no Boneyard, and no Restaurantasaurus. These rides and restaurants will all be permanently closed, leaving a dinosaur-sized gap in the ride offerings at Animal Kingdom.

DinoLand, U.S.A.

Once they have totally boarded up these rides, only Expedition Everest, Na’vi River Journey, Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Kali River Rapids will be open.

DINOSAUR

Of course, there are more things to do at Animal Kingdom besides the rides. There are nature walks where you can see many different species of animals, the new Zootopia: Better Zoogether show, Pandora (totally an attraction all on its own), Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and more. But with Dinoland, U.S.A. closed, this is looking like a half-day park for many visitors in 2026.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

You might get lucky in 2026 with fewer crowds in Animal Kingdom, but it’s possible that you could see higher wait times since everyone will be congested at the five options, especially since all five rides are generally popular ones. We’ll be watching Animal Kingdom in 2026 to see how the closure of Dinoland affects it. In the meantime, we’ll be anxiously awaiting the new attractions and experiences in Pueblo Esperanza!

For more Disney news, keep following Disney Food Blog.

Alert! Animal Kingdom Changes FOREVER Next Year

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