Tropical Americas Progress: New Contractor Lot Approved at Disney's Animal Kingdom

May 13, 2025 in "Tropical Americas"

Gallery / 2 Photos
Tropical Americas Contractor Lot Permit

Posted: Tuesday May 13, 2025 3:50pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has received official approval from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the construction of a new contractor support area near Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The permit, issued on May 13, 2025, authorizes the development of a 10.43-acre DAK Contractor Lot, which will provide parking and infrastructure for crews working on the Tropical Americas expansion.

Tropical Americas Contractor Lot Permit

According to the permit, the project will not affect any wetlands or surface waters, and no endangered or threatened species were observed on the site. The area is already part of a previously approved stormwater basin under CFTOD’s master permit.

This infrastructure project is another sign of continued progress on the Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, which will replace the former Dinoland U.S.A. with new experiences themed to Encanto and Indiana Jones. Demolition in the area began earlier this year.

Tropical Americas Concept Art

The contractor lot is designed to handle increased construction activity and help facilitate the multi-year transformation of the park.

Tropical Americas Contractor Lot Permit

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peter1143531 minutes ago

🤔 But when Pandora opened we did get a new night show and longer hours. It just didn’t last because Rivers of Light was not successful

Ayla37 minutes ago

We said the same thing when Pandora opened...

lazyboy97o1 hour ago

Nothing at Disney is just “one and done” or handed off to a single person to just come up with something. There are meetings, reviews and approvals. That’s then all done again when it goes for publishing in marketing materials (just look at how much went into editing Ridley’s Instagram posts). It’s also not a one time issue, but something multiplied and compounded across projects.

FigmentFan822 hours ago

Hey Hey! Jimmy the intern did a solid job coming up with that backstory on his lunch break! He deserves all the accolades for such hard work!

Tha Realest4 hours ago

I dunno. More park hours means higher operational costs. It seems they’re content with closing the park at dusk. Does anyone know how long that’s been the case?

davis_unoxx5 hours ago

What are we thinking for park hours once this expansion opens? New nighttime show in the works as well? AK really is the most beautiful park at night, something is coming….

sedati15 hours ago

I get you. I remember way back in '83 my dad drove us cross-country in a station wagon to go to the now defunct "Walley World". Once we got there my father was so incensed at finding the park so I.P. laden that he punched a figure of Marty Moose right in his stupid moose snout.

TrainsOfDisney18 hours ago

Eh…. Yes and no. You could say that about any business - but at the heart someone has to care about guests or you just end up with a race to the bottom. Certainly Walt himself - cared about guests. So at some point it was a fact.

meggo8191 day ago

Connections Eatery too.

Agent H1 day ago

And that’s a fair assessment but I don’t see how it would take up a significant amount of time and money.

James Alucobond1 day ago

I am not sure what sort of budget goes to these things, but I do think stating it outright feels contrived, especially if there will ultimately be no evidence of it within the park. Ideally, if this were still a thing but not so awkwardly framed for marketing consumption, it would just be something you could infer from the built environment. Like, have a woodworking shop or stall in the town with a half-finished carousel figure in the back.

Timothy_Q1 day ago

The carousel having a backstory that it was built by a local woodcarver from Pueblo Esperanza is a pretty similar line of thinking to the Harambe Theater being a retelling of the Lion King by the locals of Port Harambe Feels pretty organic to the concept of DAK's lands representing "real communities"

Agent H1 day ago

Legitimate question. How much time and money could this have taken? Surely not much. I think having a backstory enriches the experience and makes it better. I do think that these should be normal South American animals (maybe with Kevin thrown in there for fun)

lazyboy97o1 day ago

And for something that didn’t even happen and fix something nobody was asking. Sometimes it’s better to not push the issue. But in the case of this land, just having a carousel in a town park wouldn’t be something weird. Spending time and money coming up with an unnecessary justification is burning of the budget that could be used elsewhere.