New aerial photos of Animal Kingdom's Tropical Americas show the land's first new tree, more scaffolding on the Encanto Casita and terraced walls built to fake a hillside.
The first new tree is in the ground at Tropical Americas.
Aerial photographer bioreconstruct spotted it in new photos of Disney's Animal Kingdom that WDW News Today (WDWNT) published Sunday, Nov. 8. Bioreconstruct called the tree, planted near one of the land's access points, the first new piece of landscaping. One tree down, a whole jungle to go.
The bigger change is at Casita, the Madrigal family home from "Encanto." More scaffolding now surrounds its exposed steel frame, which sits in front of the show building for Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto.
The scaffolding on that show building's fake mountain now runs all the way from the peak down to the ground, WDWNT reported. Cranes, steel beams and other materials are still parked in front of the work zone.
Here's bioreconstruct's latest flyover of the site:
What else do the new Tropical Americas aerials show?
A few smaller changes around the old DinoLand U.S.A. footprint:
Paths: Walkways are being mapped out across the land.
Yellow walls: A small building with arched doorways is no longer bare concrete block. Its facade is now wrapped in a yellow material.
Ruins: Broken stone walls covered in moss stand near one of the entrances, with excavation equipment nearby.
Old dino shop: The former Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures hasn't changed much. Crews are still working on its roofing and awnings.
Why is Disney building walls in front of the old dinosaur shop?
To make the Casita look like it sits high on a hill.
Crews are building tiered retaining walls in front of the former Chester & Hester's, WDWNT said. Concept art shows trees and plants on those tiers. Stacked together, they're meant to create forced perspective, the old Imagineering trick that makes a building look taller or farther away than it really is.
It's the same idea that makes Cinderella Castle look so big. The Madrigals are getting the castle treatment.
Guests won't walk through the Casita's front door, by the way. WDWNT reported Nov. 1 that the house is the ride's facade, but the entrance to Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto is on the side.
What changed at Tropical Americas since late October?
Our [Oct. 28 story](https://news.piratesandprincesses.net/p/disney-worlds-tropical-americas-temple) covered Thomas Mazloum's photos of the Indiana Jones temple, and our [Oct. 21 story](https://news.piratesandprincesses.net/p/disney-ceo-shows-off-animal-kingdoms) covered Josh D'Amaro's tour. WDWNT's ground-level photos have turned up more since then:
The first sign: A stone pillar at the land's second entrance, near Theater in the Wild, has a "Tropical Americas" plaque. (Nov. 1)
Yellow paint: House wrap came off the roof peaks of the old Restaurantosaurus building, showing bright golden yellow underneath. (Nov. 1)
Archway carvings: The blank spot at the top of the Pueblo Esperanza entrance arch is now filled with Maya-inspired carvings of a flower and what look like animals. (Nov. 5)
Clock tower: Wood frames went up on the steel skeleton of a future clock tower. (Nov. 5)
Mountains: The peaks that will hide the Encanto show building look more like real rock now, but they still need paint. (Nov. 5)
What is the Theater in the Wild permit?
Disney filed a permit Oct. 27 for "General Construction" at Theater in the Wild, home of Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond!, WDWNT reported. The contractor is MLC Theming, which lists rock work, facades and scenic aging among its specialties.
Disney hasn't said what the work is. The theater sits next to the land's second entrance, so some themed rock work there wouldn't be a shock. The permit expires in a year, and the Nemo show was still running as of Oct. 28.
When does Tropical Americas open?
Disney hasn't given a date. The land was expected in 2027, but WDWNT noticed in September that Disney's website had dropped that year from its description.
BlogMickey reported Oct. 29 that, even after recent layoffs at Walt Disney Imagineering, it still expects Tropical Americas to hit its 2027 target.
When it opens, the land will have three attractions:
Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto: a ride set on the day Antonio gets his gift of talking to animals
Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent: inside the old DINOSAUR building
El Carrusel de los Animalitos: a carousel with hand-carved animals inspired by Disney characters
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today (Nov. 8, 2026), the new aerial photos, the Casita and show building scaffolding, the retaining walls and other site details
bioreconstruct on X (Nov. 8, 2026), the aerial photos and the first-tree note
bioreconstruct on YouTube (Nov. 2026), the flyover video
WDW News Today (Nov. 1, 2026), the Tropical Americas plaque, the yellow paint and the Casita side entrance
WDW News Today (Nov. 5, 2026), the archway carvings, clock tower frames and mountain peaks
WDW News Today (Oct. 29, 2026), the Theater in the Wild permit and the website date change
BlogMickey (Oct. 29, 2026), the 2027 outlook after the Imagineering layoffs
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.