Today Is Your Last Chance to Ride DINOSAUR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom—After 28 Years, It’s Gone Tomorrow

If you’ve been putting off one last trip through the Cretaceous Period at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you’re out of time. Today, February 1, 2026, is the final day to experience DINOSAUR—the opening-day attraction that’s been terrifying and thrilling guests for nearly three decades.

According to AOL, DINOSAUR closes permanently tomorrow, February 2, marking the end of DinoLand USA as we’ve known it since Animal Kingdom opened in 1998. If you’re reading this and you’re anywhere near Orlando, this is your final call.

What’s Closing Today

DINOSAUR isn’t going extinct alone. The entire DinoLand USA experience is wrapping up today, including:

DINOSAUR ride (originally called “Countdown to Extinction” when it opened, renamed in 2000) Dino Institute Shop Restaurantosaurus and its lounge Earlier this year, Disney already closed TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, The Boneyard, Trilo-Bites, and Dino-Bite Snacks. Today’s closure marks the final phase of DinoLand’s farewell.

Why This Matters

DINOSAUR wasn’t just another dark ride—it was an opening-day cornerstone of Animal Kingdom’s identity. The attraction transported guests 65 million years back in time on a mission to retrieve a 3.5-ton Iguanodon before an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. With hairpin turns, close encounters with velociraptors, and that signature CTX time rover vehicle, DINOSAUR became a fan favorite despite (or maybe because of) its ability to genuinely scare younger guests.

For 28 years, this ride represented Disney’s willingness to tackle extinct animals with the same reverence and storytelling prowess it applied to living species throughout the rest of the park. It was campy, it was thrilling, and it was unapologetically Disney.

What’s Coming Next

DinoLand USA’s 11-acre footprint isn’t staying empty for long. Disney has confirmed that the entire area will transform into Tropical Americas, a new land scheduled to open in 2027.

Here’s what we know so far:

Indiana Jones Attraction: Disney describes this as “different from any other Indiana Jones experience around the world.” That’s a bold claim considering the beloved Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland has been packing crowds since 1995.

Encanto Ride Experience: Guests will step inside the magical Madrigal house for an Encanto-themed attraction. Given the film’s continued popularity and lack of major attraction presence in any Disney park, this has serious potential.

Pueblo Esperanza Plaza: The land’s central hub will feature a large quick-service restaurant, giving guests a new dining option in a park that desperately needs more food capacity.

The End of an Era

Opening-day attractions carry weight. They’re part of a park’s DNA, woven into the memories of millions of guests who experienced them in their first moments of discovery. DINOSAUR survived nearly three decades of shifting trends, technological advances, and corporate strategy changes.

But all eras end. Today, DinoLand USA takes its final bow, making way for what Disney promises will be a compelling new chapter in Animal Kingdom’s story. Whether Tropical Americas lives up to that promise remains to be seen when it opens in 2027.

If you’re at Animal Kingdom today, take one last ride. Say goodbye to Dr. Marsh, Seeker, and that Carnotaurus that’s been jump-scaring guests since 1998. Tomorrow, they’re gone—and 28 years of theme park history goes with them.