The carousel taking shape inside Pueblo Esperanza at Disney’s Animal Kingdom just reached a milestone we’ve been waiting on. Last time we checked in on Tropical Americas construction, the carousel was still an open steel ring with no roof in sight, just a decagon frame sitting on its concrete slab while a queue building started to rise nearby. On our latest visit, that has changed. Wood roof trusses are now going up around the carousel’s steel frame, and we finally have a real sense of what this canopy will look like once it’s finished.
A Queue Building Finally Takes Shape
The aerial view above shows just how much has changed around the carousel itself. A queue building is now under construction directly next to the ride, with concrete block walls going up alongside a steel-framed canopy of its own. A crane sits inside the carousel’s steel ring, working on the interior support structure that will eventually carry the ride mechanism. Compare that to earlier aerial photos of this same spot, where the ring stood completely open with no roof structure at all, and the pace of progress here really stands out.
A Roof With Real Character
Up close, the roof trusses have the same lived-in, hand-hewn look Animal Kingdom is known for. The wood beams have a rough, weathered texture with a scalloped, carved edge along the eaves, and they fan out from a smaller central column rising above the main roofline. That second, smaller peak at the center matches what other Disney fan sites have reported seeing in recent weeks, so this appears to be the beginning of a two-tier canopy rather than a single flat roof. Every beam we could see was bolted into place on steel supports, with scaffolding still wrapped around the structure while crews finish securing each section.
The Story Behind the Carousel
The carousel fits into Pueblo Esperanza’s story the same way everything else in the land does, through the eyes of the fictional village itself. According to Disney, a woodcarver from Pueblo Esperanza took an old horse stable that once served the village and turned it into a working carousel for the local kids. Rather than traditional carousel horses, he carved his favorite animals from Disney stories instead, which is why this ride is going to look and feel like nothing else at Walt Disney World once it opens.
Meet the Imagineer Leading Tropical Americas: Joan Hartwig
The carousel, along with the rest of Tropical Americas, is being brought to life under the creative direction of Joan Hartwig, executive creative director for the project at Walt Disney Imagineering. Hartwig has been with Imagineering since 1990, and most of her 36-year career has centered on Disney’s Animal Kingdom itself, including her work as art director on Avatar Flight of Passage and her contributions to Kilimanjaro Safaris and Harambe Market. She has talked about the project’s roots going back years through conversations with Disney Legend Joe Rohde, the Imagineer who spent years pushing for a Tropical Americas-style land before he retired. With Hartwig now leading construction, her long history at this specific park gives the new land an added layer of authenticity as it comes together.
The Animals We Know So Far
So far, Disney has only officially confirmed one animal for the carousel: Kevin, the giant flightless bird from Pixar’s “Up.” The carved figure below was shown at the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion during D23 in 2024, and the detail is worth a closer look, from the hand-painted floral pattern on the seat panel to the individually carved feathers along the tail and wings.
Concept art shown alongside the vehicle at D23 hinted at a much bigger cast, and fans have spotted possible glimpses of characters like Timon and Pumbaa, Abu, HeiHei, Squirt, and Bambi in that artwork since. None of those have been confirmed by Disney beyond Kevin, so we’re treating them as strong possibilities rather than a locked lineup until Disney says otherwise.
Tropical Americas is still on track for a 2027 opening, and seeing the carousel’s roof go up is one of those moments where a construction wall photo finally starts to look like a real attraction. If you have a trip planned before then, DinoLand U.S.A. remains closed as this transformation continues, so this isn’t something you’ll be able to ride yet. But every visit from here on out should offer a slightly better view of Pueblo Esperanza taking shape from outside the construction walls.
For our original coverage of the carousel’s D23 2024 reveal alongside Encanto and Indiana Jones, check out our announcement article here. For everything else confirmed for the new land, visit our Disney’s Animal Kingdom Guide.
The New Carousel Coming to Animal Kingdom Just Hit a Big Construction Milestone
