Josh D’Amaro toured three Disney World construction sites with Imagineers, from Animal Kingdom’s new land to Monstropolis, and signed a concrete floor at Lakeshore Lodge.
Disney’s CEO went behind the construction walls, and he brought his camera.
Josh D’Amaro shared photos on social media from a tour of three big Walt Disney World projects with Walt Disney Imagineering: Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, BlogMickey reported Tuesday, Oct. 20.
He thanked the Imagineering teams and said their “imagination & creativity knows no limits.”
The photos give fans the best look yet at a few things Disney has kept under wraps.
What does the Indiana Jones temple look like?
The star of the tour is the Mayan-style temple for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, the new Indiana Jones ride coming to Tropical Americas.
It’s still wrapped in scaffolding, but the upper tiers already show off turquoise, red and gold rockwork. In the center, what looks like a giant fanged mouth frames an opening, with carved turquoise panels on each side. It’s the kind of entrance that tells you right away this ride is going to be trouble.
That’s a big jump from September, when aerial photos showed carved rockwork only at the very top of the temple and bare steel below it.
Another photo shows a hand-carved wooden column with a large flower rosette between carved leaves. It’s a small detail, but it shows how much handwork is going into the land.
What is Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom?
It’s the new land replacing DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney first announced it at D23 in 2024.
The land is built around two big stories: an Indiana Jones adventure set in the jungles of Central and South America, and an attraction based on Disney’s Encanto. At least part of Tropical Americas is expected to open in 2027.
Across the land, Tropical Americas is starting to look like a real place, with aged finishes and themed steel replacing bare structure.
What did Josh D’Amaro show from Monstropolis?
At Hollywood Studios, an Imagineer held up a tablet with what appears to be concept art for “Welcome to Monstropolis,” a show planned for the land’s Glob Theater.
Monstropolis is opening in phases. The first phase, expected in 2027, includes the Glob Theater show, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, Harryhausen’s and the Scareporium shop. The Monsters, Inc. Door Vault roller coaster comes later.
Outside the walls, the land is moving fast. Final themed paint showed up at Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza earlier this month, and the first bricks went in at the Monstropolis entrance this week.
What is Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge?
It’s the new Disney Vacation Club resort on Bay Lake, opening July 1, 2027. D’Amaro, in a hard hat with “Josh” on it, got down on his hands and knees to sign a concrete floor already covered in signatures. The room, which appears to be the lobby, has a wood-paneled ceiling, a triangular skylight and tall windows.
Another photo shows the main building with rows of balconies behind a canopy that’s still under construction. Reservations opened in phases from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, and a new model of the resort just went on display at Hollywood Studios.
The resort will also have The Wetlands, a pool and lazy river area themed to Pocahontas. Disney Vacation Club renamed two of its pools over the summer. They’re now called Lakeshore Lagoon and Cypress Point.
Why is 2027 such a big year for Disney World?
Because a lot of projects land at once. Tropical Americas, the first phase of Monstropolis and Lakeshore Lodge are all scheduled to open, at least in part, that year. That’s three big projects in three different corners of the resort.
Who is Josh D’Amaro?
He became Disney’s CEO in March. Before that, he led Disney Experiences, the part of the company that includes the parks, cruises and Walt Disney Imagineering.
So this tour was a bit of a homecoming. D’Amaro closed his post by telling fans he can’t wait for them to experience it all, and with all three projects aiming for 2027, the wait keeps getting shorter.
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.
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Hat Tips:
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BlogMickey (Oct. 20, 2026), D’Amaro’s post, the photos, the ride name, the Lakeshore Lodge details and the opening timelines
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BlogMickey (Oct. 19, 2026), the new Lakeshore Lodge model and the first Monstropolis entrance bricks
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@DrewDisneyDude on X (Oct. 20, 2026), the Tropical Americas photos
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