Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto Detailed at D23

Disney delivered a sizeable update on the Encanto attraction coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. The ride will be one of two headliners in the new Tropical Americas land, and the news arrived via the "Horizons: A Carousel of Progress" showcase, where Jared Bush — Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation Studios and the writer and director of Encanto — appeared on the Honda Center stage in conversation with actor Skylar Astin.

The headline item was the name. The attraction is officially titled Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto, and it centres on Antonio's gift of speaking with animals. The story unfolds on his gift day, a sacred occasion for the Madrigal family, with guests folded into the celebration as they arrive at Casita. The underlying message Disney is going for is that every living thing belongs to the same familia, whatever gifts it happens to have.

Several voices from the film are returning. Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow and Diane Guerrero are back as Mirabel, Luisa and Isabella, and a behind-the-scenes clip from the recording sessions played for the crowd. Darrow described Encanto as an especially good fit for this kind of translation, given how much colour and energy there is to lift out of the film and hand to an audience. There will be no height requirement.

Creatively, the project leans into territory the film never covers: working with Imagineers, the team designed sections of the Madrigal house that audiences have never seen. Once inside, guests board vehicles representing pieces of furniture assembled by Casita, which behave less like ride units and more like characters reacting to each scene. A new rendering traced the route through the house, ending upstairs in Antonio's room, reimagined as a dense rainforest. More than 50 animals feature across the attraction, with early footage showing a capybara mid-haircut alongside a toucan and a donkey. To keep the wildlife true to Colombia, Walt Disney Imagineering has partnered with Disney's Animals, Science and Environment Team, following an earlier research trip to the country.

The presentation also covered the wider land. Fresh construction photos showed Tropical Americas taking shape, and the animal carousel received its official name: El Carrusel de los Animalitos, made up of 22 hand-carved animals drawn from Disney and Pixar stories, some of which were on display in the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion during the event. Tropical Americas was first announced at D23 in 2024 and is themed around the myths and magic of the rainforest. Alongside the Encanto ride and the carousel, it will house Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. Food and beverage plans are not final, though a large hacienda is confirmed and set to be among the biggest quick-service restaurants anywhere at Walt Disney World Resort, joined by shopping and a Maya-inspired play area where children can dig up artifacts. No opening date has been announced.