One of DinoLand U.S.A.’s most whimsical exterior details vanished Thursday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Crews took down the bright yellow ‘explosion’ backdrop from the Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures gift shop.
The removal is the latest sign of DinoLand U.S.A.’s phased disappearance, as Disney continues clearing the former land for its Tropical Americas replacement.
The cartoonish panel, which featured two dinosaurs proudly holding a broken sign that declared You don’t need to go to the end of the earth, you’re here now! has been the most instantly recognizable element of the fictional couple’s chaotic roadside shop.
Closing the Book on a Quirky Legacy
Chester and Hester were fictional locals in Diggs County who owned a rundown gas station. When dinosaur fossils were discovered in the area in 1947, they converted the station into a dinosaur souvenir shop.
Disney built DinoLand U.S.A. around that premise, down to specific sign details and a chaotic gas station aesthetic that made the area feel like a real place rather than a theme park retail strip.
The Dino-Rama area, including Chester & Hester’s souvenir shop, closed in January 2025. The rest of DinoLand U.S.A. followed in phases, with the conversion to Tropical Americas stripping it piece by piece, since then. The final attraction closed in February 2026.
It’s worth noting that the gift shop’s building itself isn’t coming down. It’s being converted to fit the new theming. The Restaurantosaurus sign is gone, too, and exterior paneling has been removed across large sections of the gift shop, leaving black sheathing exposed. An arrow sign and some billboard supports are still on the roof, though.
Across the construction site, the new themed carousel is now visible above the walls. Steel framing is going up around the circular foundation, with active welding underway.
While the Chester and Hester structure is being repurposed for new retail space, the entire project is making way for Tropical Americas. When the land opens in 2027, guests will find a brand-new Indiana Jones adventure, possibly a retheme of the DINOSAUR ride system, but what is confirmed is that it is set inside an ancient Maya temple alongside an Encanto-themed ride and the emerging carousel.
Sources: Disney Parks Blog, ITM, Walt Disney