Photos/Video: Go Behind The Scenes of the Artistic Direction of Tropical Americas with Joan Hartwig and Disney Legend Joe Rohde
Those visiting D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event were given the chance to head over to a special stage inside the Imagineering Horizons pavilion where they were able to hear about the next big thing for Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World with "Thematic Roots: Tropical Americas and Disney's Animal Kingdom."
The stage featured Disney Legend Joe Rohde and Joan Hartwig, who is the creative director for the park's new land, as they both took a dive into the creative design behind Pueblo Esperanza - the fictitious in-story town that will serve as the setting for Tropical Americas.
Rohde helps open the presentation by stating that he had, in his many years at Walt Disney Imagineering, tried and tried again to bring a Tropical Americas section to the park, and now after he has retired (but still serves as a consultant!), Joan has done it. She even says that she and Joe worked previously in an era ahead of COVID to get a Tropical Americas off the ground.
They also share more on the design work and immersive storytelling that is being brought to the new land, and how IP like Encanto and Indiana Jones fit into the world-building of Pueblo Esperanza, including the conservation message behind the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film that is being brought to life on the former site of Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama.
Check out the special panel in our video below.