Cover of Joe Rohde’s Floating Mountains.
Joe Rohde is watching Tropical Americas take shape at Disney’s Animal Kingdom from outside the project. In a September 11 interview with Attractions Magazine’s Dani Meyering, the Disney Legend expressed trust in the Imagineers now guiding the park’s development.
Meyering describes his interest as a form of peer review. Rohde discussed the Maya cultural experts involved with the Indiana Jones attraction and the importance of representing that culture authentically.
For Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, he drew a connection between the film’s emphasis on family and Animal Kingdom’s broader concern with people’s relationship to the Earth. Bringing Casita into the park makes that fictional home a place guests can enter.
The book behind the conversation
The interview accompanied Floating Mountains, Rohde’s new book about creativity and collaboration. The 320-page book was released September 8, 2026.
The book draws on experiences from Rohde’s childhood and career, including the development of Animal Kingdom. Its focus includes how creative teams bring different perspectives together around a shared idea.