Florida - At the recent D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, Disney revealed plans for an ambitious new expansion at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
As part of the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences at the Walt Disney Company, announced the addition of an 11-acre themed area called Tropical Americas.
This new section, named Pueblo Esperanza, will introduce a variety of attractions and experiences, including an all-new Indiana Jones ride.
Pueblo Esperanza is designed to reflect the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of the Tropical Americas, drawing inspiration from the same region that the Encanto film will also celebrate in another attraction within this area.
The new land will feature a central plaza with a large fountain where villagers gather to share stories, echoing the communal spirit found in many Latin American cultures.
The area will also include one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort, housed within a grand hacienda, offering guests a taste of regional cuisine.
One of the unique attractions in Pueblo Esperanza will be a giant working carousel, crafted by a local woodcarver and featuring favorite animals from various Disney stories. This reimagining of a classic carousel is expected to be a hit with young families, providing a whimsical and engaging experience.
The centerpiece of the expansion, however, is the new Indiana Jones attraction, set to replace the existing Dinosaur ride.
This marks the first time Indiana Jones will have a dedicated attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The ride’s storyline will center on Dr. Jones’s discovery of a perfectly preserved Maya temple deep within the jungle.
Rumors of a mythical creature within the temple have lured Indy into this dangerous exploration, and guests are invited to join him on the adventure.
While specific details about the ride mechanics and experience have not yet been disclosed, Disney promises it to be distinct from other Indiana Jones attractions found at other Disney parks around the world.
Indiana Jones has a strong presence in Disney parks around the world, with four existing attractions that have become fan favorites.
The first, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, opened at Disneyland in California in 1995. This dark ride takes guests on an adventure through a cursed temple, combining advanced ride technology with impressive sets and special effects.
A similar attraction, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, was introduced at Tokyo DisneySea in 2001. This version of the ride shares much of the same technology and layout but is themed around a South American temple with unique elements specific to the Tokyo park.
Tokyo DisneySea also features a roller coaster inspired by the Indiana Jones franchise called Raging Spirits. This attraction, similar to Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril at Disneyland Paris, is an outdoor looping coaster that takes riders through the ruins of an ancient temple.
Both Raging Spirits and Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, which opened in 1993 in Paris, offer a more physically intense experience compared to the dark rides found in California and Tokyo DisneySea, providing high-speed thrills amidst detailed archaeological theming.
The new Indiana Jones attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is expected to follow the format of the existing Indiana Jones dark rides found at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The current Dinosaur ride, which it will replace, already utilizes a ride system featuring large, jeep-like vehicles that navigate through immersive environments—a system similar to the one used in the Indiana Jones Adventure rides. By re-theming the ride system, Disney can efficiently adapt the space to fit the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones, ensuring a seamless transition and a thrilling new experience for guests at Animal Kingdom.
The new Indiana Jones attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is expected to open in 2027, while the transformation of the area is set to begin later this year.
The Dinosaur attraction, originally named Countdown to Extinction when the park opened in 1998, is a dark ride that takes guests on a thrilling journey back in time to the late Cretaceous period.
Using a jeep-like ride vehicle called the Time Rover, guests are tasked with locating a certain Dinosaur and bringing it back to the present before a catastrophic asteroid impact. The ride is known for its intense experience, featuring animatronic dinosaurs, speed changes, sharp turns, and dramatic lighting effects.
The attraction was rebranded as Dinosaur in 2000 to tie in with Disney’s animated film of the same name, though the storyline of the ride remained largely unchanged.
As one of the original attractions of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dinosaur has been a staple of the park for over two decades, offering a combination of thrills and educational content about prehistoric life.
Its closure and replacement with the new Indiana Jones attraction will mark the end of an era for the park, but Disney has promised that fans will still have time to experience Dinosaur before it closes in preparation for the new development.
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