‘Indiana Jones’-Themed Ride to Replace DINOSAUR! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

A brand-new Indiana Jones-themed attraction could be the new anchor attraction to replace DINOSAUR! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as Disney’s Parks President says the new attraction would be in keeping with Animal Kingdom’s storyline.

A brand-new Indiana Jones-themed attraction could be the new anchor attraction to replace DINOSAUR! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as Disney’s Parks President says the new attraction would be in keeping with Animal Kingdom’s storyline.

But amid the cries of “Say it ain’t so!” from diehard fans of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and, more specifically, of Dinoland, U.S.A., the truth remains plans call for the removal of Chester and Hester’s old stomping grounds to make way for a brand-new themed area of the park called The Tropical Americas.

animal kingdom dinoland usa entrance sign

Dinoland, U.S.A. has been a guest-favorite area at the Walt Disney World Resort since it first opened with the park on April 22, 1998. Fans of the prehistorically-themed land have enjoyed the DINOSAUR! attraction, as well as TriceraTop Spin, the Boneyard, and the now-removed Primeval Whirl attraction for more than 25 years, and news of its demise hasn’t gone over well with many of them.

And while the news was met with sadness and even frustration by many of Disney World’s frequent guests who love the dino-themed land inside the resort’s fourth gate, others met the news with a fresh perspective on what might be in the works for the new area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and those who are looking to the stories of Indiana Jones for clues about the new land’s major attraction are reportedly “digging in the right place,” if you’ll pardon the excavation pun.

During a press preview for the long-awaited opening of Hong Kong Disneyland’s World of Frozen, Disney’s Parks and Experiences Chairman, Josh D’Amaro, teased an Indiana Jones-themed replacement for the DINOSAUR! attraction, which has served as Dinoland U.S.A.’s signature attraction since April 22, 1998–the first day of operation for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

“I think I actually played some music, didn’t I?” D’Amaro teased, referring to his presentation at the Destination D23 event in September 2023, during which he revealed an artist’s rendering that depicted an Indiana Jones-style temple situated in place of the current DINOSAUR! attraction.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, D’Amaro talked further about plans for an Indiana Jones presence in the location that is currently Dinoland, U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

D’Amaro talked briefly about a piece of concept art that was originally shared at the Destination D23 event in September 2023, saying that the artwork was not a final piece. But he did say that the image depicted in the artwork, which shows Dinoland, U.S.A. revamped into a wholly new land with a tropical Americas theme, shows “where [execs’] heads are” as the discussions about new plans for the area continue.

new themed land to replace dinoland usa

“We’ve got so many stories to tell,” D’Amaro explained. “We have so many things we want to make even better in the theme parks. My plan is to continue to share that with the guests. I know people are like, ‘My gosh, I can’t believe he’s saying this. Is he serious, is he not?’ The answer is, we are absolutely serious.”

The concept artwork depicts themes with nods to PIXAR’s Coco (2017) and Disney’s Encanto (2021).

D’Amaro touted The Walt Disney Company’s September 2023 announcement about its plans to infuse $60 billion into Disney’s Parks around the world over the next ten years to–as Disney CEO Bob Iger explained it, “turbo-charge” the parks–a decision that has angered many on Wall Street.

walt and mickey sculpture at hong kong disneyland

“We know what this business is capable of, we know what our fans expect of us, and we’re going all in,” D’Amaro continued. “You’re going to see more and more of that. As we make our way through some of these ideas, some of them will become real, and we’ll say that’s specifically what we’re going to do, but I want our guests to be on the journey with us.”

In the days following news of Dinoland U.S.A.’s eventual demise at the Destination D23 event in September, fans began to question just how Disney would try to use the stories of Indiana Jones at Animal Kingdom, a park that has been devoted to specific themes and principles, including wildlife conservation, since it first opened more than 25 years ago.

Would those stories be in keeping with the theme of the park as a whole? Would they add to it–or worse, detract from it?

In response, D’Amaro, who previously held the position of Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, said he wasn’t ready to dive “deep into” specifics about the addition of Indy at this time but said that he remained optimistic about guests’ reception of ideas for the new themed land and attraction.

“Animal Kingdom is about exploration and adventure,” D’Amaro explained. “I was fortunate enough to have run that theme park, so I know how special it is, and I think there are a lot of stories that we can [use and] stay true to Animal Kingdom and express new properties in there, and that’s what you see us starting to do.”

It’s important to note that DINOSAUR! is an opening day attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that debuted in 1998 using a ride system that is very similar to the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction that opened at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in 1996.

indiana jones adventure ride at disneyland california

As such, some fans have speculated that an Indiana Jones-themed attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom might be a carbon copy of the one at Disneyland, though there’s been no confirmation of this as of the time of this publication.

Disney Axes ‘Indiana Jones’ After Backlash

Disney reportedly has bad news for many Indiana Jones fans.

Indiana Jones, the LucasFilm franchise that has starred Harrison Ford as Dr. Jones, has stood the test of time. Though Raiders of the Last Ark (1981) was released more than 40 years ago, the franchise has continued to be successful. As a matter of fact, Indiana Jones has been so popular that a show, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort, and a ride, Indiana Jones Adventure, at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA have been made to pay homage to the movies.

While fans wait for Indiana Jones 5 to be released this summer, we have some less-than-stellar news for fans hoping the franchise would be moving forward.

Indiana Jones

Previously, it was announced that a new Indiana Jones series would be coming to Disney+. The series was to be produced by LucasFilm, the company behind the Indiana Jones franchise, and would feature a replacement for Harrison Ford as the main character moving forward.

While some fans were skeptical about the series, others were excited to see the aspects of the franchise coming to Disney+ and the potential for expanded storytelling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Disney will be moving forward with the series, after all.

A report indicates that Lucasfilms is choosing to stop moving forward with this series and will focus more on Star Wars and Marvel instead.

“RUMOR: The Ravenwood/Indiana Jones series at LucasFilm is not moving forward, and furthermore, I’ve heard that Disney has told Lucasfilm to focus on STAR WARS going forward, hence the cancellation of WILLOW,” Sneider tweeted.

There have been rumors of replacements for Harrison Ford, which have included names like Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, and even Harry Styles, but it seems that Disney might be content to let the fifth film serve as the final rendition for the franchise.

Harrison Ford has said in the past that the franchise should never be recast and that, once he’s done, the franchise should be retired, as well. Disney has made controversial decisions to move forward with projects before that fans were unhappy with, but it seems that the company will “cool down” on the notion of moving forward with Indy for the time being.

You can catch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) in theaters beginning June 30, 2023. In addition to Harrison Ford, the film stars Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, and many others.

New Indiana Jones Merchandise Revealed at Disney Parks

Calling all Indiana Jones fans! New merchandise is coming to Disney Parks and shopDisney.com!

From a Disney Cast Member;

Hold onto your hats – new Indiana Jones-inspired merchandise is coming soon to Disney Parks and shopDisney!

If you’re headed out on an expedition, you might want to make sure you have the right wardrobe for any adventure. Get your own beige safari-style shirt and jacket inspired by everyone’s favorite archaeology professor. Complete the look with a fedora, and don’t forget to save room in your bag for any ancient remains you find during your travels!

Perhaps you’re looking for some museum-worthy artifacts to add to your home collection, without running into any snakes. If it’s fortune and glory that you seek, you can soon bring home your very own ancient artifact collectibles based on props from the movies including the Sankara Stone, the Fertility Idol, the Crystal Skull, and even the Holy Grail.

Creating these collectible versions of some of Indy’s greatest discoveries was an adventure in itself. “To make sure these items were as authentic as possible, we reviewed the film props from the Lucasfilm Archives to study size, reference details, capture 3D scans and more in order to recreate them into collectible items,” said Cody Hampton, Senior Manager, Brand Merchandising. “We also try to anticipate features that fans would expect from these replicas, so we added a light up feature to the Sankara Stone, as well as the Crystal Skull.”

Each collectible has unique packaging, including the backstory of the item from the Indiana Jones movies, as well as backstory on the real world artifact it was based on. “Bringing this collection to the fans has been a treat for us, and we are so excited for our guests to be able to add these discoveries to their own collections,” said Cody.

These artifact collectibles are coming soon to both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, and will be available for pre-order on shopDisney.com beginning June 24.

There’s even more for adventure-seekers and collectors to look forward to, because more discoveries are on the horizon. I’m thrilled to share a first look at two new items coming later this Fall – a Staff of Ra Headpiece collectible inspired by “Raiders Of The Lost Ark,” and an Indiana Jones doll and pin set inspired by “Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom.” Fans of the Indiana Jones movies will love obtaining these rare antiquities for their own collections. Happy adventuring!

Disney Announces the Return of More Live Entertainment & Character Experiences

Via DisneyLists.com

While a vacation at Walt Disney World is still different in this new pandemic reality we live in, Disney is slowly bringing back entertainment offerings. Just recently a lot of live entertainment performers returned and Disney has now announced the return of more live entertainment and the return of modified character meet and greets.

From a Disney Cast Member;

It’s an exciting time to be at Walt Disney World Resort! We just launched The World’s Most Magical Celebration, with dazzling new EARidescent experiences in every corner of our world. Of course, our cast is at the heart of everything, and since the reopening of our theme parks, Walt Disney World Resort is proud to have returned more than 50,000 cast members to work. Now, more than 65,000 are working across the resort, and we are hiring hundreds more each week as we continue to open more resorts and guest locations. Today, I’m thrilled to tell you we’re bringing back more entertainment cast members this fall, as we relaunch some favorite live entertainment experiences at all four theme parks and beyond!

Some of our atmosphere entertainment resumed October 1 with the start of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration. Early birds at Magic Kingdom Park are now starting their day with “Let the Magic Begin” on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage, and we’ve welcomed back the ragtime piano player at Casey’s Corner on Main Street, U.S.A. Over at EPCOT, World Showcase travelers are dancing to the Canadian rhythms of Alberta Bound, laughing at the antics of Sergio in Italy, and experiencing the majestic percussion of the Taiko drummers of Matsuriza in Japan.

Next week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, guests visiting Asia can once again enjoy the music of Chakranadi, and Kora Tinga Tinga returns to the streets of Harambe in Africa. And you can look for the Tam Tam Drummers to come back to Africa in early November. Performers will also soon be captivating guests strolling along the waterfront at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, and the inimitable Yeehaw Bob will have his audience in stitches of fun starting October 14 in the River Roost Lounge at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.

Over the past year, beloved Disney Characters have been popping up in cavalcades, motorcades, flotillas, and surprise sightings, much to the delight of our guests, and I’m pleased to tell you many of those experiences will be continuing. Although the environment is not right just yet for hugs and autographs, you’ll soon be able to have individualized time with some of your favorite characters, getting to visit with them in a themed location and snap a photo or two. Look for the Disney Princesses to return to Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom Park. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll soon find Minnie Mouse at Red Carpet Dreams and the stars of Disney Junior in Animation Courtyard. And when you stop in to see Mickey Mouse backstage at Town Square Theater on Main Street, U.S.A., he’ll be sporting his all-new EARidescent look designed just for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration! Each of these locations is planned to start welcoming guests in November.

November 7 also marks the return of “Disney Movie Magic,” the cinematic nighttime experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios celebrating Disney’s live-action film legacy, and when this projection show resumes, it will feature a new sequence from Disney’s epic adventure, “Mulan.” And be sure to mark your calendars for December 19, when the cast and crew of “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” bring back all the comedy and thrills of that action-packed show.

Live entertainment experiences such as these are among the reasons Walt Disney World Resort truly is The Most Magical Place on Earth. We are incredibly grateful to our cast and guests for the patience you’ve demonstrated as we presented modified forms of some entertainment while continuing to work through the details required to resume others. We’re delighted to be welcoming back so much live entertainment – and so many of our favorite entertainers – this fall and look forward to sharing news about even more additions very soon.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge Joins Cast of Fifth “Indiana Jones” Film, John Williams Returns as Composer

Fantastic news has been announced for fans of the popular Indiana Jones series! John Williams, the much-lauded composer, has been confirmed to return for the fifth installment of Indiana Jones and we received a casting update as well.

Photo of John Williams

Williams composed the iconic original theme song, “The Raiders March.” He has worked on every score in the 40-year-old Indiana Jones franchise.

Also announced was the addition of Phoebe Waller-Bridge to the cast (Fleabag, Solo: A Star Wars Story). Waller-Bridge co-star alongside Harrison Ford, everyone’s favorite fedora-wearing, whip-slinging archaeologist.

Originally slated for 2020, the colloquial title of the upcoming film is Indiana Jones 5 and it is currently scheduled for release on July 29, 2022.

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