Walt Disney World has officially confirmed that Indiana Jones Adventure will replace DINOSAUR in Animal Kingdom. This post includes details, concept art, and everything we know about the plan—plus comprehensive commentary on why that’s happening and whether we think this is a good or bad reimagining of DAK.
This Indiana Jones Adventure news was announced during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, or Parks panel presentation, during the 2024 D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro also offered a sneak peek of concept art for the future, giving a taste of what will happen in a few years.
This was just one of several big announcements for Parks & Resorts at Horizons, where D’Amaro revealed several “gross projects” coming online over the next five years, including over half a dozen new additions set to debut before the end of 2025. He and chief imagineer Bruce Vaughn kept their promise to provide concrete details, not just announce more “blue sky” opportunities.
One of the most important new additions to Walt Disney World is Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom. Welcome to Pueblo Esperanza.
Construction on this new 11-acre section of the park is expected to begin later this year, with permits already filed and work underway on backstage facilities for temporary Imagineering project offices.
Just like Harambe, the Tropical Americas area feels lived-in and has a long, rich history. The plaza will be lush and expansive, with a large fountain in the center where villagers like to gather and tell stories. In addition, a wood carver has created a giant working carousel featuring their favorite animals from Disney stories. It’s a new take on a classic attraction that young families will love.
That’s not all there is to discover here though – the new site will feature not one, but two special attractions! The first of these is Encanto’s magical Madrigal Casita haunted house, which will likely be a family-friendly omnimover – perhaps an Encanto version of Mystic Manor.
The other attraction will reimagine and replace DINOSAUR. This will be a new Indiana Jones adventure that will be different from the existing versions of the attraction at Disneyland in California and Tokyo DisneySea.
In this new adventure, the Man in the Hat has recently discovered a perfectly preserved Mayan temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors of a mythical creature deep inside the temple – and he needs to see it for himself. So he takes us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.
For those counting at home, this is official confirmation of Indiana Jones Adventure, which is coming to Walt Disney World. Tropical Americas was officially announced last fall at Destination D23, and at that time Indiana Jones was “under consideration” for the region.
Bruce Vaughn stated at the time that Imagineering had considered several options for intellectual property in this area, but that Encanto and Indiana Jones “catapulted to the top” because they gave Imagineering “so much scope.” Vaughn also stated that there is “still a long way to go and a lot more to explore, but our team in Florida is fully on board.”
At the time of Destination D23, we were also informed that this was going to happen. That it was pretty much a done deal as early as last fall, but Disney just wasn’t ready to confirm it for various reasons. However, even some official announcements from the 2017 and 2019 D23 Expos didn’t come to fruition, so nothing is really “done deal” until it opens.
Earlier this year, we received another unofficial confirmation that clearly indicated that these two franchises had been given the green light for the Animal Kingdom project. All this indicated that Tropical Americas would be partnered with Encanto and Indiana Jones The Plan for Dino-Rama.
Now it’s official. And Coco isn’t part of the project. Of course, it’s not open yet – and it sounds like work won’t begin until sometime in 2025, as D’Amaro hinted that Tropical Americas would be completed in phases to give guests time to say goodbye to DINOSAUR.
I will not warm up again my comment on the original announcement at last year’s Destination D23, which was mainly about Why Animal Kingdom is Disney’s top priority right now. This is worth reading if you’re questioning the decision to move forward with the Animal Kingdom expansion as opposed to Beyond Big Thunder at the Magic Kingdom or potential projects at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.
As mentioned there, I like the idea of turning DINOSAUR into Indiana Jones Adventure. For those who don’t know, Dinosaur and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland use the exact same ride system and even a very similar track layout. Still, Indiana Jones Adventure is significantly better. It’s not even close.
Indiana Jones Adventure is so far superior to its prehistoric counterpart that it’s completely understandable that guests don’t realize they’re (basically) the same ride. While DINOSAUR relies heavily on darkness, more darkness, empty show scenes, and non-functioning effects, Indiana Jones Adventure is packed with brilliantly staged show scenes and an interior that is far more immersive and satisfying. There are a number of effects, and the way these interact with the track and everything fits together is just incredible. It’s a definitive demonstration of why ride systems aren’t everything – or anything, really – and it’s all about how they’re used.
I’ve mentioned before that my dream approach was for Disney to go the “quick and cheap” route and merge the worlds of dinosaurs and Indiana Jones – an attraction that combines the best of both worlds and could also be done on a smaller budget and shorter turnaround time. While I’d still like to see that happen, I now have reason to believe it won’t happen – the changes from DINOSAUR to Indiana Jones Adventure are actually quite significant.
I completely agree with this, as I have also heard that the Animal Kingdom version will be tweaked like the Tokyo DisneySea version (which basically means removing all the effects that have been broken at Disneyland over the years – hardly surprising that they would do that). Also, that the unique concept for the attraction is very good and in keeping with the spirit of Animal Kingdom (yes, there will be snakes – many, many snakes) and could end up being the best of all.
This might be expected considering Indiana Jones Adventure is 30 years old. It stands to reason that an attraction built decades later could and should be better. However, I would argue that Indiana Jones Adventure truly stands the test of time and is still one of Imagineering’s “modern” masterpieces.
Indiana Jones Adventure is a masterclass in theme design, world building and ride storytelling. It is also Exhibit A of how Walt Disney World made dinosaurs dirty with this land in Animal Kingdom. Dinosaurs are, by any measure, the coolest creatures to ever walk the Earth. They would eat Harrison Ford in 99 battles out of 100. (He got lucky and crashed his plane into them once.) As a newer attraction based on these beautiful animals, DINOSAUR should be light years better than Indiana Jones Adventure. And yet, it doesn’t even come close.
Before Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Indiana Jones Adventure was the most groundbreaking addition ever to Disneyland. A generation-defining attraction, Indiana Jones Adventure not only paved the way for future rides, but influenced entire countries. Even three decades later, it’s still a revolutionary ride that feels fresh. Everything about Indiana Jones Adventure is excellent. The queue sets the tone, the humorous pre-show, and the daring journey aboard a transport vehicle deep into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye in search of unimaginable rewards.
While DINOSAUR’s track layout is essentially similar, the queue and show are not the same size or scale, nor are some of the attraction’s interiors, so it’s hardly a foregone conclusion that a newer version of the attraction would be better. After all, DINOSAUR wasn’t!
If all goes well with this new take on the attraction, Walt Disney World fans are in for a real treat. Even those who are upset that the countdown to DINOSAURS’ extinction is now underway will almost certainly be quickly won over by Indiana Jones Adventure. I’m pretty sure of that, even when you factor in nostalgia (that’s a hell of a drug).
Indiana Jones Adventure is only The much better – most sane fans, even the overly sentimental ones, will recognize that. Although I’ve done both versions of this attraction dozens of times, I can’t wait to experience Indiana Jones Adventure at Walt Disney World. Partly because I want all of you to experience it. But also because I love it so much that I welcome a third edition with open arms. As Sallah would say (and does say), “It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced, I assure you!”
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Walt Disney World hotel reviews page for hotel information. For dining information, check out our Walt Disney World restaurant reviews. To save money on tickets or decide what type of tickets to buy, check out our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at smart things to take with you. Find out what to do and when to do it in our Walt Disney World Ride Guides. For comprehensive advice, check out our Walt Disney World Travel Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your opinion
Are you happy that Imagineering is working on a third version of Indiana Jones Adventure, or would you prefer a completely original attraction for Animal Kingdom? What do you think of the Tropical Americas expansion announced for Animal Kingdom? What about the potential of Indiana Jones and Encanto in DAK? Are you excited or disappointed by the plan? Or are you waiting? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Do you have any questions we can help you with? Your feedback – even if you disagree with us – is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so share your thoughts in the comments below!
