Is Indy getting his own land?The bi-annual D23 Expo is going to be held this August in Anaheim, CA. One of the highlights of the convention for fans of all things Disney is the theme parks panel. In 2015 we learned that a land based on Star Wars was on the way, while in 2017 we were given more details about it, plus told about other rides that were coming. With the next convention a few months away, the rumor mill is about to go into overdrive. One current rumor is that an Indiana Jones themed land will be announced for Walt Disney World. While it sounds crazy at first, this could indeed be a possibility.
The first place where the land could go is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Indiana Jones Land (for lack of another name) would replace Dinoland U.S.A. This is not as illogical as it sounds. DINOSAUR has the exact same track as Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park, but the California version is thought by most to be a much better ride because of the theming. Indiana Jones is an archeologist, so The Boneyard could be rethemed. Primeval Whirl is arguably the most painful ride at Walt Disney World, and it is not universally loved. TriceraTop Spin is not on many must-do lists. If those two rides and Fossil Fun Games were removed, there would be plenty of room for a new E-ticket attraction.
Indiana Jones Land would improve the traffic in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. On one side you would find Pandora, and the new land would be on the other. It would also most likely change the way that people enter the park at the beginning of the day. Right now most rope drop guests are “Flight of Passage or bust”. With a new huge attraction on the other side of the park, the flow would be broken up.
The second place where Indiana Jones Land is being rumored to go is Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If this is the case, it would probably be a couple of years before breaking ground. I mentioned (sadly) not long ago that there is a good possibility that Star Tours will eventually close. The space that houses Star Tours and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! could be used to create a small new land. The original idea behind Disney-MGM Studios was to give you a glimpse inside how movies are made, but that has shifted. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is now about allowing you to become part of the movies. If you’re looking for a place for an Indiana Jones Land to make sense, this would be it.
Of course, this is all just rumor at this point. It’s fun to think about the future. If I hear anything that is more than just rumor, I will let you know. There were a lot of rumors before the last D23 Expo that seemed to have a lot of credibility, but they turned out not to be true. I have no idea how much credibility this rumor has, but I’m an Indiana Jones fan, so I’m paying close attention.