Disney Parks has announced the upcoming closure of yet another iconic attraction that is very popular with Guests, and no one seems to know the reason for the closure or whether it’s a permanent or temporary closure.
Disney’s theme parks are dynamic entities in their own right–dynamic, as in exciting, amazing, different from the competition, engaging, and inspiring. But they’re also dynamic in that they are constantly changing, evolving, and growing to meet the demands and expectations of Guests and shareholders alike. The Walt Disney Company is among the most stable organizations in history, as evidenced by the celebration of the company’s centennial anniversary this year, as well as by the long-standing partnerships the company and the parks have with other organizations, such as Coca-Cola, with whom Disney has had an amicable and congruent working relationship for nearly 80 years.
But Disney’s parks and resorts are in a seemingly constant state of flux, which sounds like a bad thing–but it isn’t. Walt Disney Imagineers are continually learning, thinking, imagining, and developing. They not only play roles in the construction of new rides, attractions, and experiences in the parks, but they also play huge roles in the very creation of those attractions–often developing brand-new technologies to make an imagined experience a reality for Guests.
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Often, Imagineers are tasked with playing roles in projects for which one attraction must be shelved so another one can be constructed or installed, as in the case of the iconic Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland Resort in southern California and at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The attraction at both parks, which has been a Guest favorite for more than 30 years, closed earlier this year, and Imagineers are hard at work, bringing a new experience, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, to dazzling life.
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Now Disney has announced that another Guest-favorite iconic attraction is headed for the chopping block–an attraction that takes its inspiration from a wildly-lucrative film franchise, more than 40 years in the making. The attraction is, of course, the Indiana Jones attraction–this one, at Disneyland Paris Resort, called Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril.
The attraction opened at Disneyland Paris on July 30, 1993, just over a year after the Disney Resort opened to Guests. The roller coaster-style attraction reaches a top speed of approximately 36 miles per hour and takes Guests through a lost temple aboard a mining train. But the attraction will reportedly close to Guests on September 25, 2023, and as of the time of this publication, there’s no explanation for the closure–and no details about whether the scheduled cessation of ride operations for Indy’s attraction will be permanent or for an extended time in the event of the need for maintenance, a refurbishment, or a full reimagining.
More about the attraction from Disneyland Paris:
After clambering to the Temple of Peril entrance, you board a railed vehicle, hoping it will lead you to the missing expedition party. The rickety cart climbs a chain lift to the top of the excavation site. You look for signs of life, but before you can catch your breath, a mysterious force sends the cart into an out-of-control spiral of twists and turns through the darkest corners of this cursed ruin. Forget finding your friends, you’re going to need all the courage of Indiana Jones to get out alive!
More details about the planned closure of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril ride will be shared as it becomes available.