Recently, the second-annual Maya at the Mouse conference took place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. As described by the conference website, “this unique conference brings together archaeologists, museologists, Imagineers, and designers to explore how storytelling and design bring the Maya past to life”. The conference was hosted by American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR) and the Davidson Day School. We were in attendance for a number of the presentations and found them to be illuminating and insightful, not only with regard to the Maya culture, but also in how invested Walt Disney Imagineering is in getting this right.
Maya at the Mouse: A Collaboration Between Imagineering and Mayan Experts
As a bit of background, Walt Disney World is currently in the middle of an ambitious transformation of the former DinoLand USA area into a Tropical Americas-themed land. The new land will feature a built-from-scratch Encanto-themed attraction and an Indiana Jones-themed attraction that will leverage a retheming of the DINOSAUR attraction. Another all-new attraction will be a carousel that embeds itself into the story of the fictional town of Pueblo Esperanza. There will also be a hacienda quick-service restaurant, playground, and meet and greet opportunities.
Actually, the Tropical Americas concept wasn’t the first pitch for a DinoLand USA replacement. Back in September 2022, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro presented a DinoLand USA replacement concept featuring a Moana-themed boat ride and a Zootopia-themed attraction.
A year later, the entire idea was scrapped, and Disney had a new direction: a Tropical Americas-themed land. The new Tropical Americas announcement came with the concept art we know today, and a new directive for Imagineers: bring Encanto and Indiana Jones to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
As it turns out, the real challenge for the Tropical Americas project team is the theme park in which it is being built. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a unique identity of deep storytelling through authentic themed areas and experiences. Established areas such as Africa and Asia have thrilling and world-class attractions, deeply embedded in richly themed, real locales. No other domestic theme park offers the level of detail and depth of visual storytelling as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and that’s a challenge when creating something brand new.
A Rohde-less, But Not Rudderless Ship
Typically, challenges at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have had a steady, guiding hand in former Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rohde. Rohde, as you likely know, was responsible for the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and has played a big part in the growth of the theme park since it opened in April 1998.
As part of that growth, the park added the popular Expedition Everest attraction in 2006 and Pandora – The World of Avatar in 2017, among a number of other updates. The key ingredient in those expansions and additions throughout the years was Joe Rohde steering the ship. That said, Rohde retired in early 2021, before the Tropical Americas project was officially announced.
With Rohde retired, how will the team create something that feels authentic to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and authentic to the region the new land was meant to represent? As it turns out, the answer is to follow the lead set by Rohde: research, research, research. But we might be getting ahead of ourselves. How does Maya at the Mouse play into all of this?
As told by Mat Saunders, Founder and Executive Director of AFAR, the connection to Disney happened by chance. Saunders, a big Disney fan himself, saw that Rohde was at an Explorers Club event in Porto, Portugal, in 2024, and he decided to reach out to Rohde to see if he would be interested in visiting a site Saunders was working. Rohde messaged Saunders back, and the two hit it off.
There is a lot more backstory here, but the result of a number of productive conversations was the resurrection of a Maya-themed conference, this time at Walt Disney World. The first event was last year, and it was such a success that the team at AFAR and the Davidson Day School decided to bring it back this year.
Going back to the extensive research that the Imagineers were conducting to bring the Tropical Americas land to life, it turns out that a Maya-themed conference that brought some of the foremost scholars to Disney’s backyard was the perfect opportunity to expand their knowledge of the captivating culture.
During the conference, I was in attendance not only to watch the presentations on various aspects of the Maya culture to do some learning myself, but to observe Imagineers soaking up the information as well. The Maya at the Mouse event was a rare opportunity to get a glimpse into the depth of research and care that Imagineering gives to a topic, especially for a theme park so richly themed and culturally authentic as Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
It’s important to note that the Tropical Americas land is sort of segmented. The majority of the land will feature the fictional town of Pueblo Esperanza. However, tucked away, just off the beaten path, will be a “perfectly preserved Maya temple”. It’s here that we’ll find an adventure with Indiana Jones. While other parts of the land will feature an Encanto attraction and other regional theming, the Indiana Jones ride is the offering within the Tropical Americas land that connects the most with the Maya culture.
In attendance at the Maya at the Mouse conference were a dozen or so Imagineers. They ranged in disciplines from story writers, graphic designers, architects, interior designers, landscapers, artists, painters, carvers, and more. For most of the conference, they were there to soak everything up, take notes, ask questions, and get feedback on design choices from the leading scholars who were presenting.
Honestly, it was amazing to see how engaged the Tropical Americas and Indiana Jones teams were throughout the multi-day conference. I only attended some 30% of the presentations, and they were always there, sometimes right in the first row of the conference room, taking notes and asking questions. The teams would often hang out after the presentations to continue discussions with the scholars and build connections.
Walt Disney Imagineering Presentation | Maya at the Mouse
After days of presentations from Maya scholars, it was time for Imagineering to give a presentation of its own. The presenter was Brianna Pfost, Creative Director with Walt Disney Imagineering, and a leader on the Indiana Jones attraction. The title of the presentation was Indiana Jones and the Intrinsic Value of Nature. Here was the abstract for the discussion:
Beautiful but dangerous, threatening yet mesmerizing, the flora and fauna of the natural world has and will always capture the imagination of humankind. This presentation will discuss the “why” rooting the choices to build an attraction featuring the Ancient Maya at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and how a familiar yet reluctant hero can tie everything together. It will offer a glimpse into the Imagineering design process, anchored by theme and research, and discuss how Imagineers might weave the ethos of the ancient Maya worldview into a mythical, provocative, and thrilling attraction.
Unfortunately, there were no photos allowed during the presentation, but I did take a few notes. We start at the beginning. That is, the beginning of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the established pillars of the park: the intrinsic value of nature, transformation through adventure, and a personal call to action. As Pfost explained, these guiding pillars are not only present in the attractions and experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but they were also themes that the team experienced when exploring and researching the Maya culture.
Stepping back for a minute, Pfost talked about the Tropical Americas region as a whole. It is a region with lush environments, filled with an abundance of animal species. Pfost called the equatorial Americas an incredible place to tell stories about. It’s clear that the team has a deep understanding of the environment, animals, and cultures that make up the Tropical Americas region. I think that this is key in developing any themed area, attraction, or experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In fact, Pfost said that the core thesis of the Tropical Americas project is that “we are not other from nature”. She talked about the interwoven relationship between humans and nature, saying that we are “part of the rainforest of living things”. Pfost recalled an earlier presentation at the conference, underlining the idea that if you care for the natural world, the natural world will care for you.
While it seemed like an aside in the moment, Pfost also talked briefly about the concept that when nature is out of balance, chaos ensues and harmony must be restored. I think this might be a plot within the Indiana Jones attraction, but that’s speculation on my part. No new attraction details were shared during the presentation, but we might be able to start to piece things together by focusing on what Imagineering wanted to include in the presentation.
With some of the high-level discussion about the Tropical Americas region at Disney’s Animal Kingdom out of the way, Pfost drilled down into the work that her team at Imagineering is doing to ensure that the Maya culture is properly represented through the Indiana Jones attraction.
Again, no photos were allowed during the presentation, but Pfost’s slide during this discussion included a photo of just one small section of a tall bookshelf filled with books on the Maya. We were shown one shelf of maybe 20-30 books, but it was clear that there was an entire bookshelf of research material, filled with sticky notes popping out of the pages. In fact, Pfost said that this was just one bookshelf of an ever-growing research library that Imagineering has on the Maya. “We read a lot of books”, Pfost said, also noting that they watch lectures on YouTube, visit museums, and have tons of conversations with experts. In one humorous comment, Pfost said that other teams thought that the team was constantly ill, given how much they mentioned “doctors” – not referencing medical doctors, but the numerous consultants on the project.
Pfost said that while reading books and looking at pictures is good, Imagineers take it a step further and conduct research trips to immerse themselves in the environments that they’ve been tasked with faithfully representing in a theme park. Pfost talked about how privileged they are at Imagineering to be able to send teams of people to not only tour towns and environments, but to slow down, sit, and experience nature and the cultures that they are studying.
Pfost said that the work they do at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not just telling stories, but creating realistic environments. Speaking as someone who walks through Disney’s Animal Kingdom often, I would say that you don’t have to spend long in any one of the themed areas to appreciate the insane level of detail that Imagineers go to in creating these realistic environments.
Pfost showcased dozens of photos from their research trips, including conversations with locals. She said that Imagineers talk to as many people as they can to understand the environments that they’re recreating.
The conversations didn’t end with the research trips. Pfost shared screenshots of Zoom calls that the team conducted with local experts and scholars to continue the conversation. In fact, Pfost said that the reason Imagineering has taken such a big interest and participation in the Maya at the Mouse conference is to continue those important conversations that challenge what Imagineers think they know or have learned from those research trips.
Through the relationships Imagineers have built with the Maya scholars, the team can begin to craft the experience of this upcoming Indiana Jones attraction.
Pfost didn’t share any specific details or concept art, but she did offer some insight into how Imagineering is thinking about this new attraction. She said that there is a prevailing theme that everything is alive. The Maya art showcases an incredible intertwining of culture and the natural world. Pfost says that the Maya kinship with nature is a “very DAK theme”, and something that they can use to tell a compelling, authentic story. She called the vibrancy of the art and Maya culture “gold” for theme park designers.
From here, Imagineers then look to become editorial. That is, how can they tie in the Maya culture to something that works at a theme park? The idea is to come up with an ethos for an attraction. In the case of the Indiana Jones ride coming to Animal Kingdom, the driving idea is that there is more than meets the eye – everything is alive.
As Imagineers begin to extend their editorial directive, they continue to try to find the right narrative device. In the specific case of this attraction, they have an existing attraction facility to work with. They are transforming the DINOSAUR attraction, which has a dynamic motion vehicle that takes guests through a fast, romping adventure. Because of this, it wouldn’t be appropriate to create a slow-moving ride. The existing facility demands a fast, bumpy, thrilling, multisensory experience.
From there, Imagineers had to figure out how to create a narrative that lends itself to a theme park experience.
In this case, Imagineers found that Indiana Jones was the perfect IP to leverage. We have the existing Maya culture and mythology thanks to the setting of the Tropical Americas land, and we have a romping ride experience thanks to the existing attraction facility. And now, we have a recognizable IP that ties in with the concepts of myth becoming reality, supernatural chaos ensuing, hanging on for dear life survival, and the wit, skill, and cunning to pull off a skin-of-your-teeth escape.
Throughout a robust library of movies and other media, we’ve seen Indiana Jones go through his own transformations through adventure (again, a very DAK theme). Indy heeds folklore, he listens to locals, and he’s skeptical that there is more than meets the eye – a perfect alignment of the ethos of the attraction and a recognizable IP.
Pfost said that Indiana Jones becomes our leader in curiosity. He is utilized by Imagineering to introduce guests to the rich Maya culture.
Of course, Indy being an archaeologist allows for an adventure into this Mayan temple. Pfost said that the attraction premise is inspired by real Mayan mythology. Pfost said that there is a folklore related to the Maya god Chaac (the god of rain, thunder, and lightning). In fact, the temple at the entrance to the attraction is dedicated to the god Chaac.
Pfost continued, saying that the attraction was a celebration of the duality of nature. The idea that nature can be beautiful, yet treacherous and dangerous. She used the analogy of watching a tornado – something that is intriguing to watch, yet so dangerous. She said that Imagineers will be playing with that idea: we can’t take our eyes off it, but we must run away to stay safe.
In the Indiana Jones attraction, guests will be transported into a world where myth becomes reality, but there wasn’t more offered on the actual story beats that Imagineers will use to create that experience. One thing that I’ll be keeping an eye on is the god Chaac. It seems like the god of rain, thunder, and lightning will be a key part of creating an attraction that uses the duality of nature to create a thrilling experience. Pfost did throw out one tidbit: the storyline of the attraction does not involve Kukulkan or Quetzalcoatl, as has been speculated by the fan community in the past.
Pfost closed by underlining the goal of the attraction. That is, to send guests on a unique and thrilling adventure, but one that may shift a guest’s perspective on the natural world and on the compelling culture that is the Maya.
The Bigger Picture and Responsibility of Imagineering
While the presentation didn’t offer any breaking news about the Indiana Jones attraction, that wasn’t necessarily my goal in attending this conference. What I was really interested in observing was the relationship between Imagineering and the Maya scholars. It was fascinating.
The Imagineers who were present in the room were there to soak up information and to leverage that information to create the best possible attraction. Imagineers covered various disciplines and experience levels – all the way from Imagineers in their first year of work through to Imagineers who have been with Disney for 35 years, to legendary former Imagineer Joe Rohde.
Briefly on the topic of Rohde, he was in attendance, but not as an Imagineer. He presented on a compelling topic of Maya costuming, but had no overlap with the Tropical Americas project.
That said, in welcoming remarks at the conference, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Vice President Ketan Sardeshmukh did point to Rohde’s lifelong passion for the Maya as being one of the key reasons that a Mayan story gets to be told at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. While Rohde has previously put some space between himself and this version of the Tropical Americas project, Rohde did say that he has been trying for 15 years to get this region of the world represented in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Ok, back to my observations. It’s very clear that Imagineering has great reverence for this topic. As a fan of the theme parks, it was insightful to be able to see just how much work Imagineering is putting in to ensure that they get this right. It was also cool to see how much this project means to the Maya scholars who have been asked to help with the project.
During a Q&A following Pfost’s presentation, one attendee took time to thank the Imagineers for their work and the respect that Imagineering is approaching the project with. The attendee said that Maya scholars have not had a really satisfactory representation of the Maya in pop culture. In fact, the attendee said that they have had a few really bad experiences with proper Maya representation in pop culture. This project appears to be the complete opposite of that. The scholars were all very excited about what Imagineering has presented so far, and the engagement that they’ve had with Imagineers.
Beyond that, the Imagineers seem to understand and appreciate the responsibility that they have in representing the Maya culture. While there are some very popular Maya cultural sites for tourists to visit, the Tropical Americas project and the Indiana Jones attraction will have more visitors per year than any of the Maya sites. Imagineers appeared to understand the importance of getting it right.
We’ll end this lengthy article with a bit of commentary. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is my favorite Walt Disney World theme park. The theming is second to none, and anytime there is something new added to the park, there is a concern about whether or not it will fit the park. From what I witnessed at the Maya at the Mouse conference, I believe that the Indiana Jones attraction will be a wonderful fit.
I can’t speak to other aspects of the Tropical Americas project because the focus of the conference was on the Maya and the Indiana Jones ride. Other aspects of Tropical Americas include an Encanto-themed attraction, an animal-themed carousel, a quick-service restaurant, a likely meet and greet area, a playground, and more. There is a lot more to the project than just the Indiana Jones ride, but I am excited and encouraged for the Indy adventure after attending the Maya at the Mouse conference, and I think you should be too!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!