Indiana Jones and the Mystery Project of Hat

Imagineering has filed a construction permit for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Hollywood Studios, following up mysterious filings for the not-so-ominous “Project Fedora.” This covers details from the three Notices of Commencement submitted by Walt Disney World, and our speculation as to what this could entail based on what’s happening around DHS.

Let’s start with the basic background in an adventure that we’re dubbing Indiana Jones and the Mystery Project of Hat (still workshopping that name, but at least it beats Dial of Destiny). One month ago, a new entry mysteriously materialized in the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) database titled “Project Fedora.” The location of this is 253 Cypress Drive, which is located between Oasis Canteen and Backlot Express.

The project area is only 202 square feet in size, and is located by the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular exit (not on the other side by 50’s Prime Time Cafe, where the gift shop and pop-up bar used to be located). Pre-COVID, there was a merchandise kiosk in this space. I don’t recall it being used since then, but it’s always possible one of the random meet & greets was here and I just missed it (or forgot).

This saga began in earnest earlier in Spring 2026, when rolling planters appeared to cloak the “work” being done here, which wasn’t really anything at the time. More recently, pavement has been torn up and some vegetation removed. But there’s still no visible sign of whatever’s going to happen and, as of last week, there were still just planters here as opposed to proper construction walls.

A trio of construction permits have been filed that likely correspond to Project Fedora. The first two came late last month from Facility Asset Management (FAM), which typically handles maintenance, routine refurbishment projects, and smaller-scale creative projects. Anything fitting in a 202 square foot parcel is likely to involve FAM, unless it’s a skyscraper or something very vertical.

Of the original FAM permits, one is assigned to Slalom Construction Services and the other to Artistic Entertainment Services. Both are for the catch-all “General Construction” project scope, which can encompass just about anything. Sometimes construction even means demolition! Both also have the default one-year expiration, making them valid through May 2027.

The third permit was filed more recently, and by Walt Disney Imagineering as opposed to FAM. This one concerns the installation of new signage at 225 Cypress Drive, which is not the same parcel as Project Fedora (that’s 253 Cypress Drive). This address resolves to Epic Eats, Oasis Canteen, and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular itself.

The newer permit is assigned to Kentavo, a frequent collaborator with Imagineering on (you guessed it) themed signage at Walt Disney World. This permit could be completely unrelated to Project Fedora, and just a matter of refreshing signage outside the aging theater in an effort to draw in more guests or give the show a bit of a boost. Our guess, though, is that it’s signage for whatever Project Fedora is given the close proximity.

The involvement of Imagineering also piques our curiosity about Project Fedora. It doesn’t change the footprint of the area behind the walls or expand the likely scope of work, all of which are constrained by the location and the parcel’s 202 square foot size. But it could be a sign that more on the horizon is happening here than is presently known.

As for what Project Fedora entails, your guess is as good as ours. This area previously being home to a merchandise stand makes that the most obvious possibility. At the same time, are Indiana Jones souvenirs really the hot ticket these days? And if they were, why not just use the existing shop on the opposite side? Obvious as it might seem, this strikes me as unlikely.

The other ‘usual suspects’ for a project of this size include snack stand, booze booth, Shia LaBeouf activation, or Disney Vacation Club kiosk. Thankfully, all of those things already exist nearby. Even as much as Walt Disney World loves selling snacks, alcohol, and timeshares, I doubt they need yet another such location so close to the others. Unless it’s Walt Disney World’s first combination bar and DVC kiosk! I wouldn’t put that past them.

Another possibility would be a purpose-built character meet & greet location, and I’d be inclined to guess that were the Magic of Disney Animation not about to bring a half-dozen of those to the table.

We can probably rule out anything over in the Walt Disney Studios Courtyard as also coming over here. Maybe Walt Disney World will surprise us all, and this will be permanent infrastructure supporting the return of Jedi Training Academy. Now that would be the dream!

That scenario seems unlikely for a multitude of reasons, the least of which is that Project Fedora seemingly suggests an Indiana Jones connection. Maybe it’s just another cryptic codename, and is meant to reference Harrison Ford, who is also in Star Wars.

Or perhaps the Jedi Training Academy stage is going to become some snake-charming experience and this is the staging area for it. Joking aside, the starting point of a scavenger hunt also strikes me as plausible, and could fit thematically in this Indiana Jones corner of the park.

If I had to bet, I’d go for something more along these lines than the combined booze and DVC booth direction. It seems like leadership is starting to realize DHS needs more for kids, and is acting on that. Given that the ground is torn up, even something like a splash pad wouldn’t surprise me. But like I said a few paragraphs ago, your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t the slightest idea as to what this is going to become.

On a tangentially related note, one thing I do wonder is how much of a future Indiana Jones has at Hollywood Studios.

While the Stunt Spectacular is still going strong nearly four decades after it debuted, there’s also the new Indiana Jones Adventure and associated area under construction at Animal Kingdom, replacing DINOSAUR. That will feature the iconic attraction plus a playground as part of the Tropical Americas expansion.

There’s nothing to say Indiana Jones can’t have a presence in multiple parks. Look no further than over at Toy Story Land; when that debuted, the half-dozen other Toy Story things at Walt Disney World did not close. But at the same time, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has had a long run, is now the oldest attraction at DHS, and arguably past its prime.

The stunt show has been modified on several occasions, most recently after a viral incident when a Cast Member was injured stopping the boulder when it came off its track and careened towards the crowd. That boulder still has not returned, and it wouldn’t surprise us if it never does.

All of this makes us recall back in 2018-2019, when there were rumors that Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular would receive new and replaced scenes, plus the removal of its “working studio” premise that no longer makes sense in the current incarnation of the park.

At the time, the plan was for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular to go dark for a lengthy period of time in 2020 and 2021, with the reimagined show debuting just in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration.

As it turns out, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular did go dark, but due to the COVID closure and phased reopening as opposed to a reimagining. The minor changes it received were not to the degree rumored, which would’ve refreshed the show to a similar degree as Finding Nemo: The Musical or Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

From what we’ve heard, both Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage have survived well past any reasonable expiration date because they still score very well in guest satisfaction ratings. As the main metric used to evaluate whether to replace or refresh entertainment, there hasn’t been a huge incentive to make any meaningful improvements to the show.

However, we can’t help wonder whether the calculus has changed since 2021. For one thing, there’s the aforementioned addition of Indiana Jones Adventure at Animal Kingdom coming in late 2027. Between that and this franchise not having Toy Story levels of popularity, it might make sense for Indiana Jones to exist in only one park.

For another thing, there’s new leadership at Walt Disney World, Imagineering, and Parks & Resorts. A stunt show is probably sufficiently small-scale that someone senior at any one of those levels could get a replacement approved and funded.

Finally, there’s the fact that we’ve already been seeing this blueprint play out at Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the last two years! Voyage of the Little Mermaid (another high-scoring show) was reimagined and renamed to Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. Villains Unfairly Ever After replaced Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster evicted Aerosmith in favor of the Muppets. Before all of that, Fantasmic received a worthwhile refresh. You get the idea.

If this ‘singles and doubles’ strategy is yielding dividends elsewhere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s every reason to believe the approach will be adopted next at both Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

At this point, there’s no reason to believe that Project Fedora is the first step towards Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular being reimagined or replaced with a different intellectual property. To the contrary, its codename suggests more Indiana Jones and not less at DHS. But it wouldn’t be the first time that a cryptic codename pertained to a former tenant as opposed to a future one. Regardless of what happens, we’ll keep you posted!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think Project Fedora will end up being? Expect it to be Indiana Jones-themed, or is that misdirection? Think it’ll be a meet & greet, snack stand, DVC kiosk, booze booth, sign-up spot for snake charming, or something else entirely? Think it’s plausible that Disney will close Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular for a year to revamp or replace it? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!