Lost River Delta

**The Lost River Delta** is a fictional location from Tokyo DisneySea's themed, "land" of the same name.

## Description

The Lost River Delta is an exotic river-delta in Cusco, Peru. In addition to holding a small municipality, the delta contains a large amount of ancient ruins.

### Points of interest

* **The Greeting Trails**:
* **Miguel's El Dorado Cantina**:
* **Piranha Aviation Hangar**:
* **Raging Spirits Temple**:
* **Temple of the Crystal Skull**:

## History

### Background

#### Origins

One or more mesoamerican civilizations were active in the Lost River Delta. The most notable feature constructed by these civilizations was the Temple of the Crystal Skull, a structure which worshiped the Crystal Skull. The Crystal Skull was a powerful entity which supposedly protected the mythical Fountain of Youth. Eventually, this civilization as lost to time and the jungle.

In 1883, the Delta was visited by wealthy grave-robber and colonial thief Harrison Hightower III, a member of the *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*. Hightower and his manservant Smelding defiled the temple of the raging spirits and stole the head of its water-deity. Hightower also happened upon the Temple of the Crystal Skull and took a photograph of himself outside the pyramid, smoking a cigar. Hightower brought both the statue-head and photograph to his home, the Hotel Hightower in New York City.

#### Indiana Jones Adventure

In the year 1931, the delta was visited by archaeologist Indiana Jones aboard *Piranha Aviation*'s UBF-2 sea-plane, the *C-3PO.* Jones had an incomplete map which would lead him to the *Temple of the Crystal Skull*. However, the other half of the map belonged to a group known as the League of Adventurers. Jones was forced to collaborate with the league, leading them to the Crystal Skull's temple. Upon reaching the temple, the league was chased out by the angered crystal skull spirit.

While pursuing a variant of the legendary Fountain of Youth within the temple, Jones disappeared himself. In the archaeologist's absence, his assistant Paco took over as head of the excavation. Paco ran, "Temple Tours" through the Temple of the Crystal Skull for additional funds and to try and locate Jones. When one of these tour groups angered the Crystal Skull, they were saved by Jones. Together, Jones and the tourists fought their way out of the temple with the further fate of the expedition being unknown.

#### Raging Spirits

Around the same point in time as Indiana Jones' adventure, the *Cantera El Barranca Rocoso* archaeological team excavated the Raging Spirits temple. The *Hightower Trust* arranged for parts of the raging spirits temple stolen by Hightower to be returned and restored. However, they placed the head of the Water idol on the wrong way, making it face the fire god. Because of this, the spirits created raging fire and water around the temple and caused the train carts to run out of control.

#### Later history

Around November 19 in 1932, the Jungle Navigation Company lost a boat known as the *Ganges Gal* in the ***Lost River Delta*** of Peru which they tried to cover up before being exposed on a December 8 edition of the *Daily Colonial Journal* newspaper.

By 1938, the Lost River Delta hosted safari excursions tied to the Jungle Navigation Company's *Jungle Cruise* services.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Adventure Trading Company

*The Daily Gnus* newspaper's journalist B. Pepperella mentions how before coming to, "Adventureland", the Adventure Trading Company visited the Lost River Delta in addition to Harambe and Mystic Point.

### Jungle Cruise

In Alberta Falls' office in the Amazon River Base is a post-card from the Lost River Delta. In her radio-loop, Skipper Missy personally recommends Jungle Cruise passengers book a safari excursion in the Lost River Delta. In 2023, a souvenir banner from the Lost River Delta was hung up over the Banana Troop door in the Amazon River Base.

#### Jungle River Cruise: Curse of the Emerald Trinity

The Daily Colonial Journal mentioned the Jungle Navigation Company boat, "The Ganges Gal" going missing while passing through the delta and the JNC attempting to cover it up.

### Skipper Canteen

In the Skipper Canteen's Mess Hall is a letter from the Lost River Delta, addressed to Rosita in the Enchanted Tiki Room. In the library is a book-series titled, "Temple Tours" which describe the Temple of the Crystal Skull and which are written by Paco.

### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

In this bar is a photograph of Sam in the Lost River Delta, in-front of the Temple of the Crystal Skull.

## Other appearances

### Camp Discovery

A newspaper from First International News details how Jones and the League of Adventurers found the temple of the crystal skull.

### Tower of Terror

In the Hotel Hightower was a mural of Harrison Hightower III and Smelding raiding the water idol head, and a photograph of Hightower outside of the Temple of the Crystal Skull.

## Trivia

* In real-world history, Cusco was once ruled by Spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre. Aguirre is also an antagonist in the Jungle Cruise film. Cusco is also historically affiliated as a major point in Incan mythology and cosmology, a pantheon referenced in the Jungle Cruise film via Mama Quila.

## External links

* *Lost River Delta* on the *Indiana Jones Wiki*.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2021/08/29/jungle-cruise-changes-now-complete-at-magic-kingdom-photos-video/
2. ↑ https://allears.net/2023/08/23/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-jungle-cruise-in-disney-world/