Venturing into the heart of Adventureland at Disneyland Park, guests encounter the thrilling Indiana Jones Adventure ride, a culmination of the creative genius of Disney and Lucasfilm. Opened to the public on March 3, 1995, this ride whisks guests into the adrenaline-filled world of the famed archaeologist Indiana Jones as they navigate through the treacherous labyrinth of the ancient Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Aboard rugged military troop transport vehicles, the ride wields advanced motion simulation technology to enhance the sensory experience, simulating high-speed chase scenes and daring escapes reminiscent of the cinematic saga. Set amidst the backdrop of 1935 India, guests are immersed in an intricate tale involving the discovery of an age-old temple dedicated to the deity Mara, who bestows blessings while posing a challenging condition: to never look into its eyes.
Indiana Jones Adventure Ride Video
This top-quality ride video comes from the one place that has access to the ride that others don’t – Walt Disney Company. Disney Parks produced this YouTube video featuring the Indiana Jones Adventure ride with top-quality audio and video. Enjoy the ride!
Indiana Jones Adventure: Ride Experience
In the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, guests board the troop transport in the loading area, guided by Sallah through the radio. As they venture past a mirror-concealed maintenance dock entrance into the Chamber of Destiny, guests are presented with three glowing doors. The troop transport then navigates into the chosen door, whether it be the Fountain of Eternal Youth, the Chamber of Earthly Riches, or the Observatory of the Future. Each door opens into the Hall of Promise, a magnificent hall that resonates with the theme of the chosen gift. For instance, the Fountain of Eternal Youth door leads to a hall with painted murals depicting timeless beauty and youth, the Chamber of Earthly Riches leads to a hall filled with golden treasures, and the Observatory of the Future displays a star-lit hall revealing the endless night sky. The idol of Mara, whose gift the guests have chosen, resides at the end of each hall.
As the guests approach the idol of Mara, the adventure takes a twist. Regardless of the chosen path, someone inevitably gazes into the idol’s eyes, angering Mara, who then revokes his gift and exclaims, “You looked into my eyes! Your destiny now lies beyond the Gates of Doom!” The transport moves through a large crumbling corridor and reaches the Gates of Doom, guarded by an audio-animatronic Indiana Jones struggling to keep the doors shut. Jones manages to shut the gates, causing the transport to drop to the ground, then scolds the tourists for their folly before instructing them to proceed. The transport then navigates through a pit of lava, a bridge, and catacombs of skeletons, providing a thrilling adventure filled with beetles, snakes, and ghostly apparitions.
The climax of the ride is an encounter with a massive boulder rolling towards the transport, with Indiana Jones hanging above the vehicle. Just as the boulder is about to crush the transport, it accelerates into the chamber below, giving the illusion of a narrow escape. The journey ends with Jones, standing in front of the cracked boulder, addressing the adventurers with a range of humorous remarks. As the guests are ushered back into the station with triumphant music, Sallah welcomes them back and provides amusing comments that often mismatch the experience they’ve just had, adding a light-hearted touch to the thrilling adventure. Overall, the Indiana Jones Adventure ride offers an exhilarating, immersive journey filled with surprises and Indiana Jones-themed elements that leave the guests in awe.
Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park (Christian Thompson/©Disneyland Resort)
History of Indiana Jones Adventure
Arising from a robust partnership between Disney and Lucasfilm, the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, located at Disneyland, California, marked a milestone in the evolution of theme park attractions. The ride made its public debut on March 3, 1995, as the ‘Temple of the Forbidden Eye’ with a grand opening that boasted of an impressive line-up of celebrity guests. This fourth collaboration between the two entertainment powerhouses was inspired by the success of “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Both were encouraged to venture once more into the world of immersive storytelling and cutting-edge technology with a new Indiana Jones attraction.
Stepping back into the year 1935 and diving into the enigmatic Lost Delta of India, the ride’s concept took form through a multitude of brainstorming sessions, experimenting with ideas that ranged from a walk-through adventure to a high-speed mine car ride within a temple. To alleviate the potentially long queues, Imagineers even considered using Jungle Cruise launches to ferry guests to the loading area. The team tested the key elements of the show in a Burbank warehouse on a full-sized elevated track. This creative process allowed the team to refine set pieces, lighting, effects, transport clearances, and motion profiles.
The groundbreaking for the Temple of the Forbidden Eye took place in August 1993, engaging over 400 Imagineers in its design and construction process, all under the leadership of Tony Baxter. To accommodate the half-mile-long queue area and the massive 50,000-square-foot show building, a portion of the former “Eeyore” parking lot was demolished, and the Monorail and Jungle Cruise attractions were re-routed. Albeit negotiations to secure Harrison Ford’s involvement fell through, the adventurer’s physical likeness was captured in the audio-animatronic figures, keeping the spirit of Indiana Jones alive. Now, years after its inception, the Indiana Jones Adventure continues to be a testament to imaginative engineering, immersive storytelling, and the thrilling world of archaeological exploration.
Indiana Jones Adventure Ride Info
Year Opened: 1995
Ride Time: Just over 3 minutes
Ride Type: Dark Ride
Capacity: 12 riders per vehicle
Creators: Walt Disney Imagineering and MTS Systems Corporation
Explore More: Resources
- YouTube Channel: Disney Parks
What’s Your Opinion?
What’s your favorite part of the Indiana Jones Adventure? The queue? The rolling boulder? The snake? We know the snake isn’t Indy’s favorite part! Do you like the original idea of having to go on the Jungle Cruise to be taken to the temple for the ride? Tell us what you like (or don’t like) in the comments directly below. We love hearing your opinions!
It’s rather unfortunate that the video uploaded by Disney features the broken LCU for the audio mix. A lot of the sound effects and such were mixed wrong. It’s nice they did this video but it would have been nice if they corrected the video to the correct LCU version.