Indiana Jones Adventure

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Indiana Jones Adventure
Disneyland
Land Adventureland
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Attraction type Dark Ride
Theme Indiana Jones Adventure
Opening date March 3, 1995
Vehicle type World War II Troop Transport
Vehicle capacity 12
Cars per vehicle 1
Ride duration 3 minutes
Length 2500 ft (762 m)
Maximum speed 22 mph (35.4 km/h)
Height requirements 46" (117 cm)
Tokyo DisneySea
Land Lost River Delta
Opening date September 4, 2001

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is a dark ride attraction at Disneyland. It opened on March 3, 1995. Based on the Indiana Jones films (despite the fact that they were funded and distributed by rival studios Paramount Pictures), guests are taken on an adventure in modified military transport vehicles through a lost temple with Indiana Jones. It was formerly sponsored by AT&T.

A similar ride entitled Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull is located at Tokyo DisneySea theme park in Tokyo.

Contents

Entrance sign to the attraction.
Entrance sign to the attraction.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye: Because of the success of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, George Lucas decided to join forces with Disney in creating a new attraction for Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Unlike the previous collaboration, this attraction was created with a backstory "set in the Lost Delta of India, circa 1935."[1]

Indiana Jones Adventure is the third collaboration between WDI and Lucasfilm, after the Disneyland attractions Captain EO and Star Tours.

Several early concepts were considered including a walk-through adventure and a high-speed mine car adventure within a temple. To avoid a long queue, Imagineers considered using Jungle Cruise launches to shuttle guest to the loading area.[1]

Groundbreaking began for Forbidden Eye in August of 1993. More than 400 imagineers worked on its design and construction, with a core team of nearly 100, with Tony Baxter as the project lead.[1] It entailed rerouting the Jungle Cruise attraction, the creation of 0.5 mile of queue area, demolishing an area of the former "Eeyore" parking lot and building a 50,000 square foot structure to house the ride itself.

Disney filed for patent on the ride system November 16, 1995[2]

Forbidden Eye debuted on March 3, 1995. Among the celebrated guests were George Lucas, Michael Eisner (Disney CEO at the time), Dan Aykroyd, and Carrie Fisher.[1]

To promote the opening of the ride the Disney Channel produced an hour-long TV program entitled Indiana Jones Adventure featuring Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies reprising their roles from Raiders of the Lost Ark.[1] Artist Drew Struzan produced a one-sheet poster in the same theme as the films.[1]

Until 2002, the attraction was sponsored by AT&T. "It’s great to have AT&T as presenting sponsor," said Disneyland President Paul Pressler. "With Disneyland celebrating its 40th Anniversary and preparing to open its most exciting attraction, we welcome the opportunities this relationship is sure to create."[1] Currently the attraction has no sponsor.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The story, set in July of 1936, is told through twelve letters and telegrams scattered throughout the queue as well as three newsreels shown before guests board the attraction. An ancient Indian temple, buried in a flood over two thousand years ago, has recently been rediscovered by Indiana Jones. It contains countless intriguing artifacts, but the real treasures are those offered by the god Mara. This deity offers all who come to the hallowed site one of three gifts: earthly riches, eternal youth, or visions of the future. The only condition is that no one may look into the god's eyes. Although Jones’ discovery, dubbed the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" by the media, has set the archaeological community abuzz, his funding eventually ran out, so he and Sallah began conducting tours to raise money. Good fortune has come to the tourists who survive, but some have not returned. The families of the missing tourists begged Jones for help. Jones ventured inside the temple to find them, approximately one week ago, but has not reappeared since. Jones also hoped to find the temple’s power source: the mysterious “Jewel of Power,” which Abner Ravenwood believes to be stored in an immense cavern, guarded by the Gates of Doom. Marcus Brody has asked Sallah to continue conducting the tours, in hopes that one of them will find Jones.[3]

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): The attraction is set in the area of the park called Lost River Delta, which represents somewhere in South America. The storyline is similar, but this time Indiana Jones is looking for the Fountain of Youth in an Aztec temple guarded by the Crystal Skull.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The ride’s immersive and carefully detailed queue leads guests through dimly lit caverns and eerie passageways containing booby-trapped sections reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies.

The queue begins outside where guests walk past a 2.5 ton (2,267 kg) Mercedes-Benz troop transport truck. Disneyland's version is the actual vehicle used in the famous desert chase scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. A small mining car near the truck is a movie prop as well, used in the mine scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Guests also walk by a noisy gas-powered generator, which appears to power the lights inside the temple.

Marabic decoder card handed out in 1995 and occasionally after that,
Marabic decoder card handed out in 1995 and occasionally after that,

Much of the queue is inside the temple itself. Throughout the bowels of the temple, messages and warnings written as "Mara-glyphics" tell visitors to the excavation site of the rewards and perils that can be found further within.[4] These can be translated into English using a simple code. In the early months of the attraction's existence at Disneyland, guests were given decoder cards; while these cards are no longer distributed, the code is easily solvable. Each symbol bears a strong resemblance to its corresponding letter in the English alphabet. The sole exception is the letter I, which, appropriately, resembles an eye.

There are a few interactive props in the queue. In the “spike room,” several bamboo poles hold the collapsing ceiling in place. When one of these poles is pushed, sounds simulating the ceiling dropping are heard and the spiked ceiling drops several inches. Similarly, there is a covered pit with a rope and a sign warning not to pull on rope as an archaeological dig is in progress. Tugging on the rope triggers one of several pre-recorded mishaps to be heard from the pit.

The ride was built on the Eeyore section of the parking lot. As a tribute, one of the Eeyore signs was hidden in the queue area.

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): The queue for this version of the attraction is quite different. While The Temple of the Forbidden Eye is quite small on the outside and mostly hidden away, the Temple of the Crystal Skull is a large Aztec pyramid and temple, set in the South American port "Lost River Delta" at Tokyo DisneySea. Once inside, most of the rooms are much larger and less claustrophobic than Disneyland's, and is influenced by South America rather than Asia. There is a large room in the first pyramid with skeletons on the floor with the subsequent rooms get narrower. A black and white safety video similar to Disneyland's plays on a loop. However, instead of Sallah, it is a South American man named Paco.

Diagrams showing the range of motion of an enhanced motion vehicle.
Diagrams showing the range of motion of an enhanced motion vehicle.

Guests board a dark ride type vehicle, designed to look like a World War II troop transport, running along a single track. Each transport has three rows of seats, with each row accommodating up to four guests, and the left-most seat in the front row having access to a non-operational steering wheel.

Each troop transport is basically a miniature motion simulator known as an enhanced motion vehicle that travels along a track. The transport "shell" sits on top of a chassis that moves along the track at about 14 miles per hour. Hydraulics built into the chassis cause the shell to shudder, bank, and twist, creating a physically intense experience.

This ride system was invented for the Indiana Jones Adventure, and has only been implemented in two other rides — DINOSAUR, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, and its Tokyo DisneySea counterpart, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. However, the Japanese version uses electro-magnetic actuators instead of hydraulics as the oil used in the Disneyland version tends to spill on the tracks. Because of Japan's envionmental codes regarding oil spills, the design team elected to use electromagnetic actuators on the ride vehicle. Three of these actuators are used to create a 3-D (pitch, roll, and elevation) motion platform on which the cabin sits.[citation needed]

In addition to dialogue and sound effects, an orchestral soundtrack plays through the speakers built into the troop transports. This medley contains segments of John Williams' original scores for the first two Indiana Jones movies, rescored and re-recorded to sync up with the perils of the ride. The "Raiders's March" and "Ark theme" both feature prominently at various points. However, the Crystal Skull version of the ride does not use as much music as its California counterpart, and much of the ride is unscored.

A diagram of the Chamber of Destiny.
A diagram of the Chamber of Destiny.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): At the loading area, guests board a Jeep-like troop transport. After a quick seatbelt check, the transport moves forward and turns a corner into the Chamber of Destiny. Here guests are presented with three doors which will lead to the Fountain of Eternal Youth, the Chamber of Earthly Riches, and the Observatory of the Future. One of the three doors begins to glow more brightly than the other two, and Mara announces which gift the passengers have chosen to receive. The transport heads through the corresponding door, and into the next chamber.

The Chamber of Destiny actually has only one working door, with only one corridor behind it. The walls and ceiling of the room rotate over the working door and a set of four facades (two on each side of the real door), so that three "doors" are visible at any given time. The doors and the Hall of Promise are lit differently based on which particular chamber has been chosen. To further enhance the illusion, the facades have fake tracks leading to them.

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): While the ride has the same layout and ride system, the opening scene is quite different. The Temple of the Crystal Skull does not pretend to have three hallways or doors, and everyone is seeking the Fountain of Youth. There is a single carved door with pools of water to the side, complemented by mist and what appears to be endless hallways.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The troop transport randomly enters one of the doors into the Hall of Promise, and ascends along a sloped tunnel.

If guests have entered the Fountain of Eternal Youth, the tunnel is filled with blue light and scrims along the walls, lit from the front, depict people drinking magical water and becoming young and beautiful. Running water can be heard, and the walls appear to be illuminated by light that is reflecting off of the unseen water.

If the riders enter Chamber of Earthly Riches, the tunnel is filled with yellow light. The same scrims are lit from behind; making large amounts of gold and other treasures visible, while rendering the paintings seen in Fountain of Eternal Youth virtually invisible.

If riders enter the Observatory of the Future, the tunnel is dimly lit with purple light, and the ceiling above is filled with 5,000 fiber optic stars. The ride vehicles tilt upward, directing passengers’ eyes away from the unlit scrims, and towards the dazzling star field.

At the end of the tunnel, the eyes of a large idol of Mara begin to glow as he states, "Foolish mortals! You looked into my eyes. Your destiny now lies beyond the Gates of Doom!"

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): All guests enter the same hallway, seeking the Fountain of Youth. This single hallway contains effects from the three variations seen in “Forbidden Eye”; fiber optic stars, statues holding glowing treasure, and water effects. At the end of the hall awaits the Crystal Skull. It glows demoniacally, signaling that the journey is about to take a turn toward the Gates of Doom.

The transport momentarily appears to head toward an exit, before making a sharp turn into a large corridor. Lightning flashes along the walls, illuminating cobra statues.

The Gates of Doom pulsate with green mist and an animatronic Indiana Jones struggles to keep the doors closed. Jones scolds the tourists for looking into the eyes of the idol and instructs them to proceed up the steps to the left. The triumphant musical theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark is heard as the transport accelerates up the flight of stairs.

Mara attempts to destroy the bridge.
Mara attempts to destroy the bridge.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The transport emerges from the passage and teeters on the edge of a vast pit of lava. A rickety wooden bridge spans the pit, and another jeep can be seen crossing it. On the far side of the cavern, there is a 45-foot-tall stone face of Mara, the right half of which has eroded in such a way that it resembles a skull. Its left eye contains a swirling flame, and shoots green rays at both transports, causing flames to erupt from wherever it hits.

The Crystal Skull attempts to destroy the bridge.
The Crystal Skull attempts to destroy the bridge.

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): The ride does not contain any fire or simulated lava, and its color scheme uses cooler colors, such as blues and greens. There is a large tornado effect near the bridge, and large skull replaces Mara's face. Its eye is crystal and has lasers and other interesting lighting effects.

The transport turns left and enters another chamber filled with skeletons, some of which pop out toward the guests.

One of the skeletons sometimes has a set of Mouseke-ears on backwards with the name "Bones" spelled out.[5]

Suddenly, all is dark; the music tinkles with chaotic violin pizzicatos. The transport's headlights flicker back on, illuminating walls swarming with thousands of beetles. Hissing sounds are heard, and riders are blasted with puffs of air.

The transport finally heads out of the darkness and onto the bridge which spans the pit. The transport stalls for a moment as another oncoming jeep can be seen across the pit, but it turns out of the way before reaching the bridge. The transport then accelerates across the bridge which sways and jostles under its weight. The massive stone Mara/skull shoots beams from its eye at the bridge, attempting to destroy it. The transport safely makes it across and makes a right turn.

Thousands of snakes line the walls and ground and a gigantic animatronic cobra appears to the right of the vehicle, which strikes at the riders. At this point, the tourists will hear Indiana Jones say either, "Watch out for anything that slithers," or "Snakes! You guys are on your own."

The transport heads back toward the bridge as another jeep is in position on the other side of the bridge ready to cross. The transport takes a sharp turn to the right and passes behind the giant carving of Mara's face. Hundreds of human skulls decorate the walls, and the spirit of Mara looms from above. The transport continues downward, driving beside the glowing lava, and passes under the bridge before entering a dark tunnel.

There are 1,995 skulls, representing the year the attraction opened: 1995.[citation needed] There is sometimes a skull with sunglasses on it.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The vehicle shudders and stalls and is heard being restarted before continuing towards a hanging tree root. As the transport nears the root, many rats are seen climbing across it and falling off when another burst of speed sends the car through the tree root, which vaporizes like mist. (Contrary to popular belief, this effect is not achieved through holography, but through a simple video projection on a smoke screen.)

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): The Tokyo version does not include the rat effect. Instead, there is a carved face in the wall in front of the vehicle. The vehicle pauses for a moment and large ring of orange colored smoke pops out of the face's mouth, straight towards the vehicle.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The transport arrives in a lit tunnel with paintings of spear-wielding skeletal warriors adorning the walls. Inside of each warrior's mouth is a small hole in the wall. Gusts of air and sounds of darts hitting the transport are felt and heard as the transport passes between the skeletal warriors, as though the tourists have set off booby traps.

Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo DisneySea): Rather than paintings of skeletons on the walls, there are miniature sculptures of skulls. Each one has a little hole in its mouth that the air darts come out of.

Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The transport then approaches a dark area and stops. Indiana Jones suddenly appears above the vehicle hanging on a rope in a shaft of sunlight. He shouts at the riders to turn their headlights on and back up so he can get in. Seconds later the light illuminates a massive 16-foot boulder rolling toward the jeep. The transport seems to back up a bit as the boulder threatens to crush Jones and the tourists. At the last possible second, the temple floor seems to give way, sending the transport crashing to the chamber below. The transport makes a sharp turn in a dark tunnel and comes out to see Jones standing in front of the crushed boulder. He wipes his forehead and says, "Not bad... for tourists," or "Tourists, why'd it have to be tourists?" (a reference to his line from Raiders: "Snakes, why'd it have to be snakes?") or, "Next time, you're on your own!" A final triumphant refrain of the music ushers the guests back into the station, where they disembark and follow a long tunnel back into the Adventureland area.

The rolling boulder does not actually roll down the tunnel, but only rotates about a fixed axis. The troop transport moves forward to create the illusion that the boulder is gaining on the riders, while the walls, ceiling, and animatronic Indiana Jones move forward, slightly faster than the transport. This gives the impression that the transport is slowly moving backwards, and that the boulder is rolling towards the transport. To further enhance the illusion of backing up, the transport simulates driving over small bumps, with the rear tires hitting them first. The transport seems to escape the boulder at the last possible second every time, because it is simply driving down a decline that starts just in front of the non-moving boulder and passes underneath it. The transport's forward-only motion is apparent if riders turn around to look backward, or if those on the outside seats choose to look at the ground.

Indiana Jones Adventure: The Temple of the Forbidden Eye

  • Grand Opening: March 3, 1995
  • Building Size: 57,400 feet² (5,332 m²)
  • Track Length: 2,500 feet (762 m)
  • Queue Length: 1,500 feet (457 m)
  • Total Vehicles: 17 (Max 15 on track)
    • Vehicle: World War II Troop Transport (Enhanced-Motion Vehicle/E.M.V.)
  • Height Requirement: 46 inches (1.1 m)
  • Groundbreaking: August 1993
  • Ride Duration 3:25 minutes
  • Extra options:

Indiana Jones Adventure: The Temple of the Crystal Skull

  • Grand Opening: September 4, 2001
  • Building Size: Unknown
  • Track Length: 2,550 feet (812 m)
  • Queue Length: Unknown
  • Total Vehicles: 17 (Max 15 on track)
    • Vehicle: World War II Troop Transport (Enhanced-Motion Vehicle/E.M.V.)
  • Ride Duration 3:28 minutes
  • Height Requirement: 46 inches (1.1 m)
  • Extra options:

Opened along with the grand opening of Tokyo DisneySea.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Indiana Jones Adventure:Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
  2. ^ Dynamic ride vehicle - Patent #5,623,878. US Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved on November 17, 2005.
  3. ^ The letters and telegrams seen in the queue. http://members.aol.com/barjesse. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
  4. ^ Translated Mara-glyphics. http://members.aol.com/barjesse. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
  5. ^ image of “Bones”. Flickr.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
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