Indiana Jones Adventure
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| Indiana Jones Adventure | |
 |
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| 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, guests are taken on an adventure in modified military transport vehicle through a lost temple with Indiana Jones. It is 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 |
[edit] History
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.[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, Dan Aykroyd, and Carrie Fisher.[1]
The voice of the attraction is not Harrison Ford, but David Temple, a Hollywood voiceover talent, who, at that time, had been relatively undiscovered. After answering an audition call, his agent submitted him for the role. Temple turned it down at first, saying he wasn't even sure if he could impersonate Ford. After several callbacks, Temple said he'd give it one more try.
- "What did it for me was coming to the point where I realized, while watching a video of Mr. Ford's work, was not as much about his voice, as it was about how he moved his mouth while speaking; I mimicked the movement's of his mouth, threw away some of the things I was trying to copy, and voila--I got it."
Temple would go on to pursue a voiceover career, which he enjoys to this day.
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]
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]
[edit] The Legend
Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): According to the storyline given in a newsreel shown before guests board the attraction, a new shrine (somewhere in central India) has been discovered, full of artifacts and treasures as well as an ancient curse. The god Mara, it is told, would offer all who came to the hallowed site one of three magical gifts: Earthly Riches, Eternal Youth or Future Knowledge. After Jones discovered the temple, he and Sallah began conducting tours, in order to raise money so that the excavation could continue. Good fortune has come to the tourists who survive, but for those who look into the eye of Mara, a gruesome demise is imminent.
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. This time Indiana Jones is looking for the Fountain of Youth, and the guardian of this temple is the Crystal Skull.
[edit] The 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 12 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 Japanese version uses pneumatics instead of hydraulics as the oil used in the Disneyland version tends to spill on the tracks.
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 it's California counterpart, and much of the ride is unscored.
[edit] The queue
Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland)The lengthy queue's immersive atmosphere and carefully duplicated details turns a potentially tedious wait into an entertaining addition to the ride. The queue leads guests through dimly lit caverns and eerie passageways before finally entering the temple itself. These passageways contain sections reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies, including a floor of diamond-shaped tiles that resembles the booby-trapped hall from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Guests also pass Indiana Jones' office, complete with his hat and whip.
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.
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 the rewards and perils that can be found further within. 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 ancient 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, there are diamond shaped tiles, and a warning sign that says to avoid stepping on the diamonds. Several bamboo poles hold the collapsing ceiling in place. When one of these poles is pushed, sounds simulating the ceiling dropping will play along with the spiked ceiling dropping about an inch or two. Similarly, there is a 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 Disney Sea)': 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 Disney Sea. 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. The boarding area is very similar to that of Disneyland. The attraction boasts the same ride system and layout with a slightly altered storyline and new effects.
[edit] The Ride
At the Disneyland attraction, guests play the role of tourists in 1937, who visit the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, which is reportedly located somewhere in India. This incredible archaeological discovery presents life-changing prospects—eternal youth, wealth, or future knowledge—if one can only avoid the gaze of Mara, the guardian of the temple.
[edit] Chamber of Destiny
Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): At the loading area, guests board a Jeep-like troop transport, complete with hydraulics that simulate rugged terrain. After a quick seatbelt check, the jeep moves forward and turns a corner into the Chamber of Destiny. Here guests are presented with three doors which will lead to either the Fountain of Eternal Youth, the Chamber of Earthly Riches, or the Observatory of the Future. The specific door through which the jeep drives will determine small details present in the rest of the ride, such as the appearance of the Hall of Promise and Indy's warnings throughout the ride.
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 a set of five facades, so that three of them are visible at a given time, with the central door leading into the actual chamber. The facades and the corridor behind the working door are lit differently based on which particular "chamber" has been chosen.
Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo Disney Sea): While the ride follows the same track and ride system on similar vehicles, the opening scene is quite different. The Temple of the Crystal Skull does not pretend to have three hallways or choices in the beginning. Everyone is hoping to find the same gift (Fountain of Youth).
[edit] Hall of Promise
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 drink magical water and becoming younger.
If the riders enter Chamber of Earthly Riches, the tunnel is filled with yellow light, and the same scrims are lit from behind, making large amounts of gold visible.
If riders enter the Observatory of the Future, the tunnel is dimly lit with purple light, and the ceiling above is filled with a vast fiber optic star field. The ride vehicles are also tilted 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, "No! Foolish mortals. You looked into my eyes. Your path now leads to the Gates of Doom!"
Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo Disney Sea) All guests enter the same hallway going after the fountain of youth. At the end of the hall awaits the crystal skull. It glows demonically, signaling that the journey is about to take a turn toward the gates of doom. The ridepath is the same as at Disneyland, but a few of the scenes and effects still have some differences.
[edit] Tunnel of Torment
The transport careens through a large tunnel, with Lighting flashes illuminating cobra statues lining the walls.
[edit] Gates of Doom
The Gates of Doom pulsate with green mist and an animatronic Indiana Jones struggles to keep the doors closed. The guests then hear Indiana Jones say, "Tourists! You had to look, didn't you? Quick, swerve left - up to the left; it's the only way out! And watch it, there's big steps up there." The triumphant musical theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark is heard as the transport accelerates up a flight of stairs.
[edit] Cavern of Bubbling Death
Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The transport emerges from the passage and teeters on the edge of a vast magma pit. A larger stone Mara shoots a ray of fire from its eyes, toward a rickity wooden bridge, and another transport can be seen driving across the bridge.
Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo Disney Sea): There is no fire in the Temple of the Crystal Skull. Rather than having the cavern set over lava with flames in the eye of the big skull, there is a tornado effect right next to the bridge. Also the eye of the big skull is crystal and has laser and other interesting lighting effects.
[edit] Mummy Chamber
The transport turns left and enters another chamber, decorated with skulls and skeletons where several mummies pop out toward the guests. One of the skeletons usually has a set of Mickey ears on backwards with the name "Bones" spelled out. This skeleton is nicknamed Bones and often changes. There is sometimes a set of sunglasses on one of the skeletons as well.
[edit] Bug Room
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 and spiders. Hissing sounds are heard.
[edit] Snake Temple
The transport finally heads out of the darkness onto the bridge which spans a magma pit. The transport stalls for a moment as another transport can be seen across the bridge heading toward the guests, but it turns out of the way before reaching the bridge. The transport then accelerates across the bridge which sways and jostles with the weight of the transport. The transport drives across the bridge and into a room called Snake Temple. Thousands of snakes line the walls and ground and a gigantic animatronic cobra appears to the right of the vehicle, which strikes at the jeep. 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 transport 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 stone carving of Mara's head. Hundreds of human skulls decorate the walls, and the spirit of Mara looms from above. There are 1,992 skulls in order to represent the year construction began in 1992. There also is often a skull with sunglasses on it.
The Jeep continues downward, driving beside the glowing magma. The ride darkens, and with a final blare of horns, the music goes silent.
[edit] Rat Cave
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. This particular effect is often broken, sometimes showing only the cobweb-like smoke screen.)
Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo Disney Sea) 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 to look straight at it, and large ring of smoke pops out of its mouth straight towards the vehicle.
[edit] Dart Corridor
Temple of the Forbidden Eye (Disneyland): The transport arrives in a lit tunnel with paintings of skeletal warriors which adorn the walls. The transport slowly gains speed as the air is filled with the whooshing and twanging of the warriors' weapons as though the car has set off booby traps. Gusts of air and sounds of darts hitting the transport are felt and heard as the transport passes between the skeletal warriors.
Temple of the Crystal Skull (Tokyo Disney Sea): Rather than paintings of skeletons on the walls, there are miniature sculptures of heads. Each one has a little hole in the mouth that the air darts come out of.
[edit] Rolling Boulder
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 to the guests, "Back up. Back up. Let me in." Seconds later the light illuminates a massive 16-foot boulder rolling toward the car. The transport seems to back up a bit as the boulder threatens to crush the tourists. At the last possible second, the transport dives into a hole beneath the approaching boulder. The transport makes a sharp turn in a dark tunnel and comes out to see Indiana 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 down the corridor towards the transport. 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.
[edit] Attraction facts
- 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
- Extra options:
[edit] See also
- Incidents at Disney parks
- Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- List of current Disneyland attractions
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Indiana Jones Adventure:Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
- ^ Dynamic ride vehicle - Patent #5,623,878. US Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved on November 17, 2005.
| The Indiana Jones series | |
|---|---|
| Films | Raiders of the Lost Ark • The Temple of Doom • The Last Crusade • Indiana Jones 4 |
| Television | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles |
| Characters | Indiana Jones • Willie Scott • Marion Ravenwood • Elsa Schneider Marcus Brody • Sallah • Short Round • Henry Jones, Sr. • Walter Donovan • Rene Belloq • Colonel Dietrich • Arnold Toht • Colonel Vogel • Mola Ram • Club Obi-Wan Triad |
| Cast | Harrison Ford • Sean Connery • Corey Carrier • Sean Patrick Flanery George Hall • River Phoenix • John Rhys-Davies • Denholm Elliott • Julian Glover • Wolf Kahler • Ronald Lacey • Paul Freeman • Amrish Puri • Michael Byrne |
| Crew | George Lucas • Steven Spielberg • Frank Marshall • John Williams |
