The Indiana Jones Adventure is an enhanced motion vehicle dark ride attraction based on the Indiana Jones film series. Guests accompany intrepid archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones on a turbulent quest, aboard military troop transport vehicles, through a dangerous lost temple guarded by a supernatural power.
The attraction premiered as Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California on March 3, 1995, and opened to the general public on March 4, 1995. A second, and nearly identical, version of the ride opened as Temple of the Crystal Skull on September 4, 2001 at Tokyo DisneySea in Chiba, Japan, although the attraction is not related to the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was developed and released after the attraction’s opening.
Because of the success of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, George Lucas decided to join forces with Walt Disney Imagineering 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”.[3] Indiana Jones Adventure is the fourth collaboration between Disney and Lucasfilm, after the Disneyland attractions Captain EO, Star Tours, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!.
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 guests to the loading area.[3]
The team tested key show elements in a Burbank warehouse on a full-sized elevated track that resembled a freeway. This enabled the team to test set pieces, lighting, effects, transport clearances and motion profiles.
Groundbreaking for the Temple of the Forbidden Eye occurred in August 1993, with more than 400 Imagineers working on its design and construction.[3] Tony Baxter led a core project team of nearly 100 Imagineers.[3] To create space for the 0.5-mile (0.80 km) queue area and the 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) show building, an area of the former “Eeyore” parking lot was demolished, and the Monorail and Jungle Cruise attractions were rerouted. Disney filed for patent on the ride-system on November 16, 1995.[4] The Imagineers reportedly asked Harrison Ford to reprise his role as Indiana Jones, but it is unknown whether or not Ford assisted in the making of the attraction.
The Temple of the Forbidden Eye premiered on March 3, 1995. Among the invited celebrity guests were George Lucas, Michael Eisner (Disney CEO at the time), Dan Aykroyd, and Carrie Fisher.[3] To promote the opening of the attraction 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
Guests board an Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) intended to appear as a battered military troop transport.
Cast
John Rhys-Davies/Bob Joles – Sallah
Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones
The following list is a breakdown of the different passages heard in the attraction, and the track times at which the original versions can be found on the soundtracks for the films.
Chamber of Destiny: “The Miracle of the Ark” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Hall of Promise: “The Map Room: Dawn” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Tunnel of Torment: “The Miracle of the Ark” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Gates of Doom: “The Desert Chase” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Main Show Building: “The Miracle of the Ark” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Mummy Chamber: “Nocturnal Activities” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Bug Room: “In the Idol’s Temple”, “The Well of Souls” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
The Bridge: “The Miracle of the Ark” (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Snake Temple: “Slalom on Mt. Humol” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Mudslide: “Belly of the Steel Beast” (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
Skull Room: “Slalom on Mt. Humol”, “The Mine Car Chase” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Face Room: “Bug Tunnel and Death Trap”, “Slalom on Mt. Humol” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Dart Corridor: “Bug Tunnel and Death Trap” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Rolling Boulder: “The Basket Game” (Raiders of the Lost Ark), “Fast Streets of Shanghai” (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Finale: “Flight from Peru”, “The Raiders’ March”, 2:21 (Raiders of the Lost Ark)