Calling all adventurers! The world-famous Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland has returned at long last! The Temple of the Forbidden Eye shut its doors for a major refurbishment back in January and is hosting guests once again on March 17th! We took a peek at the attraction ahead of its official opening, and we’re thrilled to share some very good news with you.
[Update: 03/17/2023- On-ride photos have been added of the refreshed and updated elements and special effects.]
Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect with the return of Indiana Jones Adventure.
Indiana Jones Adventure Refurbishment
Over the last few years, the fan-favorite attraction has been plagued with technical issues, from broken animatronics to completely dark show scenes. It pretty much soured our opinion of the ride; on our last ride-through before its refurbishment, there were more noticeable broken special effects than working ones. However, Disney was determined to make the experience worth riding again.
Over the last two months, Cast Members from various departments (including Park Operations, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Facility Operations Services) have worked hard to bring the special effects magic back to this beloved attraction.
I had an opportunity to ride the attraction on the evening of March 16th (no photos or video were allowed). As a former Disneyland mechanic, I’m amazed at the amount of magic that the hard-working Cast Members have been able to breathe back into this complex attraction. While Indy still isn’t the same as it was nearly 30 years ago, some much-needed vibrancy has been brought back to the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Indiana Jones Adventure Ride-Through
Every aspect of the attraction got some special attention, like cleaning and in some cases, replacements. This includes elements from the queue, scenery, special effects, projection surfaces, and much more. For instance, if the skulls in the temple look particularly nice to you, that’s because they were each given a little bit of TLC and cleaned before being put back in place.
Similarly, we noticed that the elevated deck leading into the temple had been replaced.
All of the interactive queue elements were working again, which is a major feat in itself. So in spite of the sign saying don’t pull the rope, we suggest you do it anyways!
While we had originally been told that there were no new elements or movie tie-ins added during this refurbishment, we found out that legendary Imagineer Kim Irvine helped bring a little bit of extra magic to the attraction:
Our additions to Indiana Jones Adventure add touches of new magic that enhance its already established storyline,” said Kim Irvine, executive creative director, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Mara taunts guests even further with a powerful, electric-like energy and frenetic apparitions. This force of Mara turns a possible passageway escape into a rubble of dust.
-Kim Irvine
This includes an update to the opening sequence where Indy is bracing himself against the door. Instead of a generic curtain backlit with colored lights, the background of the open door is a projection with streaks of lightning flowing from it.
The other significant change is in the dark hallway sequence. Instead of going through multiple rooms of just pitch black, there is a new frenetic apparition effect that turns a potential exit from the temple into rubble. This means that the rarely working rat scene is no more, and we’re thrilled to see this change.
As for the other elements of the attraction that got revamped during the refurbishment, it’s apparent that it was extensive. The lighting throughout the attraction was replaced, projectors were replaced and refocused (all of the projections look incredibly crisp and life-like now!), and all of the moving elements have been repaired and refreshed.
This includes the 40 mummies throughout the attraction as well as the large animatronic snake.
Most important of all is the return of the rolling boulder sequence at the climax of the attraction. All of the effects in this room are working once again. We even noticed that Indy is making facial expressions again while hanging from the rope.
Check out our on-ride video of the refreshed attraction below:
Our Thoughts on the Return of Indiana Jones Adventure
While there are a few elements that we noticed are still absent (most obviously the opening sequence with the multiple doors as well as the rope bridge shaking), we are overall amazed at how good Indiana Jones Adventure looks.
As the sign above the attraction’s exit states, “real rewards await those who choose wisely,” like investing time, money, and labor into repairing a severely broken ride. We can only hope that regular repairs can be made from now on so the attraction never again devolves into such an unfortunate state. But, for now, we recommend that you take the time to face Mara for yourself… it is your destiny.
Indiana Jones Adventure reopens after its extensive refurbishment on March 17. We anticipate the attraction will be very busy with people wanting to experience this heart-pounding adventure again.
Be sure to check this article tomorrow. We will update with new photos and videos from the updated attraction.
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Let’s Hear From You
We are thrilled and relieved to be able to deliver good news about this attraction. We’re certainly surprised that so much was able to be completed as quickly as it was. Is Indy one of your favorite Disney rides? Is there a scene or special effect in the attraction that makes the ride special for you? Are you happy to hear about the small additions to the attraction? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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