Monday, March 3, 2008

Enter Indy...


On this day...

Thirteen years ago, "The Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye" ride opens at Disneyland in Adventureland.

It's the second Lucasfilm attraction in the park... I know most of us can think of Star Wars or Indiana Jones without conjuring up it being a part of Disney, but most children going to the parks today find them synonymous. Expect the relationship between the Mouse and George Lucas to get a little closer now that Lasseter has a corner office in Glendale.

The Future looks as bright as the past...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the second greatest ride ever (behind only the Haunted Mansion) and one of the reasons Disneyland is so much beter than WDW for me. This ride is an absolute masterpiece.

Honor Hunter said...

If you think it's great now, you should have seen what it was supposed to be before the budget was cut.

Hehe...

It's my second favorite, POTC will always be my number one.

Anonymous said...

POTC is my number 3 and I have seen early concept art of Indy. I wonder if the inclusion of the Jungle Cruise boat riding through, the train riding through, and the mine cart roller coaster were ever actually seriously considered. That is one awesome piece of concept art though.

Honor Hunter said...

Until the final budget came in it was...

It would have cost close to twice what the actual cost wound up being, hence the reason it was scaled back.

Spokker said...

A modern classic.

I had the pleasure of riding the version at Disneyland many times and the one at DisneySea a few times.

Instead of plussing classics like Pirates, plus Indy. There are areas to improve on, and the new movie gives them an excuse to do it. Considering it's already based on a series of films the additions probably won't look out of place.

Anonymous said...

I wish they got that ice 'debris' fall effect working....

Spokker said...

What ice debris effect?

There's an effect that is supposed to portray rats falling on the jeep. Is that what you mean?

Anonymous said...

From what I remember reading elsewhere online a couple of years ago, the ride had been greenlit and then recently appointed Disneyland park president Paul Pressler didn't want to build the ride because of the big budget required. However, then Chairman/CEO Michael Eisner overrode Pressler's decision and gave the go ahead to build the ride.

Anonymous said...

My dad was with the DL fire dept. when it was being built and saw the whole process of it being built. He always talks about the big tank on the roof for the ice effect, and thinks they could still make it work if they wanted - maybe still a budget issue more than a technical one.

What's the possibility of a more major rehab working in more of those other things someday? I keep reading lately about many rides and areas (Matterhorn, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland...) being cut short initially, only to be plussed to their original intent years later.

The recent messing with instead of plussing has been puzzling - the bamboo pole that makes the ceiling collapse, much more light throughout every room of the queue...

It would be really great to see a runaway mine cart, since so many movies have used that, including the upcoming Journey to the Center of the Earth remake.

Anonymous said...

Spokker, what they are referring to is an effect that never worked properly, and maybe only very early (preview/soft opening?) riders ever saw. The way I've heard the effect described, it was actually rather important to the logical sequence of events that happens in the ride. As you enter the main chamber (with the giant Mara/skull and the bridge), beams shoot out of Mara's eye. One of them hits the ceiling. What was to happen was that a block of ice made by an ice machine on the roof of the showbuilding was to fall at that moment (into a hole in the floor), looking like a piece of the ceiling collapsing(I believe there is still a sound effect that is used in the ride today that was meant for this effect). I think this was the reasoning for why your jeep swerves into the Mummy Chamber. I'm not completely sure what went wrong with the effect, but I remember something about the machine jamming. Does anyone know more details? I'm sure the lawyers were also nervous about ice blocks falling near tourists, but I dunno if they got involved or not.

Spokker said...

Ah, thanks for the explanation. It sounds like it would've been a cool effect.

Anonymous said...

You know, I used to respect you. Now I think you're drunk. Disney Co now is just as crappy as its been the past 10+ years.

Anonymous said...

Those original plans sound neat. Are they online somewhere? I've never heard of them.