Indiana Jones Adventure Opened at Disneyland On This Day in 1995
Grab your fedora and bullwhip! Today, Indiana Jones Adventure is celebrating its 25 years anniversary. It’s been wowing crowds in Adventureland at Disneyland theme park since March 3, 1995. During that time it has brought ancient secrets and a suspense-filled journey to guests of all ages!
To celebrate, we here at MickeyBlog thought we’d share with you a brief history of the attraction!
The ride is based on the Indiana Jones films starring Harrison Ford and features exotic chambers, hidden gems and suspense around every corner. Guests climb aboard a jungle transport for a high-speed journey as you work to escape the clutches of the vengeful goddess Mara!
The attraction was actually created through a collaboration between George Lucas, the creator of the Indiana Jones franchise, and Walt Disney Imagineering.
When Indiana Jones Adventure first opened it held the distinction of being the largest attraction at Disneyland increasing the size of Adventureland by a whopping 33%
Imagineers original ideas was to have passengers board an out-of-control mine car. However, it was decided that this was too close to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Though the idea never made it to fruition you can still see a homage to it as you walk through the exit the attraction. There’s actually a mine car that was used in the filming of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”
There are many other connections found throughout the ride between Indiana Jones Adventure and the Indiana Jones movies. For example, the screenwriters who wrote “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” – Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz also consulted on the script for the ride!
Another Easter Egg we love is that one of the crates on the wall of Indiana Jones’ office in the queue area is labelled “Deliver to: Club Obi Wan” this is a reference to the opening scene in Temple of Doom and a tribute to Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars.
In addition, one of the German patrol trucks featured in the first Indiana Jones film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is in the outside queue area of the attraction. If you look closely you’ll even notice golf balls on the handlebars of the front bumper which were place there for a car chase stunt.
The music you hear in line is also the original score from the Indiana Jones film which was adapted, re-arranged and recorded for the ride!
When building the Temple of the Forbidden Eye for Indiana Jones Adventure, inspiration for the sandstone temple came from the Hindu temples at Banteay Srei and Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Mahamallapuram, Virupaksha and Elura temples of India. Inside the temple, you will find more than 1,300 props throughout the queue, more than 168,000 square feet of hand-carved surfaces, a 45-foot-tall decaying skull of Mara, a 100-foot-long King Cobra, more than 2,000 replicated human skulls and 2,129 snakes.
The Play Disney Parks app* recently added an in-queue experience to Indiana Jones Adventure entitled “Indiana Jones Adventure – the Gifts of Mara.” This game allows you to decode ancient glyphs, symbols and codes along the queue of the attraction. The translated code comes together to complete a map that unlocks digital achievements and a special message from Mara herself.
Can you avoid the eyes of Mara and find the great treasures you seek? Head on over to the Disneyland Resort to brave unimaginable perils and celebrate 25 thrilling years of Indiana Jones Adventure.
If you are looking to celebrate the anniversary of this fan-favorite attraction, check out these engaging experiences and fun offerings that every archaeologist must discover!
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Source: Disney