The Indiana Jones Adventure attraction at Disneyland’s Adventureland
debuted to the public 10 years ago, on March 3, 1995. MousePlanet staff
photographer Frank Anzalone was there as a press photographer for Disney
magazine, and he looks back on his experience.
Journal—Sunday, February 26, 1995
An adventurer is ready to take the challenge and guide guests through
the entrance to the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
There were media representatives and celebrities from all over the world
to experience and report on this new Disneyland attraction, and Disney
made a tremendous effort to make a lasting impression.
Hockey player Wayne Gretzky is one of the many celebrities that attend
the dedication of the new attraction in 1995. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
I left the Media Center that morning and followed the “return to
park” signs, ending up in the exit queue of the Indiana Jones attraction.
Instead of going out towards Adventureland and the park with the others,
I decided to stay, explore and I headed into the ride itself. I found
the loading area of the attraction where the cast members were testing.
I couldn’t help but walk slow, look all over this queue, and try to notice
the details and finesse of design this new attraction had to offer.
Comedian Sinbad is one of the first to test drive into the Forbidden Temple.
Photo by Frank Anzalone.
There is an area, like a room with chicken-wire walls, containing many
interesting artifacts on display. This room was filled with many old cameras,
digging equipment, maps and a workbench full of neat “archaeological
stuff.” On a workbench desk, there was a Life magazine that
is mostly covered up—just the corners showing. This old magazine
was from the late 1930s and had Mickey Mouse on the cover. Ah-ha! A hidden
Mickey!
Bryan Jowers of Walt Disney Imagineering, part of the story-design team
for Indy. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
After a little more exploring, I ran into a gentleman who seemed to know
much about this attraction. It was Skip Lange, the Indiana Jones attraction
Show Director from Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). He explained a few
interesting details WDI did to give “credibility” to the story.
On the room with the artifacts—the exterior walls are made of 1-inch-by-6-inch
wood planks. Some of these pieces of wood have (stenciled) markings on
them. One says, “Top Secret” and another has the ID number “9906763.”
These are the same markings found on the crate that they used to box up
the “ark” at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders
of the Lost Ark. Another stencil marking on the wood wall was the
name of the sea vessel that was in the second Indiana Jones movie.
George Lucas and Michael Eisner present the new attraction poster at the
Disney Gallery. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
There is a photograph on the wall, just before you go up the stairs to
the loading area, of what appears to be a caravan of vehicles going through
rough terrain to get to the temple. Disney actually took the vehicles
[the outside shells] with actors and went out to photograph this for the
décor of the queue. In another part of the queue area, there are
three large carved tablets that tell the story of the Temple Offerings:
The Gift of Future Knowledge, The Gift of Earthly Riches, and The Gift
of Eternal Youth. These tablets are all written in Mara, the hieroglyphic
font that WDI designed for this attraction. It is amazing how many awesome
yet subtle details tie the attraction in with the Indiana Jones movies.
More than just a rideÉ the story building as you work your way through
is well thought out, just adding to the overall experience of this new
attraction.
Now… on to the ride!
George Lucas and Michael Eisner arrive in true Indy fashion to the dedication
ceremony. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
This ride is awesome! The first time through this attraction was
intense! You board into an Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) transport car.
This vehicle was developed and patented by WDI. It looks very much like
an “open-air desert transportation vehicle.” As you depart the
loading area, you enter into a room with three doors. Each door represents
an entrance into one of the three temple’s offerings (future knowledge,
earthly riches, and eternal youth). The 12-person vehicle has a computer
on board and the direction/theme selection is random. You never know which
door you will enter.
Riding in the EMV is like riding in a 4×4 vehicle—you feel every
bump. But this is the effect that WDI wanted to achieve on purpose. “A
terrible, tortuous fate awaits those who gaze upon the eyes of Mara!”
Indiana Jones stunt actor makes his appearance to open the path to the
Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
A couple of facts: Fully synchronized, on-board sound system gives each
guest full stereo sound. The adventure will never be exactly the same
twice, with nearly 160,000 possible combinations of show programming and
variations. A maximum total of 15 vehicles can cycle through the attraction
at one time. A new vehicle is dispatched into the attraction every 18
seconds (2,400 temple visitors an hour capacity). As part of the attraction,
there are over 2,129 sculpted, carved, painted or living representations
of snakes.
George Lucas is honored again to be a part of a new Disney attraction
and helps dedicate the new thrill ride. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
The vehicle is actually a simulator on wheels. This car moves on all
four wheels throughout the ride (all wheels always remain on the ground)
but the car swerves, banks, skids, stalls, backs up and gives you the
full sensation of the car wheels lifting up off the ground. You would
swear that the car was really making those hard banking turns and “flying”
up, off the wheels around the corners. I felt the rear seats (far left
and right) of the EMV gave the most movement sensation and the best view
of the attraction. You are engulfed in this huge room with many things
happening around you.
The EMVs are truly a wonder. Once, in the middle of the ride, the car
stalls (part of that particular script), the sound track mellows and you
feel the sensation of the car trying to start (like the engine cranking
on a cold morning). It “sputters” and when it finally starts,
it “peels out” and skids around a corner. Amazing!
Indiana Jones stunt actors, Michael Eisner and George Lucas at the dedication
of the Indiana Jones Attraction. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
After my 17 test-trips in a row through the Temple [and one trip I was
the only person on the only vehicle moving through the temple!], it was
time to make my way back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the dedication
ceremony the next day.
Journal—Monday, February 27, 1995
I took my place on the media platform well in advance of the event, and
had an opportunity to have a wonderful conversation with Renie Bardeau
(official Disneyland photographer—who took many pictures of Walt,
including the very popular image of Walt walking into Fantasyland through
the Castle). He had me working at his side that day—right next to
the pro! A special moment for me!
Indiana Jones stunt actor carefully places the orb to trigger the sequence
of events that will open the passage to the temple. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
The dedication was officiated by Michael Eisner and George Lucas, with
the assistance of a few actors and stunt actors. Both of them made quick
and basic opening remarks to welcome the media, then in true Disney fashion,
the “show” of the event began. After the fight scene (Indy slid
down a rope from the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House), Indiana Jones
carefully placed a golden sphere on the head of a snake at the podium.
This was some sort of mystical trigger that “opened” up a barricade
blocking the entrance to the “newly discovered” Temple with
a big pyrotechnic explosion.
“Let’s go to the ride—follow me!” exclaimed Eisner. I wasted no
time and was off behind the executives and other media into the queue.
Quite a production! The press was invited to ride this new attraction.
Michael and George rode a car equipped with a point-of-view video camera.
After they got back to the boarding area, I was there to capture the moment.
Standing in front of the vehicle (almost where the ride operator stands),
I got the attention of Michael and George as the vehicle came to a halt.
They held a pose for me while both sitting in the vehicle after experiencing
the ride. Click—A Kodak moment! Thanks guys!
Michael Eisner and George Lucas take a moment’s breath after experiencing
a thrill ride tour through the temple. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Today’s thoughts—10 years later
This attraction continues to be one of the most popular thrill rides
at Disneyland. The technology has made it into other Disney attractions
both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World (“Dinosaur Countdown to Extinction”).
The attraction was designed with a huge queue line that was supposed to
pull the waiting guests off the streets of Adventureland—anyone remember
the line out to Main street when this first opened? Most times you just
walk briskly past all this to get to the vehicle loading area and miss
most of the great design details of the queue. It’s too bad, since there
was such care given to the detail of telling the story of this attraction
before you ever get to the ride vehicle. This attraction seems to have
held up mechanically very well for the first 10 years of operation. WDI
did an awesome job in the research-and-development phase; the quality
shows and it has paid off—giving many Disney guests a great experience
during the past decade. I would expect this adventure to be running and
just as exciting when I return to Disneyland to celebrate its 20th anniversary
in 2015.
The snake and sphere combination unlocks the entrance to the Temple of
the Forbidden Eye. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
