Disneyland's
 

The Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Facts and Figures:

  • Opened: March 3, 1995 (Planning began in 1982; ground was broken in August 1993)

  • Cost: about $100 million to make and took 7 years to design & build

  • Size: The 2.2 million-cubic-foot ride is housed in a 3 story building including underground.

  • Queue Length: one-eighth-mile-long

  • Speakers: 24 speakers per vehicle, 2 per person.

  • Queue Length: 1,400 feet

  • Ride Length: 2,500 feet

  • Length of "Pre-Ride": One hour.

  • Ride Time: about 3 minutes 20 seconds (varies)

  • Speeds: 3.5 mph (avg); 22 mph (max), 65 mph (simulated)

  • Transports: 12 riders per Transport, 15 Transports (2 spare) - The numbers on the back of the vehicle are significant in the sense that the numbers like 0214-01 are that vehicle's birthday (February 14th, and that is Vehicle #1)

  • Schedule: Every 18 seconds one of the 7 ton troop transports leaves. 

  • Capacity: 2400 per hour; 1 car per 18 seconds

  • Attractions Scenes/areas:

a.       North Station

b.      Station Exit Track Switch

c.       Chamber of Destiny

d.      Hall of Promise

e.       Tunnel of Torment

f.        Indy at the Gates of Doom

g.       The Overlook

h.       Mummy Chamber

i.         Bug Room

j.        The Bridge

k.      Snake Temple

l.         Mudslide

m.     Skull Interior

n.       Dip Drop

o.      Rat Cave

p.      Dart Room

q.      Indy at the Rolling Ball

r.        Finale

s.       Station Entry Track Switch

t.        South Station

  • Fake Human Skulls: 1,995 Skulls in the Skull interior, significant to the year Indy Opened (1995.)

  • Snakes: 2,129.

  • Rolling Boulder: 16 feet in diameter.

  • Special Effects: Fire, explosions, a crumbling ceiling, a lava pit, bugs, scurrying rats and a runaway boulder.

  • "Maraglyphics": Disney engineers created a language of translatable hieroglyphics

  • Sound Effects: A synchronized, on-board sound system with two speakers per rider gives full stereo sound with cued special effects added.

  • Enhancing the Ride: Visual and sound effects are triggered by the vehicle passing over sensors in the track.

  • Indiana: You'll see Indy 3 times during the ride and he's programmed to say different dialogue: "Next time you're on your own" and "You were good in there - you were very good," etc.

  • Ride variations: 35 versions are chosen randomly by computer for visitors, and 160,000 minor variations are possible.

  • Simulators: The transports have an "enhanced motion system," it's an array of movement generators mounted on each tour jeep that simulate a bumpy, out-of-control trip.

  • Advertising: As much as $20 million was spent on advertising by the time the ride opened. Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner trumpeted that no one living west of the Mississippi River would escape the marketing blitz. After reviewing all the pieces of Disney's promotional campaign, Disneyland's marketing vice president, Michele Reese, has upgraded Eisner's assessment to simply "no one alive." One thing is certain: The campaign is the biggest ever for the theme park until the attraction had opened.

  • Opening crowds: in the first year the ride opened, the queue reached as far as the entrance of Tommorowland!

  • 3 door option: When you take each ride at the beginning it appears you can go through all three doors at random, in fact there are 5 doors with only one that you go through each time, see the animated diagram above which shows how the walls actually slide from side to side to make this simple effect.

Decoder

indycod.GIF (52442 bytes)When you are lining up for this $100 million ride you will come across some coded writing on the walls. This code has an official name  of called 'Marabic'. It's designed to keep some entertained while queuing up. In fact I have heard some complain that the line is moving too quickly for they can't decode fast enough! (how sad)

I could easily give you a list of what the code says throughout the queuing area but that would take the fun out off it now wouldn't it!!

When you are joining the line up for Indiana Jones there may or may not be someone to hand you a Decoder for the inscriptions. I suggest you do one or both of the following to be safe.

  1. I have scanned (above) a Decoder for you to use. You can print it and take it with you and not have to worry about getting one on the day. (although if they are giving them out then take one cause they are a great little souvenir of the ride!)

  2. Secondly I would put it to you that you can even learn the language! I guess it depends on how much of a Disney or Indy fan you really are or how much of a smarty pants you want to be in front of your family and friends. Have a close look at the letters and you will see that the majority do resemble their English translations! You could at least learn the vowels, saving much time in translating.

Hint: If you are going to ride Indy on a busy day, don't forget to go to the toilet before you start lining up. Queues are longer than they seem and the ride is very rough. There's a toilet near the entrance of Adventureland, check your park map ;-)

Multimedia:

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