Indiana Jones Adventure is an
enhanced motion vehicle dark ride attraction based on the ''
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
'' film series, located at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
and
Tokyo DisneySea
is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual prope ...
. Guests accompany intrepid archaeologist
Dr. Indiana Jones on a turbulent quest, aboard military troop transport vehicles, through a dangerous subterranean lost temple guarded by a
supernatural power.
The attraction premiered as Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
on March 3, 1995, and opened to the general public on March 4, 1995. A second, and nearly identical, version of the ride opened as Temple of the Crystal Skull on September 4, 2001, at Tokyo DisneySea in
Chiba, Japan, unrelated to the 2008 film ''
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' is a 2008 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, based on a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson. It is the fourth installm ...
''. On August 10, 2024, it was announced at the D23 Expo that an ''Indiana Jones'' attraction will replace
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
at
Disney's Animal Kingdom in
Bay Lake, Florida
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney Worl ...
, featuring a different story, involving Indiana Jones in search of a
mythical creature in a
Mayan temple.
History
Because of the success of ''
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!'' at
Disney's Hollywood Studios in
Bay Lake, Florida
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney Worl ...
,
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
and
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
collaborated once again to create a new ''Indiana Jones''-themed attraction for
Disneyland Park in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
. Unlike the previous collaboration, this attraction was created with a backstory "set in the Lost Delta of India, circa 1935".
Indiana Jones Adventure is the fourth collaboration between Disney and
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
, after the Disneyland attractions
Captain EO,
Star Tours, and ''Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!'' and prior to Disney buying Lucasfilm (and thus the Indiana Jones franchise).
Several early concepts were considered, including a walk-through adventure and a high-speed mine car adventure within a temple. To avoid a long queue,
Imagineers considered using
Jungle Cruise launches to shuttle guests to the loading area.
The team tested key show elements in a Burbank warehouse on a full-sized elevated track that resembled a freeway. This enabled the team to test set pieces, lighting, effects, transport clearances, and motion profiles.
Groundbreaking for the ''Temple of the Forbidden Eye'' occurred in August 1993, with more than 400 Imagineers working on its design and construction.
Tony Baxter led a core project team of nearly 100 Imagineers.
To create space for the queue area and the
show building, an area of the former "Eeyore" parking lot was demolished, and the
Monorail
A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
and Jungle Cruise attractions were rerouted. Disney filed for patent on the ride-system on November 16, 1995.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
was asked to reprise his role as Indiana Jones, but ultimately negotiations to secure Ford's participation broke down in December 1994 for unknown reasons. Instead, Dave Temple provided the voice of Jones. Ford's
physical likeness, however, has nonetheless been used in subsequent
audio-animatronic
Audio-Animatronics (also known simply as AAs) are a form of Mechatronics, mechatronic animatronics puppetry created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Trademark, trademarked by The Walt Disney Company for use in designed shows and attractions at Disn ...
figures.
The Temple of the Forbidden Eye premiered on March 3, 1995. Among the invited celebrity guests were
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
,
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner ( ; born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film ...
(Disney CEO at the time),
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.
Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
,
Brendan Fraser,
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
,
Elliott Gould,
Keenen Ivory Wayans,
Dennis Miller,
Lindsay Wagner,
Tony Danza
Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional boxer. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983) and ''Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992 ...
and
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the Star Wars original trilogy, original ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The F ...
.
To promote the opening of the attraction, the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
produced a half hour-long TV program entitled ''Indiana Jones Adventure'' featuring
Karen Allen and
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor known for portraying Gimli (Middle-earth), Gimli in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise. He has received three ...
reprising their roles from ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.
Forty days prior to the attraction's opening, a "Forty Years of Adventure" promotion giveaway of 40 unique annual trading cards began. Guests with valid paid admission received a voucher at the main gate turnstile to exchange for the card of the day, each in a series featuring the landmark attraction of the year starting with 1955. The last card was distributed on March 2, 1995. A special "41st" card of larger issue featured the Indiana Jones Adventure on March 3. Artist
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan (; born March 18, 1947) is an American retired artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Blade Runner'', ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', as ...
produced a one-sheet poster in the same theme as the films, using permission from Ford to use his likeness.
The adventure opened to general admission on March 4.
AT&T Corporation
AT&T Corporation, an abbreviation for its former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, was an American telecommunications company that provided voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to busi ...
sponsored construction of the attraction and the first seven years of operation, from 1995 to 2002. One of three styles of Marabic decoder cards was distributed to each guest, advertising their promotional campaign on the back. "It’s great to have AT&T as presenting sponsor," said then-Disneyland President
Paul Pressler. "With Disneyland celebrating its 40th Anniversary and preparing to open its most exciting attraction, we welcome the opportunities this relationship is sure to create."
The attraction currently has no sponsor.
The ride was temporarily closed on September 4, 2012 for an extensive refurbishment and re-opened on December 7, 2012. Scheduled modifications included enhancements to lighting, paint, figure animation and other effects. In 2013, the idol of Mara that appears in the Hall of Promise scene was updated with
projection mapping
Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a video projection, projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into display surfaces for video projection. The objects may be complex industr ...
effects.
On November 19, 2019, Disney announced a $300,000 refurbishment that would happen sometime in early 2020.
On January 9, 2023, the version at Disneyland went through another refurbishment, and re-opened on March 17, 2023, which included a freshening up of the audio-animatronics and projections, and a new projected scene of a tunnel collapsing replacing the original rat cave scene.
Ride system

Guests board an
Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) intended to appear as a battered military troop transport. EMVs ride on
neoprene
Neoprene (also polychloroprene) is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene.Werner Obrecht, Jean-Pierre Lambert, Michael Happ, Christiane Oppenheimer-Stix, John Dunn and Ralf Krüger "Rubber, 4. Emulsion Rub ...
-filled tires for operational precision. The tires are driven by hydraulic rotors that provide forward motion, and hydraulic pressure is applied onboard each vehicle at using DC pressurizers. The vehicle has four-wheel steering atop the surface of a slotted roadbed. The track has only three switches: a left/right split switch just before loading/unloading, a left/right combine switch just after safety check station/dispatch and a compound switch to swap vehicles in/out of the maintenance bay, behind the mirrors. Beneath the slot a tubular guideway guides the front wheelset and a damper for the rear wheelset, and three electrical buss bars provide the EMV 480 volts AC. The power is divided among the two motion systems, control, safety, and audio systems. Each transport can accommodate twelve guests with three rows of four seats each, with the front-left seat behind a non-operational steering wheel.
Each troop transport is a motion simulator which travels at a maximum speed of just over atop a slotted roadbed / guiderail track. The transport car body is attached by three hydraulic rams to the frame of the chassis, which allows the shell to articulate independently. A guest's physically intense experience is programmed to achieve the illusion of greater speed and catastrophic mechanical failure using the enhanced-motion vehicle's ability to add several feet (metres) of lift then rapidly descend, shudder and tremble, and intensify cornering with counterbank and twist. The intensity of each experience varies as the on-board computer constantly chooses between pre-programmed intensity versions already stored in its memory as it traverses the show building with its load of guests.
This ride system was invented specially for the Indiana Jones Adventure and has only been implemented in one other attraction:
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
, located at
Disney's Animal Kingdom (opened as CTX: Countdown to Extinction).
Heavy or light traffic within the ride system can cause speed variations as the vehicles try not to enter the specified safety distance between one another. On busy days, each vehicle may slow to a crawl at intervals within the ride path in order to allow the vehicle ahead to gain distance, then suddenly jerk back into higher speed. Because of these unexpected variations in speed, the soundtrack to the ride is not of a specific length, in fact, each scene of the attraction has a pre-selected score to play which is already of a certain length. If the vehicle finds itself remaining in one scene for an extended period of time, the score will play in full or until the vehicle leaves the scene. If the vehicle remains in a scene longer than the length of the score, then an exaggerated soundtrack of the vehicle's engine will fade-in and play to keep riders from experiencing awkward silence. Due to safety reasons, vehicles on the ride path cannot reverse. Contrary to the finale scene when the vehicle reverses away from the boulder, the vehicle is actually stationary while the motion base tilts backwards and the cave walls accelerate past the riders to give the illusion of reversing.
The safety systems of the Indiana Jones Adventure are very sensitive and can lead to a ride stop several times in a day, leaving guests to believe that the attraction "broke down". Many variables can cause a ride stop: a vehicle may hit an obstacle on the path such as guest items dropped from the vehicle ahead, the vehicle wheels might slip or skid on a wet or damp section of track, or if a vehicle experiences conditions where it must quickly accelerate followed by a sudden stop, the vehicle may overshoot its target or move very slightly backwards causing it to shut down.
Audio-Animatronics
The attraction features four
Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics (also known simply as AAs) are a form of Mechatronics, mechatronic animatronics puppetry created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Trademark, trademarked by The Walt Disney Company for use in designed shows and attractions at Disn ...
, three of which are animatronics of
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
, and one of a giant
cobra
COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
. Prior to the 2010 refurbishment, the Indiana Jones figure in front of the Gates of Doom had his back pushed against the gates. During the refurbishment, he was replaced with a more advanced figure that now is leaning his full body weight into the right door.
Disneyland version
Story
''Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye'' is told through twelve letters and
telegrams
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
scattered throughout the queue as well as three
newsreel
A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news, news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a Movie theater, cinema, newsreels were a source of cu ...
s shown before guests board the attraction.
In 1935
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
reunites missing fragments of a map documenting the precise location of an ancient temple believed to have been buried in a flood over two thousand years ago. According to legend, the temple was built to honor the deity
Mara, who offers one of three gifts to all who come to the hallowed site (eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future) on the condition that they never gaze into the eyes of Mara.
Although the discovery, dubbed the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" by the media, sets the archaeological community abuzz.
Sallah begins conducting guided tours. Good fortune comes to many tourists, while others do not return at all. Jones eventually ventures inside to find the missing tourists.
Queue

The attraction's immersive and carefully detailed queue leads guests through dimly lit temple chambers and passageways containing booby-trapped sections reminiscent of the ''Indiana Jones'' movies.
The queue begins outside, winding past a
2.5 short ton ()
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...
troop transport truck. This is the actual vehicle used in the desert chase scene in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.
A small mining car near the truck is a movie prop as well, used in the mine scene in ''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
''. Guests also walk by a noisy "hit-and-miss" engine/generator set piece, which appears to power the lights strung deep into the temple.
Much of the queue is inside the temple itself. Throughout the bowels of the temple,
petroglyph
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
s in "Marabic" warn temple visitors of the rewards and perils that can be found further within. The glyphs can be translated into English using a simple character substitution encoding. In the early months of the attraction's existence, guests were given decoder cards; the cards are now only distributed during special events or when made available. If unable to receive a decoder card, the code is easily solvable as each symbol bears a strong resemblance to its corresponding letter in the
English alphabet
Modern English is written with a Latin-script alphabet consisting of 26 Letter (alphabet), letters, with each having both uppercase and lowercase forms. The word ''alphabet'' is a Compound (linguistics), compound of ''alpha'' and ''beta'', t ...
. The sole exception is the letter
I, which, appropriately, resembles an
eye
An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system.
In higher organisms, the ey ...
. Where the text is painted,
vowel
A vowel is a speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract, forming the nucleus of a syllable. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness a ...
s appear in red.
The queue contains several interactive features. In the "spike room", the ceiling appears to be retained by several upright bamboo poles. When the key supporting pole is pushed or pulled, guests are startled by sounds of the ceiling dropping as the spikes begin to descend slowly toward them. In the next area, large stone blocks released from the ceiling (triggered by the diamond-shaped stones below) are barely kept in place by wooden wedges and supports. Further on, in the Rotunda Calendar, pulling on a rope triggers responses from Dr. Dunfor Pullit, an out-of-sight archeologist supported by the rope beneath the sarcophagus stone. Various crates throughout the queue contain some significant features; one marked with the number "990 6753" refers to the number on the crate holding the Ark of the Covenant in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''. Another crate is marked "Deliver to Club Obi Wan", referring to a fictional club at the beginning of ''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'', itself a reference to the character
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
from ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. Eventually, guests encounter a projection of a newsreel of the discovery, followed by safety instructions delivered by Sallah. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse appear on the cover of a copy of ''
Life Magazine'' in Professor Jones' office.
Ride experience

At the loading area, guests board the troop transport. Through the radio, Sallah (voiced by
Bob Joles) reminds the tourists to fasten their seat belts and points out a problem with the brakes (in earlier versions of the ride, there would alternatively be problems with the gas pedal or the steering wheel). The transport takes off, past a cluster of mirrors concealing the maintenance dock entrance, and turns a corner into the Chamber of Destiny, where guests are presented with three doors. One of the three doors begins to glow more brightly than the other two, and Mara (voiced by
James Earl Jones) announces which gift the passengers have chosen to receive. The doors open, and the passengers enter the Hall of Promise, where the idol of Mara resides at the end of the hall.
As originally built, the Chamber of Destiny only had one actual operating door and corridor. Since the ride's opening, the room's walls and ceiling were designed to rotate across the working doorway and a set of four façades (two on each side of the real doorway) so that three "doors" are always visible at any given time. Each of the doors are lit differently based on which particular chamber has been randomly chosen, and decoy tracks leading to the other doors have been used to enhance the effect. In 2013, new projection mapping effects were added for the Hall of Promise. The Chamber of Destiny’s doors was also updated with projection mapping effects in 2015. , the machinery used to rotate the room has been deactivated and is no longer used. Instead, the transport always enters the second door in the center, and the effect of entering a specific room is accomplished using projectors hidden on either side of the chamber, which shuffle through various video effects that are superimposed onto all three doors to create the illusion that the transport is entering a specific room.
* If the transport gets to the ''Chamber of Earthly Riches'', Mara says, ''"You seek the Treasure of Mara? Glittering gold — it is yours."'' The vault, in the doors, begin to unlock as gold coins appear to rain down from above as they swing open. Inside the Hall of Promise, piles of gold, bronze statues, and priceless carvings fill vestibules on each side with a massive gold face of Mara at the far end of the hall. The room is illuminated with shimmering golden light behind the backlit scrims where images of gold and other treasures are visible, with sounds of coins echoing through the hall. Front-lit
scrims along the walls are painted to depict true believers surrounded with hoards of treasures, symbolizing riches and wealth, beyond their wildest dreams.
* If the transport gets to the ''Fountain of Eternal Youth'', Mara says, ''"You have chosen wisely. This path leads to timeless youth and beauty."'' The rusted, corroded doors of that chamber are rinsed clean by a sheet of purifying water pouring from the relief above, revealing their pristine, metallic nature as they swing open. Inside the Hall of Promise, where the painted murals on the walls show the timeless beauty of Mara's chosen ones as everyone around them ages, the walls reflect the light on the water. At the far end of the hall, a massive stone face of Mara, with flowering vines scaling the surrounding walls. The room appeared illuminated with shimmering aqua blue light with sounds of water drops echoing through the hall. Front-lit
scrims along the walls are painted to depict true believers drinking mystic water, discarding their withered skin and emerging young and beautiful.
* If the transport gets to the ''Observatory of the Future'', Mara says, ''"You seek the future. I will lift the curtain of time. It is your destiny."'' The doors are sealed by an iced web that clouds its carved reliefs. But upon Mara's announcement, the all-seeing eyes above glow, whisking away the icy wall as shooting stars illuminate the newly unlocked pathway as they swing open. Once inside, the Hall of Promise is lit by innumerable glowing stars, and the temple's open roof reveals the endless night sky above, with a glowing, ethereal face of Mara at the far end of the hall. The room is illuminated dimly lit purple, and the ceiling above twinkles with 5,000
fiber optic
An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...
stars. The transport vehicle tilts upward, directing the passengers’ eyes away from the dark scrims and towards the dazzling starfield.
As the guests approach the idol, Mara suddenly opens his eyes. Inevitably, as someone looks into them, the idol immediately scowls at the guests and, using projection mapping, shows the idol’s face 'bleeding' with colors as he rescinds each of his gifts.
* For the ''Chamber of Earthly Riches'', his gold metal face begins to corrode rapidly with acid, tarnishing and rusting it until his face turns into red copper.
* For the ''Fountain of Eternal Youth'', his marble stone face begins to crack and "age" as the surrounding vines shrivel and their petals fall. Chillingly, Mara's eyes faded to a deep, endless black.
* For the ''Observatory of the Future'', his ethereal face begins to be engulfed in a raging storm filled with lightning and, eventually, his face into a giant fireball.
During his rescinds, Mara cries out, ''"You looked into my eyes! Your path now leads to the Gates of Doom!"'' (For the ''Observatory of the Future'' scene, Mara's last line is changed to, ''"Your destiny now lies beyond the Gates of Doom!")''
The transport momentarily appears to head toward an exit before making a sharp left turn into a large crumbling corridor. Using the hydraulic systems, the transport is given the effect of being lifted off the ground as it floats towards the Gates of Doom. Lightning flashes along the walls, illuminating large cobra statues overhead as the transport continues forward. The Gates of Doom pulsate with green mist, and an
audio-animatronic
Audio-Animatronics (also known simply as AAs) are a form of Mechatronics, mechatronic animatronics puppetry created by Walt Disney Imagineering and Trademark, trademarked by The Walt Disney Company for use in designed shows and attractions at Disn ...
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
(voiced by Dave Temple) struggles to keep the doors closed. Jones pushes the doors shut, making the transport drop to the ground, and scolds the tourists for looking into the idol's eyes. He instructs them to proceed up the steps to the left. The transport then accelerates up the flight of stairs.
The transport emerges from the passage and teeters on the edge of a vast pit of
lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
. If timed correctly, another transport can be seen attempting to cross a rickety rope bridge that spans the pit under a crumbling ceiling. On the far side of the cavern, there is a stone face of Mara that periodically shoots green rays at both transports, causing flames to erupt from where the beam hits the cavern. Formerly, there was an effect in place within this scene where the light beams would hit the ceiling, causing dyed ice cubes to rain down, simulating the rubble of the caving temple, but it was removed due to operational issues. However, the sound effect for the rubble can still be heard upon entering the room. The transport then turns left and enters catacombs of false pathways lined with skeletons, some of which pop out toward the guests.
Suddenly, the transport veers to the left, and all is dark. The transport's headlights flicker back on, illuminating walls swarming with thousands of beetles. Hissing sounds are heard, and riders are blasted with puffs of air. The transport heads out of the darkness and onto the bridge which spans the pit. The transport stalls for a moment as another oncoming transport can be seen about to cross the bridge (depending on the transport's timed arrival), which turns away just before reaching it. The transport then accelerates across the bridge, which sways and jostles under its weight. The massive stone face of Mara shoots beams from its eye, attempting to destroy the bridge. The transport makes it safely across, then turns sharply to the right.
Hundreds of snakes cover the walls and ground, and a large audio-animatronic
cobra
COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
appears to the right of the vehicle, striking at the riders. The transport heads back to return across the rope bridge and flashes its headlights at an oncoming transport about to cross (again, depending on the transport's timed arrival). The transport turns sharply to the right, traveling behind the giant stone carving of Mara's face, and enter a room full of skulls (the number of skulls is 1,995, a reference to the year of the ride's opening), and Mara roars at the riders from above. The transport turns towards the left and dips underneath the main bridge as a fireball erupts ahead from the laser beam. The vehicle nearly gets hit by the deadly laser blast from the "Broken Nose Of Mara" as the transport travels across a mini wooden bridge and veers into a pitch-black tunnel. Shocks of electricity suddenly chase the transport before it stalls for a brief moment. All of a sudden, the transport starts up again and it heads towards an empty corridor leading towards a way out of the temple when, suddenly, the electrical shocks blasts the corridor, causing it to collapse and block the tunnel. The transport careens through another dimly lit tunnel with paintings of
spear
A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
-wielding skeletal warriors adorning the walls. Blasts of air hit the riders, and darts are heard striking the transport as it rolls over the
trigger stones between the skeletal warriors.
The transport then approaches a dark area and stops. Indiana Jones suddenly appears above the vehicle hanging on a rope in a shaft of light. He welcomes the adventurers' rescue and bids for them to turn on the headlights and allow him to board. As the lights flicker on, they illuminate a massive boulder rolling toward the transport. The transport seems to back up as the boulder threatens to crush Jones and the tourists (this effect is achieved by moving the walls of the room forward, not moving the transport backward). At the last possible second, the transport accelerates, and suddenly the floor seems to give way, sending the transport into the chamber below. An impact resonates through the chamber as if the boulder has crashed down, nearly striking the transport.

The transport plunges down into darkness and swerves right to see Jones standing in front of the boulder, which has been cracked by its impact. An exhausted Jones wipes his forehead and says one of the following:
*"Not bad, for tourists.. Now, stay out of trouble will ya?"
*"There! That wasn't so bad, was it?"
*"Next time, you're on your own!"
*"Now, next time, you wear blindfolds, okay?"
*"Now, don't tell me that wasn't big fun!"
*"Tourists... Why'd it have to be tourists?"
*"You were good in there. You were very, very good."
A final triumphant refrain of music ushers the guests back into the station. Sallah welcomes back the tourists and tells them to remain seated as the transport reaches the loading area.
Tokyo DisneySea version
Story

Set in an unspecified region of
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
during the 1930s, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull takes place in the Temple of the Crystal Skull, an Aztec temple guarded by a
Crystal Skull
Crystal skulls are human skull hardstone carvings made of clear, milky white or other types of quartz (also called "rock crystal"), claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts by their alleged finders; however, these claims have been refut ...
. Hosted by a character named Paco (portrayed by
Katsuhisa Hōki), the story features Indiana Jones (voiced by
Kunio Murai) searching for the Fountain of Youth. While the name is similar to that of the
fourth ''Indiana Jones'' film, the design of the titular skull is entirely different and the scenarios in the attraction are unrelated to the film.
Queue
The Temple of the Crystal Skull building exterior resembles a large
Aztec
The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...
pyramid and temple, set in the South American port "
Lost River Delta" at Tokyo DisneySea. The design is influenced by ancient South American architecture and art. There is a large room in the first pyramid with elaborate, South American-inspired
frescoes on the walls; skeletons litter the floor around the queue walkway. The queue subsequently passes through a series of smaller, intricately themed chambers. Paco, a South American tour guide, hosts a black-and-white safety film, which plays on a continuous loop.
Ride experience
Everyone is seeking the Fountain of Youth. There is a single carved door with pools of water to the side, complemented by mist and what appears to be endless hallways.
All guests enter the same hallway, seeking the Fountain of Youth. This single hallway contains effects from all three variations seen in “Forbidden Eye”: fiber optic stars, statues holding glowing treasure, and water effects. At the end of the hall awaits the Crystal Skull. It glows demonically, signaling that the journey is about to take a turn toward the Gates of Doom.
The transport momentarily appears to head toward an exit, before making a sharp turn into a large corridor. Lightning flashes along the walls, illuminating large cobra statues overhead as the transport seems to "float" through the room using the EMV technology.
The Gates of Doom pulsate with green mist as
Indiana Jones
''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise consisting of five films and a prequel television series, along with games, comics, and tie-in novels, that depicts the adventures of Indiana Jones (character), Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, ...
struggles to keep the doors closed. Jones, speaking in Japanese, scolds the tourists for waking the Crystal Skull and instructs them to proceed up the steps to the left. The triumphant musical theme from ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'' is heard as the transport accelerates up the flight of stairs, entering a room with a rope bridge and a large stone face resembling the Crystal Skull.
Blues and greens are the colors that fill this room. There is a large tornado effect near the bridge. The eye of the large skull is crystal and emits lasers and other lighting effects.
The transport turns left and enters another chamber filled with skeletons, some of which pop out toward the guests.
Suddenly, all is dark; the music tinkles with chaotic violin pizzicatos. The transport's headlights flicker on, illuminating walls swarming with thousands of beetles. Hissing sounds are heard, and riders are blasted with puffs of air.
The transport finally heads out of the darkness and onto the bridge which spans the pit. The transport stalls for a moment as another oncoming transport can be seen across the pit (if the transport's arrival is timed correctly), but it turns out of the way before reaching the bridge. The transport then accelerates across the bridge which sways and jostles under its weight. The massive stone skull shoots beams from its eye at the bridge, attempting to destroy it. The transport safely makes it across and makes a right turn.
Thousands of snakes line the walls and ground and a gigantic audio-animatronic version of the
Mesoamerican
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...
deity
Quetzalcoatl, with glowing red eyes, appears to the right of the vehicle, striking at the riders.
The transport heads back to return across the rope bridge and flashes its headlights at an oncoming transport about to cross (again, if the transport's arrival is timed correctly). The transport turns sharply to the right, entering behind the giant stone skull. The transport slides past hundreds of human skulls which decorate the walls, as the crystal skull on a plinth radiates light. Turning left, out of the massive stone skull, the transport continues downward, passing under the rope bridge.
Encountering a carved skull-like face in the wall in front of the vehicle, the transport pauses for a moment as a fireball (a large ring of harmless orange colored smoke) suddenly emerges from the face's mouth, heading straight towards the transport. The transport swerves to the right driving through the smoke and onto the next corridor.
A hall lined with sculptures of gaping skulls along the walls. The vehicle lurches forward over the pressure plates in the floor activating the booby trap. From the mouth of each skull shoots a dart (air jets that emit sudden swift puffs of air). The transport rolls to the end and makes a sharp right into the Boulder Room.
Jones hangs from a vine above. As the transport pulls up underneath him he shouts (In Japanese) one of several phrases cautioning the riders. As the boulder rolls towards the transport and falls, the transport plunges and a photograph of the entire car of riders is taken. The photograph may be purchased after the ride.
The transport drops suddenly, then turns right sharply in a dark tunnel and comes out to see Jones standing in front of the crushed boulder. Jones wipes his forehead and says one of several pre-recorded phrases. A final triumphant refrain of the music ushers the guests back into the station. While waiting to disembark, the mobile radio transceiver announces one of several "please remain seated" messages.
Music
In addition to dialogue and sound effects, an orchestral soundtrack plays through the speakers built into the troop transports. This medley contains segments and motifs of
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
' original scores for the first three ''Indiana Jones'' movies, re-scored and re-recorded to sync up with the perils of the adventure.
Richard Bellis was responsible for this adaptation process.
"
The Raiders' March" and Ark theme both feature prominently at various points.
The following list is a breakdown of the different passages heard in the attraction, and the track times at which the original versions can be found on the soundtracks for the films.
* Chamber of Destiny: "The Miracle of the Ark" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Hall of Promise: "The Map Room: Dawn" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Tunnel of Torment: "The Miracle of the Ark" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Gates of Doom: "The Desert Chase" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Main Show Building: "The Miracle of the Ark" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Mummy Chamber: "Nocturnal Activities" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Bug Room: "In the Idol's Temple", "The Well of Souls" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* The Bridge: "The Miracle of the Ark" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
* Snake Temple: "Slalom on Mt. Humol" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Mudslide: "Belly of the Steel Beast" (''
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Skull Room: "Slalom on Mt. Humol", "The Mine Car Chase" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Face Room: "Bug Tunnel and Death Trap", "Slalom on Mt. Humol" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Dart Corridor: "Bug Tunnel and Death Trap" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Rolling Boulder: "The Basket Game" (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
''), "Fast Streets of Shanghai" (''
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a script by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. It is the second installment in the Indiana Jone ...
'')
* Finale: "Flight from Peru", "The Raiders' March", 2:21 (''
Raiders of the Lost Ark
''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...
'')
A variety of
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
pieces and swing tunes from the 1930s can be heard from a radio in the outdoor queue, including "
In the Mood
"In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by Americans, American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was re ...
" by
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...
.
See also
*
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, a mine car-themed roller coaster in
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France, located about east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, seven Disney-owned hotels, two convention centers, a golf course, an arena, and a shopping, dining and entert ...
*
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, a live stunt show in
Disney's Hollywood Studios
*
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
, a similar dark ride attraction in
Disney's Animal Kingdom
*
Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries, a promotional tie-in small stage show in
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
*
List of amusement rides based on film franchises
References
External links
Disneyland - ''Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbbiden Eye''Tokyo DisneySea - ''Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull''*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indiana Jones Adventure
Fiction set in 1935
Amusement rides introduced in 1995
Amusement rides introduced in 2001
Audio-Animatronic attractions
Adventureland (Disney)
Dark rides
Disneyland
Works set in India
Indiana Jones in amusement parks
Lost River Delta (Tokyo DisneySea)
Tropical America
South America in fiction
Tokyo DisneySea
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions
1995 establishments in California
2001 establishments in Japan