Disneyland announced in December that the iconic ‘Indiana Jones Adventure’ at Disneyland Park would close for an extensive refurbishment beginning January 9 and wouldn’t reopen until Spring 2023.
‘Indiana Jones Adventure’ reopened yesterday (March 17) which came as a somewhat surprise considering on Wednesday, it was still on the Disneyland calendar as being closed through April 26. It had become more and more obvious, in recent months prior to its closure, from reports online regarding broken animatronics and ride break downs that this extensive refurbishment is much needed.
Crowds flocked to Disneyland Park yesterday for the surprise reopening of Indiana Jones after its three months extensive refurbishment.
From the video posted to YouTube from FreshBaked! you get to see the ride twice and you can see the refreshed exterior and interior queue. The effects are all working including the snake and the mummies and scenes all look clear and bright after the extensive cleaning process. There are updated projections in the door room and on Mara, relighting of Mara’s head and the refurbished Cobra animatronic. The rolling boulder effect at the end has been fixed and the ride certainly looks to have been restored to its former glory.
The big news is that the rat room scene has gone and has been replaced with a spectural strobing effect scene where the walls of the tunnels beneath the Temple collapse on top of explorers. The second new scene uses a previously unused space. The video also confirms that there are no new storylines based on ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ which is the fifth and final Indiana Jones film which is expected to be released on June 30.
According to the OC Register yesterday (March 17), Walt Disney Imagineering have added, “touches of new magic” with two new projection scenes in the classic Adventureland dark ride. Indiana Jones has been “fully restored to its glory days”. The attraction has been “plussed up” with two new digital effects scenes to demonstrate the power of Mara.
The attraction has been fully cleaned including all 40 mummies and every skull. The snake and rolling ball finale has been repaired. All projection surfaces have been repainted and digital projections are now much brighter and sharper with all black light scenes having been relit. The elements in the interior queue have been refreshed and the re-landscaping has been done in the exterior queue.
It is confirmed that although there was speculation that ‘Indiana Jones Adventure’ may have new ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ content as the fifth and final Indiana Jones film is expected to be released on June 30, no new storylines have been added.
It certainly seems as if all our wishes have come true during this extensive refurbishment and now, all that is left to see is if it gives fans all that they hope for. We are guessing it will be an overwhelming yes!
‘Indiana Jones Adventure’ is a dark ride affixed to a motion simulator base, the Indiana Jones Adventure carries guests into the darkness of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, an ancient lost Bengalese temple that has become the new vacation hotspot for would-be adventurers in 1935.
“Inside, rumor has it that the ancient god Mara promises to grant one of three gifts to any who enter his Hall of Promise: eternal youth, earthly riches, or visions of the future. But legend also speaks of a curse: whosoever looks into the corroded and dark eye of Mara will be sent to the Gates of Doom.”
Riding in jeeps holding sixteen passengers, guests on the Indiana Jones Adventure come face-to-face with skeletons, lava, giant snakes, rats, a giant rolling boulder, and the disfigured god himself via a number of special effects and the motion-base EMV (enhanced motion vehicle) that simulates rough terrain, quick turns, and quick acceleration.
What do you think of the newly reopened ‘Indiana Jones Adventure’ at Disneyland Park? Is it everything you hoped it would be? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our news and Facebook page.
