Indiana Jones Adventure: A reward awaits at the end of the longest queue area ever
Written: Jan 22 '05 (Updated Jul 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Young Harrison Ford, fun ride with lots of special effects
Cons: Really long queue area
The Bottom Line: A fun adventure ride with lots of special effects and a very long wait.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Indiana Jones Adventure - Disneyland |
We actually walked past Indiana Jones the first time we visited Disneyland. For some reason, I thought it was a show and wasn't interested in it. Then, on our next visit, some other guests told us we had to try it. So, we trucked on over to Adventureland to give it a go.
WAITING
This ride brings Disney to a whole new level in queue waiting areas. The wait was almost as entertaining, and much, much lengthier than the actual ride. The first time we went on this ride there was a half hour wait, according to the sign at the entrance. The first queue area was under some tropical foliage outside the building housing the ride. The paths were cement and the lines were separated by bamboo poles. In true Disney style, the line snakes in and around instead of going back and forth so it is hard to tell whether you are getting to the end of the line or not. The detail in the outside queue is pretty good. There is a fake generator in the center of the line area. It grumbles on and almost off and the lights flicker and dim as the generator "stuggles" to keep the power on. This is all for effect - the generator is obviously fake.
In this outside queue area, you can see the Jungle Cruise attraction off to one side. Tarzan's tree house is just overhead. The building housing the ride looks like a temple set off toward the far end of the outside queue area.
As you get near the end of the outside queue, the line starts heading up a wooden ramp to the entrance to the "temple." A rope keeps people in line. Oddly, they don't just let people walk in. They let a crowd in that takes up about half of the ramp every 3-4 minutes. I initially thought this was because there was some additional attraction, similar to the Haunted Mansion where a group is gathered in the library prior to getting on the ride, but that turned out to not be true.
When you get to the top of the ramp, a cast member asks how many are in your party. This led me to believe we were just about to get on the ride. However, it was the start of yet another long journey and another long line. I now know that the cast members were probably screening for single riders who, I think, get to go in a shorter line.
As you enter the temple, you head into what appears to be the excavation of an ancient temple. Lights are strung up and apparently are run by the same fake generator as they flicker and dim occasionally (this becomes extremely annoying the longer you wait in line). Then, you head into a cave area with stalagmites. There are several fake skeletons lying around. There is also an area that warns not to step on certain blocks on the floor. As you progress, there is also a more open temple area with another large queue area and more lines. When we visited, we walked directly through most of these areas but cringed at the thought that we could have been standing in lines that stretched for what appeared to be a mile.
As you go further, you watch a brief movie about how to board the vehicles. The movie features one of the actors from the Indianna Jones movies. You also get the story of the ride and how tourists have gone missing in the temple. Next, there is some more line and, finally, you enter into the boarding area where you can see the vehicles being boarded.
I have to say, this is probably the longest line area I have seen in either the California or Florida parks. It would be very frustrating to wait in the long outside line only to find that the inside line is also extremely lengthy. Sure, the theming is very interesting, still for the cost of the park admission ticket, no one wants to stand in a line of that length, no matter how interesting.
We visited Disneyland on a slow day with few other lines and this ride still had a half hour wait. On a busier day, we saw a sixty minute wait.
FAST PASS /BABY PASS
There are fast passes available for this ride, but they don't get you very far. They allow you to skip the outside queue area but you are admitted at the top of the ramp and have to stand in the inside queue area. They cut off maybe a third of the waiting time.
Since this ride has a height restriction of 46 inches, a lot of people were doing the baby swap. For parties with children under 46 inches, one or more people can ride and up to two people in their party can get a baby pass. These two people sit with the baby or child that can't ride until the first riders return. Then they use the baby pass like a fast pass. However, the annoyance here is that the fast passes and baby passes only cut off about a third of the wait. Your party may have to stand another half hour or so inside the building. This is a considerable time commitment for people using the baby passes.
OUR PERSONAL NASTY WAITING EXPERIENCE
Since the height restriction is 46 inches, there are cast members at the front of the line measuring kids to see if they meet the requirement. My son walked through and in the chaos of people entering the ride, I am not sure if we were noticed by the cast members. At the time, I wasn't aware of the height restriction, but even if I was, I thought my son actually was just around 46 inches so I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem. In any case, the cast members at the entrance didn't seem to be too diligent in grabbing kids to be measured.
Well, we waited and we waited and we walked and we walked until we finally got to the boarding area. Just before boarding a cast member asked my son to step out of line. She pulled him over to one of the measuring poles. The top of his hair just brushed the 46 inch mark. She grabbed his head and wiggled it under the bar marking 46 inches to prove he didn't make the cut. Really, better posture would have made the difference and I have since measured him at home and he did make the cut. In any case, after all that waiting, the cast member insisted he couldn't ride. I was really angry because we had passed at least eight cast members minding the line and no one had said anything. So, after a 45 minute wait we were pushed out the exit with a baby pass (only after I demanded one) and no ride. I planned to return with just my daughter. My son, of course, was extremely disappointed.
We walked the long distance to the exit to the ride. Then we tried to get back to where we were with the baby pass. No luck. We were allowed to skip the outside area but had to stand in the whole inside queue again. It just really sucked that we had to wait well over an hour before we could ride and my son was kept off the ride by some overly militant cast member at the end of the ride. It really colored my opinion of Disney. I can accept that they will be extremely strict with the height restriction but to make such a call, when he really is 46 inches, after a 45 minute wait was really unacceptable to me. If they are going to be that strict, they need to do it at the front of the line.
BOARDING
The ride vehicles are large jeeps which seat four across and have three rows. One lucky person gets the steering wheel (my daughter got in on one ride and was thrilled). It doesn't actually steer but it is fun to pretend. There is a net in front of each seat to store your belongings. This is a VERY bumpy ride and you will lose things not attached to you. Make sure everything gets in the basket. You also get a seatbelt that must be fastened. We had an empty seat in our row and the ride attendant barked at us to buckle up the empty seat. After that, we were off . . .
THE RIDE
After boarding, the jeep pulls into an area with three possible entrances. Each of these entrances is different, so the first 20-30 seconds of the ride is different. During this part of the ride, you pass through a hall with paintings and some props on either side. After that, I had heard that each ride continued to have some variations. I rode three times on my last visit and found that the ride is generally the same. Maybe some of the music is different or you see some different details, but to be honest, you pass so much detail so fast, you don't see everything the first time around. I can say that all the major elements were the same on each ride.
The jeep bounces around alot as if you were going along tough off-road conditions. This is nothing like a roller coaster with sudden dips and switchback turns. This ride is just really, really bumpy.
The inside of the ride is huge and you seem to travel on several levels. You travel across a rickety old bridge, that, of course, seems about ready to collapse while you are on it. You go through a tunnel with insects. The insects look like shadow projections and are not terribly scary. There is a snake room with one giant snake that lunges at the jeep. One of my favorite effects was the dart room where it looks like skeletons are shooting darts at you. You can even feel puffs of air as the pretend darts whiz by. During the whole time, you hear music from the Indiana Jones movies including the poplular theme song. There are three 3D images of Indiana Jones in the ride (young Harrison Ford yum!) that look pretty realistic. One is hanging from a rope which is also pretty cool. Each time you pass Indy, he talks to the tourists in the jeep so it seems like a more personal experience.
The most amazing part of the ride is when the jeep stops and a gigantic boulder rolls toward you. I won't ruin anyone's ride but I wondered for a split second how we would "escape." This was one of the best effects I have ever seen and was really impressed.
All in all, this is one of my favorite rides in all of the Disney parks I have been to. The ride is just rough enough for me to be exciting and the images and effects are really great. The first time through, it went by so fast, it was hard to absorb it all. It took a few turns to know what to expect and to appreciate all the detail.
FAKE ANCIENT LANGUAGE
Apparently, Disney created a fake language that is inscribed on tablets and elsewhere in the queue area. This language can be translated and was apparently tied into an AT&T promotion at one point. An internet search will yield a translator and I found several web sites that have already done the translations.
AGE APPROPRIATENESS
The height restriction on this ride is 46 inches which is going to weed out most preschoolers. My five year old didn't make the cut. My eight year went on this ride and loved it. The ride itself is very bumpy but there are no sudden dips like a roller coaster so the movement might not appeal to some kids. The subject matter, including snakes and insects, might scare some more timid kids but you go by the scenery so quickly, some kids might miss that stuff entirely. I would say most kids, age 5 and up, would be fine on this ride, but of course, please don't take my advice. Only parents or guardians know their own kids well enough to make a determination.
RECOMMENDATION
I really liked this ride although, of course, I could do without the long waits. The theming is really terrific and reminds you what Disney is famous for. If you are up for the bumpy ride, I definitely recommend this attraction.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney’s Grand Californian
Marriott Suites Anaheim
Residence Inn Anaheim
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK RESTAURANTS
Storyteller’s Cafe
Blue Bayou
Wine Country Trattoria
Goofy’s Kitchen
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Soarin’ Over California
Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
Orange Stinger
Mulholland Madness
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D
It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D
Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones Adventure
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
It’s a Small World
Tarzan’s Tree House
Aladdin’s Oasis
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Autotopia
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D
Astro Orbitor
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Legoland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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modernmarvel
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