My Year With The Mouse

Heh, that makes it sound like Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden IQ.

It’s not–this is a post about the line for Indiana Jones. Why just the line? Because the ride broke down. Sad.

Indiana Jones Adventure is a very innovative attraction. It was really the first to involve a truly interactive queue. Which was good because when this ride opened, the lines were looooooong.

And it’s still pretty popular.

Enter at your own peril

Indiana Jones not only has a stand-by (regular) line, it has a Fastpass AND a single rider line. There are many ways to enjoy Indiana Jones!

The outdoor part of the queue is a series of shaded switchbacks. Indiana Jones is right next to the Jungle Cruise, so you really have that Adventureland feel.

It was a slow day

Next you go into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, where your adventure really begins. Notice anything interesting?

Hint: It’s the coded writing

If you guessed coded writing, you’re correct! Good job!

When Indiana Jones first opened, the cast member at the front used to hand you a decoder card so you could actually read the code during your very long wait inside the temple.

That was pretty much all kinds of cool.

It’s all over the place, really

The queue takes you around many bends and curves, keeping things interesting if you have a friend who likes to hide. Which I do.

Peek-a-boo!

There are a number of things to do, like swing this pole around and see what happens.

Go Ingrid and Rachel!

It was also a warning for troublesome guests

Don’t goof off at Disneyland, okay?

Seriously, that’s gotta hurt.

Unfortunately, some of the effects no longer work. For example, there are signs telling you to avoid stepping on the diamond-shaped bricks

Like these

But now when you do, nothing happens. Humph.

You can also disobey the sign and pull the rope

Like Rachel did

And see what happens!

After that you move into a kind of movie room and get to watch a short film that is both urgent and informative, and kind of a little silly because the dude, Sallah, is TOTALLY freaking out and seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that his entire purpose of life is to be the safety video showing you how to use your seatbelts.

It’s a movie of a movie–very meta

It is interesting on the loop though.

Then you go some more until you think you’re going to load, but YOU’RE NOT because you still have to go up and down some stairs.

However, eventually you do make it to the loading gate.

The bamboo poles give it such a rustic look

You catch a glimpse of your ride vehicle–an oversized Jeep.

With seatbelts, of course

And then Ingrid, Rachel, and I were literally next in line to board a Jeep. And I mean this literally, we were right up against the gate, when…the ride broke.

Dude, bummer.

After they tried rebooting the whole system and then the cast members talked amongst themselves in lowered voices, the ride of officially declared defunct and we were asked to leave.

We were offered a Fastpass to return, however.

Oops

And unfortunately I had to go home soon after, so I didn’t get to enjoy it that day.

Rachel and Ingrid were very, very sad.

Boo!