Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

This week I am going to talk about a ride that I would love to see built at Disney World, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. I first encountered this ride when I visited Disneyland in California and have sung its praise since. This ride incorporates a beloved movie series into a fast-paced, dark ride attraction that causes thrills and chills for all.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye premiered in Disneyland on March 3, 1995 to a star-studded celebrity gala and the following day to the general public. This was not Indiana Jones' first attraction at a Disney theme park. The Disney-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989 with the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! as one of the original attractions. Due to the incredible success of Indiana Jones on the East Coast, George Lucas and Disney teamed up again to recreate the popularity on the West Coast in Disneyland.

It was decided that the Disneyland Monorail and "Eeyore" parking lot would be relocated to accommodate the addition of this attraction in Adventureland. Construction began in August of 1993, involving more than 400 Imagineers. The Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) was created for this attraction as a next-generation ride vehicle. These vehicles are able to drive with all wheels on the ground, while simulating movement along various terrains. This ride system was used for the popular attraction DINOSAUR, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

AT&T sponsored the attraction from 1995 to 2002. During these years, each guest was presented a Marabic decoder card. The nearly half-mile queue leads guests into the Temple of Mara and its walls are covered in hieroglyphics warning guests. Disney Channel aired a special starring Raiders of the Lost Ark stars Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies to create interest in this attraction. Disney even commissioned the original Indiana Jones poster artist to create a fitting poster for this attraction.

The ride incorporates fast motion, fire and shocking drops to create an awesome ride that one will not forget quickly. I think that this ride is so good that when I am in Disneyland I ride the attraction at least four times a day. There is so much detail into this ride that it offers new things to see each time you ride it. Have you ever had the chance to enter the world of Indiana Jones?

Voyage Under the Sea

It will soon be a time for celebration at Walt Disney World. October 1, 2011 will be the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort. This celebration will mark an exciting year to follow. One of the most exciting things to happen will be the completion of the Fantastyland expansion. This expansion will create new and exciting areas for guests to visit.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure will be opening in late 2011 or early 2012. This exciting new dark-ride attraction will be a great addition to The Magic Kingdom. Disneyland's Fantastyland, has more attractions than its East-Coast companion. So this addition is very welcome. No attraction has been added to this area since its opening.

The Little Mermaid ride was originally envisioned for the Disneyland Paris Theme Park. It was supposed to open in the early 1990's following the release of The Little Mermaid film. The ride was scrapped due to low expectations for the theme park in France. Plans and mock-ups were put together, but shelved until a recent release of The Little Mermaid on DVD. A special feature of the DVD was a digital recreation of what this ride would be. Many people liked what they saw and decided that this ride would be created finally.

It was decided that the Little Mermaid would have a home in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disney California Adventure in Disneyland. The interior parts of the attractions are being completed at the same time. This makes sure that the rides are produced similar and saves on costs. Disney California Adventure is going to open its version of this ride on June 3rd, 2011. This will be replacing the Golden Dreams show that starred Whoopi Goldberg.

In Disney World, the attraction will be featured in a recreation of Prince Eric's castle. A meet-and-greet featuring Ariel will be featured next to the castle. This ride will be featuring some of the most complex animatronics to ever be seen on property. We will be able to see Ariel, Flounder, Ursula and all the others come to life, right before our eyes. I think that this ride will be an awesome addition to the park and can't wait for it to open. Are you excited about the ride? What is your favorite Little Mermaid memory?