Indiana Jones Adventure Anniversary Post

Indiana Jones is one of my very favorite “new” attractions at Disneyland. 16 years later, it still packs the guests in and leaves them wanting more. The attention to detail to the queue as well as the attraction have made this dark ride a memorable part of almost every guest’s trip to Disneyland. The images posted today are from the early publicity campaigns designed to drum up interest. Where possible, I have also included some of the marketing copy that accompanied these photos.





DECISION-MAKING TIME—When the Indiana Jones Adventure opens on March 3, 1995 guests visiting Disneyland will decide if they should dare inter [yup...Disney made a typo!] the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Built long ago in tribute to the deity, Mara, the temple offers the “pure of heart” one of three magical gifts. However, ancient legend also issues a stern warning: “A terrible fate awaits those who gaze upon the eyes of Mara!” as they might be vaporized by beams of fire or face other horrors such as screaming mummies, creepy crawlies, ravenous rodents, and poisonous darts.



ANCIENT TEMPLE RUINS—Daring Disneyland guests now have the opportunity to explore the shadowy ruins of an ancient lost temple. Months before the Indiana Jones Adventure opens, guests in Adventureland will discover the excavation site and base camp for the recently unearthed Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Cleared from lush tropical foliage on the shores of the Jungle Cruise, the temple stands as the ominous entrance to the Indiana Jones Adventure, opening in 1995.



PROMISING ADVENTURE—Traveling beyond one of the three passageways in the “Chamber of Destiny,” fortunate explorers aboard the Indiana Jones Adventure enter the “Hall of Promise.” Inside, the temple deity Mara, displays all the wonders of the gift they are about to receive-if they can obey the one temple rule: “Look not into the eyes of Mara.” A terrible tortuous fate awaits the foolhardy visitor who dares to gaze into the eyes of the idol, as they will be banished through the “Gates of Doom” from which there is no return. The Adventureland attraction opens Mar. 3, 1995 at Disneyland.



ESCAPE FROM THE MUMMIES—A cavern of cadaverous corpses await “unworthy” guests who dare explore the newest Adventureland attraction at Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure-opening Mrach 3, 1995. More than just a routine archaeological expedition of the fabled Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the tour has a catch: “A terrible fate awaits those who gaze upon the eyse of Mara!” Guests making their escape from the temple deity, will find their vehicles careening through an ancient burial chamber fileld to the brim with haunted inhabitants.



‘CAVERN OF BUBBLING DEATH’—Explorers on the Indiana Jones Adventure encounter the “Cavern of Bubbling Death.” A twisted menagerie of swirling lava, fire balls and falling debris, the cavern has as its menacing centerpiece a 45-foot-tall decaying skull of Mara. All pathways inside this massive subterranean cavern lead to unspeakable peril including a precarious path high above a molten pit. There’s no turning back as the suspension bridge sways from the heat of the steam vents below and Mara’s destruction beams launch fireballs all around.





See more Disneyland Indiana Jones Adventure photos at my main website.