Disabled Man Slips Out of Disneyland California Ride, Guest Holds Him In

A Disneyland Resort guest recently recalled a scary experience on Indiana Jones Adventure, shortly after the Southern California Disney park debuted the thrill ride.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye opened in Adventureland at Disneyland Park in 1995. The attraction, based on the Harrison Ford film series, has entertained and terrified guests for nearly three decades. Despite several technical issues over the years, it remains one of the most popular rides at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

Reddit user u/curtiskam rode Indiana Jones Adventure shortly after it premiered with his cousin. His cousin has quadriplegia and typically ignored warnings on Disney Park attractions about back and neck issues because they didn’t apply: “It really couldn’t get much worse, and he was very active, even playing wheelchair rugby.”

“Disney didn’t object and [cast members] helped us skip then line (DAS wasn’t being abused yet) and helped me get him out of his chair and into the ride,” the Disney Park guest continued. “I got him into the first seat of the ride and hopped over him to take the inside seat next to him.”

But as soon as the attraction began, the Disney Park guest’s cousin panicked. The ride’s sharp turns and lack of a side door were a recipe for disaster–in this case, slipping out of the vehicle.

“As the ride starts, he sees the car ahead lean out of the turn and tell me that I’d better hold on to him since his legs won’t hold him in the car,” the Redditor recalled. “For the next several minutes, I frantically try to hold on for dear life to keep him in the vehicle as it leans in and out of turns.”

That was their cousin’s last ride on Indiana Jones Adventure.

“There nothing like fear of impending death to make a ride more exciting,” the guest continued. “He never rode again, but I guess in retrospect if he was really at risk Disney would have stopped the ride. He often talked about the exciting experience when we revisited the park.”

The experience didn’t scare the Redditor away from the Disneyland Park ride.

“From then on, I’d get Indiana Jones out of the way during early entry, and meet him for a cinnamon roll when the park opened,” they concluded.

Have you had a scary experience on a Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park ride? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.