Credit: DisneyFans are not happy about the state of this beloved Disneyland attraction.
Disneyland is home to 53 attractions, offering everything from a sit-down meet-and-greet with a long-lost president (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln) to an adrenaline-packed adventure through a battle in space (Rise of the Resistance).
But for every Disneyland regular, one attraction always clicks more than the others. Pick any Disney ride, and odds are it has a cult following who would rather chain themselves to the Park entrance than see it disappear forever. Some, however, have a bigger following than others – and Indiana Jones Adventure is definitely one of those rides.
Based on the Lucasfilm franchise of the same name, Indiana Jones Adventure opened in 1995. Riders accompany the fedora-clad archaeologist on a dangerous quest through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye – a mystical, subterranean temple guarded by a supernatural power.
Like any ride that’s entertained Guest for two decades and counting, Indiana Jones Adventure has faced its fair share of wear and tear over the years. Disney’s refurbishment schedule has treated the attraction well, repeatedly closing it down for months at a time to give its animatronics and mechanics some love.
Its most recent refurbishment started in January 2023 – and was met with much delight from fans. For the past two years, Guests have lamented the “unacceptable” state of Indiana Jones Adventure, pointing out missing effects, disappointing changes to the queue, and broken animatronics, as well as experiencing countless breakdowns and mid-ride evacuations.
Indiana Jones Adventure reopened in March 2023. However, it seems like even after two months of TLC, all is still not well in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Reddit user Burnheartmusic took to the website to point out that much of the attraction is still in “poor condition.” While new projections and a new snake have brought on massive improvement, some key set pieces – such as the iconic boulder that chases Guests out at the ride’s end – are reportedly inoperable.
Most of the effects were fine, and the new section was serviceable, but we had to stop completely like 4 times for 15 seconds or more. Also, the boulder was completely non-existent. I saw it resetting from the car in front of us, but even though we pulled up under Indy and had a 10-second pause, it didn’t even roll forward a little bit, so ended up being worse than before as you could actually not even see it.
I guess it’s just a lot of complex tech, and I’m excited to see the new projection scene and new snake, but just a bummer that they can’t figure out the timing enough to make the ride actually work.
They aren’t the only one disappointed by the newly-refurbished attraction. User Dragoncloud10 wrote that the “new lightning/spirit effect in [the] old dark room before [the] collapsing walls room” was also broken.
For Guests hoping to see the attraction restored to its former glory, the outcome of Indiana Jones Adventure’s refurbishment is something of a disappointment. As of right now, Disney’s refurbishment schedule also doesn’t include any future slots for the ride. However, with the upcoming release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) – the first Indiana Jones installment in 15 years – we have our fingers crossed for some major Indy love in Disney Parks in the near future.