At Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, you’re going straight into the world of archaeology and intrigue from the popular films. The year is 1935. As a rider, you are a tourist visiting the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
You take off in “jungle transport” vehicles which look like rugged jeeps. In reality, they are moving motion-simulators with onboard sound.
The vehicle bounces, stutters, stops, and starts. You’ll encounter snakes and people shooting arrows – and those awful bugs. You’ll see Indy, but he won’t be much help. Whatever you do, don’t look into the idol’s eyes.
Variations make every Indiana Jones Adventure journey unique: In theory, you could ride it 160,000 times and never experience the same thing twice.
What You Need to Know
- Location: Indiana Jones Adventure is in Adventureland.
- Rating: ★★★★★
- Restrictions: 46 inches (117cm). Children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 or older.
- Ride Time: 3 minutes 15 seconds
- Recommended for: Families with teens and adults who love adventure rides.
- Fun factor: High. Indy is one of the best rides at Disneyland.
- Wait factor: High. Use a Fastpass to shorten your time in line or try getting in line during the parades or evening shows.
- Fear factor: There’s a lot of excitement as you careen from one near-disaster to the next. As Indy would say: “Why do there have to be snakes?”
- Herky-jerky factor: This ride is not for anyone with neck or back trouble, heart problems, or for expectant mothers.
- Nausea factor: Medium
- Seating: Ride vehicles look like a big Jeep or Hummer that holds twelve people in three rows, each with a seat belt. The left front seat has a steering wheel, but it’s non-operational. To board, you step straight in.
- Accessibility: If you use a wheelchair, enter through the EXIT and go to the waiting area, where a cast member will assist you. You will have to transfer from your wheelchair into the ride vehicle. Closed Caption equipment is available at City Hall for selected portions of this ride.
How to Have More Fun
The following tips can help you spend more time having fun and less time waiting. Moreover, you can enjoy your time in the queue if you use the Play Disney Parks app. This app allows you to scan and decode the so-called Mara-glyphics to uncover hidden maps and earn achievements.
- Indiana Jones Adventure rates high for excitement and can be quite startling as you hurtle along through the dark.
- Indiana Jones has a Single Rider option that may help you get on faster. Cast Members fill in empty seats using single riders, significantly shortening your wait time.
- The entry walkway for this ride is long. If the sign outside states a wait time of 15 minutes or less, most of that time will be spent getting to the boarding area.
- In the projector room, there’s a hidden Eeyore near the ceiling. Ask a cast member to show it to you because you probably won’t find it by yourself.
- Put away your glasses and hat before you ride, or you may lose them.
Fun Facts
The line at Indiana Jones Adventure is among the longest at Disneyland (up to 2 hours on a busy summer afternoon). Consequently, designers worked hard to make the wait enjoyable. Messages in hieroglyphics decorate the indoor area, and these “Maraglyphics” can be translated into English using a simple code.
When you reach the room with spikes on the ceiling, pull (hard) on the bamboo pole on the left side, and it will create an illusion that the ceiling is falling. This ride’s queue is an opportunity for some creative disobedience; pull on anything with a warning sign, and something will likely happen.
Lastly, the original troop transport vehicle used in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is located just outside the entrance to this thrilling adventure.
