On March 3, 1995, one of the most innovative attractions made its soft opening debut at the Disneyland Resort. The Indiana Jones Adventure! brought the cinematic excitement of the Indiana Jones’ films and combined them with the imagination of Walt Disney Imagineering. The end result? A thrill-inducing ride through the Temple of Mara that has delighted generations of Disneyland Resort for 20 years!
In celebration its 20th anniversary, Disneyland Annual Passholders were invited to register for an after-hours event at Disneyland, which was first-come, first-serve. APs were given the opportunity to explore Adventureland, Frontierland, and New Orleans Square long after regular Park Guests had left for the evening. This is my second time celebrating the 20th anniversary at Disneyland, having written a post about a 20th Anniversary of Fantasmic! (remember that?)
After checking in for the event, each AP received a map detailing which attractions would be open during the festivities. There was also a special replica of the Indiana Jones decoder cards that were handed out when the attraction first opened to the public. As we entered Adventureland, we were greeted by purple lights and the Adventureland Band, playing the Indiana Jones theme song and keeping the crowd lively. Lines for the attractions (with the exception of Indiana Jones Adventure!, which garnered the longest lines I had seen in years!)
However, the highlight of the evening (for me), was a special presentation and panel which provided Annual Passholders a retrospective on the attraction’s premiere at The Disneyland Resort, as well as inside look at the making of the attraction. The panel was moderated by Disney historian Tim O’Day and featured a discussion with Disney legend Tony Baxter. Through a combination of video, concept art slides, and images – Tim and Tony walked the audience through the conception, creation, and ultimate fruition of this amazing attraction. The presentation lasted 45 minutes and the Resort hosted two presentations during the celebration.
Back in Adventureland, we stumbled across an “Indiana Jones” balancing on a rock – a funny play on the rolling rock featured in both the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as well as the final scene in the attraction.
Later, I caught a commotion up in the treetops of Tarzan’s Treehouse. Look! It’s Indiana Jones fighting off some vagabonds who are trying to steal a map from him. Luckily he succeeded in keeping their hands off his map! I posted a short video of this fun (albeit short) display on Indiana Jones on the Babes in Disneyland Instagram.
Overall, the event was a fun celebration for Annual Passholders to enjoy a quiet evening in three popular lands and commemorate the fun of an attraction that continues to thrill Park Guests even after 20 years.
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