This positioning and limited access to view the ride may also be due
to the ride being an off-the-shelf ride mechanism from Intamin, its
manufacturer. Although the Imagineers have done a great job with the
theme, it is obvious that this is just a "plussed" coaster.
You can see a photo of the ride on the Intamin Web site (www.intaminworldwide.com)
before the recent changes were made. For some reason the ride is also
categorized as a family coaster, which is very strange given its height
and age restrictions.
When the ride reopened this year it also received the FASTPASS treatment,
which at least to my eyes did not improve the layout or the themeing
of the ride. It added a number of high bamboo screens and narrow walkways,
which greatly spoiled the entryway. The layout of the attraction and
FASTPASS make photographing the ride very difficult unless you are a
rider.
To give you this photo essay, I forced myself to ride the attraction
a number of times, even though it's not one of my favourites at the
park. Maybe it's because it goes backwards, but it really upsets my
balance. Every time I ride it I seem to feel very sick when I get off,
and I suspect it's because the ride is very rough and jars my neck.
I don't have any of these issues with Space Mountain in Paris, which
I can ride (and often do) two or three times in quick succession --
and that has three inversions. So please bear in mind the great suffering
I went through to bring you this story.
As you approach the ride from the main part of Adventureland you can
see the Temple ruins in the distance. You pass the recently opened Temple
Traders store and reach the FASTPASS distribution area.
To the right is a small viewing area where you can see the start of
the lift hill and the down slope just before the ride enters the loop.
You can see a number of Indiana Jones artifacts as you enter the ride,
including jeeps, tents, etc.
Eventually after passing through quite a long line area, you meet up
with the FASTPASS line at the foot of the temple steps.
You then go up and over the ride track and on to the loading platform.
As you reach the top of the stairs, this is the next best view you
get of the loop (the best being when you're on it, of course).
