Indiana Jones et
le Temple du Peril
At A Glance |
Short and very jerkey but
otherwise mundane roller coaster attraction, only made interesting
by its theming. |
This
attractions is one of the most popular at teh theme park,
with correspondingly long queues. Expect a 45 minute or longer
queue once the theme park has been open for a couple of hours,
so to ensure a ride with the minimum of queueing time, head
straight for Adventureland when the park first opens and ride
"Indie", then head for Frontierland for "Big
Thunder Mountain"
The attraction features a relatively short roller
coaster ride with a single 360 degree loop in it. Most people
that have ridden it have commented on either the short duration,
or the jerkeyness of the ride, which can be very uncomfortable
if the securing harness is pulled too tight.
The ride cars are also fairly small taking a maximum
of 8 people with four people seated in each vehicle in two
rows of two, and two vehicles being linked together. As is
the norm with many coasters these days the ride uses a shoulder
harness system to keep guests firmly seated.
The ride itself is quite fast, but doesn't feature
any of the stomach churning twists or drops that go into making
a really good coaster. It's certainly a little wilder than
Big Thunder Mountain mainly because the turns, humps and the
single loop are tighter than on most coasters (and taken at
a slower speed than most), but those seeking a white knuckle
ride will almost cerainly leave Indiana Jones feeling more
than a little disappointed.
The ride is themed very nicely, with 1940s style
camp settings, jeeps, tents, etc, that certainly look as though
they belong in an Indiana Jones movie. The experience being
enhanced by some very good background music throughout the
queueing area, which is supposed to look like an excavated
ruin. The presence of the Mine cars is a little strange, since
there's a distinct lack of a mine from which they could have
come - one of the few glaring mistakes the Disney Imagineers
have made in theming their attractions.
However, to their credit, the mine cars are extremely
jerky and bumpy, just as you'd expect a real mine cart to
be. Be warned however, that the restraint system is awkward
and the jerkiness of the ride, even though it's a short ride,
can make it an uncomfortable experience.
In pure roller coaster terms though, it's the theming
that takes the ride from being a very short and mundane coaster
attraction, into an enjoyable experience. It certainly doesn't
have enough 'thrill-factor' for the fans of real white knuckle
rides, but it's quite a fun coaster none the less.
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