At 10:10, it was time for the older girls and I to enter the Indy queue using our MaxPass. This installment will be as much about the queue as the attraction itself. This is HANDS DOWN the best queue in all of the DLR, and quite possibly with the exception of Pirates in
Disneyland Paris, one of the best queues in ANY Disney park.
Since we bypass the outside queue with Fastpass, I'll save that for the end and we'll start off after being rushed through the first half of the queue till we find ourselves in the Mara Rotunda. This room is AMAZING. SO much to take in, so many little details. I just love it.
And as all older sisters do, Katherine is being less than nice to her younger sister.
The painting on top of the cap stone is so cool, but so hard to photograph.
Unfortunately a fair amount of the interactive elements of this queue (the active ones, not the passive ones) are usually not working, but this one is pretty much always functional. Katherine just LOVES ignoring rules...
I'm that annoying guy who's always looking up, back, around corners, weird angles, etc. How many people miss the awesome bamboo scaffolding in the projection room?
The Mara tablets. The passive interaction (deciphering the Mara script) is a fun past time and even better than the Celestial script in GOTG.
The left tablet states: THE OBSERVATORY OF THE FUTURE - BEHOLD THE AMULET OF MARA AND YOU SHALL SEE VISIONS OF THE FUTURE BUT BEWARE THE EYES OF MARA
The middle tablet states: THE CHAMBER OF EARTHLY RICHES - WEALTH BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGINATION LIES WITHIN AND IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING BUT BEWARE THE EYES OF MARA
The right tablet states: THE FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL YOUTH - ONE SIP FROM THE ETERNAL SPRING SHALL RENEW VIGOR AND YOUTHFUL SPIRIT BUT BEWARE THE EYES OF MARA
Here we have something of a continuity riddle... Nang Tao (not Toa) Airport was the airport Indy, Short Round, and Willie fled to after leaving Club Obi Wan in Temple of Doom, however the number 9906753 was the number of the crate which housed the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders. Temple of Doom occurred one year prior (1935) to the events which occurred in Raiders (1936). We know the crate was still at area 51 in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (1957) so while I appreciate the references from the film, a little bit of additional thought would have been appreciated for a mega-fan like myself when lacing the queue with Easter eggs.
So this is pretty neat. A carving depicting all three of the treasures, the Observatory of the Future, the Chamber of Earthly Riches, and the Fountain of Eternal Youth.
Just some relics and bits of kit.
This loading area is so amazing. It is BEYOND immersive.
I've never noticed the control room before.
I've never heard the backstory/had this explained, but I assume they are covering the eyes of any "Mara" they find and they are intending to use the mirrors in an attempt to NOT look into the eyes directly?
While switching the rooms via projection is easier, I much preferred the previous practical effect that didn't always have you taking the middle door. Nowadays, you ALWAYS take the middle door... the door just changes to a different of the three treasures... it's just not the same. Honestly, that effect could NOT Have been difficult to properly maintain and operate. It frustrates me.
Main Mara projections are pretty decent.
The lightening effects are still pretty good..
I wish they had figured how to maintain the falling ceiling where Mara's energy beams hits the ceiling.
Who's driving that other troop transport? They are coming right at us!!
Everybody has heard of the Backside of Water. I give you... the Backside of Mara!!
This is honestly the best indoor attraction theming ever. It's so realistic and amazing in every way!! I've never seen better lava.
So.... on the way OUT they tell you about what you might face if you glance Mara's direction. BEWARE THE EYE OF MARA. ONE LOOK WILL LEAD THROUGH THE TUNNEL OF TORMENT TO THE GATES OF DOOM. Snakes... Undead Warriors...Beetles!! Sheesh..wish I had known this on the way IN.
Appreciating the rotunda on the way out of the queue.
One of these days I need to go by myself and take my time going through the queue letting others pass getting some good shots of all the warnings sprinkled throughout the queue you get rushed through.
Its a real shame you never get to spend any time in the outdoor lower queue. The sun dappling through the jungle canopy just themes the queue so darn well. My hat goes off to whomever designed this queue and attraction.
The supposed truck from Raiders which housed the Ark as they fled Cairo. Its not but they did a good job making it appear to be. Also... continuity...(Actions in the Temple of the Forbidden Eye take place in 1935 which is pre-Raiders).