Disney's EMV Dark Rides

[ECZenith]

As of yesterday I completed my training for Indiana Jones Adventure. This is a big deal for me as Indy has always been my absolute favorite attraction and working it is even more fun than riding.

 

While walking the track, my trainer was explaining to me how many effects have been changed or removed from the attraction, such as... the falling ice scene that looked like a rockslide, the spiderweb being changed to the rat room, etc... I was also told the intensity of the hydraulics has been toned down, is this true?

 

For those of you who rode Indy in it's debut year, what was it like? Have they made the ride better or has it seen better days?

 

A few years ago I made it out to Florida to try out Dinosaur (then Countdown to Extinction) and while I found it great fun, I preferred Indy by miles, however the ride does have some pretty amazing special effects! Also, if you have been on Indiana Jones Adventure in Tokyo, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

 

Lastly, I've been looking everywhere for some concept art of all 3 of these attractions. If anyone has some hi-res concept art on their hard drive or could direct to me to it that would be a huge help.

 

So for those of you have been on ALL THREE RIDES which one is your favorite?

Mara offers you 3 choices, earthly riches, visions of the future, and eternal youth.

[robbalvey]

Well, obviously this poll will only work if everyone voting has been on ALL THREE rides. Otherwise you'll just get false data from the people who have only been on own or two of them. I would strongly discourage people from voting unless you have been on all three.

 

As someone who has been on all three, I voted Tokyo's version of Indy.

 

--Robb

 

ps. Note, I changed the max number of choices to 1 as I don't think you meant to allow everyone to vote for all three.

[ECZenith]

Gracias for that, I edited my post.

 

I figured many TPR members made the trips to Japan and some have actually done all 3. I'm curious to see if anyone prefers Dinosaur.

[jedimaster1227]

Of the three, Dinosaur is my least favorite, considering that half of the ride, the scenes have no subject, and are therefore kept dark.

Forbidden Eye was my first of the two Indiana Jones rides, so I thought it was fantastic (the dart effect really got me my first time).

 

By the time I got to ride Crystal Skull, I had already gone on Forbidden Eye and was extremely excited about getting to do the ride again. Crystal Skull has a couple of extra cool effects, including the smoke ring, more typical DisneySea electricity effects and a better snake. So overall, I have to say that Crystal Skull has taken my award for the best Disney EMV so far.

[cfc]

Dinosaur is the Superstar Limo of Florida--but one has to ride it simply because it is so amazingly stupid. It like Ed Wood, Jr., got to design and build his own attraction.

 

I went with Crystal Skull because it is the updated version of the original Indy ride in California (which is still great, I think).

[robbalvey]

So for those of you have been on ALL THREE RIDES which one is your favorite?

Just curious, what did you think of the difference between Crystal Skull and Forbidden Eye?

[cfc]

For me, I like the way the Crystal Skull ride is worked into the whole Lost River Delta area--how there's actually a series of smaller "ruins" leading to the pyramid itself. (Of course, Crystal Skull was in TDS's plans from the start, as opposed to being worked into an existing park, like Forbidden Eye.)

 

Crystal Skull's queue is nicer, too--but it was good to see most of the queue gimmicks working at DL last month. As for the rides themselves, I like the smoke effect and the whirlwind in Japan--a nice change of pace from all the fire effects in Forbidden Eye. But the edge between the two rides is pretty slight (at least for me).

 

And, hey, ya gotta love Paco's safety spiel.

[ECZenith]

Robb, I haven't been able to make it out to Japan just yet, so the only two I've done were Dinosaur and Anaheim Indy. I agree with most people when I say Indy is better by Dinosaur by miles.

 

Only after watching the video of Crystal Skull did I know they were so different from eachother. So far it looks like the rides have the following features which set them apart...

 

DLR has a moving door scene, TDS doesn't

TDS has the crystal skull in place of the idol of Mara

DLR uses actual fire effects, TDS version is themed more to water

TDS has a tornado effect where DLR has the Mara laser effect

TDS has an anaconda where DLR has a cobra

DLR has the rat room, TDS has the smoke ring

 

and more of a technical point but still different,

 

DLR uses hydraulics to put EMVs into motion where TDS transports have magnetic actuators.

 

And just from watching the video I can see that DisneySea's version has alot more detail in both the queue and actual ride itself. I noticed the statues in the dart room are really there rather than just being painted on.

 

Really makes me want to check DisneySea out even more, I'm hoping to make it there by 2010. Does anyone have any good photos from inside the ride? Specifically of the anaconda in the snake temple scene? I was always thought it was weird that Forbidden Eye has such a HUGE oversized cobra, an anaconda makes more sense.

[cfc]

^The cobra makes sense for Forbidden Eye because the setting is an Ankor Wat style, Asian temple. Lost River Delta is themed to Central and South America, hence the anaconda.

 

At least that's my theory.

[robbalvey]

^ Ok, I was just wondering. I saw that you edited your post for only people who had been on all three to vote, but you voted for the Disneyland once, so I just assumed you'd been on all of them.

 

Thanks for posting that breakdown between the rides. It is VERY interesting to see!

 

Although you forgot the BIGGEST difference of them all...

 

PACO!!!!

 

He makes the DisneySea ride.

 

--Robb

[Gnome]

Well from what I've seen on you tube compared to my actual experiences...

 

I wouldn't be able to guess which Indiana Jones I like better between the 2. The thing with DLR's is there are a couple of dead spots that need to be fixed. The "rat" scene comes to mind. Pitch black, and a video projected onto a smoke screen. It's not very interesting. There are several moments of where you're just cruising through black smoke. And I would definately like to see Disney "plus" up these areas some time in the future. With that in mind, I think TDS uses all the space in their attraction very well. It didn't look like there were really any dead spots, and a lot of the effects were just plain impressive. For example the tornado in place of a giant idol shooting lasers at you. But the difference is though, from what I saw was that the main room just had that special effect while DLR's looked like a much more detailed set piece. So I would have be torn between the two in that aspect.

 

Comparing the opening scene of DLR's to TDS, I will have to say TDS wins hands down. The effect is much more impressive, and is very cool and entertaining to watch.

 

Smoke ring on TDS's is just crazy cool. I mean smoke rings are just sweet in general, but the way they do it makes it that much cooler.

 

Other then those key issues, I'd also like to note that the atmoshperic lighting on TDS's to me is just more exotic and pleasing to the eyes. I'm one of those people who can't stand getting "treasures" room on DLR's just because I can't stand the ugly gold color. Knowledge and Youth are much more impressive, with knowledge being my favorite between the 3.

 

Compared to Countdown to Extinction though, I mean while they utilize the same ride system, I can't really compare it. It's like comparing haunted mansion to adventures through innerspace. They're just not the same. The excitement comes from 2 comletely different strategies.

 

For one, Indiana Jones is more like an escape from a collapsing temple. The thrill comes from the over all sense of speed, motion, and sets coming interacting with you.

 

Countdown is similar in that you are still apart of the experience, but the first half of the ride is more about "look at these impressive animatronic dinosaurs" and the second half is more about a sense of fear from audio/visual stand point. I don't recall anything in the ride really jumping out at me like the snake in Indiana Jones or the boulder at the end. It was more like really loud and scary noises come from every which direction with disorienting imagery.

 

So quick summary of the difference - Indiana Jones is more based on set pieces with in your face object interaction.

 

Countdown is more based on creatures and loud scary noises.

 

I hope that makes sense

[Jew]

How many people who voted have actually been on all three?

[Wes]

^ You have mod powers, you can find out!

[Jew]

^I count 7 people I know for sure have been on all three.

[robbalvey]

^ That's why I've never really been a fan of these kinds of polls. It ONLY works if everyone can vote based on an equal experience.

 

This is why Mitch's poll works. He takes everyone's personal experience and matches is against others similar polls.

 

In this example, I only know of 6 people who have been on all three: cfc, jedimaster1227, Jew, Nrthwnd, robbalvey, SharkTums, and unanimously they all voted for Crystal Skull. Yet Forbidden Eye is in the lead. Is that really fair?

 

I only see one person who has been on both Indy's, COASTER FREAK 11, but he has not been on Dinosaur.

 

Has anyone else who voted actually been on all three rides?

 

So throwing Dinosaur out of the mix, there is a 6 to 1 lead on Crystal Skull.

 

Again, I'm getting too detailed into this, but it's why I very rarely post or partake in a poll where you cannot get good data because not everyone voting will have an equal experience, and no matter how many times you tell people "Don't vote unless you have an equal experience" people still feel the need to vote.

 

Heck, even the guy that started the thread did!

 

If you are really looking for good data and really interested to find out which of something people think is better, these kinds of polls just aren't a good solution.

 

Ok, my rant is over now!

 

--Robb

[ahecht]

You're forgetting the fourth: Countdown to Extinction

 

I went to Animal Kingdom in December 1998 (back before most of Asia was open) and rode CTX before it was tamed down and renamed Dinosaur. I rode it first thing in the morning (I got to the park before sunrise) and was completely alone on my jeep. I have to say it was the most terrifying theme park ride experience I have every had. It beats the pants off of the solo rides i've had on Indiana Jones at DL. The ride was much more wild and violent than Indiana Jones, and the suspense and sets rivaled the best haunted houses.

 

Unfortunately, the transition to Dinosaur neutered the ride beyond all recognition.

[Pelydr]

Crystal Skull was my favorite, but not really by that much over Forbidden Eye. I think it certainly benefits from coming later and being newer. Crystal Skull has the best single effect in the smoke ring, so it gets the advantage there, i guess. Dino is just boring... It's dark and that its. I always come off that ride wondering why I even went on it.

 

Both Indy's are fantastic and thats all that matters. I'm glad Ive been on both!

[Nrthwnd]

Unfortunately, the transition to Dinosaur neutered the ride beyond all recognition.

 

I agree with him here. I rode CTX in the fall of '98, just after AK first opened. And it was a really WTF wild ride, considering I had ridden DL's Indy 14 times in my last visit to DL ('96) and thought that was great and crazy, every time I rode it.

 

But I only rode CTX once, that one visit. Maybe my age and body thought once was enough, lol. But I really did enjoy Crystal Skull a lot more, and was only I couldn't ride it more than the 9 times I did, last September!

 

[adrenalinejunkie]

Having been on all 3, I vote for Japan. By a wide margin.

[RRollergod]

You're forgetting the fourth: Countdown to Extinction

 

I went to Animal Kingdom in December 1998 (back before most of Asia was open) and rode CTX before it was tamed down and renamed Dinosaur. I rode it first thing in the morning (I got to the park before sunrise) and was completely alone on my jeep. I have to say it was the most terrifying theme park ride experience I have every had. It beats the pants off of the solo rides i've had on Indiana Jones at DL. The ride was much more wild and violent than Indiana Jones, and the suspense and sets rivaled the best haunted houses.

 

Unfortunately, the transition to Dinosaur neutered the ride beyond all recognition.

 

What did they change on the transfer to Dinosaur?

[ahecht]

What did they change on the transfer to Dinosaur?

 

Since the ride vehicles are basically simulators on wheels, they reprogrammed the motions to be much calmer and less thrilling (accompanied by a lowering of the height restriction from 48in to 40in). They also changed the set lighting, audio, and programming of the animatronics so that less stuff popped out at you suddenly.

 

Most noticeably, the ending with the Carnotaurus used to have the vehicle stop in silence, and then the dinosaur would jump out suddenly accompanied by a great deal of noise, red strobes, and other effects. Now you just drive by and the dinosaur is somewhat lit while you approach, the red strobes are gone (just the camera flash remains), it doesn't jump out as suddenly, and there is a lot less noise. Also, many of the scenes that are currently dark used to have lots of meteors crashing around you, creating a real sense of chaos in what are now dull stretches.

[Meteornotes]

While I think Dinosaur is a marvel of modern engineering, and manages to do something that no other ride on the planet can do (which is get dumber ever time you ride it!), I voted for Crystal Skull. Like most things at TDL/DisneySeas, they take previously existing Disney attractions and improve upon them. Not that the Disneyland version sucks or anything, but CS is just better.

 

And yeah, voting in polls like this when you haven't actually been on all the attractions is kind of lame, and doesn't give you a real result. But that's the internet for you...

 

dt

[another voice]

Yes, I've been on all three.

 

The DisneySea version has a few less blank spots, essentially they filled in all the effects that were budget-cut from Disneyland's version. I do like the fire effect more than the tornado. Most of the differences are so minor that it really takes some thought to see them.

 

The big difference is setting. You know that Aztec temples were just nastier places with all the heart ripping and everything. From the beginning you're more inclined to be on edge and so have a more frightening experience. The Ankor Wat setting...it's the kind of place your stoner roommate from college went to. The most terrifying thing you expect to see around that kind of temple is a bus load of Swedes wearing black socks with their sandals.

 

CTX/Dinosaur is a waste of good warehouse space.

[ECZenith]

Yeah, I voted Indy against Dinosaur before I realized how pointless my poll was...

 

It came to mind when several CMs I work with said they liked Dinosaur better because it has a ton of animatronics. Got me thinking a lot more people really liked Dinosaur more than I thought, which is clearly not the case among theme park fanatics.

 

Does anyone have a photo of the anaconda?

 

Does anyone here know the name of our cobra?

[CycloneMan]

I've only been on Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple Of The Crystal Skull and Dinosaur. Both of them twice, and I have to say "Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple Of The Crystal Skull" is my favorite. I haven't been on Cali's yet, but I will in May, so that may change. But Indy and Dino are completely different experiences, and Dino was very unsynched, and loud the last time I rode it that I did not enjoy it at all! Indy, I could right all night if I had time and wasn't completely jet lagged

 

-Dainan "Aren't the Indy's nearly identicle anyway?" Rafferty