Indiana Jones: Exiting the Temple

A few weeks ago, we took a trip through the amazing entry queue of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Today, we're finally dropping the other shoe and hiking along the equally lengthy (but far less creepy) exit passage.

We're still giddy from the thrill of the ride, but it's about here that everyone suddenly realizes that, yes, it is a long way back to Adventureland. Love the off-kilter lamps provided by the archeological team--a subtle sign that we're safe and returning to a more familiar form of civilization.

The journey's not without a few creepy touches. Listen for the sound of bats squealing and flapping about inside these caverns.

Why does Peter Pan's Flight Remain So Popular?

Year in, year out, the waiting line builds up immediately after the park gates open and remains packed until closing. If you've ever attended an early morning rope-drop at Disneyland, you know the choice everyone makes as they hurry down Main Street. Half the crowd peels off to the right for Star Tours and Space Mountain while everyone else heads straight to Peter Pan's Flight.

It's one of the park's unique joys -- walking quickly up through the ride's queue and seeing the line of flying pirate ships waiting for you. You get one ride, and by the time you disembark two minutes later, the line is already too long to make a second flight worth considering.

Indiana Jones and the Long...Long...Long Entry

Today's post is rated PG-13, because we're heading into the wondrous, occasionally gruesome, amazing--and amazingly long--entry to Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

The ride is a huge, sprawling, multi-level Adventureland attraction -- which Disneyland's Adventureland has absolutely no space for. The clever solution involved building the ride's entrance and exit (set in a ramshackle base camp) on a modest strip of Adventureland real estate, while locating the ride itself far, far away on the other side of the park's railroad tracks.

The journey to the ride thus becomes an adventure in itself and an important part of the story. Darn good exercise, too.

The base camp setting and "recently discovered" temple entry immediately cast us as the main characters in this story. It's our decision to enter this temple.

Reviewing the Netflix Disney Films: Treasure Planet

Before I start nit-picking, I'd like to make one thing clear: Treasure Planet, Disney's sci-fi/fantasy retelling of Treasure Island, is a beautiful, entertaining film and well worth watching. It contains some of the best animated "acting" ever to appear on screen, and much of its imagery is unforgettable. It's the only family-friendly film one could reasonably file under "Steam-Punk," and it's got more imagination on display in any given five seconds of footage than most of todays sci-fi films have in their entire running length.

There are, however, good reasons the movie didn't connect with a wider audience in its theatrical run.

Waiting For Peter Pan

According to the classic film, flying to Neverland is easy; it just requires happy thoughts and pixie dust. Flying to Neverland at Disneyland, however, simply requires patience. Lots of Patience.

Peter Pan's Flight has been a favorite of Disneyland guests since 1955, and its popularity shows no sign of waning. Early morning arrival is the only reliable way to catch this classic ride without a hefty wait; guests flock to the flying pirate ships right up until park closing, no matter how late.

For many, including myself, no trip to Disneyland is complete without a flight through this masterpiece.