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.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride Before & After

One night at Disneyland back in the late 1960's, my parents let me borrow their camera to use up the last shot on whatever I wanted. My nine-year-old-mind knew exactly what to do: take a photo of random people bursting out of hell at the end of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

I have no idea who those folks are in the picture, but I love their attitude. And look -- that plucky kid didn't take his hands off the steering wheel -- not even while being taunted by cackling demons with pitchforks!

Jumping ahead to this past summer...

...we can see that I took better photos when I was nine. We can also see that the newer unload zone -- now inside Toad's mansion -- isn't nearly as gothic-looking. It's more difficult to photograph the final "crash" doors now without being a nuisance, but way back on the right you can see how those once hellish-looking doors are now painted to look like they lead from a wine cellar or pantry.

Inside, however, the ride is just as loud, chaotic and crazy as ever. Long live Mr. Toad's Wild Ride -- May its dynamite kegs never stop exploding.

The World's Biggest Slot Car Track

Here's an early morning, sun-flare-blasted shot of Radiator Springs Racers. In a view from the ride's exit path, we see the competitors zipping around the Radiator Cap helix, their car radios crackling as Doc Hudson barks, "Hold tight around the turn!"

Like many other young slot car fans racing model cars in the 70's, I often daydreamed about how much fun a life-size slot car track would be. When Test Track opened in Epcot, I thought the only thing missing was side-by-side racing. Now that a genuine, full-sized, two-lane slot car track has opened in Cars Land, I've found the actual ride experience is even more fun than I ever imagined.