The copy is Raging Spirits, a recreation of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril roller coaster from Disneyland Paris. There's no explicit Jones connection here, but we are still at an archeological expedition, uncovering the a lost temple of well, raging spirits who rather be left alone, it seems.
This coaster might seem relatively tame…
…But it packs a tight loop deep in the middle of this "excavation site."
I loved how the Japanese crew at the load platform dispatched every train with a rousing "Adios, Amigos!" Of course, being the smartmouth I am, I returned the farewell with a hearty "Muchas Gracias!," drawing stares as blank as mine was every time someone said something to me in Japanese.
This fun little trip might be a good first looping coaster for a thrill-ride rookie. The track's not too far up in the air, so the height won't intimidate anyone. The ride offers some nice airtime, but nothing that floats your gut into your throat, and the whole thing's over pretty quickly. I liked the fire and fog effects, too. Bring a 100-yen coin for the lockers, but you'll get it refunded when you return.
The centerpiece of the land, though, is Indiana Jones - Temple of the Crystal Skull. Before you get concerned, allow me to reassure you that there are no aliens involved in this ride, which was named and opened before the alleged fourth Indiana Jones movie - that I insist never really happened - was filmed.
As in the Disneyland original, the queue is packed with interesting sights of its own, though I didn't find any interactive elements.
Is this a Hidden Mickey? The stuff off to the right seems like some strange Mickey-like hand signals to me, too. Or is it just the flavored popcorn, finally getting to me?
After passing Dr. Jones' desk, it's on to the ride, which is the same motion-base ride as in Anaheim, except that Indy's looking for the Fountain of Youth and it's the Crystal Skull you're not supposed to look at, and that then sends you off toward your doom.
Along the way, you dodge the mummies, snakes, poison darts and, of course, that giant boulder at the end. It's all too much to take in visually on a single visit - but I can't imagine riding the jiggle Jeep too many times in one day. Your mileage might vary.
I hate to mention food after a ride like this, but many fans swear by the roasted meats at the Yucatan Base Camp Grill in Lost River Delta. If you're in the mood for tacos, try Miguel's El Dorado Cantina, but be warned - these are tacos for Asian tastes. Who's up for a teriyaki taco?
Give a bonus point to the Lost River Cookhouse, though, for its smoked chicken legs. As much as I love those turkey legs in the Disney theme parks, they're just too darned big. A chicken leg though (and these are on the large size), is just the right size for a hearty snack.
Tomorrow, like Pocahontas, we're going just around the river bend… to Port Discovery.
Also on the tour: History, layout and introduction, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, American Waterfront
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If there is one park that I would love to go to everyday for the rest of my life without being able to go to other parks, I have to say it might be DisneySea over the original Disneyland!
The fire was pretty neat, though.
You're riding on "scaffolding" behind and around that temple from the first photo, and you end by blasting through the fog/smoke you see in the last photo. There's fire there, as well, but it's really tough to get that to show in the photo during daylight. (There's fire coming up the steps toward the top of the temple in the first photo, too.)
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