The Voyage to El Dorado

Written by @DashHaber

(Magnet-powered boat ride)

Climb into your raft and journey deep into the Mesoamerican jungles to see if you are worthy to witness the wonder of El Dorado. Those who are selfless and give may see the legendary City of Gold, but the selfish shall find their dreams dashed by raging waters.

Ride Exterior

Among the jungle scenery, guests are greeted by an impressive sight. Standing before them is a golden Mesoamerican pyramid. Carved heads of serpents are perched on each level of the pyramid, with a long flight of stairs leading to its top. At the bottom of the stairs stands an entrance, waiting for guests to pass within.

Queue

Entering the temple, guests do not find the same golden sheen that they saw outside. They find a dark stone chamber, whose main hall is adorned by an Aztec-style calendar baring the face of Quetzalcoatl in the center. The railings can be set up as an intricate maze on busier days, but most should be an easy step through the chamber. Guests would head further down a network of stone hallways. The walls feature an intricate series of carvings, depicting the history of El Dorado: the city’s founding, its selfless trade, an invasion by jaguar warriors thwarted by Quetzalcoatl, and then the city disappearing as Quetzalcoatl takes human form.

Eventually, guests reach the loading dock. The crumbling temple has a river running through it, along with a boat that arrives waiting. Guests climb aboard, and once they are safely in, set course down river.

Ride Description

Emerging out of the temple, we sail down river into the Mesoamerican jungle. The atmosphere is tense, the only sounds being the wildlife living among the trees. Jaguars (animatronic figures) watch us as we pass, keeping an eye on us. The peace is broken by a voice that says, “Many have ventured in these jungles, following legends in pursuit of a treasure for their selfish desires.” The voice’s words are punctuated by ruined jeeps, broken down on the riverside. “Their hearts were not pure, but I can see the spirit within you. You do not wish to take. You wish to learn and share alike.” Our boat moves toward another crumbling temple, as the voice says with grave certainty, “Thus, you shall be granted access to our city.”

Entering the temple, the crumbling walls appear to shine and sparkle. Life seems to emerge bit by bit in the stone walls, as we enter a larger chamber in front of a screen. The screen depicts a jungle shrouded in mist, until a Mesoamerican king in robes (an animatronic figure, and the source of the voice) gestures out and says, “Welcome…to El Dorado.” The mist fades away, as shimmering buildings of gold seem to fade into reality. Continuing, we sail down another hallway in the temple, but there is no crumbling stonework here. The walls shine and shimmer with their golden gleam, as a horde of treasure sits all around us. Past the horde is an impressive section of wall art, depicting numerous groups trading at El Dorado. The king’s voice continues, “Our wealth is not in gold. It is in the ideas and knowledge shared with us and by us that made this land so special.”

We sail into what appears to be a throne room, with the king seated on this throne. He extends a hand and asks, “Now, please, share your knowledge with me.” Before we can answer, a car horn blares as distant lights pierce the darkness. Voices clamor, claiming to see a building of gold and to get the boats ready. “Intruders! They must not disturb the city,” the king remarks, as a green glow seems to emanate from him while we drift towards the right of the chamber. “My apologies, but for your safety, I must send you away,” and with another gesture, he sends us hurtling out of the temple.

Emerging back outside, our boat sails down past a pack of jaguars who hiss as we pass. Our boat manages to turn around and right itself, but now we get a clear view of our downriver trek. We sail past rocks in the raging rapids, and face down a pack of piranha that leap out with a mean bite. From somewhere in the jungle, we hear screams from men yelling to abandon ship. Eventually, our boat comes to a smoother pace as we pass by a wrecked ship, presumably from the recent treasure hunters. We pass through some outdoor temple grounds, the gold sheen fading away into worthless rock. Among the temple grounds, we get our grandest visual: Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent and giant audio-animatronic. He remarks, “You are always welcome to return, but you must keep the secret of El Dorado safe with you. Knowledge is precious, but some only see the gleam of gold.”

With his wise message given, our boat enters the pyramid once more as we pull up to the unloading area.

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