Reimagining For The Better

While the original Temple of Peril added much needed thrills to the foundering Euro Disneyland (that is, until De la Terre à la Lune made its debut in 1995), the attraction left a lot to be desired. It was clear to guests from day one that it was done as a corporate requirement and not as a creative endeavor, which did not help the negative publicity the park was generating. After careful research, the team has come up with 4 reasons why a reimagining of Temple of Peril is needed.

1. The original Temple of Peril did not and does not meet guests' expectations.

When one thinks of Indiana Jones, one pictures a thrilling adventure through dark catacombs, snake-infested caves, and the like, while running away with a precious artifact that could destroy the world or melt people's faces. A coaster, styled after the mine cart scene from Temple of Doom, should be a thrilling experience, perfect for the thrill-seeking audiences of Europe. Pair that with an inversion — a first for any Disney ride — and that should be a winning formula.

As it turns out, guests have intrinsically set a new expectation for the original Temple of Peril: it has to match the caliber of the other Disneyland Paris coaster at the time, Frontierland's Big Thunder Mountain, and provide a unique experience. Compared to that attraction, Temple of Peril pales in comparison, from its pre-fabricated coaster from Intamin to it's lackluster storytelling. It simply did not meet guests' expectations of what a Disney attraction should be: it has to be something that has never been seen before. The pre-fabricated coaster and layout (the TL-59) is a staple of many amusement parks and carnivals that guests would have been to already, and reusing that does not guarantee a unique ride experience that guests expect from Disney.

2. The attraction is missing a touch of magic.

One criticism of the original ride is that it has a short ride time of 1 minute and 15 seconds. A standard guest reaction after the ride is “Wait, that’s it?!” Although guests can accept the coaster’s short duration if they do not have to wait long for it, there can be long lines due to the relatively low capacity, which is ironic since the original ride was part of the "Additional Capacity Program" that was implemented from 1992 to 1995 to meet guest requirements.

From 2000 to 2004, the park tried to add to the thrill of the ride by having the cars run backwards. That change, though, required also changes to the banking on the tracks and the lighting on the ride. When Space Mountain went on refurbishment (to bring about version 2.0), the decision was made for Indiana Jones to go back to the forward-facing cars.

3. The attraction's storyline (or lack thereof) is not even tangentially connected to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Another major criticism of the original Temple of Peril is that it does not feel like guests are immersed in an Indiana Jones story. Besides the theming in the queue (the jeep, the truck, and the campsite) and the ride itself (the main temple structure), nothing else is attached to the franchise itself. Even the professor himself does not appear vocally in the ride (as the voice of the safety spiel, perhaps), and much less physically. Despite the temple theming, there is little to no connection between Temple of Peril and the stories it was inspired by.

4. The comfort of guests is compromised with the outdoor queue and ride, especially in the ever-fluctuating Parisian weather.

In most Disney parks around the world, guests would not think twice about going around an outdoor queue and riding an outdoor ride. That holds true in Paris during the warmer months, but not so much in the winter months. France during wintertime sees freezing (or even below freezing) temperatures at this time, so the original Temple of Peril is a serious challenge in comfort. This not only goes against the original show producers' intent of shielding guests against the temperamental Parisian climate (see: Main Street, USA's arcades), this diminishes the attraction's ability to attract guests even in the coldest and hottest of weathers. An indoor queue would greatly benefit guests as they wait to enter the temple grounds in any type of weather situation.