Ok, so the last 5 times in the past couple months I've visited the park, the Ball in Indiana Jones has malfunctioned & has not worked properly. It either doesn't come out or just stays in place which doesn't have the same effect as it does when it works properly. Has anyone else noticed this or has it just been my bad luck? If it has been an ongoing problem, why haven't they fixed it?
"Viva la crab"
We went on Indy yesterday, and we stopped for a minute or two where Indy is hanging from the rope. After that brief malfunction, the ball and the effect did work correctly.
As far as why they haven't fixed something, it might depend on what the problem is. If it's a major enough problem, that would require taking the ride down, and they have to balance fixing one effect with having the entire ride shut down for some period of time during the busy summer months.
There is a similar problem on Thunder Mountain. The rocks are supposed to move on the last uphill. They did last June, but since then they have not.
Sat night on Indy (1030pm) Ball did not spin nor come forward. Someone call the car-wash mechanic please ;-).
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
That's another one that I noticed as well!! It's been quite a while!Originally Posted by bumblebeeonarose
I think they disabled that effect after an accident on Big Thunder at another park (Paris?).
I think you're right, 3P1P. Someone got hurt by a falling rock on Big Thunder in Paris, so the rocks are fixed in place at all the parks.
When I've been riding over the last 4 or 5 months it's seemed to be hit or miss if the effect is working. There were some rumors it would get fixed in the late Spring but then the refurb turned out to be a quick one. Maybe it's waiting for a long term closure.
My understanding has always been that the rolling ball effect is achieved by lighting projection onto a stationary spinning ball, giving the effect that it is getting bigger as it gets "closer", but it's just that more of the ball is being lit, not that it actually rolls down a hill.
nope - according to tony baxter (indy 10th anniversary) its based on the car-wash mechanism you see at gas stations: single car, mechanism spins a large brush down and across the car. Same thing here - ball spins and is moved forward with an arm mechanism. though you go UNDER it and turn to the next scene.
"[Disneyland] has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid." - Walt Disney
Very cool! I've never heard that before! I was pretty sure that it does physically move forward, but I wasn't positive because I didn't know the mechanics.
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."
-Winnie the Pooh
The ball has malfunctioned for several months now. The fire effects have been reduced for several years. A full refurb is really needed.
The ball didn't move when we rode on Wednesday afternoon.
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Would rather be looking at the back side of water...
Everything in life is only for now.
Nope - it never ends.
So Sad for people (i.e. tourists, etc.) who ride for the first time and don't get the full experience.
Indy needs a massive overhaul. Once upon a time back in the 90's, Indy was probably the greatest theme park attraction ever. Then came the 2000's and Spiderman in IOA blew that out of the water. Now Harry Potter has arguably conquered the theme park world.
To stay back on top, Indy needs some serious work. The effects are no longer as punchy as they use to be. Also new special effects like holograms or enhanced Audio Animatronics with the skeletons and Indy himself would be a big step in improvement
Wasn't Indy originally touted as being supposed to have several different endings? For the life of me as many times as I've ridden it, it's always been the same experience.
John
I agree that the ride does need to be taken down at some point and refurbed so that all of the elements work, but I am not a fan of re-doing rides. I haven't minded some of the changes they've done to the Haunted Mansion, but more and more, I have disliked what they did to the attic with the new story. I haven't minded the changes to Pirates because even though they added elements from the films, they made those fit in with the existing ride. Sure, there is all kind of technology that could modernize Pirates, Haunted Mansion, small world and all the dark rides. But I like them the way they are, with their history. Even when one or two things, including the ball, don't work on Indy, it's still an amazing ride.The differences are subtle and are only in the dialogue. Depending on which door you go through in the beginning (fountain of youth, fortune, seeing into the future), the dialogue at the end when Sallah welcomes you home is different and is supposed to match which door you went through. Most of the time it is, sometimes it's not. Also, with the Indy that's holding back the door at beginning, there are a few different things he says as well. I can't remember if the Indy at the end says different things too.
Indy also says different things at the end.
A few of the things he says are: "Tourists, why'd it have to be tourists?" "Next time, you're on your own." "Not bad... for tourists."
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."
-Winnie the Pooh
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