Press Release - Indiana Jones is Back, Better Than Ever

Jun 17, 2000 in "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!"

Posted: Saturday June 17, 2000 by WDWMAGIC Staff
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- More lights, more sounds and plenty of action await guests at the “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular!” in Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. Following the installation of all new state-of-the-art lighting, sound and other technical show enhancements, Indy and crew are back after a six-month hiatus to wow audiences with earth-shattering crashes, fiery explosions and other glimpses into the art of movie-making.

“Guests will see completely rebuilt scenes -- we even have a new airplane,” says show producer Joe Kivett. “But mostly, the show will reflect the incredible technical advances that weren’t around when the show opened.”

Until going dark Jan. 3, 2000, the Indiana Jones show was performed eight times a day since the show debuted in the summer of 1989. Now -- 31,000 performances since the show’s start -- Indy and company are thrilling audiences again.

Inspired by the blockbuster film “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the show recreates edge-of-your-seat scenes with 17 stunt performers demonstrating techniques Hollywood uses to fool moviegoers into thinking a favorite celebrity has taken a punch, fall or bullet. The sequence of scenes lasts 32 minutes and is staged in a 2,000-seat amphitheater allowing guests a close-up view of the action. From the audience, 9-10 volunteers are selected at the beginning of each show to participate as extras.

Professional stunt performers are joined by the “extras” wearing costumes native to the Middle-Eastern setting. They act as bystanders while Indiana saves Marion, the heroine in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” from the machine-gun fire of German soldiers and an out-of-control truck that explodes on impact.

A few tense moments. One happy ending.

In addition to the revitalized show elements, the revolutionary Disney’s FASTPASS has been added to the “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular!” Guests can choose to wait in line, or they can obtain a FASTPASS ticket -- free of charge -- with a designated return time when they can enter the theater with little to no wait.

Disney-MGM Studios immerses guests in the glamour of show business 365 days a year with thrilling attractions, incredible Broadway-style shows, world-class atmosphere entertainment and interactive film, television, radio and animation production facilities. The theme park and working production facility is part of the 30,500-acre Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.

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