Disneyland launches its own Indiana Jones adventures
Disneyland's new feature "Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries"
California theme parks preview for summer 2008
Theme park rides in Southern California
At Disneyland, this is the season of Hollywood synergy as the park's grand old Adventureland district takes on the khaki-colored charm of Indiana Jones, who (in case you hadn't noticed) is back in the theaters in a big way.
That means a new live-action show at the Oasis theater. The 20-minute show is titled "Indiana Jones and the Secrets of the Stone Tiger" and is staged six times a day; there's a bit of Saturday-matinee menace to the show, but if your kid can handle a ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, he or she should be fine.
The show was all set to make its premiere Thursday, the same day that "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opened in more than 4,200 theaters across the U.S., but a surprisingly soggy day at the Anaheim theme park dashed those plans.
There's quite a bit of theatrical tussling involved in the Oasis show, and the slick floors of the open-air venue made it unsafe.
The show does sound fun: Kids are invited to sit up front and assist their host, an archeologist, solve riddles that will free everyone's favorite two-fisted professor from an ominous tiger-faced cavern.
The venue holds about 270 people so don't expect an easy time getting in, especially in the early days of the show.
After the show, Indy races around the rooftops of Adventureland, and there are other staged chases during the day to surprise Adventureland visitors.
You can also get a free adventure map for youngsters to search for clues (they're easy to find on bright red signs) that unlock some Internet goodies when they get home.
Park officials also said some new Indy "flavoring" has been added to the Jungle Cruise and the 18-year-old Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye ride, but don't expect much--it's a few props scattered here and there, nothing like the dramatic Jack Sparrow upgrades on the Pirates ride.
The whole promotion at Disneyland is called "Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries." Click here to find out more about the promotion that runs through Labor Day weekend.
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