Going to a Disney Park is an experience to be cherished. Fans from all over the world flock to the Disney Parks to get their chance to enjoy a Disney vacation. Any Disney Theme Park at either Disney Resort is filled with amazing entertainment offerings; think rides and attractions like Space Mountain (currently Hyperspace Mountain in Disneyland) and Jungle Cruise, which allow Guests to have that quintessential Disney experience. One of the best parts of the Disney Park experience is being able to meet your favorite characters and immerse yourself in that world. But one attraction recently was not up to par according to some Guests.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
Of all the rides and attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is one of the most beloved ones. At it, Guests can “Cheer as Indy and Marion perform incredible stunts with explosive special effects—and learn the secrets behind the magic.”
Per the Walt Disney World website, Park-goers can “Watch live as the daring duo dodges deadly traps, battles bad guys, leaps from tall buildings and makes thrilling escapes straight out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The edge-of-your-seat suspense ends with a dynamite finale!”
Disney’s Changes and Sanitzation of the Attraction
However, recently, some fans noticed some changes in the attraction, which left them less than amused. Disney Guest and Reddit user u/pjtheman shared some of the changes they noticed, adding they were “disappointed” to see how Disney has “sanitized and censored the show as much as physically possible.”
The Guest noted the following:
Indy doesn’t use guns anymore. In the original marketplace scene, he used to grab a gun from one of the bad guys and shoot at them. Now he points it at them and they run away.
The iconic gag where the one bad guy gets all fancy with the sword play and Indy just shoots him is completely gone.
In the final scene, Indy opens the plane cockpit by kicking it instead of shooting it.
Marion doesn’t shoot anyone anymore. She still shoots the oil drums and sets them on fire. But now instead of shooting the nazis getting out of the truck, she shoots the ground ten feet in front of them and they run away. The gunner on top of the hill just leaves. He doesn’t die anymore.
The German mechanic’s death is played as an accident. Now maybe this is just the performer I saw yesterday not doing it right. But in the movie, when the big nazi mechanic knocks Indy to the ground, Indy sees the propeller coming and intentionally stalls so that he gets chopped up. And that’s how it’s always been in the show. When I saw it yesterday, Indy got knocked unconscious and just laid there motionless until after the plane was passed. A minor difference, but one that removes Indy’s agency in letting this dude die.
The bad guys don’t use weapons. This one really stood out. In the marketplace scene, instead of chasing Indy and Marion with swords, now all the bad guys just have these big foam sticks. They don’t even look like clubs or anything. They straight up look like pool noodles.
Some fellow Guests and fans in the comments provided possible explanations. One shared, “I also imagine the audience volunteer section has changed due to COVID protocols and vaccine requirements for cast members.”
Another added, “I was so sad they don’t take audience members anymore, I went a few days ago and was going to try to get chosen (not likely, but still) and was very disappointed. Still a fun show though!”
It’s certainly a sad turn of events for something that was once a sought-after Disney experience.