Hollywood Studios is home to a number of live shows, the oldest and one of the most famous being the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Centered around Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, diehard fans of the series and newcomers alike will enjoy watching Indy’s adventures unfold live, right in front of them.

This amazing stunt show will give you a peak into how real Hollywood stunt people and the film crew goes about realistically and safely recreating dangerous action sequences.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular usually plays about five or six times a day, with the first show starting around noon and the last around 6pm. Although the show only lasts for about thirty minutes, expect to carve out about forty-five minutes of your day for this experience, including wait times.

It can be found near Echo Lake, close by to Star Wars Path of the Jedi and across the lake from First Time in Forever: A Frozen Celebration. Disney recommends this show for all ages but know that there are some scary scenes and loud noises that may be startling to young children, as well as explosions and a number of fire stunts. However, it is no more intense than the actual movie that it is based around.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy watching beloved Indy and Marion battle their way through the trials of the jungle. With beautiful storytelling elements as well as plenty of action and adventure, this show will be engaging enough for all members of the family.

What Can You Expect to See?

Without giving too much of the fun of the show away, here’s what you can expect.

The show opens with what is probably the single most iconic Indiana Jones scene; the temple scene. Those familiar with the movies will know exactly how this part plays out- Indy switches out the idol for a bag of sand, but not without almost getting crushed by a huge boulder and he escapes just in the nick of time.

Even if you have seen this part a hundred times, the Stunt Show will keep you captivated with its live rendition. The scene translates very well into a live stunt performance, keeping the movie magic alive even on stage. The stunts are amazingly timed, keeping the audience held in suspense, regardless of how familiar they are with the plot.

The opening scene does a great job of hooking the audience’s attention, leaving them in shock and amazement with each passing stunt. Of course, the actor is never in any real danger, but to the audience it may feel like he is, with the accuracy and believability of the performances.

Disney always puts a lot of time and attention into making everything in their park amazing, and this attraction is no exception. You can tell that the actors are professionals at what they do, and you can see the time and energy that has gone into making this attraction incredible.

After a near escape from the boulder, the “director” of the show as well as the stunt actor playing Indiana Jones introduces the cast and crew to the audience and explains everyone’s role in creating stunt scenes for the movies. 

Meanwhile, in the background, you can see the crew members moving things around and setting up for the next scene. These little time fillers are still well thought out and lively. This is where you get the insiders information about how movie magic is brought to life on screen. It is educational as well as humorous, to keep the audience interested.

We are next taken to a bazar in Cairo, where Indy and his trusty friend Marion struggle to escape. Some of the coolest fight scenes happen during this part, as well as falls and leaps from buildings and even a car explosion.

After the scene concludes, the director pulls the actress playing Marion to give a small demonstration about how they go about creating a fight scene with realistic punches. This scene also features selected audience members cast as extras. Without giving anything away, let’s just say that this part is always entertaining to watch.

The final scene of the show is from the end of the movie, with Indy and Marion barely escaping while fighting around the enemy plane. Easily the most intense part of the show as well as the most amazing, this scene features a number of loud explosions and fire stunts.

The last few minutes of the show are packed full of action, and the epic conclusion will leave the viewers awe-struck. The entire performance is greatly done, incorporating just the right amount of humor and surprise to compliment the action and adventure. It can definitely appeal to just about anyone.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Fast Pass?

Although FastPasses are available for the show, they are not usually needed. The show is held in a large outdoor stadium with a maximum capacity of over two thousand people per show. That being said, on a normal day, the stadium is usually only about half way full for each show time.

Disney World wait times can get ridiculously long, but the attraction is nowhere near as popular as it used to be, due to the increase of new rides and attractions to the park, so standby lines are usually pretty short. This show falls into the second tier of FastPass selections, along with attractions such as The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror and Star Tours: The Adventure Continues.

These rides have standby lines that can get rather long, so booking your FastPasses for these attractions and going standby for Indiana Jones will save you the most time in line. I would only suggest booking a FastPass for two reasons, if you have a leftover pass or if you want to be chosen from the audience as an extra.

The stadium is designed so that every seat in the house has a good view of the stage, so early admission into the show isn’t going to be as beneficial to you as saving forty-five minutes waiting in line to ride Tower of Terror. But of course, if you have the pass to spare, getting priority seating for the show would allow for a better viewing experience.

Notable Tips When You Watch This Show

Before each show, a cast member selects nine members of the audience over the age of 18 to perform as extras during one of the scenes. If you are trying to be chosen as an extra, get to the show as early as possible and sit in the center, as close to the front as possible.  Wear something brightly colored or easily identifiable for the best chance. Be loud and enthusiastic and have fun! If chosen, you will be onstage during the Cairo marketplace scene and experience the action up close and personal.

You are allowed into the show twenty minutes before it starts, but since the theater holds such a large capacity, arriving about ten minutes ahead of time will be just fine. Be warned that the show is entirely outside. Despite the fact that the stadium is covered, it can get really hot really quick during the summer months.

Avoid a midday show if you can to avoid the heat and opt for one of the later shows after the temperatures drop a little If you do see this show during the hottest part of the day, be sure to bring a bottle of water with you. You will need it to stay cool. During the cooler months, this attraction is a great way to sit down and rest for thirty minutes while still enjoying an attraction. It really does serve as a nice break in between standing in long lines all day.

If you have small children who may be sensitive to loud noises or fire, try to sit near the back as far away from the stage as possible. Sit near the back towards the right to be closest to the exit so you won’t have to fight the crowds once the show Is over.

This attraction does shut down for bad weather. If you are planning to experience this attraction on a specific day, make sure to check the weather forecast first. If you have booked a FastPass for this attraction and the show time gets canceled due to weather, you can simply reschedule your FastPass selection by using the My Disney Experience App or by using one of the kiosks located throughout the park.

One of the coolest things that most people are unaware of is that if you hang around after the show, you can usually meet the stunt actors who perform as Indiana Jones and Marion. Just like all the other Disney Characters, they sign autographs and take pictures. They might just be some of the coolest and most unique characters that you can meet in the parks.

To Summarize

The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is entertaining, action-packed, and fun for all ages. The audience involvement is a nice touch and the stunts are always spot on and amazingly executed. The special effects create such a real atmosphere and draws the audience in, the addition of gun-fire sound effects makes the experience so much more lifelike. It is one of my all-time favorite Disney World shows, and that’s coming from someone who has never even seen an Indiana Jones movie in its entirety.  And that’s probably what I like most about the show, is that you don’t have to be a fan of the movies to be a fan of the stunt show. I also love that the show is not only entertaining, it’s also informational.

You will actually walk away from the show feeling like you’ve learned something about the way the film industry works.

Any Downsides?

That being said, there are a few drawbacks to this attraction. As I mentioned earlier, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is the oldest attraction in the park. It opened in 1989 back when the park was called MGM Studios, and remains almost exactly the same as when it first opened.

The special effects are updated as technology progresses, but the script and overall feel of the show hasn’t changed much at all. If you’ve seen the show once, you’ve seen it a thousand times. Let’s just face it, Hollywood Studios is home to a number of other fantastic live shows, and Indiana Jones has been struggling to keep its relevance over the recent years.

Other, newer shows are drawing audiences towards something they’ve never seen before. The character of Indiana Jones also isn’t a highly favored character to as many people as it once was before. Guests are going to head towards what’s popular.

I’m not saying they need to get rid of Indiana Jones in the parks all together, having the nostalgia of the characters is part of what makes the attraction great. But this show needs to bring more to the table if it wants to compete with some of the newer attractions. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is slowly but surely fading into the background.

I would love to see Disney reimagine the attraction by maybe including some new scenes into the production, something to keep people coming back time and time again to experience it rather than just watching it once and being done with it.

In my opinion, this is one of the most entertaining shows that Hollywood Studios has to offer and should definitely be a “must-do” for everyone’s vacation at least once. It’s a classic attraction that can still be enjoyed a second or even third time, but the novelty of the show does wear off after a while. It’s a family-friendly action-packed adventure that will be a hit for everyone and is easily one of the top Disney World attractions out there. I wouldn’t recommend it for very young or very easily frightened children, as there are a few intense moments and loud noises. If you haven’t already, it’s worth checking out on your next Disney World vacation.

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