After your journey through the streets of Agrabah, you will find yourself at a crossroads. Straight ahead lies the Lost River Delta, while a path to the right will lead you to Polynesia, Pirate Cove, Blue Bayou and eventually Frontierland.
Lost River Delta plunges guests into a remote jungle destination unlike anything seen in the other mainland Disney Parks. Towering above the entire subland is the crumbling Aztec Ruins that is home to The Indiana Jones Adventure: The Temple of the Forbidden Eye, an immersive dark ride that takes guests on a rollicking quest with their favorite action hero, Indiana Jones. In order to reach the attraction, guests must cross a harrowing suspension bridge (much like the one seen in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). The ride itself (for now at least) mirrors the Disneyland original except it will be given a new spin for the 21st Century. Upon exiting the ride, guests enter the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost . Once guests are done shopping, they can either exit over a "natural" land bridge that takes them near the Swiss Family Treehouse (see description below) or take another path that leads to the backside of the Lost River Delta. Note: I may change the storyline of the ride and it may undergo a name change before this is all over.
Surrounding the Temple of the Forbidden Eye is the classic Disney attraction, Jungle Cruise. While the ride has been given a slight makeover, the original elements remain. Shweitzer Falls, the elephant bathing pools, the lake of angry hippos and viscious crocodiles are still apart of the voyage, however a wild (yet mild) trip down some harrowing rapids, a hair-raising encounter with man-eating piranhas, and an exclusive detour into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye also await voyagers who travel the waters of the Lost River.
To the right of the suspension bridge lies yet another classic Disney attraction: The Swiss Family Treehouse. Nothing much has been updated here except the location. Instead of the usual pathside location, my Treehouse requires guests to embark on a short trek through the bush before reaching it. The treehouse will instead loom above the river, which provides spectators a unique look at both The Temple of the Forbidden Eye and the Jungle Cruise attraction.
Before one reaches the que areas for either the Jungle Cruise or the Indiana Jones Adventure, a path to the left will lead guests further into the jungle. The entire path wraps around the entire left half of the Jungle Cruise attraction like a horseshoe.
The first thing guests will approach is the Bengal Barbeque, a riverside counter-service restaurants that will delight the taste buds of every carnivorous diner around. Barbeque ribs and chicken are the highlights of the menu. Guests can either choose to dine inside or on the outdoor patio, which features lovely views of the Lost River, the Jungle Cruise que area, and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Although it is not a character meal, stars from Disney favorites like The Jungle Book and The Lion King can be found near the eatery.
Along the jungle road lies a bevy of brand new attractions. To the left, one will find Son of Man: The Legend of Tarzan, a wild jungle coaster that gives guests the chance to feel what it is might be like to surf through the treetops like Tarzan. This ride will be true to the spirit of other Disney coasters like Rock 'N' Rollercoaster and Space Mountain. Like Rock 'N' Rollercoaster, a steller soundtrack (featuring songs from the 1999 film) accompanies guests on their thrilling journey through the trees and instead of an illuminated Los Angeles Freeway, guests are transported into a colorful jungle landscape. Like Space Mountain, the entire ride takes place in the dark. To get there, guests must travel underneath a waterfall (much like the entrance to Rainforest Cafe at Disney's Animal Kingdom). The que line will feature cave drawings that retell the story of Tarzan before you board. After exiting, guests walk through Porter's Safari Company. Here, guests can purchase memorbilia from the film, safari gear and animal merchandise as well as meet the cast of Tarzan who make regular appearances here.
A few steps away is Tarzan's Treehouse, which emerges from the steamy jungle onto the banks of the Lost River. Here guests can explore Tarzan's jungle home and little ones can frolic in an elaborate interactive play area. This is also a good place to spot characters from the film.
Once you have journeyed through the Tarzan area, guests can travel even further into the foliage to experience The Jungle Book: An Untamed Musical in the Wild, a musical stage show located amongst the Ancient Ruins from the 1967 musical hit, which is found on the backside of The Indiana Jones Adventure. If it feels like the jungle is jumpin', it's not your imagination. This over-the-top stage show, which feels like a hybrid of Disney's Animal Kingdom's Festival of the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks!, invites the audience to party alongside Mowgli, Baloo and all their jungle friends. Outside the showroom is Colonel Hathi's Hamburger Hut. This counter-service eatery features a small indoor dining room and a spacious patio area amongst the ruins that overlooks the Lost River and the backside of the Temple.
Now, on to Polynesia!