Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
The Ride
Lucky for us, we didn’t have to wait long for the ride. Outside of the line had a gorgeous Cambodia Jungle theme. The Land Rover driven by actress Angelina Jolie greeted you by the entrance. As the line progresses, you enter into the Anchor Wat scene that takes place in Cambodia. You look down and see crumbled columns, similar style glyphs that decorate the walls, and images of the All Seeing Eye. The first room you wait in is lined with Stone Monkey statues with cobwebs dangling off them. Once you are about to enter the ride, you move into a different room. The stone door marked with the Triangle of Light seems to be animated with lighting effects. It rubles to the side and mist pours from the entrance. You then stand in a room with a giant Brahman from the climax of the Cambodia scene. A video plays (although it was broken when we went), and it is narrated by Jon Voight in character as Richard Croft. He describes his daughter: “One with wealth that no one could spend in an entire life time, she still is not satisfied.” A great way to describe Lara, the character does become a sort of proof that money doesn’t buy happiness. He goes on to talk as if she is in great danger, and fears for her.
You are then seated in the ride, which consists of a theater-like platform with over-the-shoulder harnesses on the seats (very similar to roller coaster seats). The ride elevates you up in a half circle, and lifts you so you are staring the Brahman in the face. Then the ride goes dark and you fall in circle motions, doing flips all the while until it halts you high up in the air and you feel like you are lying down in your seat. You can see an icy landscape, which is really on the ceiling (or at least I think 😉 ). You stay there for a few moments and then fall into more summersaults. Then you are lifted high and being tilted forward until you are hanging upside-down looking into a lava-like scene. Orange and yellow lights illuminate the water below, and it sprays up to splash you. Then the ride flips you around some more before it comes to a stop. You hear Richard Croft say, “It seams that no one can get the best of Lara Croft, unless of course she lets them.” Then he boasts proudly, “But I didn’t raise that type of girl!”
