Seven years after the park opened, this restaurant finally received an identity of its own when it was transformed into the Tahitian Terrace.This guest favorite provided guests with dining & entertainment inspired by the islands of Polynesia and was open summersas well as busier weekends. The entertainment was lively, as can be witnessed by these three photos from the 1962 film "Disneyland After Dark":

However, all good things eventually come to an end, and in 1993 the Tahitian Terrace became Aladdin's Oasis Dinner Show. Lasting only 2 seasons, the food component was removed and the area became known only as Aladdin's Oasis. A show aimed at children featuring favorite characters from the Disney animated classic lasted for quite awhile here:

You are probably wondering what all of this has to do with Indiana Jones…and finally, we are at the point of the story. In a classic case of recycling, Disneyland ditched the Aladdin Show and decided to jump on the Indiana Jones franchise bandwagon which got new life recently with the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the 4th entry into the series. And lest you get the wrong idea, I am totally in favor of the recycling concept; it's all part of "plussing the show," as Walt used to say.

The entry was quickly redone with a banner that hails the new show:

and a fun new photo-opp area has also been added:

With a little change of décor, the Aladdin set is transformed to fit the new storyline that revolves around Indiana Jones and his lovely British assistant.

Disney usually does an excellent job with set design, creating scenery that evokes the era and geographic location that it is supposed to; the one flaw I found in this recycling effort were the stacked tiger blocks to the left of the Open-Jaw Cave leftover from Aladdin. These blocks are too close in proximity to the cave and really look as if they were just plopped there at the last minute. Other than that, I thought the sets and scenery were more than passable, especially considering how hastily this show was pulled together.

And the show? I was truly surprised by it. Obviously, it is targeted for the kiddies; a large area next to the stage is reserved for the little tykes, and they are also asked to help find clues and assist the lovely blond Brit. As an adult, I was able to enjoy the Aladdin show, but this one is somewhat of a snoozer…until Indiana Jones arrives on the scene. This is where the surprise began. For the happiest place on earth, I was somewhat amazed at the amount of violence (albeit fake) between Indiana Jones and a female. Plenty of knees to the groin and and punches; I can only imagine what the kids in the front row are thinking, as the lovely lady who they have been helping turns evil and then starts throwing punches with Indy.

Harrison Ford plays Indiana Jones with a very dry sense of humor; this cast member had none. The constant snarl and mean look on his face were the only behaviors shown in this one-dimensional performance.

The stunt show that occurs throughout the day in Adventureland also was a little wacky, and would probably be more at home at Universal Studios.

To see this fight break out in the middle of Adventureland over the Jungle Cruise is a little odd; depending on where guests are when it starts, they wouldn't necessarily know the context in which the fight happens, nor would they necessarily care.

So, it was no surprise when I read last week that the show was being re-written and softened. Hopefully the writers will be able to add a little bit of excitement and humor, the key elements that make Indiana Jones such an endearing character.

That's it for now, folks – see you at Daveland!