stunt double performing at the show The show opened on August 25, 1989, in the Stunt Theater, as the first
Indiana Jones attraction at a Disney park, and was put on a six-month hiatus in 2000 for refurbishing. In 2004, the Nazi
swastikas on German trucks, aircraft, and actor uniforms were removed and replaced by a
Balkenkreuz. This is the first theme park attraction to use a computer-based
show control system in conjunction with a custom made
programmable logic controller system to trigger, control and sequence complex live events in real time, controlled by the actors in many cases. All other effects are triggered by a cast member at the booth. The original control system was based on the
Amiga computer with software by Richmond Sound Design Ltd. The show is consistently upgrading its electronics and computer elements to keep it up to date. This began a trend in live stunt shows with both Walt Disney World and
Universal Studios opening many more similar attractions over the next eight years.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! incorporated audience participation as part of the show's entertainment, until 2020; this part was dropped when the show returned to the theme park after the
COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers were chosen from the crowd to perform as townspeople in the Cairo street scene, though they did not perform any stunts themselves and were always placed a safe distance away from the real stunt work and special effects. Among the actual audience volunteers was a stunt performer plant who surprised the audience and other volunteers by gradually revealing their skills during a supposed tutorial session between scenes. ==Show experience==