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Early on in the development of Disney-MGM Studios, Imagineers planned on having two stunt shows, one "action" and one "slapstick" <ref name= "Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=241 </ref>. The "action" stunt show would eventually develop into an Indiana Jones themed show. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular came about as a result of a collaboration between the Walt Disney Company and George Lucas, the creator of the Indiana Jones franchise. Lucas had worked with Disney as early as 19851984, when he developed began developing [[Captain EO]] for [[EPCOT Center]]<ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/9085/The_Untold_Story_of_Captain_EO </ref>. The Lucas/ Disney partnership became more prominent in 1989 with the creation of [[Star Tours]] and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! for Disney's newest park , the Disney-MGM Studios<ref> http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/01/02/1989-disney-world-album/ </ref>.  Although not originally envisioned as an opening day attraction, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular officially premiered ! was deemed unready when the rest of Disney-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989 <ref> http://www.thisdayindisneyhistory.com/Disney-MGMGrandOpening.html </ref>. Both Disney CEO Michael Eisner and George Lucas felt that the show was not yet ready to be seen by guests <ref> https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19890505&id=BzAeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NL0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7007,6189931&hl=en </ref> <ref name= "Korkis"> https://www.mouseplanet.com/11330/The_Premiere_of_DisneyMGM_Studios </ref>. Instead of keeping guests out of the attraction altogether however, Disney opened the show for "live rehearsals" <ref name= "Korkis"/> until the attraction finally opened in full on August 25, 1989<ref name= "Korkis"/> <ref name= "news"> https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19890827&id=kCJUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fI0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5703,4251291&hl=en </ref>. On hand for the first public show were both Michael Eisner and George Lucas, who also posed for publicity photos <ref name= "news"/>.  Since its opening, the attraction has remained essentially unchanged, ; however in 2000 the stunt show was closed for a six month refurbishment. The closure was done in order to refurbish the sets and ready the attraction for the implementation of Disney's FastPass. According to Show Producer Joe Kivett:{{Quotation| "Guests will see whole scenes rebuilt -- we even have a new airplane. But mostly, the show will reflect the incredible technical advances that weren't around when the show opened <ref name= "raiders"> http://www.theraider.net/information/attractions/epicstunts.php </ref>.}} Disney spokesman Tom Craig Dezern, also noted that the length of refurbishment was due to the fact that the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! had more special effects and mechanical parts then than any other attraction on property<ref> http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2000-01-11/business/0001100352_1_epic-stunt-spectacular-jones-epic-indiana-jones-show </ref>. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! reopened to guests on June 10, 2000. In celebration of the reopening, Disney invited 500 locals with the last name Jones to attend the first performance of the show <ref name= "raiders"/> Following a drop in attendance after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the number of times the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! was performed was dropped from 8 to 5. At this time a large number of actors were also laid off <ref name= "raiders"/> <ref> https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=20011201&id=L8s0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=LI4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2987,138224&hl=en</ref>.

The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! begins with the casting director inviting three volunteers (who must be at least 18 years old) to come on stage. The casting director asks tells them to do their first scene, which involves the volunteers standing on a trap door and screaming as if the door had just opened. After the "scene" is informed performed the first three volunteers are instructed to go to wardrobe and three new guests are invited onstage. After introducing themselves, the three new volunteers are directed to give three different kinds of laughs. The first volunteer gives a hearty laugh, the second (a woman) gives a “sweet little gigglegiggle”,” and finally third gives an “evil, menacing, sinister laugh”. Following their performance, the second group of volunteers is also sent to wardrobe. Next, The the director asks for a third set of three more volunteers, however this time one of the volunteer extras is actually an actor named "Chris"a plant. Each of these volunteers are is given a pose to hold. Chris The “plant” struggles to stand on one leg, while the second extra stands like a tough guy, and the third volunteer stands like a boulder is about to fall on them. Although the director The director asks the crowd if the extras should have to stand like that for awhilea while, she eventually decides to send the group to wardrobe. Finally, before the first scene with Indiana Jones, the middle-to left side of the audience is instructed to practice making "ahh" noises and the middle-to right "oohs". After this exercise the first scene with Indiana Jones begins. 

In the first scene of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! An an Indiana Jones stunt double performs a scene from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The scene begins the Indiana Jones theme giving way to a mystic chant, and Indiana Jones falling down into the scene. Indy then lowers himself to the ground and searches for booby traps. After realizing that there are is pressure -triggered traps on the ground, Indy begins to carefully walk around the traps. Unfortunately, the archaeologist looses loses his footing and spikes begin to shoot into the air. Although there are few close calls, Indiana Jones is able to get past the traps. After reaching safety, Indy realizes that there is an impaled corpse nearby. Seeing the body he mutters "Forestal" before continuing on.  Moving forward, Indy navigates his way through roots hanging from the ceiling. Suddenly, Indy begins to fall into a pit, but luckily he is able to catch himself and swing on the roots to the other side. Back on solid ground, Indy comes face to face with three 8 foot statues who are holding axes above their heads. Although Indy tests the statues by waving his arm in front of them, as he moves forward the second statue drops its ax. Indy then runs past the falling ax of the third statue before finally reaching the idol he was searching for. After studying the pedestal that the idol sits on, Indy places a sandbag in place of the idol he has taken. After taking the idol however, the pedestal begins to sink into the floor and flames shoot up behind the archaeologist. At this point a large stone door breaks open and a huge boulder begins to roll down the hill. Indy attempts to run away but is overcome and falls under the boulder, ending the scene.

Following the end of the first scene, the stunt double emerges out of a the hole in the ground that he dove into to avoid being crushed by the boulder. At this point, the director runs onto the set worried that the double hurt himself performing the stunt. Much to his the director’s relief however, the stunt double is fine. After the assistant director introduces himself to the audience, the stunt double begins to talk about the stunt he performed. The stunt double claims that the boulder is very real and that it takes half of the crew to put the boulder in place. As he is making this claim however, two crew members appear and push the boulder my by themselves. Despite the fact that the stunt double was just kidding, the assistant director explains that the boulder is really four hundred pounds of rubber and that it could hurt someone if something went wrong. Finally, the director tells the audience that it is time to bring the volunteer extras back on stage.  After their introduction, the extras come onstage dressed as people from Cairo. The assistant director then gives the extras warm up by practicing emotions and stretching. He then asks one of the extras to volunteer for a scene, only to reveal that it is actually a death scene. The director instructs the the volunteer to make his death extra slow, winning and Academy Award winning. After giving him these instructions, the casting director uses a prop gun and shoots the extra. After the extra performed his big "death scene", the director begins to set up the attraction's second scene. In this scene, Marion's stunt double will be joining Indy. Finally, the assistant director talks to the set director and stunt coordinator before introducing the the director of photography. The assistant director then talks about the dangers of bullwhips with the Indiana Jones stunt double before setting up for the second scene.

 The second scene starts with the people of Cairo talking and shopping in the marketplace. A German military truck arrives and the driver gets out and pushes his way through the crowd. A group of Nazis disguised as street performers then move into the crowd and start their routine. They do a few stunts, before they force Indy and Marion into the middle of the performance. As the Nazis begin to throw knives to each other , Indiana realizes that Marion and he and Marion are in danger. Although initially Indy uses his whip to fight, he eventually switches to hand to hand contact. In an attempt to get away, Indy and Marion jump from a pulley system on to onto some scaffolding. When the Nazis attempt to follow, Indy hits them with the pulley stopper , and then rises to the second level of the building. Still pursued by the Nazis, Indy and Marion realize that they are trapped. As the duo fights back, Indy throws one of the Nazis , causing him to fall through the ceiling below. As Indy, Marion , and the Nazis all climb to the the third story, once again it looks like the heroes are trapped. Just as things look grim, Marion finds a rope and swings across the roof. Unfortunately, their escape brings them face to face with another set of Nazis. Indy then sees a pole on the roof next to them. At this point in the attraction there are two possible conclusions for the scene.

The At the beginning of the second intermission, the director comes out, and makes to make sure that Marion's stunt double is okay. Once we know it is established that she is, he talks the director begins to lecture the audience about the dangers of explosive stunts. He The director then introduces the demolitions movie’s demolition supervisor, asking him to further explain the dangers of using explosives. The director responds, demolitions supervisor then proclaims “Ok. Uh folks when you work with explosives... it's dangerous... thank you".” The After this humorous warning, the director explains that more stunt men and women are injured in during simple fights than fight scenes then when working with explosives. When asked the director calls on the "plant" volunteer to demonstratea fighting scene, they choose Chris. Chris the actor tries to run from away. Due to his actions, instead of having the "tough guy they choose to " punch him, so Marion's stunt double demonstrates the punch insteaddoes it. Kristen isnMarion't able s double seems to have a hard time timing her fake punches properly with 'untrained extra' Chrishowever, and instead seems to be really punching him. Of course, Chris is really one of actually punch the stuntmen on the show, and those 'mistakes' were the demonstration after allextra.  Now it's time to get ready for the next scene. The director introduces a new stunt actor, who will be playing a mechanic. The mechanic explains that he's a stunt actor, so he plays his role throughout the scene. This is different from the stunt men on the show who are doing the stunts for a different actors role. The director talks to Marion's double about the changes made for the third scene, and then the cameras start rolling!

The third scene begins with Indy and Marion hide hiding behind some gasoline barrels so they can plan an and planning their escape. Mechanics run around Around the setduo, dropping off ammo at the ammo dump and mechanics can be seen moving ammo ammunition and gasoline barrels to storage. Meanwhile, as a gunner sits on a nearby rooftop, watching the scene. A Suddenly, a motorcycle shoots roars into the scene, but then quickly stops as if waiting. SuddenlyFollowing the motorcyclist's entrance, a German Flying Wing roars into the scene, rolling up as it's guided by the head mechanic, played by the stunt actor. The mechanic puts wheel stoppers on the plane as the lands, and its pilot comes down out and starts begins to argue with the head mechanic. The Following the argument, the pilot leaves on the motorcycle, and the head mechanic returns goes back to supervising the ammo ammunition dump. At this point, Indy and Marion run for the plane, and . Although Marion gets is able to get in while , Indy goes for is grabbed by the stoppershead mechanic. The gunner gets After the mechanics attention, and Marion can't warn him in time! The mechanic grabs Indy and tells yells at Marion to get out in German, but of the plane (she doesn't understand him. The mechanic because he speaks German), he silently challenges Indy to a fight. During the fight, but Indy's punches don't bother him at all! Indy do not seem to have any effect on the mechanic and the archaeologist makes a run for it and . Seeing this, the nearby gunner fires for himbegins to shoot at Indy. At this point Marion gets in into the plane’s cockpit, but accidentally shuts and locks the door. The mechanic then tells the gunner to stop shoot shooting and starts punching he resumes his fight with Indy, eventually knocking him down. Marion then accidentally hits the plane's controls, and the plane starts moving out of control!begins to move.

The wing clips As the plane moves out of control, its wings hit a gasoline tanker, and oil begins pouring onto to pour on the ground. Marion then takes control of the planeplanes's machine gun and shoots at the gunner, killing . Although she is able to kill him but igniting , she also ignites the stored gas! gasoline. At this point Indy gets away is able to break free from the mechanic and he rushes into the plane to help Marion. But the The mechanic is back, pursues Indy and eventually throws him the hero onto the wingplane's wings. Seeing this, Marion starts using the machine gun as the plane keeps spinning, and . This causes a nearby truck's engine to explode. She hits , although she also manages to hit a few of the soldiers, as Indy falls to Nazis on the ground. The Next, the mechanic pushes Indy towards one of the plane's propellers, but and although Indy manages is able to break free, only for the mechanic to catch up to him again. Indy get away he still can't cannot hurt the mechanic with his fists, and . Despite the fact that the mechanic knocks him seems to have the ground again. But the mechanic upper hand, he is too busy taunting Indy to see that the plane is circling around again, and the . The plane's propeller then hits him! With the mechanic dead, killing him. Seeing this, Indy tells Marion how to stop the plane, and as he tries to open the door more explosions go off. The before the storage area and gasoline truck are set on fire! The . As the fire races to the towards a gasoline tanker, which is right next to near Indy and Marion's plane! , Indy shoots the lock, and pulls her Marion out of , before jumping onto the plane and they jump offground. They run and jump The duo then jumps over the flames as it gets closer and they get closer to the tanker. The Even though the fire hits the tanker, the tanker and explodes and the plane and storage explode as well, but Indy and Marion are able to get away just in time.

* The show has Indy steal a golden idol that is an exact replica of the one used in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark.''<ref name= "trivia"> http://allears.net/tp/mgm/m_indiana.htm </ref>* The boulder used in the show is 12 feet in diameter and 440 pounds!<ref name= "trivia"/>.